"Thanks for having me over … the root beer floats were great,” I said to him.
Interim Chancellor Norm Abrams smiled and said thanks as I left a student reception in his backyard last May. Students mingled with him and took photos, but most kept their distance, preferring to talk with other students instead.
Maybe they were just tired (it was nearing finals) or in awe of the original Andy Warhols lining the walls of the mansion, but whatever the reason, I can relate to their feelings of awkwardness. Ever since an encounter with now-former Chancellor Albert Carnesale my freshman year, I’ve struggled to understand the ambiguous role that the chancellor plays in my life as a UCLA student.
From the time we enter UCLA, we’re told that in order to succeed, it’s crucial to utilize the “big school” resources. This traditionally means doing research projects with professors, seeing near-professional athletes win on the field, and, to some, hooking up with classmates that we (almost) don’t have to worry about bumping into again.
Applying the same logic, how should we embrace our new chancellor, Gene Block, the latest distinguished-East-Coast-academic-turned-administrator to take the reigns of this gigantic university?
Sure, I read Abrams’ e-mails after my identity was potentially stolen by thieves from an electronic database. And after a Taser was used on a student in Powell. And when a gun threat resulted from a crossbow in the apartments. (And those were just last year.)
But beyond such warnings and generic correspondences, in a place where I scarcely even interact with my own professors, I foresee our personal relationship as very limited.
While I originally felt cheated that chancellors tend to spend such limited time with students, I’ve come to accept that it just isn’t statistically feasible for Block to do this and get anything else done. He may be an expert on circadian rhythms in mammals, but he can’t be there to offer advice every time a student needs to pull an all-nighter in Powell.
Although the chancellor can’t meet with every student during office hours or have breakfast with every student in De Neve, he can take easy steps to become a more visible figure on campus. He may not be a direct resource we can all use, but if students know he’s working (and sometimes having fun) on behalf of them, at least he will be someone they can relate to.
For example, it would be great if Block could occasionally attend campus sporting events. Despite the fact he probably wore red and cheered on a dancing tree during his years at Stanford (UCLA won the national basketball championship all four years of his undergrad), it would be great to see him in blue and gold and know that he supports all facets of the university, not just academics and research.
Instead of just having a few students to his office, he could hold a forum once a quarter in a lecture hall or Pauley Pavilion where all students are invited to come and ask him questions. Or he could set up a tent between Ackerman and Wooden once a quarter for a few hours and meet with students on their way up Bruin Walk.
These wouldn’t take up a significant amount of time and would help remove some of the awkwardness and misunderstanding. Through visibility, Block can gain the respect of students who will then lend their support to his position, allowing him to achieve more.
By reaching out to students using these “big school” opportunities ““ the same that students use to make the most of their time in college ““ Block will not be square. He will be the perfect fit for UCLA.
If you think Al, Norm and Gene should start a band, e-mail Noble at bnoble@media.ucla.edu.