The Council of UC Faculty Associations recently wrote to President Yudof concerning the status of the UC Natural Reserve System and the impact of reorganization of UCOP. Our letter is attached. The DFA and CUCFA can help to emphasize important issues like this.
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July 8, 2008
President Mark G. Yudof
University of California
Office of the President
1111 Franklin St.
Oakland, CA 94607-5200
Re: Natural Reserve System Management
Dear President Yudof:
The Council of UC Faculty Associations (CUCFA) welcomes you to the University of California. CUCFA is an umbrella organization for individual Faculty Associations at each of the UC campuses. These are independent entities that represent the interests of faculty members, but are not affiliated with the University Senate. A primary purpose of the Faculty Associations, and therefore of the Council of Faculty Associations, is support for the principle of shared governance and the maintenance of academic excellence. It is in reference to these principles that we write to you.
The University of California can boast of many unique and extremely valuable resources that are not commonly found in other universities. One such resource is the Natural Reserve System. Management of the Natural Reserve System is presently housed in the UC Office of the President. A select group of distinguished faculty who are concerned about management of the reserve system has written to you and laid out a compelling argument for the continued management of the Natural Reserve System from within the Office of the President.
CUCFA urges you to give full consideration to faculty input on this matter. In the spirit of shared governance, the opinions and input of the faculty must be a vital factor in making decisions that affect UC’s programs, and we are concerned that the UCOP reorganization is proceeding in apparent disregard of the University’s academic mission and public obligations.
We look forward to a productive relationship with you and your administration and wish you well in your new position.
Respectfully,
Robert Meister,
President, Council of UC Faculty Associations
CC: Provost and Executive Vice President Wyatt R. Hume
Executive Vice President Katie Lapp
Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies Steven Beckwith
Regent Richard Blum
Academic Senate Chair Michael Brown