MAY • 2008 UC admits record number of freshmen INSIDE THIS ISSUE UC off ered admission to 60,008 California high school seniors, a record number UC President Dynes Q&A 2 despite looming state budget cuts. Colleges, universities unite Fulfi lling a commitment to off er a place to every eligible California applicant, the uni- in plea for support 3 versity increased the number of admissions off ers by 4.7 percent over fall 2007. A re- UC seeks animal researcher protections 3 cord number of applications, however, resulted UC Irvine reaches out to in a slightly lower admission rate: 75.8 percent UC FRESHMEN ADMISSIONS American Indians 4 of fall 2008 applicants were admitted compared Total applicants 79,661 to 77.4 percent in fall 2007. Universities across Total admissions 60,008 the country have seen a dramatic increase in Latino/Chicano 12, 432 16 % increase African American 2,305 11.3% increase RESEARCH IN ACTION WORKING applications due to the large number of high White 20, 616 1.2% increase FOR THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA school seniors graduating this year. Asian 20,397 0.7% increase is special report highlights UC’s “We were very impressed with the academic American Indian 334 2.6% decrease research into the causes of autism qualifi cations of all the applicants, and we look California residents: 88.8% and treatments that can enhance the forward to an outstanding group of freshmen Female: 56.7% this fall,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. Male: 43.1% quality of life and education for autistic Low-income: 36.8% children. (Inside) Continued on page 2 UC Center Sacramento aims to serve policy-makers UC Center Sacramento celebrates its fi ft h anniversary in May with a renewed eff ort to develop its role as a resource for the state policy-making community. Launched as a fi ve-year pilot project in 2003, the center has been awarded permanent status. Th at means UC students will continue to have access to a robust learning expe- rience in the state capital. Each year the center places dozens of students as interns in legislative and administration offi ces and Sacramento nonprofi ts. In addition to work- ing as interns, students attend classes at the center’s K Street building, write a public policy research paper and obtain a solid grounding in state government. But student learning is not the center’s only mission in Sacramento. It also hosts pub- did you lic seminars and speaker series and serves as a research resource for legislative offi ces, a role that will be growing. know? “We’re a front door for UC research in Sacramento, and that will expand,” said A.G. • If 2 percent more Californians Block, director of the center’s public aff airs student journalism program. “For us, re- had associate’s degrees and search and public service are very much intertwined. Our mission is to make available another 1 percent more to California policy-makers the research from all 10 UC campuses.” earned bachelor’s degrees, California’s economy would For every challenge California faces, Block said, there are likely UC researchers work- grow by $20 billion. ing on the same problem. If a legislator needs expertise for draft ing a bill or testimony before a committee, the center can help fi nd a UC expert to fi ll those needs, he said. • State and local tax revenues would increase by $1.2 billion Th e center is celebrating its fi ft h anniversary with a May 6 reception from 5 to 7 p.m. per year. at 1130 K St., Suite LL22, Sacramento. For more information about the event and • 174,000 new jobs would be center resources, call 916 445-5134. created. Be an advocate for UC! Source: Th e Campaign for College Opportunity Find out what you can do and sign up today at www.ucforcalifornia.org For more information, contact Brandon Kline 510 987-0669 or [email protected] SYSTEMWIDE NEWS Dynes reflects on his UC presidency As he prepares to step down as UC president on June 15, Bob Dynes looks back on five years at the helm of a university he fell in love with as a new physics professor in 1990. That year he joined UC San Diego’s faculty after a 22-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He was UCSD’s chancellor in 2003 when he accepted the job of UC president. Q. What were some of the high points of your presidency? thriving, faculty are Dynes: When I took this job in 2003, I pledged that my top enthusiastic and priority would be sustaining the quality of what I believe is the students are signing world’s finest university. We did that on three fronts. First, we up in droves. That has worked to stabilize state funding for the university in a period been very gratifying. when it looked like the bottom might fall out. Second, we Q. What’s next on went 3-for-3 in the national lab competitions, which seemed your horizon? to surprise everyone but me. Third, and most important, we Dynes: On the near laid out a long-range vision for the university, which had horizon, I will spend a lot more time with my wife, Ann, at never been done before. That vision is “One University with our home in San Diego and a lot less time with my Black- the Promise and Power of 10 Campuses.” Over the past year, Berry. I have an active laboratory with post-docs, graduate I have conveyed that vision to every part of the system, and I students and undergraduates, and I will see more of them. My have been gratified by the responses, which are contained in a lab has built a new superconducting tunneling microscope special “Power of 10” report. (universityofcalifornia.edu/presi- that is unique in the world for its ability to probe aspects of dent/powerof10report0408.pdf) high-temperature superconductors. It’s a thrilling project. On Q. You became president after serving as a department chair, the far horizon, I want to think very carefully about the third a campus chief academic officer and a campus chancellor. act of my life, following my first two acts at Bell Labs and UC, What have you learned as UC president that surprised you? and about how I can continue to pursue my passion for R, Dynes: The UC president sees the entire breadth and depth D & D: research, development and delivery of new ideas to of the state of California in a way that few people ever experi- benefit society and change the world. ence, and I have been most surprised at just how much UC Q. What advice will you give incoming UC President Mark reaches into the lives of all Californians. It is virtually impos- Yudof as you head out the door? sible to find anyone who does not benefit from our impact Dynes: I’ve already urged him to forge a strong relationship on health care, agriculture, science and technology, arts and with the governor, who is a huge UC fan, the leadership in culture, public policy, and, in a brand new development, K-12 the Legislature and the Academic Senate, and with his two education. UC had never taken on in a major way the chal- presidential advisory boards, the Agriculture Commission lenges facing K-12 education because we felt it was CSU’s job. and the Science and Innovation Board. I’ve known Mark for I thought it was important for all of higher education to play over a decade. He is an outstanding choice who has already hit a role, and we acted by launching our “Cal Teach” Science and the ground running. I urge everyone in the UC community Math Initiative. When I pushed that initiative forward with to give him their full support – I know I will – and I hope he the governor in 2005, I was told that faculty and students on savors every minute of his presidency. the campuses would never buy into it. Today, Cal Teach is Admissions continued from page 1 ready been offered admissions, another to the Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego and 8,450 who were not accepted at the UCLA campuses. Those students can UC saw an increase in applications and campus they originally applied to will spend their freshmen and sophomore admissions among African American be offered admission at UC Merced or years at Merced with the option of (13.3 percent) and Latino/Chicano (16 UC Riverside. At UC Berkeley and UC transferring to another campus in their percent) students while American In- San Diego, another 3,000 students have junior year. dian admissions dropped 2.6 percent. been offered admission for winter or Nine out of 10 admitted UC students spring quarters. Those three underrepresented groups are California residents. International make up 25.1 percent of total fall ad- UC Merced will offer admission and out-of-state admissions numbered missions. through the Shared Experience pro- 7,545, an increase of 1,262 over last gram, now in its second year, to 820 year. Information about transfer student In addition to the students who have al- California residents who had applied admissions will be released later in May. 2 SYSTEMWIDE NEWS California public colleges, universities unite in plea for state support Peter the Anteater usually is found and higher fees. Hundreds more attended romping on the sidelines at UC Irvine campus rallies throughout the state. athletic events. On May 8, Peter will On April 28, UC President Robert Dynes, apply his cheering skills to Capitol UC Provost Rory Hume, CSU Chancellor Mascot Day, an event Orange County Charles Reed and CCC Chancellor Diane higher education leaders organized Woodruff made a rare joint visit to Sacra- to call attention to the impact of state mento to urge policy-makers to resist the budget cuts on California’s universities deep budget cuts for higher education.