More Than Just a Caretaker : UC head announces an October departure date

The nine-campus University of California system offers some of the very best undergraduate and graduate education available and attracts some of the nation’s and world’s best students. Proud of its diversity as well as of its high academic standards, the UC system continues to be one of America’s greatest jewels.

Not that things haven’t been difficult during the past few years. The recent economic recession that has hit this state harder than any other has raised not only tuition and tensions on campus but also anxieties about the system’s very future. Moreover, competing claims for taxpayer dollars, perhaps profoundly exacerbated by passage of the “three strikes” initiative that would appear to prioritize incarceration over education, raised deep concerns about both the UC system and the viability of the entire California Master Plan for higher education, which all but guarantees an appropriate post-high school education for every California youth.

It was into this atmosphere of old worries and new realities that Jack W. Peltason stepped when he took over as the system’s president 2 1/2 years ago. It was the classic thankless job. There was no money for raises and lots of pressure to cut compensation, departments and perks. And with each rise in student fees, criticism mounted and tension grew.

But now, as Peltason prepares to step down on his third anniversary in October and as the recession appears to be over and better economic times lie ahead, it would not be premature to describe Peltason’s stint as UC’s leader as a remarkably successful low-key effort to keep the university system on course and to maintain the confidence of the faculty even during this bruising period.

And so the UC Board of Regents must now commence a search for a successor. It has a rich field from which to choose. In addition to qualified educators throughout America, the UC system has produced its own extremely capable candidates. With proper screening and careful thought, it will be hard not to find a worthy successor to Peltason. But not before California offers this quiet, unassuming but fiercely dedicated educator a kind and appreciative word for a job well done.