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Chancellor's Memo University of California Santa Cruz Volume 12, Number 2 INTRODUCING CHANCELLOR-ELECT MARK N. CHRISTENSEN The telephone in my study rang on Saturday afternoon. I recognized President Hitch's familiar voice. The Search Committee for Chancellor, he said, had reached a conclusion. The tension was great, because I had invested 13 years of my life in building this campus and wanted to see it in strong and skilled hands. Then he said: "Mark Christensen." I responded, "Great!" On April 4 The Regents, in special session, approved the appointment and a vital sector of Santa Cruz destiny was secure for some time to come. Page Smith and I first met Mark at the All-University Faculty Conference in Riverside in April 1965. We were greatly impressed by the tall, handsome young geologist. Indeed, if we had not already decided to exclude Geology from the initial cadre, we would have tried to persuade him to join us. Christensen took an extraordinary interest in our plans for Santa Cruz then. Over the years we have kept in touch. He has been particularly helpful to UCSC as chairman of the Berkeley Academic Senate and, later, after he became The Vice Chancellor at Berkeley. apt of be of his great friendliness. He likes students and respects from a field that has always fostered close student-faculty relations. His success as a leader of the Academic Senate was due in no small part to his extraordinary sensitivity to faculty viewpoints and feelings. As an administrator, he quickly establishes liaison with the different constituencies with which he deals: students, alumni, faculty, town, legislative and others. Some may think it odd that Santa Cruz should turn to a scientist for its second Chancellor. Did not Clark Kerr and Dean McHenry refer to UCSC as "the social sciences and humanities campus"? We did try to begin that way, but always aspired to a balanced campus. The initial imagery was so complete that we still have trouble convincing the community that we have extensive science teaching and research. Indeed, among UC campuses, UCSC stands fourth in members of the National Academy of Sciences — exceeded only by UCB, UCSD, and UCLA. Mark's leadership, while symbolizing our interest in science, will be devoted to even-handed development of all the arts and sciences. I hope also that he will lead the campus in a major thrust into the areas of professional schools and organized research centers. But what about the colleges? Dr. Christensen has not been involved in a collegiate University previously, but this may prove to be an advantage. He may be able to see our problems more clearly than those of us who have been closely involved in college founding. The colleges must be made more vigorous forces in the intellectual and cultural life of the campus. They should do this in diverse ways. Only through this accomplishment will Santa Cruz be significantly different from other new universities. What about Santa Cruz in the UC system? Christensen is ideal to represent the campus in University-wide affairs. He knows the system, its central administration and The Regents so well that he can be effective from July 1, if not before. Clark Kerr once advised multicampus universities to "Select chief executives, in part, for their ability and willingness to be cooperative members of the system." Mark Christensen is such a man. Today I filed my application for retirement. It is a time of mixed emotions. But I can say that it is much easier to leave now that I know Mark Christensen will be my successor. Aloha. [Signed: Dean E. McHenry]
Object Description
Series Title |
University of California, Santa Cruz: Campus Publications |
Title | Chancellor's Memo (April 1974; Vol. 12, No. 2) |
Date | 1974-04-01 |
Geographic Location.TGN |
Santa Cruz Santa Cruz (county) California United States |
Subject.LCSH |
McHenry, Dean Eugene, 1910- |
Language | English |
Type | Text |
Master File Name | ld781_s38a2_1974-04_1.tif; ld781_s38a2_1974-04_2.tif; ld781_s38a2_1974-04_3.tif; ld781_s38a2_1974-04_4.tif |
Owning Institution & Contact Info | University of California, Santa Cruz. McHenry Library, Special Collections. 1156 High Street. Santa Cruz, CA, 95064. (831) 459-2547. speccoll@library.ucsc.edu |
Owning Institution Homepage | http://library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/ |
Physical Location | McHenry Library, Special Collections |
Item Call Number | LD781.S38 A2 |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Owning Institution & Contact Info | University of California, Santa Cruz. McHenry Library, Special Collections. 1156 High Street. Santa Cruz, CA, 95064. (831) 459-2547. speccoll@library.ucsc.edu |
Owning Institution Homepage | http://library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/ |
Physical Location | McHenry Library, Special Collections |
Transcript | Chancellor's Memo University of California Santa Cruz Volume 12, Number 2 INTRODUCING CHANCELLOR-ELECT MARK N. CHRISTENSEN The telephone in my study rang on Saturday afternoon. I recognized President Hitch's familiar voice. The Search Committee for Chancellor, he said, had reached a conclusion. The tension was great, because I had invested 13 years of my life in building this campus and wanted to see it in strong and skilled hands. Then he said: "Mark Christensen." I responded, "Great!" On April 4 The Regents, in special session, approved the appointment and a vital sector of Santa Cruz destiny was secure for some time to come. Page Smith and I first met Mark at the All-University Faculty Conference in Riverside in April 1965. We were greatly impressed by the tall, handsome young geologist. Indeed, if we had not already decided to exclude Geology from the initial cadre, we would have tried to persuade him to join us. Christensen took an extraordinary interest in our plans for Santa Cruz then. Over the years we have kept in touch. He has been particularly helpful to UCSC as chairman of the Berkeley Academic Senate and, later, after he became The Vice Chancellor at Berkeley. apt of be of his great friendliness. He likes students and respects from a field that has always fostered close student-faculty relations. His success as a leader of the Academic Senate was due in no small part to his extraordinary sensitivity to faculty viewpoints and feelings. As an administrator, he quickly establishes liaison with the different constituencies with which he deals: students, alumni, faculty, town, legislative and others. Some may think it odd that Santa Cruz should turn to a scientist for its second Chancellor. Did not Clark Kerr and Dean McHenry refer to UCSC as "the social sciences and humanities campus"? We did try to begin that way, but always aspired to a balanced campus. The initial imagery was so complete that we still have trouble convincing the community that we have extensive science teaching and research. Indeed, among UC campuses, UCSC stands fourth in members of the National Academy of Sciences — exceeded only by UCB, UCSD, and UCLA. Mark's leadership, while symbolizing our interest in science, will be devoted to even-handed development of all the arts and sciences. I hope also that he will lead the campus in a major thrust into the areas of professional schools and organized research centers. But what about the colleges? Dr. Christensen has not been involved in a collegiate University previously, but this may prove to be an advantage. He may be able to see our problems more clearly than those of us who have been closely involved in college founding. The colleges must be made more vigorous forces in the intellectual and cultural life of the campus. They should do this in diverse ways. Only through this accomplishment will Santa Cruz be significantly different from other new universities. What about Santa Cruz in the UC system? Christensen is ideal to represent the campus in University-wide affairs. He knows the system, its central administration and The Regents so well that he can be effective from July 1, if not before. Clark Kerr once advised multicampus universities to "Select chief executives, in part, for their ability and willingness to be cooperative members of the system." Mark Christensen is such a man. Today I filed my application for retirement. It is a time of mixed emotions. But I can say that it is much easier to leave now that I know Mark Christensen will be my successor. Aloha. [Signed: Dean E. McHenry] |
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