February 15, 1999

Managers participate in second annual retreat

By Jim Burns

Some 200 managers and supervisors from across campus gathered earlier this month for UCSC's second Leadership Convocation. The day-long event was organized to foster cooperative efforts within the campus's management structure, create a better understanding of the issues facing UCSC, and take stock of the progress being made to implement recommendations made in the Millennium Committee's advisory report.

Chancellor Greenwood and Stanford President Emeritus Donald Kennedy were the featured speakers during the morning session of "Invitations to Action--The Next Steps," held February 4 at Porter College. They were joined by members of the campus's Administrative Council, who highlighted points of progress made by their units since the inaugural leadership convocation 13 months ago. The afternoon provided participants with small-group sessions on topics that ranged from a discussion of UCSC's new budget-development process to stress-reduction techniques.

"We really are contributing to society in a way that is critically important for the future," noted Chancellor Greenwood in her opening remarks. She said that the Millennium Committee's description of UCSC as a world-class research campus with an uncommon commitment to undergraduate education "is exactly where we want to be" in higher education.

But to continue on that path in the current era of growth will provide a series of challenges to UCSC's workforce. In his speech, Kennedy offered four principles that he thinks could guide the campus along the way:

• Whenever there are competing demands for resources, students should "come first."
• Members of the UCSC community must share a "collective responsibility" for the campus.
• Whenever possible, scholarly work should involve collaborations among faculty, students, and--when appropriate--staff.
• Education should involve the "whole person," emphasizing each student's connection to society.

Chaired by Executive Vice Chancellor John Simpson, the Administrative Council includes Julia Armstrong-Zwart, assistant chancellor for Human Resources; Francisco J. Hernandez, vice chancellor for Student Affairs; Dick Jensen, associate chancellor for Planning and Budget; Leslie Sunell, executive assistant to the chancellor; and Tom Vani, vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services (BAS).

Simpson, who led a lively question-and-answer session between the members of the council and the convocation participants, offered his own perspective of UCSC--gained during his first six months as EVC. The excellence of UCSC's students and faculty and the "sense of community" that exists within the campus community are elements of the UCSC experience that he was not surprised to find.

But since coming to the campus, he has realized that the convergence of those elements, the expected growth in programs, and the campus's proximity to the Silicon Valley present opportunities for UCSC that are "absolutely astonishing."

The convocation was planned by Sharon Cohen-Barry of Staff Training, Catherine Faris of BAS, Gail Heit of Student Affairs, Linda Kittle of Planning and Budget, Jean-Marie Scott of Porter College, Sunell, and Beau Willis of Natural Sciences.

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