For Berkeley, New Decade Begins Path to Recovery
January 11, 2010
Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues:
In the last decade, information technology transformed almost every aspect of the ways in which we communicate. Information has become more quickly available, easily accessible and readily shared. Here on campus, we begin 2010 having replaced the Berkeleyan, a print communication which retired in the fall of 2009, with UC Berkeley News, a weekly e-newsletter to keep you informed of the latest campus news. I plan to communicate regularly on issues of importance to the campus through the e-newsletter. We hope that you enjoy this new format.
As we return to work following a two-week campus closure, I have used this time to reflect back on the fall semester, most of which was spent dealing with our unprecedentedly difficult budget situation. As you know, we focused on advocacy with our legislators in Sacramento and on developing strategies to deal with our immediate $150 million budget shortfall and to put in place a stable and sustainable multi-year financial strategy for Berkeley.
The unpopularity of some of these necessary measures - furloughs, layoffs, fee increases - and their consequences - reduced library hours, fewer class sections, reduced service schedules, etc., - resulted in protests and building occupations, including, just before the holidays, an assault on our home at University House. I am saddened that our campus values of freedom of expression and peaceful protest have been seriously undermined through a resort to disruptive occupation tactics and mob violence by a few of the protesters. I am very grateful to the many hundreds of you who wrote to me so supportively, restating your commitment to civil discourse. I apologize for not responding individually to each one of you. As promised, I have commissioned an independent review of the protests and demonstrations at Wheeler Hall on Nov. 20th. The Campus Police Review Board, chaired by law professor Wayne Brazil, will begin its review in January.
The financial picture for 2010 is brighter than it was during the fall semester. Governor Schwarzenegger's just-announced January budget has maintained funding for education at the same level year over year. His proposed restoration of $370 million in funding for UC, including $305 million cut last year and sustained funding for the Cal Grants program, will allow us to continue with important measures of access and excellence. Ending the furloughs for faculty and staff and accelerating faculty hiring will be among our top priorities, in addition to ensuring continued access for our students through the provision of need-based financial support. As I indicated in my comments to you on the governor's State of the State announcement, we will need to work hard to convince legislators from both parties to support the governor's proposed budget as it relates to higher education. We must continue to advocate for reinvestment in public higher education.
We will continue to move ahead vigorously with Operational Excellence in order to realize our commitment to streamline staff workloads, achieve administrative efficiencies, and produce savings to help support our academic and research mission. We are also committed to moving forward with our equity initiatives. I will be writing to you shortly with an important announcement of major donor support that was confirmed over the holiday break.
I am optimistic that we have turned a corner and that the new year and start of a new decade brings hope that we are on a path to recovery. There are still many significant challenges ahead. As President Yudof reminded us, $913 million is needed to restore UC's funding and avoid decline in education quality, access, and research. However, I know that working and advocating together for this great university, we will succeed in sustaining Berkeley's access and excellence and its unique public character.
I offer each and every one of you my best wishes for the new year. Thank you for all that you do to keep Berkeley strong. Thanks to your efforts, we enter our 142nd charter year knowing that Berkeley remains one of the world's finest institutions of higher learning.
With warmest regards,
Yours sincerely,
Robert J. Birgeneau