SUBJECT:

UC President's Office Reorganization

Dear Colleagues:

As I move into my second full year as President, I am writing to report on three actions being taken with respect to the organization of the Office of the President.

In the Division of Academic Affairs, I have suspended the national search begun this past January for a permanent Provost and Executive Vice President-Academic Affairs. Instead, I have secured the approval of the Board of Regents under interim action to have Professor Larry Pitts, who agreed last January to serve on an interim basis in this position through August 31, continue in his interim capacity through June 30, 2010, at the same level of compensation but still subject to the salary reduction program.

In the Division of Business Operations, the last regular day in the office for Katie Lapp as Executive Vice President-Business Operations before her move to Harvard University will be Thursday, September 3. I am pleased to announce that the Board of Regents, under interim authority, has approved the appointment of Nathan Brostrom as Interim Executive Vice President-Business Operations through December 31, 2009. He currently serves as the Vice Chancellor-Administration at UC Berkeley. Beginning Tuesday, September 8, and continuing for the remainder of 2009, he will serve 80 percent time as Interim Executive Vice President and 20 percent time as UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor. All reporting relationships presently associated with Executive Vice President Lapp will be assumed by Mr. Brostrom. His compensation will be based on a continuation of his current UC Berkeley salary rate, including the salary reduction assessment, without any additional stipend.

I have already initiated the efforts for a national search for the Executive Vice President-Business Operations so that a permanent appointment can be made as soon as possible.

In my own Executive Office, John Sandbrook’s appointment as Interim Chief of Staff to the President will end as of December 31, 2009, for budgetary reasons. With a career spanning more than four decades at UCLA, John graciously agreed in spring 2008 to assist me, as a newcomer to the University of California, as my Interim Chief of Staff for up to twelve months, commuting weekly between his home in Los Angeles and the Office of the President in Oakland. Earlier this year, at my request, John agreed to extend his original 12-month appointment by an additional seven months to December 31, 2009. Given the budgetary circumstances being faced at all levels of the University, I have decided not to extend John’s appointment a second time. I am deeply appreciative of all that John has done for me and for the University. His contributions this past year, indeed throughout his entire career, have been incalculable and we are indebted to him for his long and devoted service.

I have decided to defer the posting of the job description for the position of the Chief of Staff to the President, meaning that a permanent appointment will also be deferred. The multiple duties that John has performed for me during 2008 and 2009 will now be reassigned to other current members of the Office of the President staff, with no increase in their compensation. The details of those reassignments will be the subject of a subsequent communication.

Comments may be directed to communications@ucop.edu

Sincerely, Mark G. Yudof President