New Members and APC Overview
Provost King welcomed the new Academic Planning Council members who were attending their first meeting: Vice President
Michael Drake, Executive Vice Chancellor Marsha Chandler (San Diego) and the two faculty-at-large members, Alice
Agogino (Berkeley) and Russell Dalton (Irvine).
Provost King also reviewed the composition and role of the APC. Comprised of representatives of administrative
and academic leadership, the APC ensures that significant University academic planning issues are being addressed
by the appropriate groups. The APC also maintains an ongoing oversight interest in certain planning topics that
cut across the University, such as long-range enrollment planning and graduate student issues.
2. Health Sciences Planning
Vice President Drake advised the APC members of a recently completed Medical Student Diversity Report, the product
of a task force created to review reasons behind declines in applications and admission yields of underrepresented
students in UC's medical schools. Noting that while nationally the overall pool of student applications is decreasing,
the report finds that the pool of underrepresented students is declining more rapidly. The competing opportunities
presented by the current economy are a factor; however, the report recommended several specific actions the University
could take to increase both applications and yields of underrepresented students. The overall goal of these recommendations
is to interest more minority students in science in general, and then to increase their interest in health science
careers. Target audiences for these efforts should be undergraduates (particularly freshmen and community college
students). Another recommendation was that UC should increase efforts to counteract the strong admissions offers
made by other medical schools.
Vice President Drake also advised the APC of his interest in reconstituting the Health Sciences Subcommittee, formerly
an ad hoc arm of the APC. There are several health sciences academic issues, including workforce analyses and enrollment
planning, that could benefit from the direction of a committee patterned loosely on the APC configuration of academic
and administrative leadership. Other topics might include how to address broader issues of health care in a legislative
context, faculty concerns about the changes taking place in the teaching environment, and recruitment issues.
3. Graduate Education
The APC discussed various topics related to graduate education. Provost King described the Regents' interest in
and support for graduate enrollment growth as well as their concern that the University is not able to provide
enough financial support to attract and retain the projected growth in graduate students. A collection of activities,
under the umbrella of a "graduate student initiative" are underway: First the 2001-02 Regents Budget
contains an extensive description of graduate student issues, and includes several initiatives that would expand
support to graduate students. Second, there will be a presentation to The Regents in November on the subject of
the importance of graduate education to California, and the need for additional support. Third, Provost King will
co-chair, with Regent Sue Johnson, a Commission on Graduate Education, composed of Regents, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors,
students and faculty, to determine the best courses for future actions with regard to State budgets and external
financing.
APC members offered suggestions for the Commission's work. For example, the Commission could help make a public
case for specific ways our graduate students fit into California's economy (including foreign students). It could
focus attention on the potential synergies among the private sector, UC and State and federal government, particularly
for bringing more funding to graduate student support. It should be externally focused, devising initiatives for
the State and industry, rather than inwardly focused on issues campus management and faculty will address.
It was also suggested the APC itself could play a role in looking into graduate student retention issues, and what
kinds of services and support graduate students particularly need, such as office space, access to photocopying
and improved housing.
The APC also discussed principles that would govern growth in UC professional schools, addressing issues of whether
there is agreement throughout the system that we should add new programs, how to do systemwide planning for something
that has historically been campus-driven, and how to deal with proposals for new schools that come at different
times. There was no disagreement with several basic principles President Atkinson has recently expressed which
intended to guide campus planning: growth in professional education should be designed to meet job market needs;
it should build on UC's strengths as a research university; and, it should academically strengthen and enrich the
campus proposing the program.
In a final topic related to graduate education, Vice Provost Julius Zelmanowitz informed the APC of a recently
completed CPEC-sponsored study regarding the future need for Ed.D.s, which concluded that supply is sufficient
to meet demand. In addition, he noted that even though joint degrees offered by UC and CSU are expensive in terms
of time and people, they provide a necessary mechanism by which UC can meet its Master Plan mandate as the only
public segment of higher education in California authorized to provide the doctoral degree.
4. UC in Sacramento
Vice Provost Julius Zelmanowitz described recent efforts to ascertain interest in the development of an academic
program in Sacramento, paralleling to some extent the University's Washington, D.C. program. He pointed out that
with California sometimes resembling a nation more than a state, Sacramento provides a wealth of potentially valuable
academic resources for a broad range of disciplines. There are already a number of successful internship programs
in Sacramento; the Davis campus has a robust academic internship program with a very positive public image. Sacramento
State University also has a very well-regarded fellowship program.
Individual APC members offered suggestions and encouragement for the next steps. It was noted that the UCDC has
no problem meeting its quota of students in the fall and spring terms; similarly Sacramento might also be an attractive
program for students. In addition, there are important advantages to having a strong University academic presence
in the State capitol. The major questions are whether there is sufficient academic interest to sustain a program
over the long term, and whether the program could be financially viable. Vice Provost Zelmanowitz will ask the
Council of Vice Chancellors and the Academic Council to assist in the process of selecting faculty to determine
whether the proposal has sufficient academic merit to pursue.
5. Enrollment Planning Update
Assistant Vice President Sandra Smith described the Regents Budget proposal for State funding of summer instruction,
as well as other decisions related to expanding summer enrollment. The Regents Budget proposes full summer enrollment
funding for Berkeley, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara beginning summer 2001. Marginal cost funding is requested to
cover both existing summer enrollments (less the amount already provided by the State to buy down summer fees)
as well as increases in summer enrollments. The remaining campuses would receive State funding for summer instruction
in the next two years.
In addition, she noted that the Chancellors have agreed that while their goal is for summer fees to have the same
structure as regular academic year fees, on a per-unit basis, they want to start with a more flexible structure
during several years of transition. Campuses may want to modify the fees in order to provide incentives for student
enrollment (e.g., by exempting students from non-resident fees). Campuses also need time to assess the level and
type of services that will be needed during the summer before moving to separate Education and Registration fees.
AVP Smith's office is preparing a web-based document that will cover the "rules of the game" for converting
to a State-supported summer. It will describe the universitywide policies and expectations regarding allocation
of State funds and student fees; financial aid; student enrollment procedures; student fees; faculty appointments,
compensation and workload; academic calendar; academic program; teaching assistants; capital planning expectations;
and impacts on other summer activities. Policies and procedures for summer instruction are still being developed,
and groups are being formed to address specific issues, such as how to handle cross-campus registration and financial
aid.