Four candidates are vying for the executive vice chancellor position that will be vacated by David Kliger in June. Chancellor George Blumenthal named a nine-member committee of faculty, staff, and student representatives to weigh in on the decision of who will fill that void.
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Tyler Stovall
Nearly a decade since his departure from UC Santa Cruz, Tyler Stovall, dean of the undergraduate division of the College of Letters and Sciences at UC Berkeley, may be returning.
“I have very fond memories of Santa Cruz,” Stovall said. “It’s something I would like to be a part of again, and perhaps this is the best time, because there is the most opportunity to make a difference.”
Stovall manages the undergraduate division of the largest and one of the most diverse colleges at Berkeley — the College of Letters and Sciences — which comprises half of the campus’s faculty and three quarters of its undergraduate students.
“It’s a big job,” he said, “I’ve learned how to deal with budgeting. We received a 16 percent cut last year.”
After having worked in such a turbulent fiscal environment, Stovall maintains that having to make the tough decisions qualifies him for the job.
“I would love to be in a climate of better resources, but given that it’s not, it’s a time to step up and make the best of a difficult situation,” Stovall said.
According to Stovall, UCSC has yet to tap into the alumni and private sector, a potential source of additional revenue. Stovall attests that clarity could better campus relations.
“I recognize that people are going to protest, but … hopefully, even before it got to the level of protest, we make it clear why we are doing the things we are,” Stovall said. “As someone who has been a teacher all of my adult life, I look at everything as a teaching moment.”
Tyler Stovall: B.A. in history from Harvard, M.A. and Ph.D. in modern European/French history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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William Ladusaw
Sitting at his modest desk in the Chancellor’s Office, William Ladusaw, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, explains why he submitted his name for an arguably undesirable position — the next executive vice chancellor.
“It’s fair to say that my first reaction was not to want to do the job,” Ladusaw said. “But, however unpopular the job, we need someone who can work effectively for the benefit of the whole campus.”
Ladusaw applied after much encouragement from his colleagues. Because of his background in linguistics — a subject which transcends multiple fields — Ladusaw sees himself as a viable candidate for the post.
“I’ve taught at many universities, and, at some, [linguistics] is considered Humanities, at some it is considered a science, and, at others, it is considered a social science,” Ladusaw said. “Because of this … I feel comfortable with all divisions of the campus.”
Ladusaw stated that “no areas should be prioritized,” and that it is key to balance “attention to education and research as best we can with administrative resources.”
Ladusaw compared the campus’ reaction to cuts to the seven stages of grief — the first being denial and the second, anger.
“There is a lot of frustration and anger among staff, faculty and students,” Ladusaw said. “I think that we’re not in denial anymore — it’s been an angry year.”
Ladusaw said the disconnect occurs in part because the administration is usually privy to the bad news first, and is thus further along in the grieving process. He said bridging this gap in understanding through a clear articulation of administrative decisions is important.
William Ladusaw: B.A. in linguistics from the University of Kentucky, and M.A. and Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Stephen Thorsett
Stephen Thorsett’s colleagues don’t want him to leave.
“Don’t take him from us!” said Edie Dahlberg, executive assistant to the dean of physical and biological sciences.
Thorsett rapidly progressed in the university, moving from associate professor to his current position as dean in 12 years. The majority of his experience at UC Santa Cruz has been in administrative posts.
“I have found it really interesting to be involved at that level,” Thorsett said. “Being dean has been exciting in particular.”
Though Thorsett holds the same position that EVC Kliger did before he was promoted, Thorsett said that they have different budgetary practices.
“I have approached budgeting in the division differently than he did,” Thorsett said. “We have some of the same principals … does that mean that my budget process is going to look the same? No.”
Thorsett said that improving the four-year graduation rate should be prioritized, as currently only 52 percent of students graduate in four years and 75 percent graduate in six years. This trend will become increasingly unfavorable as fees continue to rise.
“I would immediately put together a task force that will identify what particular challenges we could solve,” Thorsett said of the graduation rate. “We used to focus on the six-year graduation rate, but as the fees go up, it becomes more important to make it four years.”
As dean, Thorsett has focused on creating community, sometimes taking members of the faculty out to lunch.
“I spend a lot of time getting to know the faculty. I would envision doing the same kinds of things as executive vice chancellor,” Thorsett said. “It’s important to know what the faculty are excited about and the way that the cuts are being felt in different places.”
Stephen Thorsett: B.A. in math from Carleton College, M.A. and Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University.
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Allison Galloway
For the woman who spends mornings working with forensics, afternoons managing a division, and evenings raising a daughter, taking on the position of executive vice chancellor would be just another drop in the bucket.
“I’m at the point where, because of my experience, it’s a job I could do and do well,” said Alison Galloway, vice provost of academic affairs and university extension. “There is a certain intriguing quality in that you can do something to impact the future of the campus. It’s a challenge.”
Galloway’s work in University Extension (UE) required extensive budget restructuring — this coming year will be the first time in over a decade that UE will be filing no deficit.
“I bring a lot of experience with budget,” Galloway said. “University extension was extremely in debt when I took over, but, since I took over, I slowed the pace of the debt.”
Throughout Galloway’s career at UC Santa Cruz — starting as an assistant professor in 1990 — she has worked with multiple divisions on campus.
In terms of delineating cuts, the issuance is a balancing act.
“It’s a question of seeing what we can do without and what we can do to meet the needs of students, staff, and faculty,” Galloway said.
Galloway said that the concerns of the campus community are reciprocal. Collaboration, Galloway said, is a valuable resource in administrative relations, making for a more efficacious campus.
“I would like to see more contact between the EVC, students, staff, and faculty,” Galloway said. “Anytime I meet with students, faculty or staff, I learn things that we can do to save us money and be more effective.”
Alison Galloway: B.A. in anthropology from University of California, Berkeley, and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Arizona.
