(Editor’s Note: The following was a letter to the community from Chancellor Katehi) –
You may have learned about my service on compensated boards. I would like to share with you some of my thinking.
My acceptance of the position on the DeVry Education Group board of directors did not comply with UC policy. I made an error in accepting it. I take full responsibility for that error, and I have resigned from the board.
I accepted the position because I believed I could help DeVry better evaluate its procedures for delivering a sound curriculum and for measuring students’ performance and progress post-graduation. Nevertheless, I apologize for my mistake and the distraction this has caused for our university community.
My service on the board of John Wiley and Sons from 2011 to 2014 complied with UC policy. My goal in accepting that position was to help Wiley improve the quality of its educational materials, while making them more accessible and affordable for students. While I recognize and appreciate the concerns raised by many in our community about my service on the Wiley board, my work on the board had no impact on UC textbook purchases.
To further our work together on behalf of California students, here is my commitment to our UC Davis community: I will establish a scholarship fund for disadvantaged California undergraduate students at UC Davis from my Wiley stock proceeds.
Service on private and public boards is widely recognized as a responsibility of academic leaders. As a woman and a STEM scholar, my service has helped to correct the chronic lack of diversity on a number of boards. My pledge to the UC Davis community is to more carefully vet such invitations and to meticulously follow UC approval procedures in the future.
To students, parents, faculty, alumni, donors, staff and to the broader UC community, please know I remain deeply committed to this great university. I am proud of what we have accomplished together.
Since 2010, UC Davis has enrolled more undergraduate Californians than any other UC campus. We are a world leader and one of just four universities anywhere with two colleges and schools ranked No. 1 in the world — agriculture and veterinary medicine. I am proud that the New York Times ranked us second, behind only one other UC campus, for serving economically diverse students. Our economic contribution to the state of California exceeds $8 billion annually.
It is a privilege to work on your behalf to ensure that UC Davis retains and exceeds its remarkable stature. I am eager to continue developing the path-breaking collaborations we have launched together and which will propel us forward as a world-ranked university far into the 21st century.
“Service on private and public boards is widely recognized as a responsibility of academic leaders”
This is certainly true. However, there is nothing that says that this “service” has to be paid, or that the payment received could not be utilized directly to help students in need as Ms. Katehi has belatedly recognized. Ms. Katehi could certainly have chosen to volunteer her expertise and would still have been contributing to the diversity provided by a woman in STEM while setting a wonderful example of volunteerism to the community for the students.
As a doctor and educator ( volunteer faculty for UCD/Kaiser) for many years, I am very aware that there are ways to make contributions to education and diversity without accumulating direct payments and stock options for these services. Lest anyone be unclear, these actions on the part of Ms. Katehi are not based on altruism. This is about personal greed, desire for enhancing her own status and reputation, and extremely poor judgement.
I truly believe that a public institution is not a good fit for a woman whose goals and aspirations center around her own wealth and power as I believe these actions illustrate. If Ms. Katehi, who has been a very polarizing figure, truly had the best interests of UCD at heart, this would be an excellent time for her to resign and allow someone who does understand the value of “public” education to take the lead.
Not divesting any stock however..
Like she is the only person trying to do this, and no mention of anyone except herself.
I am glad to hear this, because pointing it out to them of the University does nothing. They are all trying to be her. Tha is also why the Governor Appointed Regents get all the UC contracts.
Difficult to believe that a $420,000 “compensation” from Wiley has no impact on the price (or selection) of textbooks.
If you do retain your position at UC Davis, it might be prudent for you to (now) focus your attention on the needs of your students and the community (e.g., student housing on campus).
On the one hand, Ron, you castigate the chancellor for failing to meet the needs of student housing, but on the other, you are yourself preventing viable solutions for student housing.
Perhaps what she needs to focus on is where she intends to retire later this month.