The Future Of The University Of California: A Personal View

Abstract

The Future of the University of California: A Personal View September 1998 The role of knowledge in transforming virtually every aspect of our world has moved research universities like the University of California to center stage of American life. More than any other institution in our society, research universities are on the cut- ting edge in producing the well-educated people who drive our economy and the new research ideas that keep it growing. The tradition of research universities has been to value knowledge for its own sake. However, society’s increasing need for applications of knowledge has placed new demands on these institutions, including the University of California, as we move into the twenty-first century. I want to discuss the orga- nizational changes, goals, and initiatives U.C. needs to pursue to meet these demands and to sustain itself as a great univer- sity. These reflections do not cover all the issues of importance to the University. Instead, I am concentrating on a few of the