UC chief's glib NYT interview raises ireBy Steven T. Jones
While reading the Sunday New York Times, I was surprised to see the magazine’s Q&A with UC President Mark Yudof – and dismayed by the timing and glib tone that he took.
Just days after UC faculty, employees, and students took to the streets in protest of Yudof’s anti-democratic approach to making deep cuts and huge tuition hikes, here he is playing the cutesy wannabe celebrity who jokes about his lack of commitment to and qualifications for this important job.
And when given the chance to criticize Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – which would seem a natural, given that he’s been blaming state government for his own destructive decisions – he dutifully plays the good company man and says of the dangerous defunding of higher education, “This is a long-term secular trend across the entire country. Higher education is being squeezed out. It’s systemic.”
WTF? So the head of the UC is fine with just giving up on the public university system? And apparently I’m not the only one bothered by this interview, which Sen. Leland Yee – who has rightfully been hard on the UC in recent years – and others savage in the following press release that he just sent out.
WORKERS AND STUDENTS SAY UC PRESIDENT’S ARROGANCE, CAVALIER ATTITUDE CONTINUES TO HURT UNIVERSITY
Yudof likens UC to a cemetery, asks for “Air Force One” and the “White House” on top of his exorbitant pay
SACRAMENTO – With legislation (Senate Bill 86) pending before the Governor to limit executive pay hikes at the University of California (UC) and the California State University, UC President Mark Yudof is adding fuel to the public ire regarding his leadership.
In a recent interview with the New York Times titled “Big Man on Campus,” Yudof was asked, “What do you think of the idea that no administrator at a state university needs to earn more than the President of the United States, $400,000?,” Yudof responded, “Will you throw in Air Force One and the White House?”
This response and other answers in the Times interview are not being well received by UC employees, students, and Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), the author of SB 86.
“Unfortunately, this is the type of arrogance and cavalier attitude that has plagued the UC,” said Yee, who is also an alumnus of UC. “California deserves better from their public university leadership.”
“Now is not a good time to be making jokes about the UC; people’s lives are being affected,” said Joe Chatham, President of the Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD). “UC should not raise executive salaries at the same time student fees are increased.”
Earlier this month, UC workers overwhelmingly approved by 96 percent a measure of no confidence in Yudof. More than 10,000 ballots were cast throughout the UC system.
In the Times interview, Yudof also says, “Being president of the University of California is like being manager of a cemetery: there are many people under you, but no one is listening. I listen to them.”
“It may feel like a cemetery when you are perched on top of an ivory tower” said Yee. “Workers, students, and taxpayers have called on him to end the exorbitant executive compensation practices; to stop balancing the budget on backs of students; to negotiate employee furloughs; and start acting with transparency and public accountability. Instead, he has ignored them at every opportunity.”
“Manager of a cemetery? If he is, it's because he is killing the University,” said Kevin Rooney, Executive Vice-President for the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE). “This interview clearly shows the lack of real leadership at the top of UC. It's time to rid UC of the blight we know as ‘Mark Yudof.’”
“It is shameful that at a time when millions of Californians are faced with severe financial hardship, Mark Yudof finds humor in raising student fees and pricing out middle class families, all the while giving Wall-Street style pay raises to top UC bureaucrats,” said Lakesha Harrison, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299. “The UC's push toward privatization is alarming and every taxpayer should be angered by this raiding of public monies.”
“University of California nurses found Yudof's flippant attitude in the New York Times offensive,” said Geri Jenkins, registered nurse at UC San Diego and member of the California Nurses Association (CNA) Council of Presidents. “His medical center executives are using the recession as an excuse to cut hospital staffing, even though the UC hospitals are making record profits. This situation is unsafe for patients and violates California staffing laws. Nurses are fighting for better staffing but management is trying to ignore us. Yudof needs to listen to his nurses.”
Yee’s SB 86, which would prohibit executive compensation raises during bad budget years, currently awaits action by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles), who has until October 11 to sign or veto the measure. Yudof has urged Schwarzenegger to veto the bill.
In addition to ASUCD, UPTE, AFSCME, and CNA, SB 86 is supported by the University of California Student Association, California State Student Association, California Faculty Association, California State Employees Association, and the State Employees’ Trades Council, among others.
In 2009 alone, the UC administration has already approved approximately $9 million in executive compensation increases.
At the UC Regents meeting in July, several executives were appointed at salaries from 11 percent to 59 percent higher than their predecessors. The Regents also voted to give “administrative stipends” ranging from $24,000 to $58,625 to several employees, without any extra duties, and added several new highly paid executive positions.
All told, the Regents approved nearly $2 million in monetary compensation increases at just one meeting. That is in addition to other forms of compensation including generous pension plans, travel allowances, housing, and access to low-interest loans. Yudof receives nearly a $1 million in salary and perks.
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Comments (6)
Yudof is actually a pretty impressive guy who has done much to bring UC back from the brink. I would wager that what made it into print was neither the entirety or the essence of what he had to say in this interview.
Posted by Cyril | September 29, 2009 04:00 PM
Really? When thousands of faculty, staff and students are rallying against the administration and students are occupying the student center in Santa Cruz I wonder in what way UC is back from the brink. Fewer courses are being offered, students can't finish research because library hours are eliminated, major requirements are being dropped and hundreds of skilled teachers are laid off. It takes an impressive guy to make this big a mess in a such a short time.
Posted by BG | September 29, 2009 05:12 PM
In a recent vote of UC staff, 96% voted "no-confidence" in Yudof and demanded that he step down. This is because of Yudof's push to "AIG" the UC. Its absolutely wrong and I'm happy that workers, faculty, and students are standing up!
Posted by Sanjay Garla | September 29, 2009 05:42 PM
Sanjay -- Did you ever tally how many people participated in that vote? Fewer than 10 percent of UC employees voted, so I wouldn't place much confidence in the no-confidence vote.
Posted by Kubo | September 30, 2009 10:09 AM
Re: Cyril "what made it into print was neither the entirety or the essence of what he had to say."
Nope. He tweeted about it and linked to it the day it came out, and sounded pretty pleased with his performance.
"I very much enjoyed my time chatting with the NY Times recently. Check it out."
http://twitter.com/Mark_Yudof
Posted by Allan | September 30, 2009 10:23 AM
"I very much enjoyed my time chatting with the NY Times recently. Check it out."
This guy Yudof comes across as completely arrogant and shallow in the interview with the NYT.
Time for him to find another job.
Posted by Palasota | October 3, 2009 03:48 PM