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Katehi sends first official email as chancellor

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi sent her first email message to students, faculty and staff this afternoon.

She outlined the agenda for her first several days on the jobincluding a trip to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, D.C.and discussed her goals for the coming months.

The full text of the message is below.

 

August 17, 2009

Dear UC Davis Community Members,

Today I officially join UC Davisfamily as chancellor, honored beyond measure and eager to get to work on this university’s behalf.

Spyros and I flew to Sacramento yesterday morning, waiting for the movers to arrive today, hopefully with everything intact. It will take us a couple of days before we can find our things!

Our first day on campus started yesterday afternoon with a welcome to the law school’s alumni board, followed by a barbecue for first-year law students. Both were very exciting events. I particularly enjoyed meeting with the students because they and I have many things in common–we are both very new to the campus and eager and anxious about the days ahead. The day ended with a red-eye trip to Washington, D.C., so I can participate in an education policy dinner discussion tonight hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. While in Washington today, I will also meet with Department of Energy officials, advocating consideration of UC Davis as the home of a DOE energy innovation hub. DOE couldn’t ask for a better partner in this area, nor could the State Department find a surer bet in its priority area of science diplomacy. And I will take advantage of every opportunity to advance UC Davisinterests.

Most immediately, in the days ahead, we must stabilize our state budget. UC President Mark Yudof has called for shared sacrifice in the short term, and the regents have launched a commission on the long-term future of UC. They recognize that furloughs, salary reductions and steadily increasing student fees are simply not sustainable, and that ingenuity and determination are required if we are to ensure the continued long-term quality of this university. I share that view, knowing that we have difficult choices ahead to close this year’s budget gap, to resolve uncertainty, and to identify ways that will ensure financial stability and preserve our capacity to lead. We will do that together, openly, honestly, and with care because these choices have deeply personal consequences. And, at the same time, we will focus intensely on identifying and responding to new opportunities that have the potential to help us financially but also bring the academic excellence and vitality our institution strives for.

My first 100 days will continue an intenselistening tourbegun when my appointment was announced last May. This first week I am meeting with faculty, student, staff and legislative leaders, key funding partners, and our provost, deans and vice chancellors. I am planning visits to all of the colleges and schools and town hall meetings, and I’ll continue the tradition of brownbag chats at both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. As well, I plan to make good use of my Web page ( http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu ) for sharing information and for seeking your comments.

I look forward to working with you and learning from you as, together, we ensure a sustainable and transformative future for UC Davis.

Best,

Linda P.B. Katehi

Chancellor, UC Davis

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