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Monday, June 29, 1998

Vice chancellor, dean to take on new challenge at Getty Trust

ADMINISTRATION: Ted Mitchell to bring expertise on education to institute

By Lawrence Ferchaw

Daily Bruin Staff

One of the highest-ranking UCLA administrators will move across the freeway into a new office Wednesday.

Ted Mitchell, currently dean of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (GSE&IS) and vice chancellor of external affairs, is leaving the university for a position at the J. Paul Getty Trust, located just across the 405 freeway.

At the Getty, Mitchell will be vice president for education and strategic initiatives, in addition to interim leader of the Getty Education Institute.

"The opportunity to participate with the leadership of the Getty in developing strategies and programs around the theme of education is very exciting," Mitchell said.

Barry Munitz, president of the Getty Trust, praised Mitchell's work in education.

"He has made major contributions to both higher education and K-12," Munitz said in a statement.

"It is his broad and visionary leadership that makes him uniquely qualified to help me develop a Trust-wide focus on education," he added.

Mitchell will advise Munitz and others on the center's activities, with an emphasis on education. He also expressed interest in working with others to create new programs to "enhance the Getty's place in the world."

Collaborating with others on education is not something new for Mitchell. He has worked to improve local schools while at UCLA and was a senior education advisor to L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan.

"Under Ted Mitchell's leadership, UCLA has become a central player in education reform," Riordan said.

Mitchell said he sees much opportunity at the Getty.

"(It) is a smaller organization," he said, "Its mission is more focused and I think it is potentially more nimble."

He also indicated the Getty's ability to draw together other organizations involved in education as a major reason for joining the Center.

Mitchell has been at UCLA for six years. During his time as dean, the Graduate School of Education merged with the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. The size of the school, as well as the amount of funds raised, increased under Mitchell.

"If it could be said that our school (GSE&IS) is more important in the intellectual life of the campus and the social life of the community because of my presence here, I'd be really happy," Mitchell said.

In 1996, Mitchell was selected by then-Chancellor Charles Young to be the vice chancellor of academic planning and budget, in addition to holding the deanship of GSE&IS.

However, a year later, Mitchell decided that his position was redundant, and recommended to the chancellor that it should be eliminated, and all academic planning decisions be handled by the executive vice chancellor.

"I felt that the campus was best served by creating a new position," Mitchell said at that time.

Chancellor Albert Carnesale has since created a new position, vice chancellor of budget and finance, to handle the finance issues previously associated with Mitchell's office.

As vice chancellor of external affairs, Mitchell oversaw the fund-raising effort as well as budget and planning. He will retain his faculty appointment.

Mitchell does not know who will take his place in either position. Carnesale was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Before coming to UCLA, Mitchell was deputy to the president and a provost at Stanford University, his alma mater. Before that, he spent 10 years at Dartmouth College as a professor and chair of the education department.

Mitchell said he has enjoyed working at UCLA, and is proud of some of the things the university has accomplished while he was here.

"The creation of stable, mutually supportive partnerships with schools, teachers, parents, community organizations and libraries has been a wonderful thing to be a part of over the last six years," Mitchell commented.

Friday, he met with principals and teachers from Venice and Westchester High schools to plan programs to increase the number of students from these schools who are accepted to UCLA.

This interaction with other organizations is something the Getty and UCLA share, something Mitchell said drew him to the job.

"They have the same kind of openness to experimentation. The same kind of deep engagement and interest in the community drives both of these institutions," Mitchell said.

DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin

Ted Mitchell, the current dean of GSE&IS is stepping down to become vice president in charge of education programs at the Getty Museum.

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