Albert Carnesale searching for a No. 2 man

Published: Thursday, February 26, 1998

Thursday, February 26, 1998

ADMINISTRATION: UC person sought to be new executive vice chancellor

By Lawrence Ferchaw

Daily Bruin Contributor

For Chancellor Albert Carnesale, the search process is familiar. Only this time, he is the one asking the questions.

Almost one year after Carnesale was selected to be chancellor by the UC Board of Regents, he is looking for a second in command to replace Executive Vice Chancellor Charles Kennel when he leaves this spring.

At this time, the committee has a list of eight candidates, said Graduate Students' Association President Andrew Westall, a member of the committee. The committee is still seeking candidates from other UC campuses.

Experience in the UC system is one qualification which Carnesale has established for the position. Because the chancellor is new to the UC system, "he wants someone to complement him," said Elizabeth Neufeld, professor of biological chemistry and a member of the committee.

Though the chancellor has limited the search to candidates with UC experience, he is not limiting it to candidates from UCLA.

The position is important to the university and for that reason Carnesale said he is "very much engaged in the search on a regular basis."

To help him with his decision, the chancellor has created a committee composed of faculty members representing all areas of campus, administrators and student leaders.

The committee will advise Carnesale and give him feedback on candidates to help him make his decision, but the decision is his alone. The chancellor plans to make the selection by April.

The executive vice chancellor is the second in charge at UCLA. He or she is responsible for the daily operations of the campus as well as communicating with the Academic Senate. He or she also works closely with the chancellor to create and carry out policies.

The executive vice chancellor "will have primary responsibility for the academic programs," said Kennel who has held the position since 1996. He is leaving to become director of Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

The position of executive vice chancellor has recently assumed more duties, as the position of vice chancellor of academic planning and budget was removed and all academic planning responsibilities were given to the executive vice chancellor.

Beyond UCLA, Kennel said that the executive vice chancellor meets to discuss systemwide academic issues with the academic vice chancellors from the other University of California campuses.

Unlike a search committee, which the chancellor would only meet with periodically, this advisory committee will be run by the chancellor.

The committee accepted applications for the position, but they are not limiting themselves to only those who have expressed interest.

"I don't believe that people should be put into the position of going for the job," said Carnesale.

"I am just as interested in names that are brought to my attention by others as I am with people who nominate themselves," he continued.

"In all cases, we look for both internal and external candidates. You want the best person you can get," the chancellor said.

To form and execute academic policies, Neufeld said she thinks that it is important that the person be valued as a scholar and understand scholarship.

"The person should be a good administrator, be able to get people to follow his or her lead, and be able to build consensus," she said.

Kennel, thinking of the personal qualities that he has found necessary, added, "it helps to enjoy working with professors and students."

"We hope to be able to do this on a relatively short time table because we are constraining it to folks who have some experiences in the UC system," said Carnesale.