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Some students skeptical about new campus leader

By Daily Bruin Staff

March 9, 1997 9:00 p.m.

Monday, March 10, 1997

REGENTS:

Most like Harvard provost’s ideas, but age still a questionBy
Gil Hopenstand

and Tiffany Lauter

Daily Bruin Staff

Most regents believe UC President Richard Atkinson gave them a
good candidate to consider as UCLA’s eighth chancellor ­ one
who will effectively lead students, faculty and staff into the next
century.

Yet as Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale begins his transition
from Cambridge, concerns are being raised in California over the
new chancellor.

While most university officials believe that "Harvard’s loss is
UCLA’s gain," some have questioned his salary, his age and the
closed selection process which got him the job.

Among the myriad challenges that Carnesale will have to face at
UCLA is dealing with a politically charged Board of Regents and
answering to the California public, two virtual non-factors at
private Harvard.

In his interview, Carnesale downplayed these significant
differences, citing similar challenges between private and public
schools in fund raising and maintaining diversity.

But those differences showed themselves when regents put
Carnesale on the spot over affirmative action. For example, Regent
Ward Connerly said he looked for someone who would unquestionably
comply with the Board of Regents’ July 1995 decision to abolish the
program.

"It was a question of, ‘Do you support the will of the board?’"
Connerly said. "If there was any hesitation or a ‘no’ answer, I
think they should pick up their paycheck."

This is a departure from retiring Chancellor Charles Young’s
recent public plea before the regents not to dismantle years of
diversity programs, in addition to his public opposition to
Proposition 209.

But in exchange, Carnesale has pledged to bring some of his
small-school ideas to Westwood, which some regents say is a welcome
change.

"You don’t hear too many students leaving UCLA saying, ‘Gee, I
just got too much personal attention here,’" said Student Regent
Jess Bravin, who spent one year at UCLA before studying at Harvard.
"I am pleased to hear Carnesale recognizes the difference and is
committed to make change at UCLA."

Bravin was the only regent to oppose Carnesale’s $222,700
salary, which is $30,000 below his Harvard earnings. Bravin said
his opposition had nothing to do with Carnesale as an individual,
but that the University of California has a problem with
overcompensating administrators.

Last September, Bravin was again the only member to vote against
salary increases for 68 UC administrators with average salaries of
$172,000. At that time, Young received a raise from $212,000 to his
current $222,700.

Lt. Gov. Gray Davis said he had no problem continuing the salary
at the same figure, but Bravin stressed that a chancellor’s salary
is just the starting point of his earnings.

Carnesale will receive a car allowance and university housing
­ which he did not get at Harvard ­ in a
10,600-square-foot villa at the north end of campus. The two-story,
Mediterranean-style mansion comes complete with furnished formal
rooms and is undergoing more than $300,000 worth of seismic and
utility repairs before Carnesale moves in this June.

And at age 60, Carnesale will likely be unable to devote 29
years to UCLA as Young did, causing some regents to question
Carnesale’s potential commitment to the university.

"At my age, age 60 is a kid," joked Regent Frank Clark, adding
that 60 is the age at which most private corporations recruit chief
executive officers. "I don’t think Young’s long period in office is
necessarily something we should seek to duplicate in one way or
another."

But unlike Clark, who sat on the search committee assigned to
find candidates to succeed Young, most regents were not privy to
background information about the candidates. Many did not even know
how to pronounce the names of the candidates they were voting on,
Bravin noted.

The search consisted of public hearings last fall, a closed
regental search committee, and compilation of a secret short list
of candidates from which Atkinson chose Carnesale.

"I do not believe any individual is omniscient enough to have
sole control over this decision," Bravin said, referring to the
process as "clandestine." "It has an impact on possibly millions of
Californians."

Atkinson did not discuss with fellow regents his reasons for
selecting Carnesale, Bravin said, but he speculated it was partly
because Carnesale "cleaned up" Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government as its dean.

And when Harvard’s President Neil Rudenstein took a medical
leave of absence, Carnesale assumed his position and effectively
managed Harvard for three months, which many regents felt showed
Carnesale’s management prowess.

Carnesale’s experience with fund raising was also extremely
attractive to some regents. Harvard is one of the leading
universities in alumni giving, and with UCLA poised to launch its
$1 billion campaign with $500,000 alone needed for the school’s new
medical complex, Carnesale’s ability to draw private dollars was
appealing.

"We have a tremendous project ahead of us in regards to the
medical center," Clark admitted. "It’s a mammoth job."

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