Abrams leaves to pursue teaching

  EDWARD LIN After 10 years, Norman
Abrams, vice chancellor of Academic Personnel, is leaving
his office. He will return to teaching in a year.

By Hasmik Badalian
Daily Bruin Contributor

Norman Abrams, vice chancellor of Academic Personnel, is
described by colleagues as a thoughtful person who makes important
decisions for the UCLA community.

At the end of this academic year, Abrams plans to leave his
position and pursue his former teaching career.

“I’ve held this position for 10 years and I enjoy
what I do, but I do miss scholarship and teaching,” Abrams
said.

Upon leaving, Abrams plans to take a sabbatical for one
year.

“There’s a lot of catching up to do before I go back
to teaching,” he said. “My position as a vice
chancellor is very intense and time consuming so I have to recover
from a 10 year hiatus.”

As vice chancellor, Abrams’ responsibilities include
appointing faculty and dealing with grievances and charges brought
against them.

“He’s a very deep thinker who’s cognizant of
academic personnel regulations, university regulations and of human
issues that are involved in interpreting all of these
things,” said Paula Lutomirski, associate vice chancellor of
Institutional Planning.

Originally from Chicago, Abrams received both his
bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Chicago.

“Somewhere along the way, I’ve lost my accent.
However, my mom still has it,” he said jokingly.

After teaching at Columbia Law School and heading a research
project at Harvard, Abrams settled in California and accepted a job
offer teaching criminal law and evidence at the UCLA Law
School.

Some administrators have described Abrams not only as a
colleague but a mentor as well.

“He sees me as a colleague but he has mentored me
incredibly, so I feel that I have grown a lot through working with
him,” Lutomirski said.

As he prepares to leave his position, Lutomirski said she will
miss his presence in the office.

“I regret his decision to leave, and I’m going to
miss him,” she said. “I think he’s done a
tremendous job.”

“But I also admire the fact that he chose to leave and go
back to doing his first love at a time when he can do it,”she
continued.

Choosing the next vice chancellor will be an extensive process
for the university, according to Abrams. A search committee
develops a list of candidates, from which the chancellor appoints
the next vice chancellor.

“The job carries a great deal of important
responsibility,” he said.

Experience, ability to handle a heavy workload, objectiveness
and fairness are necessary qualities in the appointee, according to
Abrams.

“In essence, whoever fills this position serves as
guardian of quality in the faculty,” Abrams said. “For
an institution with as many students and as large as UCLA, that is
a weighty responsibility.

Even though Abrams is not in charge of faculty evaluations, he
is in charge of appointing qualified faculty. He does not object to
having teacher evaluations available online.

“Evaluations have been available in published form for
years now and so the new development would be to (have it)
available online,” Abrams said.

“Though I have no objections to it, I’d hate to see
it become a vehicle for passion against a teacher for whatever
reason,” he continued.

Plans are being made for his departure but according to those
closest to him, the hardest component to fill is his presence in
the office.

“I just wish him well and hope we’ll still have
lunch once in awhile,” Lutomirski said.