Following his presidency at the University of Miami, Julio Frenk will assume the role of UCLA chancellor Jan. 1, 2025, bringing experiences that may shape his leadership approach and values.

When Frenk took the helm of the University of Miami in 2015, his administration set a multitude of goals for academic excellence, diversity and institutional growth. While some praised him for achieving these goals, others were critical of his management decisions and policies.

Michaela Evans, a second-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, said Frenk must lead by example to establish trust and prompt change at UCLA.

“If he wants something to be done, he needs to be the first to do it,” Evans said.

In his nine-year tenure at the University of Miami, Frenk oversaw a sizable fundraising campaign that newly endowed over 100 faculty members and raised more than $2 billion. A portion of the donations from alumni went toward STEM and cancer research, according to University of Miami News and Events.

Additionally, Frenk oversaw the university’s establishment of its affiliation with the Association of American Universities, a national research organization that produces over half of all research doctorates nationwide. The University of Miami has since joined 68 other four-year universities in the United States associated with the AAU, including UCLA.

Roy Carrillo Zamora, a student at the University of Miami and the current president of its student body, said some students and faculty at the school credited the new affiliation to Frenk’s strategic investments in research and innovation at the university.

“Year after year, I saw more opportunities and more funding,” Carrillo Zamora said. “I think (it) really helped the university at an academic level step up.”

On top of establishing institutions for research and development, Frenk also supported the creation of departments focused on culture and diversity. Alexis Owens, the director of the University of Miami student government’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion program, said she believes Frenk made notable progress in promoting multiculturalism on campus.

“We just recently had a building named after two very prominent Black alumni,” Owens said. “He decided … to create our department for global Black studies, which is a place for Black students to really go and actually learn about culture outside of just academic Africana studies or the Multicultural Student Affairs office.”

Frenk also made efforts to maintain funding for DEI programs at the University of Miami, Owens added.

According to a study from the University of Maryland, DEI offices not only provide upward mobility and a sense of belonging to marginalized communities but also have major benefits campuswide. These include improved racial and cultural awareness, enhanced critical thinking and higher levels of community service. Additionally, the same article found that as students interact with a more diverse campus population, they become better equipped to thrive in a multicultural society post-graduation.

Beyond academics, Frenk placed heavy emphasis on college athletics during his leadership at the University of Miami.

Frenk oversaw major infrastructure development for the university’s athletics department, including the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility and a new football operations center. Furthermore, Frenk replaced both the school’s athletics director and head football coach with higher-priced professionals, according to ESPN.

Alongside praise for his initiatives and undertakings at the University of Miami, Frenk also faced criticism for his faculty management and public health policies.

In 2022, Frenk fired Anthony Varona, the university’s law dean, primarily because of concerns about his effectiveness in leading fundraising campaigns for the law school. According to the Miami Herald, the institution’s Academic Review Committee had cautioned Frenk that appointing a new dean could hinder the law school’s funding, ranking and passage rates for the bar exam, a standardized test necessary for lawyers to obtain their law license.

The University of Miami Faculty Senate also passed a unanimous resolution urging Frenk to reconsider his decision, stating that Frenk failed to follow proper academic and ethical procedures. Law professors across the country had called to investigate the termination, claiming funding cuts from angry potential donors could soon follow, according to the Miami Herald.

Another decision Frenk made that elicited significant concern and criticism was switching classes to be back in person much earlier than most other universities in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Guardian, many employees accused his administration of ignoring requests to work remotely and said he manipulated the data on COVID-19 cases. Some students also believed Frenk’s public health policies were established to maintain his seven-figure salary, according to the same source.

On the other hand, some students such as Carrillo Zamora, who was an incoming first-year student in the fall of 2021, said they looked favorably upon Frenk’s plans for instruction during the pandemic.

“My first semester was in person, … and we wore masks, but there was student life, and there were things going on,” Carrillo Zamora said. “A lot of that is because of his policies.”

As Frenk assumes his new role at UCLA in 2025, he will be expected to address questions related to concerns over campus policing and safety practices, a rapidly rising student population, and insufficient funding for graduate and undergraduate programs, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Evans said the new chancellor has a responsibility not only to serve the Bruin community but also to take on a global role.

“I don’t think the previous chancellor appropriately addressed anything that was going on abroad,” Evans said. “I hope the new chancellor addresses that, acknowledges that and makes an effort to meet some of the demands that we set out.”