UCLA’s administrative vice chancellor will retire at the end of 2026, he announced Tuesday.

Michael Beck, who stepped into the role in 2016, oversees UCLA Housing and Hospitality, facilities management, transportation, procurement and information technology. His office has also been involved in housing expansion efforts and planning for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, for which UCLA’s campus will serve as the Olympic Village.

Chancellor Julio Frenk plans to merge UCLA’s finance and administrative offices into one unit, Beck said in an email to administrative employees announcing his retirement.“This was not an easy decision,” Beck said in the email. “Serving UCLA has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.”

Beck also previously oversaw UCLA’s public safety portfolio before then-Chancellor Gene Block announced the creation of the Office of Campus Safety in May 2024. Block’s restructuring removed campus safety from Beck’s office.

The move followed counter-protesters’ April 30, 2024 attacks on the Palestine solidarity encampment, which protesters erected to demand the UC divest from companies associated with the Israeli military. Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said in a 12:12 a.m. statement May 1, 2024 that police had been called for immediate support, but law enforcement did not intervene until more than two hours later.
UCPD and other police agencies then swept the encampment May 2, 2024, arresting more than 200 protesters.

Beck also served as an executive sponsor for UCLA’s Ascend Finance Transformation Project, a financial software overhaul that UCLA has spent at least $213 million on since its 2018 launch. The project, which faculty said had few concrete accomplishments, remained incomplete as of May 2025 and faced repeated delays.

[Related: ‘One timeline after the other was not met’ – UCLA’s $213 million project is failing]

Prior to joining UCLA in 2016, Beck served as the city manager of Pasadena. During Beck’s tenure, a city employee from his administration was arrested for embezzling $6.4 million of Pasadena’s public funds.

Beck said in the email he plans to support the transition process over the coming months. The chancellor’s office will provide additional information regarding the consolidation, Beck added.

“I know there is important work ahead,” Beck said in the email. “As UCLA prepares for major opportunities and milestones in the years ahead, including its role in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this team will continue to play an essential role in helping the university succeed on the world stage.”