University of California President Michael V. Drake will step down at the tip of the following academic 12 months, ending a five-year term by which he steered the 10-campus system through the COVID-19 pandemic, rising enrollment, labor disputes and campus protests.
Drake, 74, announced his plan in a letter to the UC community on Wednesday.
“I am immensely proud of what our students, faculty and staff have accomplished over the past few years. They have weathered a global pandemic and historic natural disasters, grappled with international conflict and domestic uncertainty, and navigated the stresses and opportunities of daily life, all while making our university stronger, more resilient, more impactful and more inclusive than ever before,” he said.
Drake, UC's first Black president, took over as president in August 2020, replacing Janet Napolitano. Drake previously served as president of Ohio State University; he also served as chancellor of UC Irvine and systemwide vp for health affairs at UC.
Drake became UC president as universities prepared for his or her first full academic 12 months through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to guide the system through distant learning and welcoming students back to campus.
In a press release Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom praised Drake's handling of the pandemic, saying he “took the helm of the University of California at the height of the pandemic and led it with grace and vision in the years that followed.”
Newsom worked directly with Drake to craft a five-year contract that Newsom's office and the UC agreed to in 2022. As a part of the contract, Newsom promised the UC a 5% annual funding increase in exchange for the system working toward numerous goals, including improving graduation rates and increasing enrollment amongst California residents.
Enrolling more Californians has also been a priority of state lawmakers, who’ve often urged UC to accomplish that. And recently, UC has begun to make progress in that area. In fall 2023, there have been 42,058 Californians within the system's first-year class — 2,094 greater than the previous fall, the biggest year-over-year increase during Drake's tenure.
Fall could see one other surge in enrollment amongst California residents. The UC announced Wednesday that it has admitted 93,290 California freshmen for fall 2025, a record number and a 4.3% increase from last 12 months.
However, Drake's tenure on the helm of the UC was not without challenges.
In 2022, 48,000 UC academic staff walked off the job. This was the biggest strike by higher education employees ever. The UC eventually reached an agreement with the staff for a pay increase and improved advantages.
Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments took over several UC campuses last spring, with several UC chancellors calling police to arrest students and break up the encampments. Protesters demanded that the UC divest from Israel-linked firms, but Drake's office said in April that it “has consistently rejected calls to boycott and divest from Israel.” It will not be clear to what extent protests will resume when the autumn semester begins.
As he now enters his final 12 months in office, Drake plans to “continue the work we focused on during my tenure,” he said in his letter to the UC community.
“This includes expanding student support and creating pathways to debt-free UC education. We must also ensure that more California students can enjoy the benefits of a UC degree. We must also build on the university's academic and research excellence and work to foster a safe and respectful community that encourages the free exchange of ideas,” he added.
Janet Reilly, chair of the UC Board of Regents, plans to soon convene a committee to start a nationwide seek for the system's next president.
This story was originally published by EdSource.
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