University of California

The University of California (UC) is a public university system within the State of California. It has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students and over 1,340,000 living alumni. The first campus (which is now UC Berkeley) was founded in 1868, while the tenth and newest campus opened in the fall of 2005 near the city of Merced. Collectively and individually, the University of California's campuses boast large numbers of distinguished faculty in almost every field. The University is considered a model for public institutions across the United States, although as of the 2002-03 fiscal year, only 38% of its total budget comes from the State. All campuses enroll both undergraduate and graduate students with the exception of the San Francisco campus, which enrolls only graduate and professional students in the medical and health sciences. It is widely considered to be the most prestigious public university system in the world.

Governance

The University of California is governed by the Regents of the University of California, as required by the current Constitution of the State of California. Eighteen regents are appointed by the governor for 12-year terms. One member is a student appointed for a one-year term. There are also 7 ex officio members — the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, Superintendent of Public Instruction, president and vice president of the Alumni Associations of UC, and the UC President.

Related Topics:
Regents of the University of California - Governor - Ex officio

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The Academic Senate, made up of faculty members, is empowered by the Regents to set academic policies. In addition, the systemwide faculty chair and vice-chair sit on the Board of Regents as non-voting members.

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Originally the President ran only the first campus, Berkeley. Now, the Regents appoint a president to run the entire system. The UC Office of the President is located in downtown Oakland and effectively serves as the system headquarters. Individual campuses are managed by Chancellors, who are given a great degree of autonomy.

Related Topics:
President - Headquarters - Chancellor

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List of UC Presidents

• John LeConte (1868-1870, acting); Henry Durant (1870-1872)
• Daniel Coit Gilman (1872-1875)
• John LeConte (1876-1881)
• W.T. Reid (1881-1885)
• Edward S. Holden (1885-1888)
• Horace Davis (1888-1890)
• Martin Kellogg (1890-1893, acting) (1893-1899)
• Benjamin Ide Wheeler (1899-1919)
• David Prescott Barrows (1919-1923)
• William Wallace Campbell (1923-1930)
• Robert Gordon Sproul (1930-1958)
• Clark Kerr (1958-1967); Harry R. Wellman (1967, acting)
• Charles J. Hitch (1968-1975)
• David S. Saxon (1975-1983)
• David P. Gardner (1983-1992)
• Jack W. Peltason (1992-1995)
• Richard C. Atkinson (1995-2003)
• Robert C. Dynes (2003-present)