After four months at his new post, Executive Vice Chancellor
Daniel Neuman has settled into his position, already faced some
tough challenges, and is now wary of difficulties that may arise in
the near future.
As chief operating officer of the campus, Neuman said his first
few months on the job have mainly involved exploring the broad
scope of his responsibilities, familiarizing himself with his
complex duties, and meeting with colleagues, faculty and campus
leaders.
The executive vice chancellor, second only to the chancellor, is
responsible for the day-to-day operation of the campus, including
preparing the strategic planning for each academic year ““ the
map for the immediate future of the university.
Neuman replaced former EVC Rory Hume, who left UCLA on Jul. 1 to
take a position at the University of New South Wales in Sydney,
Australia. Neuman was promoted from his post as dean of the School
of Arts and Architecture.
“It’s been a very smooth transition, but thank God
there are only 24 hours in a day,” he joked.
Chancellor Albert Carnesale praised his integration into the new
position, adding that Neuman was no stranger to his current
colleagues when he was appointed.
Carnesale said Neuman has transitioned “superbly … and
it’s not a surprise … this is someone who has been at UCLA
for some time as a professor, as a dean, and as a
leader.”
Of greatest concern to Neuman in the coming months is whether
newly reelected Gov. Gray Davis chooses to implement the state
legislature-approved five percent mid-year budget cut.
Such a cut, he said, would be a “draconian measure for the
university.”
The true severity of the impact would depend upon whether the
cut is implemented over a six-month period or an 18-month period,
Neuman said.
“The worst-case scenario would be a five percent cut by
Jul. 1, 2003,” Neuman said. “At this point, it is not
possible to even conceive how we would deal with such a cut;
suffice to say, it would change things dramatically.”
If push come to shove, Neuman said the university would
prioritize to ensure the sustenance of key areas which allow UCLA
to maintain its competitive edge on other universities
nationwide.
But he remained cool-headed about the prospects of the cut and
the tough decisions that would follow.
“I’m a believer in not structuring decisions before
their time,” he said. “It is important to understand
the scope of the problem first and not jump to any
conclusions.”
The largest obstacle for Neuman so far in office has been the
flare-up surrounding the vending kiosk placed in front of Bunche
Hall and ensuing complaints from both faculty and students about
the decision-making consultation process.
Faculty had complained about the kiosk installed over the
summer, claiming it ruined the aesthetics of the Bunche Hall plaza
area. They also said there had been little to no consultation of
those residing in the building as to the placement of the
kiosk.
Following pressure from faculty, Neuman decided it was in the
school’s best interest to remove the kiosk completely,
raising questions over the efficiency of the situation.
Neuman said the whole affair has taught him how important
consultation with faculty and students is prior to decisions.
“A very strong consultative culture exists at UCLA, but it
is not perfect,” he said. “We must use this incident as
a lesson to think about how we can improve this process.”
Neuman said the next few months would involve planning how to
deal with enrollment growth as well as the continuing budget
shortfalls.
He said any other plans he may have for the future of the
university would have to wait until these more pressing issues are
resolved.