Category: Governance

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions to the University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices. I share the University’s commitment to environmental stewardship. My comments focus not on the aspirations of the policy, but on questions of scope, prioritization, cost, and institutional capacity, issues that I believe warrant fuller consideration…

One of the things I treasure most about Berkeley is the sincerity of its community. As a public university, Berkeley aspires not merely to produce knowledge but to foster civic virtue. Our official statements are filled with values I share: equality, stewardship for the environment, belonging, accessibility, justice. These are noble commitments. They form part…

The Faculty Budget Forum is Berkeley largest email list for faculty-to-faculty interaction on governance matters.

Understanding our terminal goals is the core challenge of governance. Our terminal goals are to have world-class research and excellent teaching. Our governance activities should focus on promoting these strategic goals, and limiting the effects of other goals on these strategic goals. It’s easier for me to get reimbursed by stodgy European universities, where I…

All senate committees should consider this framework for policy analysis.

The July 2023 “Reducing Bureaucratic Burden Task Force Final Report” [perma.cc link] is a critical read to understand governance, but many faculty don’t know about it. The full text is reproduced below. Reducing Bureaucratic BurdenTask force final report July 7, 2023 Task Force MembershipMaximilian Auffhammer, Professor, Vice Chair of the Academic Senate (co-chair) Andrea Lambert-Tan,…

In my opinion, some of Berkeley’s biggest problems emerge from the VCA’s portfolio.

This is my diagnosis of Berkeley’s ills: a problem I call administrative misalignment. Some administrators are not working for Berkeley; they are working for something else. Maybe themselves.

Comments on the Proposed Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices Thank you for inviting comment on the Proposed Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices (“Policy”). While well-intended, the Policy creates numerous requirements untethered from our terminal goals of excellence in research and teaching. The Policy will require effort from many staff and consultants while not improving teaching…