Synopses & Reviews
Richard C. Atkinson was named president of the University of California in August 1995, barely four weeks after the UC Regents voted to end affirmative action. How he dealt with the admissions warsand#151;the political, legal, and academic consequences of that historic and controversial decision, as well as the issue of governanceand#151;is discussed in this book. Another focus is the entrepreneurial universityand#151;the expansion of the Universityand#8217;s research enterprise into new forms of scientific research with industry during Atkinsonand#8217;s presidency. The final crisis of his administration was the prolonged controversy over the Universityand#8217;s management of the Los Alamos and Livermore nuclear weapons research laboratories that began with the arrest of Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee on charges of espionage in 1999. Entrepreneurial President explains what was at stake during each of these episodes, how Atkinson addressed the issues, and why the outcomes matter to the University and to the people of California. Pelfreyand#8217;s book provides an analysis of the challenges, perils, and limits of presidential leadership in the nationand#8217;s leading public university, while bringing a historical perspective to bear on the current serious threats to its future as a university.
Review
"Very readable, thoughtful, and richly informative."--Chronicles: Newsletter of the Ucsd Emeriti Association
Review
and#8220;A most interesting book. . . . It is hard to imagine anyone more qualified than Pat Pelfrey to write this book.and#8221;
Review
"Pelfrey writes from an unparalleled inside position. . . . Full of insight."--Journal of the Society For College And University Planning
Review
and#8220;Enlightening. . . . This book provides a wealth of important observations about the most salient aspects of the Atkinson presidency.and#8221;
Review
“Very readable, thoughtful, and richly informative.” Professor Emeritus Sanford Lakoff
Review
“A most interesting book. . . . It is hard to imagine anyone more qualified than Pat Pelfrey to write this book.” Chronicles: Newsletter Of The Ucsd Emeriti Association
Review
“Pelfrey writes from an unparalleled inside position. . . . Full of insight.” Vanderhoef, Larry N. - De Gruyter
Review
“Enlightening. . . . This book provides a wealth of important observations about the most salient aspects of the Atkinson presidency.” Karen Merritt - Journal Of The Society For College And University Planning
Review
and#8220;Very readable, thoughtful, and richly informative.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Pelfrey writes from an unparalleled inside position. . . . Full of insight.and#8221;
Review
"Her riveting chapter on the history of intelligence testing, disputes over the reliability of aptitude versus achievement testing and America's obsession with standardized tests should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in the history of the interplay between merit and democracy."
Synopsis
"This engaging book is blessed with a special chemistry. It is, first, a
revealing story of one of the most intelligent, adaptive, and creative
leaders in the history of the University of California. It is, second, a
superb account of the knottiest problemsand#151;affirmative action, relations
with the national laboratories, for exampleand#151;faced by the University during
the Atkinson presidency. It is, third, remarkably enriched by Patricia Pelfrey's talents, long experience, keen judgment, and objectivity as the storyteller."--Neil J. Smelser, Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley and author of Reflections on the University of California
and#147;This book has a wide range of appeal, from University of California loyalists to scholars of public higher education, its governance, administration and politics.and#8221;--Karl S. Pister, Chancellor Emeritus, UC Santa Cruz and Dean and Roy W. Carlson Professor of Engineering Emeritus, UC Berkeley
About the Author
Patricia Pelfrey is a Research Associate at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley. She is the author of A Brief History of the University of California (UC Press, 2004).
Table of Contents
Foreword by Karl S. Pister
About This Book
1. The Evolution of a Crisis
2. The Education of a Chancellor
3. Who Runs the University?
4. Seventeenth President
5. A Problem in Search of a Solution
6. and#147;A More Inclusive Definition of Meritand#8221;
7. Reinventing the Economy
8. An Idea and Its Consequences
9. Historyand#8217;s Coils: The Nuclear Weapons Laboratories
10. Presidents and Chancellors
11. Epilogue: One University
Appendix 1. Regentsand#8217; Resolutions SP-1, SP-2, and RE-28
Appendix 2. Atkinson Presidency Timeline
Appendix 3. University of California Trends, 1995and#150;2003
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index