As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, I feel very fortunate that we have so much to be thankful for in VCAF. Everyone in our organization continues to show an incredible amount of talent and motivation, despite the many challenges we face. The elections are behind us and the outcomes look promising for California and higher education. The passage of Prop 30 sends an important message: clearly, voters think that spending on education is the right decision. However, we need to constantly remind ourselves that Berkeley has continued to grow and maintain its standards of access and excellence during the recent past, despite bad public policy decisions. We are committed to staying on that path.
It is not an exaggeration to say that our accomplishments this year have been absolutely phenomenal. In addition to the important behind-the-scenes work required to keep this huge enterprise running, we have pushed ahead on many fronts, taking risks at the institutional and personal level. We are moving Berkeley towards providing “best of class” services to campus. Of course, we have a long way to go. Many of the current systems and practices are dated, opaque, and complex. It will take time to unwind this. But we have set ourselves the goal of creating a finance and administration world that is shaped by a few key principles: transparency, simplicity and, where possible, automation. We will need clear incentives to promote the kind of work and decisions that help us achieve our core academic mission.
As I reflect on all this, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for all of your hard work and dedication, and a renewed sense of hope and aspiration for what lies ahead.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving,
John Wilton
Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance