Although most of the faculty supported katehi thru the chaos of last year, her decision to create a "Third Campus" ("World Food Center") in the Sacramento rail yards was in no way supported by the faculty and was a very bad idea for many reasons. First, it was a sign that katehi would fold under the immense and relentless pressure of the Sac Bee (who actually seriously wanted under graduate classes in sacramento) and the Rail yard developers to do their bidding when there was no benefit whatsoever to the Davis Campus and would only put money in their pockets. Second, it was a sign that katehi was "out of control" and doing something without any consideration of what the campus actually needed as opposed to what sacramento people wanted. It will be up to the new chancellor as to what happens to the "World Food Center" but my guess is that this is is a dead concept insofar as sacramento is concerned. UC Davis is UC Davis, not UC Sacramento which Sacramento and the BEE would delay love to have.
I hope that this is just napalitano telling the bee board what it wants to hear. The bee is absolutely ga ga about the thought of UC Davis undergrads going to classs in sac and napalitano could see this clearly. Also, napalitano apparently has bought into the old idea (fantasy) the regents have had for decades that a major role of any davis chancellor should be political, i.e be the regents point guard with the state legislature. This has never worked and n ever will. Academics are just not good with politicians. Yes, the bee wants a davis chancellor thats best for sacramento. We want a chancellor thats b est for UC Davis.
Sorry to follow my own post, but I cannot stand by for the hypocritical and self serving statements by the bee's editorial just posted minutes ago. After almost 6 years of extremely negative coverage by the bee regarding UC Davis (remember "pepper spray") and virtually zero coverage of the many positive accomplishments at UC Davis for years, and then, of course, the undoing of Ketahi in large part due to the bee. Today we have the bee saying that katehi may have "made some dumb decisions" BUT had some great ideas: move UC Davis to sac. Build a downtown classroom building! We need smart young undergrads to help lift up sacramento and improve the economy! Sac needs HELP! And the new mayor steinberg enthusiastically signs on for this. This is so stupid, can you imagine recruiting bright new freshmen to the Davis campus and then telling them "well, you will have to go to sac for poly sci 1- no parking and don't walk K street after dark"? Absolutely crazy that napalitano actually says she wants the new Chancellor to focus on sac. I don't think the faculty will ever, ever sign on to this incredibly stupid and dumb idea.
I like our campus, and I loved, I mean absolutely loved the city of Davis.
When touring other major universities that are close to major metropolitan areas, I have noticed that they are starting to have a stronger presence in these metropolitan areas. I am a bit on the fence on this one.
Although I do see the concern over having undergraduates have courses in downtown Sacramento, how about just a few majors. Perhaps, political science or maybe a community and regional development major. They might benefit from being a quarter or two downtown. This may be a good thing if it happens. Perhaps there can be policy written that for your first two years you will only have classes on the Davis campus, but then your junior year you can choose to have 3-4 courses in Sacramento.
Z. One question: why would we do this? See possible new Davis recruiting Flyer: "Dear UC Davis freshman: sorry, but if you thought you were going to a university at the best college town in the nation, forget that. Now classes will begin in downtown Sactown, home to druggies, prostitution, needle exchanges, and drunks ion the K street mall. Z do you have a conflict on interest on this issue: what is the benefit to UC Davis on this. Have y ou any experience on the mean streets of sactown?
I'm in Los Angeles, and previously worked at a private liberal arts college. I've traveled to different states because of work and have had to visit different campuses. This is mostly in the New York, Washington, Oregon, and California areas.
What I have observed is what I stated previously. Larger land grant universities do have a presence downtown. It seems to be a natural progression. I'm on the fence still about this issue. This is just my opinion. I am in no way affiliated with the Bee or the UC administration.