Entrepreneurial President: Richard Atkinson and the University of California, 1995-2003

ISBN: 0520270800

Author: Pelfrey, Patricia A.

Condition: New

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 wars-the political, legal, and academic consequences of that historic and controversial decision, as well as the issue of governance-is discussed in this book. Another focus is the entrepreneurial university-the expansion of the Universitys research enterprise into new forms of scientific research with industry during Atkinsons presidency. The final crisis of his administration was the prolonged controversy over the Universitys 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. Pelfreys book provides an analysis of the challenges, perils, and limits of presidential leadership in the nations leading public university, while bringing a historical perspective to bear on the current serious threats to its future as a university.