President Napolitano shared the message below with the UCOP community on Dec. 18, 2018.

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the calendar year, I am writing to update you on activity related to the OP Restructuring Effort. Several of our efforts have recently concluded and others are well under way.

• UC Health Advisory Committee Earlier this year, I appointed an Advisory Committee to develop a set of recommendations specifically for the UC Health division. The Committee was asked to explore all structural, funding, and associated governance options that would enhance UC Health’s agility and flexibility to reach long range strategic objectives. The Committee completed its Report of Findings and Final Recommendations, and I formally approved these recommendations in October. The overarching recommendation of the Committee was that the UC Health be kept intact as a division of UCOP with its existing governance structure. A separate subline item in the UCOP budget will be funded solely by the health systems to allow for the development and growth of essential collaborative programs. Other recommendations were made as well, and are being implemented.
• The UC ANR Advisory Committee was charged to consider options for UC ANR’s structure, governance, and funding. The recommendations offered by the Committee will build upon UC ANR’s successes, provide budgetary stability and sustainability through improved financial and governance models, and increase its system-wide standing, effectiveness, and impact. The Committee made four key recommendations: (1) maintain UC ANR’s status as a system-wide program within the UC Office of the President; (2) create a UC ANR Governing Council to facilitate oversight and promote greater understanding of and participation in UC ANR’s mission across the University; (3) create a funding model that will establish more stable and sustainable budgets while enhancing governance; and (4) retain campus oversight of and reporting responsibility for State Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) funds. Last week I approved these recommendations.
• Mexico programs (UC Mexico Initiative, UC MEXUS, and la Casa de California) At my direction, Provost Brown explored options to strengthen these programs by combining them into a single entity and examining their locations, funding, and leadership structures. After a robust assessment and consultation process with the Chancellors, Academic Senate, and stakeholders, Provost Brown recommended and I agreed to appoint UC Riverside as the lead campus for the newly integrated UC Mexico Program. Chancellor Wilcox and Provost Brown are beginning to integrate and transition these programs to this new organizational structure.
• UC Press In 2017, an internal UC Press exploration was launched to determine if we should move UC Press to UCLA. While this effort concluded with a summary of the perceived advantages and disadvantages in such a move, no decision was made on whether to proceed with the change at that time. The Huron report suggested evaluating all possibilities – moving UCPress to a 501(c)3, keeping it at UCOP or moving to a campus. Provost Brown and I have reviewed the report and feedback already received from the Academic Senate, UC Press’s decisional bodies, and other interested stakeholders. As a result of this review, I have accepted Provost Brown’s recommendation that UC Press remain in Academic Affairs at UCOP.
• Academic Programs Additional organizational reviews were launched under the UCOP Restructuring Effort which are well underway, including:
  • Innovative Learning Technology Initiative (ILTI)
  • Research Grants Program Office (RGPO)
  • UC Center Sacramento (UCCS)
  • UC Washington Center (UCDC)

Provost Brown and I agreed that we needed to understand more about the current strengths and challenges for each of these programs before determining whether their reporting structures and other attributes should change or remain the same. Those organizational assessments are on track to be completed in January. We recognize the importance of consultation with the Academic Senate, the relevant advisory committees, and those involved and invested in these programs, and look forward to a robust consultative process in the new year.

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship SVP Gulbranson and Provost Brown recently recommended, and I approved, the transition of transactional patent operations to Academic Affairs, which aligns the patent policy function with operational services. Under this new structure, future plans for the replacement of the Patent Tracking System are in the initial stages of assessment, analysis and consultation.

I have also approved their recommendation to reconstitute the Technology Transfer Advisory Committee (TTAC) to advise SVP Gulbranson in the development and roll-out of an Innovation and Entrepreneurship strategy to consider the future of the entrepreneurial space, degrees of freedom, issues of ethics and conflicts and a robust systemwide policy that provides advice and coordination.

• UCOP Operations The review of the IT support and risk services operations is underway and expected to conclude in January.

I would like to thank those of you who have shared your thoughts with me and your division and department leaders. I value your input and would like to encourage you to continue providing your ideas to me electronically through janet@ucop.edu or anonymously here.

Once these efforts are concluded we will effectively wrap up the OP Restructuring Effort, which will have addressed many of the recommendations from the Huron report and other organizational review efforts.  This does not preclude UCOP from considering other organizational changes in the future, as it is important that we continuously seek to improve our effectiveness. As with all such efforts, we  remain committed to deliberative thought, shared governance, and transparent consultation, all of which will serve to enhance the strength and success of our organization.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano

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