Features

UC Berkeley News

By MATTHEW ARTZ
Friday January 09, 2004

New Chancellor Search 

The search to find a new Chancellor for UC Berkeley begins in earnest later this month. 

UC President Robert Dynes named a 17-member committee of regents, faculty, staff, students and alumni Monday to advise him on choosing a successor to outgoing Chancellor Robert Berdahl, who in September announced his intention to step down as chancellor this summer.  

The committee will be involved in recruiting, screening and interviewing potential candidates. They will meet in closed session Jan. 28. 

Dynes hopes to recommend a candidate to board of Regents by April. 

 

Memorial Stadium Upgrade 

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl gave his blessing Wednesday to a plan to retrofit Memorial Stadium and transform it into a “unique academic-athletic partnership.” 

The $140 million plan—to be funded entirely with private donations—would retrofit the 81-year-old stadium built above the Hayward Fault and provide new workout space, locker rooms, and sports medicine services for football and other UC Berkeley sports teams. New classrooms, laboratories and office spaces could also be added to the stadium. 

Work can’t begin until the university receives pledges to cover 40 percent of the costs, roughly $60 million. UC Berkeley Athletic Department spokesperson Bob Rose said a pledge drive was already underway. 

The project is on the high end of past proposals to renovate the stadium and reflects the improving fortunes of the university’s football team—which under second-year coach Jeff Tedford won its first bowl game in 10 years last season. 

Rumors have linked Tedford to several high-profile coaching jobs and a stadium upgrade is seen as vital to keep the highly sought-after coach at Cal. 

In making his announcement, Berdahl acknowledged his promise to the coach about improving the university’s facilities. He said, “With a football program that clearly has momentum, a stadium that sorely needs a facelift and demand for more academic space, there is no better time than now to move forward on this worthwhile project.” He added that in the coming months he plans to meet with potential donors about the project.