Chancellor Frenk shared this message with the UCLA campus community.
Dear Bruin Community:
I sent a message introducing myself as UCLA’s seventh chancellor on the morning of Jan. 7. Later that evening, wildfires broke out across Los Angeles.
We have seen much pain and suffering in the weeks that have followed, and this disaster has touched many in our community directly. Bruins have had to leave their homes and have faced tremendous personal loss. But we are continuing to stand together and stay connected. The kindness and compassion we have seen across our community have made an enormous difference. And it’s with such support that we’ll get through this crisis together.
Now more than ever, staying connected is key. That is why I want to move forward with a comprehensive, active UCLA Connects: Listening Exercise. This is a series of 30-plus conversations that will bring together every school and unit on our campus, including UCLA Health, and include voices from every group in our wider Bruin family. I want to hear from students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, donors, elected officials, business and community leaders, and neighbors.
I will be at each session with open ears and an open heart. What you share will help me better understand our community’s hopes and aspirations — and will shape the vision I lay out at my inauguration on June 5. I am also looking for ways to fine-tune the goals in our 2023–28 Strategic Plan, so we can keep our mission of teaching, learning and service front and center.
The first listening exercise will take place in early February. We have already launched a dedicated listening exercise page on the chancellor’s website where we will share the progress of the exercise and the insights that come out of it. Please take some time to read through the page and share your thoughts and ideas with me. There’s a section on the page where you can provide your input.
Our listening exercise is one more way that we will stay connected. Your participation builds that connection, and your voice strengthens the seams. I look forward to meeting with you, hearing from you, learning from you and developing a shared vision for our remarkable university.
We are One UCLA.
Julio Frenk
Chancellor