Chancellor Julio Frenk shared this message with the Bruin community.
Dear Bruin Community:
One of the many things I have come to appreciate about UCLA is the insight, creativity and lived experience that our students bring to campus. Their perspectives — and the perspectives of all members of our community — help shape our institution and should play a meaningful role in the decisions we make.
To support more direct dialogue with students, I am announcing the launch of UCLA Connects: Chancellor’s Office Hours, a new opportunity for individual students to meet with me for an in-person conversation in my office. These conversations will take place routinely throughout the winter, spring and fall quarters.
I want to hear directly from students — to learn more about their experiences, understand their concerns and gather their ideas for strengthening our university. I will come to each conversation with open ears and an open heart, and I will take notes on what I hear.
These discussions will build on last year’s 38 sessions of the Listening Exercise, which brought together more than 6,300 faculty, staff and students from every school and unit across campus, as well as alumni. The voices and ideas I heard in these discussions formed our collective vision for One UCLA. Since then, I have continued to meet in person with faculty, staff and students, including the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) and Graduate Students Association (GSA), as well as other student groups. These office hours will allow me to sit down with an even broader range of students on a consistent basis.
Students who are interested in participating should sign up through the form on my website by January 26. Throughout the quarter, students will be selected at random from the pool of sign-ups for office hours appointments. The form provides additional details about the process.
I look forward to these conversations and the opportunity to connect more personally with our students — and, in other meetings, with faculty, staff and alumni. Your voices matter deeply. They help guide our ambitions, ground our decisions and keep us focused on our mission of teaching, research and service.
We are One UCLA.
Julio Frenk
Chancellor