Campaign Launch 2013

George R. Blumenthal

Campaign Launch 2013

University House

October 18, 2013

Part One

Thank you, Paul!

Welcome, it's wonderful to see all of you!

It's a great honor to host President Janet Napolitano on our campus. You'll hear from her in a moment.

I've been waiting a long time to say these words, and I know you've been waiting to hear them… Effective today, right now, I am launching the public phase of UC Santa Cruz's first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign!

The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz will enhance the experience of undergraduates on campus… and the quality of every academic division. We are seeking support for signature initiatives in genomics, coastal sustainability, data sciences, and the arts and sciences. Other top priorities include undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, endowed support for academic programs and faculty positions, and the restoration of key facilities like our Quarry.

With your help -- together -- we will raise $300 million to support the people, programs, research, and facilities that make this campus a university like no other!

Thanks to you, we are halfway there—we've raised $150 million dollars toward our goal! Wow, it feels so good to say that!

Two days ago, I couldn't have said that. But on Wednesday, I spoke with two UCSC alumni who stepped up together and put us over the top with a $2 million gift.

Here today to help us celebrate… in just her third week on the job… is the woman who leads the greatest public research university in the world, keeping it strong and relevant: UC President Janet Napolitano.

Part Two

Today is a celebration of UC Santa Cruz, and I thank you for being here. I also want to thank our faculty, staff, and our students. They are the heart of this campus, and it is their work that has produced UCSC's success.  Last month, our newest students arrived—the class of 2017. They came from all over the state… and from across the country… and around the globe.

They came with hopes and dreams… energy… vision…and drive. They are the reason we're here today. They are the reason UC Santa Cruz is here. Their futures—their aspirations and ambitions—are what give this day its true meaning. So let's talk about that: The reason they're here. The reason we're here. 

UC Santa Cruz is an undeniably special place. One look around, and you know it's true. We are caregivers of an absolutely stunning site. I hear it from students and faculty all the time: They knew it was the place for them as soon as they set foot on this campus.

And we have done incredible things with this site. It has inspired our leadership...    in marine science… in environmental studies… in coastal protection… and in sustainable agriculture.

The diversity of these 2,000-plus acres is almost beyond comprehension. Where else can biologists study sea lions and mountain lions—in the same day? And there's no question: Our setting inspired one of our most enduring campus values: environmental stewardship.  We were given this land with a mandate to use it well… to serve the public good.

Our founders envisioned a university for the 21st century. A university that would combine the strengths of a small liberal arts college with the depth and opportunities found only at a major research university.

Our founders knew this marriage would create something special for students—something unique in all of public higher education. This degree of integration of undergraduates into the University of California's research mission was – and is—unprecedented.

For nearly 50 years, UCSC's colleges have been landing pads… that become launching pads for our students.… for students seeking a challenging, personal, informal-yet-intense experience. This is the UC Santa Cruz way.

Today's beneficiaries include the more than 3300 frosh -- and 1,100 transfer students – who arrived three weeks ago. Many will be the first in their families to earn a four-year degree.They reflect today's California population in every way… ethnically… economically… culturally.

Our founders' beneficiaries include today's 1,500 graduate students… always envisioned as a vital part of this dynamic campus… and a growing part of our future.

At UC Santa Cruz, all of our students are partners in the creation of knowledge. They are partners in scholarship… in civic engagement… in social action. Because social responsibility is another core value that infuses all we do.

UC Santa Cruz brings faculty and all of our students together…  to enrich learning and to energize research.  This shows up in the accomplishments of our graduates, who have learned how to think and how to think critically.

Today, we make our founders proud… hosting research that is changing the world. Research that will conquer cancer… research that is preserving the California coast… research that flows over those mountains to Silicon Valley, the greatest concentration of innovators in the world… research and collaboration that is sparking a cultural renaissance on campus… bridging the arts and sciences and forging new ways to reach out and communicate. 

This university, founded in the throes of social change, hasn't stopped pushing for change… hasn't stopped contributing to change! And we won't stop.

Because UC Santa Cruz is – always has been – an incubator for new ways of thinking… new ways of learning… new ways of taking action in the world.

The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz has focused our attention on the future… it has energized us … and unified us. Our campaign theme--Give. Don't give in--speaks to the spirit of this campus. It speaks to our vision of uncompromising quality… our willingness to be daring and to take risks.   

It is rare to be part of something that endures. Shaping a university is one of those opportunities.    

Shaping a public research university—this public research university -- speaks to one of society's highest callings.  Because our mission is to serve students… to educate… to break down barriers--of access… and of ignorance! Because we are a place of exploration and discovery. We are not telling a story written by others. We are writing the book! We are the creators, the authors!

Yes… shaping a university is a profound opportunity to change lives. And shaping this university makes a clear statement. Because this university has a deep, enduring commitment to progressive, bold, fearless inquiry that benefits individuals and the planet.

Becoming a part of this can have a profound effect on you. This campaign will enable UC Santa Cruz to remain at the forefront of critical issues facing us today: Cancer. Climate change. Environmental protection. Endangered species. Art and creative expression 

We are on the move. Anything is possible here. And your support has real impact.    

I think of Boyd Seymour and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. 60,000 visitors come through the center every year--including thousands of young children who get a memorable hands-on introduction to science! And it all started with Boyd's $2 million gift. Because he saw the impact he could have here. I’ll never forget that… how pleased he was. It's a powerful reminder that one individual can have long and lasting impact.

In your program today, we've listed some of the donors who've contributed to this first half of our campaign. Each gift, each individual, makes a difference… touches a life. 

When I became chancellor, I talked about this campus's upward trajectory. I saw the hopes and dreams of faculty… of deans and campus leaders. I saw how this campus could surge ahead with private support—how we could go from baby steps to leaps and bounds. I saw the need for a major fundraising campaign.

Today, we're on the brink of that surge forward. There's no place I'd rather be—and I'm so glad you're with me.

Thank you—let's leap forward together!