About the Presidency

The President of the University of California leads a premier public research university system of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and a statewide agriculture and natural resources program. The UC system has more than 280,000 students, 227,000 faculty and staff, an operating budget of $36.5 billion, and two million living alumni.

The Board of Regents seeks an individual who is an outstanding leader and a respected scholar who has successfully demonstrated these abilities in a major complex organization. The opportunity arises because of the decision by the current incumbent, Janet Napolitano, to close her tenure as President effective August 2020.

The office of the President (OP) supports the 10 campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. It offers programs in more than 150 disciplines – many of which are ranked among the top 10 nationally. UC’s six health systems, five of which are academic medical centers, and its 18 health professional schools provide a full range of health care services in their communities and support the clinical teaching programs. Additionally, the UC system is involved in managing three US Department of Energy national laboratories at Berkeley, Livermore, and Los Alamos.

Systemwide management of the University of California is assigned to UCOP based in Oakland, California. The President leads the institution systemwide and is accountable to a 26-member Board of Regents of whom 18 are appointed for 12-year overlapping terms by the Governor of the State of California.

The University of California is committed to cultural diversity and it is expected that the successful candidate will further this commitment. The University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

On November 14, 2019, the Board of Regents approved the criteria for the position of the President of the University of California.