51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

SAN FRANCISCO—Acting on the recommendation of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President Mark G. Yudof, the Board of Regents on March 25 appointed 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ professor emeritus Lawrence H. Pitts as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ system.

The appointment followed a national search that yielded 15 prospects. Pitts had been serving as interim provost since February 2009.

"Larry is an accomplished academic leader, and a passionate and able advocate for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and public higher education generally," Yudof said. "He knows 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ extremely well and I think he'll do a terrific job working with the administration, the regents, the faculty and the rest of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ community to help lead the University into the future and to maintain 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's standards of academic and scientific excellence."

Pitts, 69, a longtime 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ faculty member and past chair of the systemwide Academic Senate, is a professor emeritus of neurosurgery at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ San Francisco, where he has served on the faculty since 1975.

At 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏSF he has been chief of neurosurgery at San Francisco General Hospital and of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏSF-Mount Zion Hospital, and vice chair and acting chair of the Department of Neurosurgery.

He has served on a variety of Academic Senate committees at the divisional and systemwide levels, including the Senate's Shared Governance Task Force, the Task Force on Health Care and the drafting task force on 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's Health Corporate Compliance Plan.

Pitts received concurrent bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and industrial management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He served as a naval officer for two years before attending the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He did his neurosurgical training at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏSF.

"Having spent most of my career at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, I know very well what a remarkable institution the University of California is, and its impact on society, not only here in California but around the world," Pitts said. "We have some big challenges ahead of us, but many more opportunities."

The provost is the highest-ranking academic officer at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and is responsible for Academic Affairs systemwide, which includes setting academic policies on student admissions, retention and graduation; developing academic priorities; and long-ranging planning to maintain 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's service to the public and to sustain 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's position as the world's leading public research institution.
Compensation

As provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs systemwide, Pitts will receive the same compensation and benefits that he received as interim provost:

• An annual salary of $350,000, which is more than 18 percent below the market median of $415,800 and is substantially less than the previous permanent incumbent's salary of $425,000 (the approved annual salary of $350,000 will be reduced by 10 percent to $315,000 under the current salary reduction furlough plan).

• Per policy, standard sick leave and vacation accrual.

• Per policy, administrative funds for official entertainment and other purposes permitted by university policy.

• Per policy, eligibility for standard employee medical, dental and vision coverage.

As a re-employed 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ retiree, Pitts will suspend his pension and retiree benefits, allowing him to return full time during this appointment as an active employee and making him eligible for regular employee health coverage and additional pension credits for his service, consistent with 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ policy (this constitutes an exception to the policy under which retired employees can be rehired at no more than a 43 percent appointment; given the critical importance of the provost's responsibilities and the need to have a dedicated full-time incumbent in this role, Pitts has agreed to this appointment at 100 percent time).