The University of California will soon be on the hunt for a new leader, as current President Michael V. Drake has confirmed his plans to step down after five years at the helm. Appointed in July 2020, Drake became the first Black person to serve as president in the UC system's long history spanning over 150 years. His retirement is set after the academic year of 2024-2025, according to a statement from the office obtained by NBC Los Angeles.
In the tenure marked by an array of challenges including the coronavirus pandemic and campus protests, Drake described his role as "the honor of a lifetime," as noted by ABC News. The UC system, under Drake's guidance, has been a hotbed of activity, including thousands of graduate student workers that, in 2022, went on strike for higher pay, and more recently, students set up encampments to protest the war in Gaza.
Drake’s tenure was not only about navigating the complexities of global and local unrest but also about academic and financial achievements. The state agreed to a 5% annual budget increase over five years through his negotiations, which aimed to bolster enrollment and accessibility, particularly for underrepresented students. Plans were also put in place to offer no-cost tuition for Native American students from federally recognized tribes, demonstrating a commitment to educational equity relayed by NBC Los Angeles.
Prior to overseeing the UC system that enrolls close to 300,000 students, Drake's career traversed the landscape of higher education, as he once served as the chancellor of UC Irvine and president of The Ohio State University and chaired the NCAA. Trained as a physician, Drake built his medical career at the University of California, San Francisco before he embarked on teaching as a professor of ophthalmology, a journey echoed by his own words and confirmed by ABC News.
Governor Gavin Newsom expressed gratitude for Drake's contributions, recognizing him for his "grace and vision" and for nurturing "the next generation of extraordinary California leaders." Newsom's accolades pay tribute to the leader who has shepherded one of the state's most prominent educational institutions through seasons of upheaval and progress, as he told ABC News.
