James B. Milliken, the chancellor of the College of Texas who has led among the many nation’s largest increased schooling programs and navigated GOP politics, has been named the subsequent president of the College of California.
His appointment, introduced Friday afternoon by the UC Board of Regents, comes at a tense time for the state’s vaunted system and elite universities nationwide, that are beneath assault by President Trump’s actions to purge increased schooling of what he derides as “woke” and “Marxist” ideologies, whereas additionally slashing federal assist for medical and scientific analysis crucial to the schools’ mission.
Milliken’s choice culminates a six-month-long search to interchange UC President Michael V. Drake, who has been in his function since 2020 and can step down July 31.
UC is “universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work,” Milliken, who goes by “J.B.,” mentioned in an announcement. “It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians.”
Milliken, 68, has led giant public college programs for greater than 25 years, pivoting to the highest roles in deep crimson and blue states alike. He leaves the 256,000-student College of Texas system of 14 campuses, together with seven medical faculties — and a Republican state the place political leaders are near Trump.
“Chancellor Milliken embodies the qualities and leadership experiences the University of California community needs at this moment,” Janet Reilly, regents chair, mentioned in an announcement. “He understands how critical UC’s contributions are to the state and the country, and he has decades of experience leading public institutions during times of unprecedented change in higher education. Chancellor Milliken is simply the right person for UC at just the right time.”
In an announcement, Drake mentioned Milliken “has the depth of wisdom and experience to handle the challenges and opportunities” of the presidency and will likely be dedicated to “the university’s enduring values.”
All through his profession, Milliken has constantly described his perception in opening entry to increased schooling to low-income and first-generation college students, spoken of the significance of immigrant college students and variety in enrollment, and promoted pupil success in job placement. In interviews whereas in Texas, Milliken has usually talked about how “talent is universally distributed and opportunity is not,” with entry to school being an “engine of mobility” for poorer college students and immigrant households.
James Milliken, left, in December 2016 when he was the CUNY Chancellor, met with college students at a rally in assist of undocumented college students.
(Erik McGregor / Getty Pictures)
Earlier than taking the Texas place in 2018, he spent 4 years as chancellor of the 25-campus Metropolis College of New York. A Nebraska native, he served for practically 10 years as president of the four-campus College of Nebraska system, and 6 as a vice chairman of the 16-campus College of North Carolina. He started his tutorial profession in Nebraska, the place he labored in exterior affairs for the college, as secretary to the Board of Regents, and taught legislation and public affairs. Previous to getting into academia, he was a Wall Avenue lawyer.
In August, Milliken will take the UC helm, the nation’s most distinguished public college system — a $53-billion enterprise of 299,000 college students, 26,000 college and 192,000 workers members throughout 10 campuses, six tutorial well being programs and three affiliated nationwide laboratories.
He’ll instantly confront a barrage of investigations and funding threats from the Trump administration that would radically reshape UC’s analysis, admission practices, free speech insurance policies and variety initiatives — whereas Sacramento can be proposing main price range reductions.
Milliken, who will relocate from Austin to the Bay Space this summer season, will obtain a wage of $1,475,000, in comparison with Drake’s $1.308 million.
UC beneath hearth
UC campuses have taken an outsize function amid Trump’s increased schooling targets. The UC system is beneath federal investigations into alleged antisemitism towards staff, stemming from accusations towards widespread pro-Palestinian protests and encampments final spring, together with a violent melee at a UCLA encampment. UCLA and UC Berkeley face extra antisemitism probes, and UC Berkeley is beneath investigation for its use of overseas donations.
The system’s range, fairness and inclusion packages face scrutiny because the president broadly declares such efforts to be unlawful race-based discrimination. Federal attorneys are probing the selective UC admissions course of, claiming it illegally considers race in admission.
California can be among the many Democratic-led states which have sued the administration — with the assist of UC and California State College — over cuts to increased schooling funding, together with a slashing of billions in Nationwide Institutes of Well being grants.
The UC system, which has misplaced $300 million in federal awards since January, has instituted a hiring freeze in expectation of additional cuts that would dramatically shrink campus ambitions. About $1 billion, or roughly 10%, of the price range at UCLA comes from Washington, a determine that leaders say can’t be made up by endowments or different funds if misplaced.
College, college students and workers have additionally criticized the college system for no more forcefully defending itself towards Trump’s assaults.
Milliken will face monetary challenges that pre-date Trump. UC has met rising calls for in recent times to open extra seats for Californians and plans so as to add hundreds extra yearly. But it surely most likely faces a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in state funding cuts that leaders say might immediate enrollment reductions. That, together with increased college and workers prices, bigger retirement plan contributions and dearer healthcare, led to projections final 12 months of a UC price range gap of roughly half a billion {dollars}.
Increased schooling in Texas
In Texas, Milliken will not be identified for considerably difficult Trump and the state’s GOP initiatives to reshape campuses. In latest interviews, together with one printed by Gallup final summer season throughout the presidential marketing campaign, he has delicately dealt with questions on Trump, opting as an alternative to tout his perception within the unifying function of schooling.
Below his management, the Texas system — which has a price range of roughly $30 billion — has achieved document enrollment, elevated transfers from group schools, and arrange a $500 million endowment to cowl full tuition for in-state college students from households making beneath $100,000.
The system has additionally launched a $16.5-million psychological well being initiative to handle pupil wants and created a partnership to supply free skilled certificates to college students from Microsoft, Google and different main firms. Milliken additionally championed the launch of UT’s Training and Analysis Heart at Laredo, an instructional well being analysis hub in south Texas.
In 2024, the 12 months after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into legislation a ban on range, fairness and inclusion packages at state schools, Milliken testified on the state home that UT closed 21 DEI places of work, eliminated 311 DEI-related jobs and canceled greater than 600 contracts linked to range points. The strikes allowed for $25 million that was shifted to different packages, he mentioned.
“You may not like the law, but it is the law,” Milliken mentioned on the time.
Throughout the identical Could 2024 listening to, the UT chancellor additionally answered a query from a state senator who requested whether or not pro-Palestinian protests had been “anti-Jewish in their very nature.”
Milliken replied that there have been “elements” of protests that had been “fairly anti-Jewish and antisemitic” however mentioned protests weren’t all antisemitic.
The system’s flagship Austin campus is battling accusations that it illegally considers the race of candidates in admissions. The college is being sued by College students for Honest Admissions, the identical group that gained its affirmative motion case towards Harvard on the Supreme Court docket in 2023. A federal appeals courtroom held a listening to on the UT case Thursday.
In an announcement, UC Regent Carmen Chu, who chaired the choice committee, nodded towards Milliken’s experiences amid difficult political terrains.
“As the University evolves, it is critical we engage leaders adept at navigating change and positioning the institution for long-term success,” she mentioned.
UC College Educational Senate chair Steven W. Cheung added in an announcement that Milliken’s “talent for building consensus serve him well as we enter a time of great change in higher education.”
Views on UC, schooling and immigrants
Milliken is a lawyer by coaching who rose by college ranks not through tutorial credentials however by creating a status for expert authorities relations and administration, working at instances with competing constituencies — college students, dad and mom, college, taxpayers and politicians.
Talking to Texas Month-to-month shortly after starting his College of Texas function in 2018, Milliken additionally addressed his tackle his new dwelling when an interviewer requested, “What does the UT System need to do to catch up with UC?” The journalist cited UC campuses frequently showing in prime nationwide rankings.
“I don’t look at the world through the UC prism. In my view it isn’t about catching up with UC — there are many things going on in Texas that I much prefer to California,” Milliken mentioned.
“You measure success by looking at what you want to achieve. Which elements of those highly rated California institutions are meaningful to Texas? Do we want to increase our research productivity? Do we want to enhance our programs to attract the best scholars and give the best education. Yes, we certainly do. Do we want to measure ourselves by the percentage of students that we reject? I have a bit of a problem with that,” he mentioned.
In the identical interview, the incoming chancellor addressed one other topic acquainted to California: looming price range cuts. “I do firmly believe that we need to offer public higher education in Texas that will allow students to succeed and allow the state to thrive,” Milliken mentioned. He described school as “one of the best investments that states can make. It’s an investment in the future of their people.”
Throughout Trump’s first time period, Milliken was at CUNY, the place the various inhabitants features a important variety of immigrants with and with out authorized documentation.
Shortly earlier than the president’s first inauguration, Milliken launched an announcement urging Trump to “retain the humane and beneficial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program and mentioned the college would “take any steps available under the law to protect and support its undocumented students.”
The theme of teaching immigrants additionally rose throughout Milliken’s tenure in Nebraska. Writing to state legislators in 2011, Milliken defended a state legislation that was beneath assault for giving undocumented college students in-state tuition.
He additionally spoke out towards a 2008 Nebraska poll initiative that gained approval and banned affirmative motion in public schooling and employment.
“If we are to prepare our students to be successful in a global economy, we should offer an educational environment that reflects the diversity of the world,” Milliken mentioned on the time.
