April 25, 2025
Dear Members of Our Campus Community,
During a time of increasing challenges and uncertainty, I am writing to share with you a message from UC President Michael Drake that speaks to the strength, integrity, and impact of our UC communities.
This is indeed a time for us to unite behind our shared institutional mission. What makes our teaching and research contributions possible is our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of academic and intellectual freedom. These freedoms are fundamental to UC Santa Barbara and to all institutions of higher learning.
We are deeply committed to the success of every student, faculty member, and staff colleague — regardless of their background or where they come from. This necessitates our fostering a supportive environment where each of us feels welcomed and empowered to thrive academically and personally.
Be assured that we are committed to working together with the other campuses in the UC system to strongly support our core values. Our culture of academic inquiry, critical reasoning, inclusion, and mutual respect will continue to guide us and influence the world around us.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
From President Drake: The strength that built us will sustain us
Dear University of California community,
The last several months have challenged our university community in many ways. We find ourselves in a moment that requires us to navigate a great deal of uncertainty every day. This is not easy, and I know that many of you are understandably anxious about what is happening around you. In times like these, it’s important to reflect on why we are all here and all the good we do at the University of California.
The University of California leads the way in life-saving medical research, cutting-edge discoveries in quantum computing, AI, atomic physics, and much more. We serve as a national model for college affordability and social mobility, offering the opportunity for tens of thousands of students to earn a college degree and change the trajectory of their lives and careers for the better. Our contributions to research, medical care, humanities, the arts, and public service extend far beyond our campuses, hospitals and laboratories, providing real-life benefits to communities in our state, our nation and our world.
We do all this in the spirit of free inquiry, robust debate and clear-eyed truth that are the hallmarks of great universities the world over. We know that we’re not always perfect; in some areas, we have more work to do. As teaching and learning institutions, it is important that we remain willing to reflect openly and honestly on our shortcomings, to learn from challenges, and to grow in ways that make us better.
We are a community with the shared vision of a brighter future for all. We are a community that treasures academic and research excellence, integrity, inclusion, collaboration, and the free exchange of varied viewpoints and ideas. These ideals are the foundation of our success. During turbulent times, we remain grounded in our values and fully committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff as they pursue the work that defines us.
There may not be easy answers or perfect solutions to the challenges we face, but we will respond with integrity. Working together, the strength that built us will sustain us.
Fiat Lux.
Michael V. Drake, M.D.
UC President