Gary S. May, chancellor of the University of California at Davis, would really like to focus on the university’s future. For example, Davis has admitted its most racially diverse class of undergraduates, and it’s on the verge of being designated a Hispanic-serving institution.
But it’s been a challenge, he said on Wednesday during a visit to The Chronicle, to escape the bad news that lingers from the tenure of his predecessor, who resigned in August 2016 after revelations of scandals and a drawn-out legal fight with the state-university system.
And the demand for change at Davis hasn’t receded, Mr. May said.
“What has been more frustrating has been the media,” he added. He described how a local newspaper, which he did not name, ran a photo of his predecessor, Linda P.B. Katehi, with an article about his own appointment as chancellor.
She remains a faculty member, teaching computer and electrical engineering as well as courses in gender and women’s studies.
The most recent controversy, which became public this week, originated during Ms. Katehi’s term but was not directly connected to her leadership. The Sacramento Bee this week reported on a lawsuit against the university, resulting from a suicide and charges of sexual assault that were made following an alcohol-soaked staff retreat in October 2015.
The newspaper recounted the rowdy trip that Col. Christopher De Los Santos, head of a department supporting Davis’s college of agriculture, took with 16 other staff members. Two employees on that retreat filed complaints against Colonel De Los Santos, an Air Force veteran, who reportedly killed himself after learning of the complaints.
Because of the litigation, Mr. May said, he could not speak about the incidents. But, he noted, “none of this happened when I was chancellor.”
The issue of sexual misconduct is a national problem, he said, and Davis remains “vigilant,” requiring all employees to take an online training to educate against misbehavior.
The University of California system has struggled with the issue of sexual harassment and assault by faculty and staff members. A study counted more than 110 incidents of sexual misconduct on the system’s 10 campuses from 2013 to 2016, including 13 cases at Davis, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Across the nation, professional academic gatherings have seen efforts to prevent sexual harassment, after complaints that alcohol-fueled gatherings have led to numerous instances of male professors’ preying on female colleagues or students.
Mr. May said he was not considering banning or placing more restrictions on faculty and staff activities. More rules, he said, won’t necessarily prevent someone from doing the wrong thing.
“In general,” the chancellor said, referring to faculty and staff gatherings, “these are healthy activities.”
Eric Kelderman writes about money and accountability in higher education, including such areas as state policy, accreditation, and legal affairs. You can find him on Twitter @etkeld, or email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com.
Jack Stripling contributed to this article.
