By Bay City News Service
The University of California Board of Regents has appointed a special committee to recruit a replacement for UC President Mark Yudof, who plans to retire in August.
The committee, chaired by board Chairman Sherry Lansing, met for the first time on Tuesday with Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to discuss the search process, university officials said Friday.
The committee will be working with constituent groups including faculty, students, staff and alumni, and expects to make a recommendation at the board of regent's July meeting.
Yudof announced in January that he was retiring after five years at the helm of the UC system. Yudof, who cited health issues and the need for "fresh leadership" as reasons for his decision, said he was stepping down effective Aug. 31 and plans to teach law on the UC Berkeley campus.
When Yudof took his position as president in March 2008, the university and state were faced with a major budget crisis due to a declining economy. His tenure has been marked by staff and faculty furloughs, rising tuition and budget cuts.
Yudof said that while the university is not entirely in the clear, it now appears to have "weathered the storm."
Among other improvements, voters passed Proposition 30 last November, a temporary increase in taxes for higher earners and sales tax to fund education.
Yudof, a Philadelphia native, previously served as chancellor of the University of Texas system and as president of the University of Minnesota system. Before that he was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Texas for 26 years.
According to university officials, Yudof earns a base annual salary of $591,084.
At the time of his appointment in 2008, his salary was below the midpoint salary set for the position by the Board of Regents and below the median salary for similar positions nationwide, officials said.
Yudof has not had a salary increase since his appointment, university officials said.
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