Chancellor Block and Staff Assembly

Chancellor Block talks about his appreciation for staff, the need for staff engagement, his recent trip to Asia and UCLA's budget prospects. See the video clips.

Chancellor Block on teaching

“Teaching is at the heart of what we do. It is through teaching that lives are changed, one student at a time. Our teachers are the ones who have daily contact with our students and who touch them most closely. Ensuring the quality of our teaching is a high priority for me and the university.”

Chancellor Block on interdisciplinary collaboration

“Important breakthroughs in 21st-century science are evolving among traditional disciplines, not within them. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is essential, and it is a hallmark of UCLA, something we have to do even more in order to maximize our contributions to society.”

Chancellor Block on diversity

“I am deeply committed to diversity. Each of us must champion inclusiveness at every level. Talented people from all backgrounds have to feel welcome and included here. We depend upon all of the Bruin family to ensure that UCLA continues to provide access to opportunity and possibility.

UCLA reaches out to the best and brightest from all walks of life. Twenty-five percent of our undergraduates are first-generation college students. Many more have overcome great odds to be here. The result is an ever-expanding cadre of leaders from all walks of life. Achieving that is the very essence of a world-class public university.”

Chancellor Block on academic excellence

“We are beginning a process of campus-wide strategic planning, focusing on programs that are poised to move into the top echelon in their fields to create spires of excellence. We’ll determine where we can have the most impact.”

Chancellor Block on community engagement

“We can and must do much more, at the leadership level, to engage in the community, to improve the quality of life around us. Our engagement has to be focused and sustained. We will build upon the progress of previous programs and expand our commitments.

UCLA should serve as the model for great public research universities in the 21st century. We should lead the way in combining superior teaching, research and civic engagement.”