Latest news with #JulioFrenk
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chancellor Julio Frenk suggests he'll be actively involved with UCLA athletics
Julio Frenk does not appear to be a university administrator content to watch his school's athletic program from the sidelines. In his last stop before becoming UCLA's chancellor, Frenk led an overhaul of the University of Miami's athletic department, bringing in a new athletic director and football coach after the Hurricanes were criticized for not making football a priority under Frenk's leadership. Advertisement That shakeup resulted in coach Mario Cristobal leading his team to a 10-3 season in 2024 that represented the Hurricanes' best finish in nearly a decade. Can UCLA fans expect a similar level of involvement in athletics from their new chancellor? In a word, yes. Read more: UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk vows to restore campus trust amid 'nervousness and anxiety' During a recent interview with The Times, Frenk indicated that he would be hands-on with UCLA athletics because of its importance to the university as a whole. 'I am [going to be involved] because I think athletics plays a very central role,' Frenk said. 'It is, first, an avenue for recruiting very talented students. Secondly, it benefits the other students. It enriches the student experience of everyone. But let me tell you, when we talk about the contribution to society, part of the reason many universities have a deficit, it's not because of football. Football actually has a positive cash flow for the university. Advertisement 'What we do in the United States that no other country that I know of does, is that universities are the place where we train Olympians, Olympic competitors, competitors who go to the Olympic Games. That function — just like the research function — has been delegated to universities and we are investing in having Olympic athletes. In most of the other countries, it's government-run high-performance centers. 'But here the federal government doesn't have to worry about that because universities do that and they fund that. And when we have the Olympics every four years, everyone is very proud to see the United States top the medal chart. That work starts in universities and that's why we also fund that. It's an intrinsic part of education. It enriches everyone's experience. It builds community. It also produces the best performing Olympic teams in the world.' Frenk's comments would seem to suggest that he is not considering any cuts to UCLA's Olympic sports even at a time when the school's athletic department has run up a $219.5-million deficit over the last six fiscal years. That deficit would be even higher had the university not agreed to provide $30 million to its athletic department as part of its most recent fiscal budget. Frenk also said that federal legislation was needed 'to create a much more predictable model' for football and men's basketball, controlling expenses while propping up the rest of an athletic department. UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk speaks during his inauguration ceremony at Royce Hall on June 5. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times) 'I acknowledge this costs money,' Frenk said of allocating resources to the revenue sports, 'but the money goes to be able to have all the other disciplines that do not generate money. The most direct way to do that would be to find other sources of funding. Right now, we use the revenue from football and that requires investments to fund the entire athletic operation. Advertisement 'It is time to have a conversation and create a legal framework that doesn't leave it to each institution or each state to find their own way in this. We're part of an ecosystem. I think the move to the Big Ten has been very positive in that respect. And those are the conversations we are having. How do we generate other sources of revenue — mostly to be able not just to maintain the excellence of the sports that are widely followed by the public, but also all the other sports, including, very importantly, the Olympic sports, which are such a source of pride?' Frenk has shown he will not tolerate failure in high-profile sports — or the perception that he is not doing everything he can to help his teams. As Miami's president, he led an upheaval of the school's athletic department after ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized the Hurricanes during a September 2021 broadcast, mentioning a Miami Herald article stating that football was not a priority for Frenk. Herbstreit went on to say that Miami's athletic director, football coach and president were not in alignment about team needs like other powerhouse programs. Five days later, Frenk issued a statement saying that he wanted 'to make clear that the board of trustees and I, as president, recognize the essential part of our brand and reputation derived from athletics and we are fully committed to building championship-caliber teams at the U.' Frenk added that he would have his chief of staff and senior advisor engage with the athletic department to enhance his own commitment to sustain winning teams. Advertisement With the football team headed for a 7-5 finish that fell far short of preseason expectations, athletic director James Blake was fired before the end of the season and football coach Manny Diaz was dismissed a little more than a week after the final game. The Hurricanes then gave Cristobal a 10-year, $80-million contract, with Frenk attending the introductory news conference and calling his new coach's selection 'a bold vision for the future.' UCLA football went 5-7 last season under first-year coach DeShaun Foster. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Last month, while making his first public remarks about UCLA athletics at a UC regents meeting, Frenk referenced the role athletics played in the school's institutional identity, mentioning legendary basketball coach John Wooden and the Bruins' dominance in Olympic sports with the school set to host the athlete village for the 2028 Olympics. Frenk also mentioned how UCLA's recent move to the Big Ten Conference was made with 'the goal of stabilizing the program and positioning it for long-term success.' The chancellor referenced the school's national championship in men's water polo, a Final Four appearance in women's basketball and a national runner-up finish in women's gymnastics as part of a haul that also included six team and four individual conference titles, the most of any Big Ten team. Advertisement Ultimately, an athletic department is only as healthy as its highest-profile sports. UCLA's football team needs to fully capitalize on the recent buzz created by the arrival of transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after finishing 5-7 in coach DeShaun Foster's debut season. The men's basketball team must maximize the ability of transfer point guard Donovan Dent to make everyone around him better if it hopes to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023. Going forward, every UCLA team seems assured of one thing: Their new chancellor will be watching. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Chancellor Julio Frenk suggests he'll be actively involved with UCLA athletics
Julio Frenk does not appear to be a university administrator content to watch his school's athletic program from the sidelines. In his last stop before becoming UCLA's chancellor, Frenk led an overhaul of the University of Miami's athletic department, bringing in a new athletic director and football coach after the Hurricanes were criticized for not making football a priority under Frenk's leadership. That shakeup resulted in coach Mario Cristobal leading his team to a 10-3 season in 2024 that represented the Hurricanes' best finish in nearly a decade. Can UCLA fans expect a similar level of involvement in athletics from their new chancellor? In a word, yes. During a recent interview with The Times, Frenk indicated that he would be hands-on with UCLA athletics because of its importance to the university as a whole. 'I am [going to be involved] because I think athletics plays a very central role,' Frenk said. 'It is, first, an avenue for recruiting very talented students. Secondly, it benefits the other students. It enriches the student experience of everyone. But let me tell you, when we talk about the contribution to society, part of the reason many universities have a deficit, it's not because of football. Football actually has a positive cash flow for the university. 'What we do in the United States that no other country that I know of does, is that universities are the place where we train Olympians, Olympic competitors, competitors who go to the Olympic Games. That function — just like the research function — has been delegated to universities and we are investing in having Olympic athletes. In most of the other countries, it's government-run high-performance centers. 'But here the federal government doesn't have to worry about that because universities do that and they fund that. And when we have the Olympics every four years, everyone is very proud to see the United States top the medal chart. That work starts in universities and that's why we also fund that. It's an intrinsic part of education. It enriches everyone's experience. It builds community. It also produces the best performing Olympic teams in the world.' Frenk's comments would seem to suggest that he is not considering any cuts to UCLA's Olympic sports even at a time when the school's athletic department has run up a $219.5-million deficit over the last six fiscal years. That deficit would be even higher had the university not agreed to provide $30 million to its athletic department as part of its most recent fiscal budget. Frenk also said that federal legislation was needed 'to create a much more predictable model' for football and men's basketball, controlling expenses while propping up the rest of an athletic department. 'I acknowledge this costs money,' Frenk said of allocating resources to the revenue sports, 'but the money goes to be able to have all the other disciplines that do not generate money. The most direct way to do that would be to find other sources of funding. Right now, we use the revenue from football and that requires investments to fund the entire athletic operation. 'It is time to have a conversation and create a legal framework that doesn't leave it to each institution or each state to find their own way in this. We're part of an ecosystem. I think the move to the Big Ten has been very positive in that respect. And those are the conversations we are having. How do we generate other sources of revenue — mostly to be able not just to maintain the excellence of the sports that are widely followed by the public, but also all the other sports, including, very importantly, the Olympic sports, which are such a source of pride?' Frenk has shown he will not tolerate failure in high-profile sports — or the perception that he is not doing everything he can to help his teams. As Miami's president, he led an upheaval of the school's athletic department after ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized the Hurricanes during a September 2021 broadcast, mentioning a Miami Herald article stating that football was not a priority for Frenk. Herbstreit went on to say that Miami's athletic director, football coach and president were not in alignment about team needs like other powerhouse programs. Five days later, Frenk issued a statement saying that he wanted 'to make clear that the board of trustees and I, as president, recognize the essential part of our brand and reputation derived from athletics and we are fully committed to building championship-caliber teams at the U.' Frenk added that he would have his chief of staff and senior advisor engage with the athletic department to enhance his own commitment to sustain winning teams. With the football team headed for a 7-5 finish that fell far short of preseason expectations, athletic director James Blake was fired before the end of the season and football coach Manny Diaz was dismissed a little more than a week after the final game. The Hurricanes then gave Cristobal a 10-year, $80-million contract, with Frenk attending the introductory news conference and calling his new coach's selection 'a bold vision for the future.' Last month, while making his first public remarks about UCLA athletics at a UC regents meeting, Frenk referenced the role athletics played in the school's institutional identity, mentioning legendary basketball coach John Wooden and the Bruins' dominance in Olympic sports with the school set to host the athlete village for the 2028 Olympics. Frenk also mentioned how UCLA's recent move to the Big Ten Conference was made with 'the goal of stabilizing the program and positioning it for long-term success.' The chancellor referenced the school's national championship in men's water polo, a Final Four appearance in women's basketball and a national runner-up finish in women's gymnastics as part of a haul that also included six team and four individual conference titles, the most of any Big Ten team. Ultimately, an athletic department is only as healthy as its highest-profile sports. UCLA's football team needs to fully capitalize on the recent buzz created by the arrival of transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after finishing 5-7 in coach DeShaun Foster's debut season. The men's basketball team must maximize the ability of transfer point guard Donovan Dent to make everyone around him better if it hopes to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023. Going forward, every UCLA team seems assured of one thing: Their new chancellor will be watching.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk defends international students
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, a Mexican American, speaks to The Times in support of international students.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UCLA students had visas revoked by US government, chancellor says
The Brief UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the U.S. government revoked the visas of six current and six former students. The revocations follow an executive order by President Trump targeting students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed 300 visa revocations impacting several California schools. LOS ANGELES - UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the U.S. government has revoked the visas of six current and six former students participating in a training program, raising concerns within the UCLA community as calls for action and support for affected students grow. What we know The visa revocations occurred following a routine audit of SEVIS records, with terminations attributed to violations of visa program terms, Frenk said in a letter sent to the UCLA community on Sunday. "The termination notices indicate that all terminations were due to violations of the terms of the individuals' visa programs. At this time, UCLA is not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus related to these terminations," he wrote. The Backstory The revocations follow an executive order by President Donald Trump threatening visa revocations for students involved in pro-Palestinian protests amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. SUGGESTED: Hamas: Israeli airstrikes put hostages at risk as ceasefire breaks down Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of 300 international student visas, affecting several California schools, including UCLA. What they're saying The Task Force on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Muslim Racism, co-chaired by Gaye Theresa Johnson and Sherene Razack, expressed alarm over UCLA's response to the visa revocations. They urged the administration to take protective measures for affected students and challenge the Department of Homeland Security's actions. SUGGESTED: Two pro-Palestinian student groups suspended at UCLA "We write as the Task Force on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti- Muslim Racism to express our growing alarm regarding UCLA's response to the recent revocation of visas held by nine UCLA international students. These revocations follow similar and more extreme actions nation-wide, such as termination of legal status for international students and scholars on visas, and detention and deportation of international students without warning. Students who have spoken in support of Palestinian human rights have been specifically targeted, as have students from countries that the Federal government has deemed to be adversaries of the United States," the letter states. "... With no comment or instruction from the UCLA administration thus far, there is growing concern that students are unprotected." What's next Frenk advised UCLA students to visit online resources such as: UCLA's Undocumented Student Program UC Immigrant Services Legal Center UCLA's Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars The chancellor said he would continue to meet with UC President Michael Drake and other UC chancellors to prepare for and respond to any federal policy changes. He said he is also in constant contact with senior campus leaders. SUGGESTED: Federal antisemitism task force to visit UCLA, USC campuses months after protests Frenk assured the community that the administration is "committed to supporting our students as we abide by the law. The Source Information for this story is from a letter published by UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk on April 6, 2025.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
UCLA Chancellor says federal government has revoked visas for a dozen students
The federal government has revoked the visas of a dozen international students at the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced Sunday. Frenk stated in a message to the Bruin community that UCLA officials learned of the revocations during a routine audit of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System's (SEVIS) records. Upon review, the records showed that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) had revoked the SEVIS status of six current students and six former students participating in a practical training program. "The termination notices indicate that all terminations were due to violations of the terms of the individuals' visa programs," Frenk said. "At this time, UCLA is not aware of any federal law enforcement activity on campus related to these terminations." He noted that these visa revocations follow similar actions at universities nationwide in recent days. Frenk also acknowledged that these developments have raised "a great deal of questions" within the Bruin community. "We recognize that these actions can bring feelings of tremendous uncertainty and anxiety to our community. We want our immigrant and international UCLA students, staff and faculty to know we support your ability to work, learn, teach and thrive here," he said. Frenk emphasized that UCLA is committed to supporting its students while complying with the law. The SEVP is a component of the National Security Investigations Division and serves as a liaison for government agencies seeking information about nonimmigrants in the U.S. on student visas, according to the U.S. Department of Immigration .
