Narrator: University of California President Mark Yudof has had many role models during his nearly 40-year career in law and academia, but as he transitions into his position as president of the world's premier public university, he draws inspiration from former University of Texas at Austin President Peter Flawn.

Yudof: He had a rule - there were no pending decisions left on his desk at the end of the day. He kept the trains running, he was decisive and a much-beloved figure.

Narrator: Yudof, a lawyer raised in Philadelphia, was a longtime member of the University of Texas law faculty before becoming president of the University of Minnesota and then University of Texas systems. As he begins his UC presidency, Yudof views a number of issues as vitally important ...

Yudof: One is the restructuring of the Office of the President, make sure we're husbanding our resources and we're performing our functions well. I want to make sure that our governance is proper. That the board is well aware of its role and the president of his and the chancellors of their role.

There are many things that the Office of the President should not be regulating on the campuses and so we need to have a feeling of trust between the Board of Regents and the president so that the board carries out its primary responsibility for policy and the president is in charge of the administration and relations with campuses.

I do have strong feelings about advocating for a more fulsome budget for the University of California and I think it's not so much testifying before a particular committee, although that may not be important; or having the governor's ear, which I hope to have. I think it's a long-range educational plan.  And it's our job to make a more effective case for why it is that many of the great accomplishments of this state have been occasioned by what's going on on these campuses.

And if we can accomplish that, then I think that is the backdrop against which we can be more successful in the appropriations process. Budgets some years were stronger than others, there are recessions and there are downturns, but long-term, we need to engage in that educational process.

There's been an increasing attitude of privatization of education and that's just a fancy way of saying that the students and their families were called upon to pay more and more of the cost. And I would argue that the University of California is still a fabulous buy and that you get a quality education that you might get, say in the Ivy Leagues on the East coast or the University of Chicago or Stanford at a fraction of the cost. But it nonetheless is a case that it's getting more expensive, more privatized and financial aid is very important. We need to always ask - what is the real price as opposed to the sticker price? But particularly for the middle-class, the people who aren't qualifying for Pell grants and the like, it's undoubtedly the case that it is a hardship.

Narrator: As for UC employees, Yudof strives to lead a system built on performance and commitment.

Yudof: My feeling is that you only win with the 'A team,' so I do expect a high level of performance. I also think they're entitled to fairness and that abrupt decisions should not be made and that there should be widespread, consultative processes. But ultimately, we need to have employees who I hope, will be well-paid, where we're competitive for salaries, who work hard.

Narrator: Yudof looks forward to getting to know UC students, faculty and staff on a personal level as they get to know more about him.

Yudof: I have all sorts of idiosyncrasies. I've spent my life in search of the perfect pancake - everyone knows that. I'm a little worried about California; I don't want to find sprouts in my pancakes. That would not be good. I am a collector of antique maps and I enjoy that a lot because they're very artistic, but also because they are a window onto the culture of a time. I do read mystery novels - I'm now on volume 16 of Donna Leon. She is an American who has lived in Venice for a long time and all the murder mysteries take place there; I read a lot of science books - I feel you can understand science from twenty thousand feet and it's important even if you can't do it. I feel the same way about the Philadelphia Phillies; I can't lay down a bunt, I can't catch a fly in centerfield, but I'm always prepared to boo or cheer, depending on how they perform.