Richard Pan stands by embattled UC Davis chief, calls for reforms

State Sen. Richard Pan thinks UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi is doing a good job but showed “poor judgment” in joining the boards of for-profit companies, including DeVry Education Group and a textbook publisher.

In a statement released Saturday morning, Pan, D-Sacramento, called Katehi “an able chancellor” who has helped raise enrollment, grow the campus’ endowment, and increased research funding.

“The Chancellor showed poor judgment in accepting a board position with DeVry, and UC should reexamine its policy of permitting university chancellors to receive compensation as board members of for-profit corporations,” Pan said. “However, her contributions to UC Davis and our region should be the primary consideration regarding her continued tenure as chancellor.”

Pan’s statement puts him at odds with Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, a fellow Sacramento Democrat who Friday called for Katehi’s resignation.

McCarty said he “had lost confidence” in Katehi because of her involvement with DeVry Education Group, a for-profit company under federal scrutiny for exaggerating graduates’ job-placement rates, and John Wiley & Sons, a textbook publisher.

This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 10:45 AM.