OK. It appears – after the embarrassing LA Timesarticle yesterday on the Japanese Garden proposed sale by UCLA – that the shiphas run aground.* We have angry heirs ofa donor, a major Regent of his time. Wemay discourage future donors because of this episode. We have a statement that it was not theintent to destroy the garden, but – in contrast to that statement - the removalof objects from it in an amateur way. Andit is unclear that folks at the Fowler Museum want those objects. There are angry neighborhood groups andconcerned preservation groups. Therecould be litigation which would discourage any sale. We also had a resource in the Japanese Gardenwhich – unlike, say, the Fowler Museum – was difficult for the public toaccess. Any solution will need toaddress that issue as well as the sale/removal.
UCLA has long had a management problem with independentunderlings operating with a “call-me-if-you-have-a-problem” relationship to thetop. Since no underling wants to makethat call, the result is that problems don’t surface until the situation becomesworse than it has to be. Would you wantto call your boss and say you just created a problem?
Some folks will remember the body parts scandal of yorewhich resulted from that management style.** And - more recently - there was(is) the hotel/conference center – still yet to be resolved. Reforming the management structure is alarger challenge that UCLA needs to address. But in the interim, on this particular issue involving the JapaneseGarden, we need to hear from the chancellor. He may not be able to right the ship at thispoint. But at least he can help with therescue.
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*See yesterday’s poston this blog concerning the garden (which has links to the still-earlier postsand the LA Times article).
**One LA Timesheadline on that situation read, “Businessman found guilty in UCLA's willedbody-parts program scandal: The body broker collected $1.5 million by sellingcadaver parts to private medical research companies. A juror also faults theuniversity for 'allowing something like this.'”
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