Oct 11, 2021

Dear colleagues,

Gary Matkin, dean, Division of Continuing Education and vice provost, Division of Career Pathways, has announced that he plans to retire on June 30, 2022. On behalf of Chancellor Gillman and the entire UCI community, I want to thank Dean Matkin for his contributions and 49 years of service with the University of California.

Dean Matkin started his UC career at UC Berkeley Extension in 1973, serving in a range of administrative roles before he joined UCI Division of Continuing Education (DCE) in 2000. In 2017, he also was appointed vice provost, Division of Career Pathways (DCP).

DCE has grown as a self-supporting division offering more than 2,400 courses per year, serving approximately 50,000 students. Under his leadership, the division financed the 76,000 sq. ft. Continuing Education building, contributed $5M to the development of the Anteater Learning Pavilion, and changed its name from extension to the Division of Continuing Education to help emphasize the importance of lifelong learning.

As the first vice provost for career pathways, Gary helped develop DCP to coordinate career services across the UCI campus for undergraduate and graduate students. During his tenure, DCP established an administrative union with DCE and acquired new technologies to increase student involvement.

Known as an innovative leader, Dean Matkin helped develop the open educational resources program to serve millions of students worldwide, create the UCI Distance Learning Center to support online course development, and lead the campus in development of alternative digital credentials. He also was part of the leadership team that created the first online degree program in the UC system, a master’s degree in Criminology, Law and Society. When summer session was part of DCE, UCI offered its first online undergraduate programs and enrollment increased through the “pay for only 8” program, which helped students reduce costs and complete degrees faster.

Please join me in extending our warmest appreciation to Dean Matkin for his service to UCI and wishing him well in his next chapter.

A national search for a successor will begin immediately. A search advisory committee will be formed and charged with finding candidates with a history of exemplary accomplishments and leadership excellence who will foster a cohesive, innovative, high-performing, and diverse work environment.

Sincerely,

Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Statistics