A University of California campus-wide debate:

Should UC renew its contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory?

Regents approve start of negotiations for DOE Lab contracts. (June 21, 1996 )new!!!
Acting on the recommendation of University of California President Richard C. Atkinson, the UC Board of Regents has authorized the start of negotiations to continue the university's management of the Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories. The Regents' action, taken at their June business meeting in San Francisco, was unanimous.

A summary of UC campus activities

DOE Proposes to Extend University of California Contracts (May 15, 1996 )

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary announced today that the DOE will enter into negotiations with the University of California to seek a five-year extension of the contracts to manage the Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories in California and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The present contracts, which account for approximately $2.5 billion annually, expire September 30, 1997.

Reactions and responses to the UCORP Report on UC Management of the DOE Labs:

An Information Booklet on UC Management of the DOE Laboratories (April 1996)
Diverse opinions exist on the campus about the University of California's management of the three DOE Laboratories: Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawerence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The issues involved are complex. The purpose of this booklet is to provide highlights of the most relevant information relating to the contractual relationships between the University of California and the DOE Laboratories.

UCORP Report on UC Management of the DOE Laboratories (January 1996)
UCORP was asked in 1994 by the Academic Council "to provide an evaluation of the role of the University in managing the DOE Laboratories under the current contract." UCORP has spent eighteen months in its evaluation of University - DOE Laboratory relationships. The Committee reviewed all previous Academic Senate reports, various other evaluations and documents, and consulted with a variety of administrators, faculty, and scientists affiliated with and/or concerned with this relationship.

The issues involved in the Laboratory management contracts are extremely complex and of great importance to the faculty and students of the University of California and the citizens of the State of California. As a result, it is vital that the University and citizens' communities become educated about this relationship. On the basis of our study, UCORP strongly recommends:

  1. The Academic Council should make the UCORP report and its associated reference documents available to all members of the Senate. This could be accomplished by distribution of hard copies to each campus Senate office, as well as referring faculty members to the documents posted on the UCORP WEB page on the Internet.
  2. The Academic Council should sponsor forums on each UC campus with invited input from the Laboratories, faculty, students, and the interested public. UCORP suggests that these forums be designed to provide in-depth discussion, focusing on the following possible general topics:
    • The University and classified research.
    • Environmental issues facing the Laboratories and their neighboring communities.
    • Academic freedom in the Laboratory environment.
    • Contributions of the Laboratories to the scientific research community in California and the nation.
    • Alternate management structures.
  3. The Academic Council should sponsor a systemwide vote of the Academic Senate on each campus by mail ballot on the following proposition: "The University of California will, in a timely and orderly manner, phase out responsibility for management of the Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories."

Supporting documents of the UCORP Report include:
  1. Contract between the United States of America and the Regents of the University of California for the Management of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  2. Excerpts of the 1995 UCORP Meeting Minutes on the DOE Lab Consultation

  3. Laboratory Testing in a Test Ban/Non-Proliferation Regime

  4. The Nuclear Deterrence Role of the DOE Weapons Laboratories in the Post-Cold War Era

  5. President Clinton's Remarks on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

  6. Galvin Report

  7. Jendresen Report

Short descriptions of the supporting documents can be found by clicking here.

Report of the UC President's Council on the DOE Laboratories (February 1996)
This report addresses the improvements in the UC management of the DOE National Laboratories under the current contract, the importance of the Laboratories to UC and the nation, and stresses the importance of science based stockpile stewardship to national nuclear deterrence policy. This report concludes with the recommendation to the UC President that the contracts with the DOE Laboratories be renewed.

Re: Council Review--UC Management of the DOE Laboratories (February 4, 1996)
This is a statement issued by Arnold Leiman, Chair Academic Council; Duncan Mellichamp, Vice Chair Academic Council; Malcolm Nicol, Past Chair of UCPB and past Senate representative to President's Council on DOE Laboratories; and Daniel Simmons, Past Chair of the Academic Council. The statement was sent to all members of the UC Academic Council prior to presentation of the UCORP Report on the DOE Laboratories. It presents criticism of the UCORP Report by the current and former Council leaders.

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Last Updated: June 23, 1996