Julio Frenk has always been drawn to serving the public through innovation and accessibility. In a conversation with UCLA Extension Dean Eric Bullard, the new UCLA Chancellor spoke candidly about how he sees those goals aligning with UCLA Extension now and into the future.

“UCLA Extension already touches thousands of lives, but I believe it can play an even larger role in the educational revolution we are experiencing now,” Frenk said. “I’m very inspired by what you’ve accomplished and what we can do together.”

Frenk chatted with Bullard and UCLA Extension staff on April 17 at Carnesale Commons as part of his ongoing UCLA Connects: Listening Exercise, a series of conversations where he has met with staff, faculty and students across campus, as well as alumni. Their conversation navigated a variety of topics centering on the additive nature of UCLA Extension and how it can be further woven into the university’s mission and operations.

“I agree with you that what we produce is not secondary,” Bullard said. “I’m proud of the fact that we have over 75,000 living alumni who graduated from certificate programs at UCLA Extension, so it’s quite impactful work this group does. I agree there are ways we can lean in and do things differently moving forward to help meet the moment we are living in.”

About one-third of the population participates in a four-year college experience, and Frenk emphasized that reaching the remaining two-thirds is a top priority.

“UCLA is an extraordinary global brand, but we must also be a more present institution locally,” he said. “Universities may sometimes be seen as elitist institutions that are out of touch with the concerns of the common person. We need to actively engage with the public and acknowledge we have lost some of that trust, and lead by touching more lives.”

In a previous role as dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Frank recalled his excitement in being a part of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) movement, which helped trailblaze a more accessible university system through technological innovations. That moment in his professional career helped crystallize his focus on innovation in the educational space. He also acknowledged those innovations can help with growing concerns about affordability.

“We need to face that boldly, with a great expansion of our efforts to reach more people through innovative forms of certifying and competencies and without previous requirements,” Frenk said. “If we do this right at UCLA Extension, it will actually drive quality up in the way we are teaching.”

“It’s good to hear our new chancellor understands the significant role that we play in the university’s future,” Bullard said. “We must adapt and change together.”

Frenk said he sees several emerging factors at play that will require evolution in education.

“Our students are graduating into the most dynamic labor market in history. New jobs are being created and existing jobs are being disrupted” he added. “They cannot learn everything during a single degree program. We need to take the convergence of the sciences of learning and the technologies of teaching better and really embrace educational innovation.”

He and Bullard also spoke about further integrating UCLA Extension with main campus UCLA. That could include something like connecting UCLA Extension with the UCLA Teaching & Learning Center to examine the current and future norms of teaching education. It could also include better informing graduates of their options for furthering their education – for example, that UCLA Extension offers courses for those who are looking to upskill in their career or learn to become better managers.

“We want to serve people not just before they enter the labor market, but once they are there and throughout their entire life,” Frenk said. “Let’s imagine a UCLA that meets learners wherever they are, with tools to grow and lead in every chapter of their journey.”

“Instead of centering the core of our educational institution on a defined period – typically young people – we want to produce education products that are adaptive and responsive to the dynamic education needs of people along their entire career paths. I call this education for life.”