Not much new but posting here for those interested:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-28/berkeley-sees-dirks-claiming-place-as-ivy-with-public-mandate.html

Investing in development office, yes please.

The more I read about Dirks the more I like him. You don't become chancellor at a lower salary unless you know what you are doing and believe in its ultimate success. I believe he will restore to the otherwise indifferent public the idea that "public mission" and elite belong in the same sentence. We were more than there in popular acclaim in 1948 (see the wonderful 1948 thread) and held that position within the lifetime of most posting here. The "private school equals intellectually elite" meme has developed a popular mythology, the stuff of political image. I think this guy may well make a dent in that.