Cathy Sandeen M.B.A. ’05
By Judy Lin
Education as opportunity is a road that Cathy Sandeen M.B.A. ’05 has traveled all her life. The eldest of five children born and raised in Oakland, she was the first in her family to graduate from college. She went on to receive a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Utah, followed by an M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management.
In December 2007, Sandeen joined the campus as dean of UCLA Continuing Education and UCLA Extension, bringing her full circle to leadership of an organization known for opening the doors of academic opportunity to all.
"My life would have been completely different were it not for the educational opportunities I was given," she said. "I really can see the direct benefit my education has provided me, and I am grateful."
Sandeen was on her way to becoming a college professor when she first taught communication at Mills College and other campuses. Instead — serendipitously, she recalled — she found herself diverted into administrative work and discovered she enjoyed it.
"I was good at it, and I felt I had a broader impact beyond classroom teaching," she said. "In administration, you get the best of both worlds. You're working in the university with very bright people who are mission-driven."
Sandeen's own mission evolved as she moved into administrative posts in continuing education at UC San Francisco and, most recently, at UC Santa Cruz, where she was vice provost and dean of University Extension and Summer Session. Lifelong learning became part of her personal life when she enrolled in Anderson's Executive Program for working professionals while continuing at UCSC fulltime.
Today, the dean is busy connecting with people on campus and off, with business people and city hall officials alike. UCLA, she said, is "one of the more innovative and entrepreneurial and exciting campuses in the UC system, with a knack for reaching out to the community." Among her goals are to offer employee training programs at a new downtown facility and custom educational programs that can be delivered at the workplace.
Sandeen is also eager to collaborate with UCLA's academic departments. In September 2007, Extension will launch a new program that it developed jointly with the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. The Pathway program will offer a rare college-going experience to nearly two dozen high school graduates with developmental and learning disabilities via a two-year curriculum designed just for them.
"In continuing education, we're all about opportunity and access, offering flexible, convenient programs that meet the university's quality standards," Sandeen said.
She continues to take advantage of such opportunities personally. She took her first UCLA Extension class — a daylong course in land use — earlier this month.
"Everybody here is really outstanding, at the top of their games, very committed, and willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work to make things happen," Sandeen said. "There is a special culture and spirit at UCLA that I really appreciate. I'm delighted to be here."
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