2011-12

Dear Colleagues,

Dear UC Merced Students,

Welcome back to campus! This is a great time of the year here in Merced, made more so by your return to campus and the start of another academic semester.

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome back to campus for the spring semester. I hope 2012 is off to a very good start for each of you.

Dear Colleagues,

I hope the semester is going smoothly for you. With spring fast approaching and the academic year's end just two months away, our beautiful campus seems more energized than ever. On a recent weekend, I took a stroll through campus and was struck again by its beauty and the wonder that it was able to emerge here in Merced despite enormous challenges. As we rush through our workdays, focused on the multiple demands that sometimes consume us, we need to pause long enough to soak up the sights and enjoy what we’re building here. It is truly glorious.

Dear UC Merced Students:

I am writing today to provide you with an update on the funding and budgetary discussions held at the University of California Board of Regents meeting this week in Sacramento, along with their potential impact on UC Merced students. While these discussions were widely reported in the news media and elsewhere, I thought you might want to hear my personal assessment of the situation and also about your opportunity to get involved in influencing the outcome of the current legislative session.

Dear UC Merced Campus Community:

We are thrilled to share with you the news that UC Merced has earned initial accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This is excellent news for our campus as it marks a significant milestone in our ongoing development.

Dear colleagues:

Today, UC President Mark Yudof announced plans to begin implementing merit-based salary increases across the university system for faculty members at all levels and non-represented staff members who earn less than $200,000 per year. This action, approved by the UC Board of Regents as part of the 2011-12 budget last November, is intended to preserve the quality of the university’s programs by helping to retain faculty and staff who have demonstrated positive performance. It is the first increase of this type in four years.

Dear Colleagues,

Dr. Keith E. Alley, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, has indicated his intention to retire no later than July 1, 2011, after many years of exemplary service to the University of California, Merced, and a long and distinguished career at Case Western Reserve and The Ohio State University. I know that you join me in expressing gratitude for his excellent service over the past nine years and extend best wishes for a stimulating and healthy retirement.

Dear Colleagues:

Dear UC Merced Colleagues and Friends:

The seventh academic year at UC Merced is quickly winding down with the last day of instruction tomorrow, final exams next week and commencement on Saturday, May 12.

I write today to provide you with an update on a couple of changes taking place this month within our campus leadership. I am very pleased to announce the appointment of a new vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations, effective May 21, 2012.