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.
It would be hard to miss the construction on campus. We are in the midst of the largest construction push since the campus opened in 2005. Despite the inconvenience this creates, I hope you will welcome the addition of critically needed new space for our growing campus. The resulting four new buildings — Science and Engineering Building 2, Student Services Building, Housing 4 and Recreation Center North — will expand our physical facilities by approximately 25 percent and provide additional research, academic, housing, student meeting rooms and recreation space.
I know that many of you have been concerned with the rising cost of your education as the State of California has struggled to close a deep structural budget deficit. Although Gov. Brown's budget proposal for the 2012-13 fiscal year includes some welcome new funding for the University of California, it is built on revenue assumptions that include voter approval of a ballot initiative that proposes a temporary 1 to 2 percent income tax increase for individuals earning $250,000 or more and a sales tax increase of one-half of 1 percent. Should the initiative fail, new budget triggers would be pulled, including a massive cut to K-14 education and $200 million each to the UC and California State University systems.
Also, the governor's budget proposal is merely a framework that will see many changes in the months ahead as it moves through the Legislature and, ultimately, the November election. I urge you to help me advocate for funding for the University of California in Sacramento. Your voice counts with our elected officials! Please sign up to be a UC Merced Advocate at UCforCalifornia.org if you haven't already done so. You'll receive alerts and calls to action at important points during the budget process when our elected officials need to hear from the UC Merced community.
As the statewide debate over higher education funding and student costs heats up, we can expect to hear divergent opinions on campus. I remain proud of the respectful manner in which UC Merced students conducted themselves during the fall semester as protests erupted here and around the state and nation. We demonstrated the power of peaceful protest to get issues heard without interfering with the rights of others to conduct their work, teach or attend classes, and otherwise carry out the university's research, instructional and service missions.
During the fall semester, UC Merced students also demonstrated their community involvement and generosity. Many of you gave back to the local community through volunteer service and other projects, including various food drives for people in need. On behalf of all of those who have benefited from your efforts, thank you!
I hope to see you when I am on campus between my many journeys across the state and beyond to seek support for UC Merced students and the research, instructional and service missions of this very special university.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Leland
Chancellor
