Skip to content

Remarks and Writings

May 21, 2015
Dear colleagues, Congratulations on wrapping up our 10th academic year last week! Final exams were administered, papers read, projects evaluated and grades assigned. Much behind-the-scenes work was also completed to ensure the year ended on a high note. As I watched more than 1,100 graduates walk across the stage this weekend at commencement, I... Read More
May 14, 2015
As everyone hoped would happen, UC President Janet Napolitano and Governor Jerry Brown have reached a compromise resolution with respect to UC funding for the next few fiscal years that brings more resources into the UC and minimizes student tuition and fees. According to the agreement, there will be no tuition increases for the next two... Read More
March 18, 2015
Dear faculty and staff, I want to report back to you on the 2020 Project update I gave this morning at the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco. As I explained in my note to you earlier this week, this was an informational session to bring the Regents up to speed on the scope of the project and the strategy we’re proposing to... Read More
March 16, 2015
Dear faculty and staff, One of our top priorities over the last few years has been to find creative means of adding sufficient new facilities by the end of the decade to ease existing space constraints and support enrollment growth to 10,000 students, despite uncertain levels of state funding. Today, I want to advise you of a major step forward... Read More
February 4, 2015
Colleagues, From its founding, UC Merced has distinguished itself as a center for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. These qualities are as important today as they were at the beginning. We face challenges that will require us to be a leader among UC campuses, if not national higher education, in organizational excellence, customer... Read More
December 19, 2014
Dear faculty and staff, As we begin to wrap up the fall semester, I’d like to provide you with an update on campus developments that potentially affect all of us and answers to questions that have surfaced recently. Strategic Workforce Planning As you are probably aware, the campus is engaged in a workforce planning exercise that seeks to... Read More
December 18, 2014
Dear Faculty and Staff, As we begin to wrap up the fall semester, I’d like to provide you with an update on campus developments that potentially affect all of us and answers to questions that have surfaced recently. Strategic Workforce Planning As you are probably aware, the campus is engaged in a workforce planning exercise that seeks to... Read More
December 11, 2014
Dear colleagues, It’s that time of year when we celebrate the merriment and good will of the holidays. I would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued dedication and enormous personal contributions to the success of UC Merced. All of us can take great pride in the achievements of our first 10 years including ground-... Read More
November 7, 2014
Dear UC Merced students and families, You might have heard by now about a proposal to implement a new five-year plan for low, predictable tuition increases that will allow students and families at all income levels to budget for the total cost of their UC educations. The proposal was announced yesterday by UC President Janet Napolitano.... Read More
November 5, 2014
Dear students, You may be aware of California’s recently passed “Yes Means Yes” legislation that sets new standards for ensuring sexual contact among college students is consensual. The law also specifies how reports or complaints of unwanted sexual activity are to be investigated and acted upon by university administrators... Read More

Pages