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Remarks and Writings

March 19, 2014
Colleagues,   As you may recall, the University of California Campus Climate survey was administered on our campus a year ago as part of a systemwide effort to gather perspectives on living, studying and working within the UC system. Many of you participated in the survey (38 percent of faculty and 50 percent of staff), as did both... Read More
February 25, 2014
Dear colleagues: Now that the spring semester is well underway, I wanted to pause for a moment and provide you with a campus update. It’s always a challenge for me to decide what you might be most interested in learning from me. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I miss the mark. But I am always interested in your suggestions... Read More
January 21, 2014
Dear UC Merced students: Welcome back to campus after the winter break. I hope you enjoyed rest and relaxation in preparation for what promises to be another activity-filled semester. The new year brings a significant change at UC Merced (and our sister campuses throughout the UC system). We are now a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus,... Read More
December 10, 2013
Dear colleagues: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Reese as vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services, effective February 2014. After a nationwide search, Michael emerged as the strongest candidate, with an impressive array of administrative experience. Feedback from the campus following the campus interview... Read More
November 14, 2013
Last week Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, struck the Philippines. The cyclone caused catastrophic destruction in the central part of the country, particularly on Samar Island and Leyte, where it’s estimated at least 10,000 people may have died in the city of Tacloban alone. According to UN officials, about... Read More
October 25, 2013
Dear colleagues:   Our campus is now eight weeks into the fall 2013 semester and in that short time, UC Merced has been bustling with activity. I hope each of you is finding the 2013-14 academic year to be stimulating, productive and rewarding. One highlight so far this fall was UC President Janet Napolitano’s... Read More
August 29, 2013
Dear faculty and staff:   Welcome to the new academic year! I hope you were able to catch up on rest and relaxation during the summer months, even as many folks continued conducting research, teaching and performing important administrative duties while school was officially out.   I’m excited to welcome our newest cadre of... Read More
July 1, 2013
Dear campus colleagues, The campus budget for fiscal year 2013-14 is now available for your review on the CROPS site. As mentioned in previous messages, one of my top priorities since joining UC Merced in 2011 has been to create and implement integrated budgeting and planning processes aligned with the university’s strategic priorities... Read More
June 12, 2013
Dear Colleague, I am very pleased to share some good news regarding the state budget with implications for the University of California and for our campus as it relates to the planned Classroom and Academic Office Building (CAOB). Over the past week, the two-house Budget Conference Committee finished its deliberations on the 2013-14... Read More
May 15, 2013
Dear Colleagues:   I am very pleased to report that the UC Board of Regents’ Committee on Grounds and Buildings approved our proposed amendment to the UC Merced 2009 Long-Range Development Plan at its meeting in Sacramento today.   As noted in previous messages to the campus community, this amendment is a vital step in the... Read More

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