University of California, Merced

OUR MISSION The mission of the University of California, Merced is embodied in its pride in being the first American research university of the 21st century. Opening in 2005 as the newest campus of the University of California, UC Merced continually strives for excellence in carrying out the university's mission of teaching, research Opens a New Window. and public service Opens a New Window. , benefiting society by discovering and transmitting new knowledge and functioning as an active repository of organized knowledge. As a key tenet in carrying out this mission, UC Merced promotes and celebrates the diversity Opens a New Window. of all members of its community. A research university is a community bound by learning, discovery and engagement. As the first American student-centered research university built in the 21st century, UC Merced's strong graduate Opens a New Window. and research programs mesh with high-quality undergraduate programs. New knowledge increasingly depends on links among the disciplines, working together on questions that transcend the traditional disciplines. UC Merced fosters and encourages cross-disciplinary inquiry and discovery. Interdisciplinary practice in research nourishes undergraduate learning, building a foundation in connecting the ways that academic disciplines understand and grapple with society's problems. UC Merced undergraduates experience education inside and outside the classroom, applying what they learn through undergraduate research, service learning and leadership development. As apprentice scholars, graduate students build their understanding of and ability to do independent research in their chosen field, as the groundwork for entering professional life. Lifelong learners continue to hone their knowledge and workplace skills. The 21st century ushered in the promise of new ways of connecting people to new knowledge and to one another. UC Merced capitalizes on this promise by functioning as a network, not simply a single place, linking its students, faculty and staff to the educational resources of the state, nation and world. The idea of network extends to UC Merced’s relationships with neighboring institutions: educational, cultural and social. Born as a member of the distinguished network known as the University of California, UC Merced seeks strong and mutually supportive relationships with a variety of collaborators in its region: public and private colleges and universities; federal and state organizations that share UC Merced’s educational and research goals; and cultural and social institutions. This networking principle is also realized through the physical and intellectual integration between UC Merced and its surrounding community. The campus has been established as a model of physical sustainability for the 21st century, inviting all members of the campus and surrounding community to think and act as good stewards of the environment that they will convey to future generations. UC Merced celebrates its location in the San Joaquin Valley, reflecting the poetry of its landscape, history, resources and diverse cultures, while capitalizing on and expanding the Valley's connections to the emerging global society. UC Merced recognizes that research that begins with the natural laboratory at home can extend what is known in the state, nation and world. HISTORY The history of UC Merced dates back to 1988, when the UC Regents Opens a New Window. first authorized planning for at least one additional campus based on projections of long-range enrollment demand. From an initial review of more than 80 sites in the San Joaquin Valley, 20 were initially advanced for additional study. A Long-Term Vision Eight sites were further evaluated and visited by a senior-level task force, leading to the identification of three sites that were selected for detailed analysis and for inclusion in a full environmental impact report. Following this careful process, the UC Board of Regents selected a site in eastern Merced County adjacent to Lake Yosemite Park as the location for the 10th campus of the University of California in May 1995. The Merced County location was selected based upon a number of factors, including: The land was to be donated by the Virginia Smith Trust Opens a New Window. , a charitable trust that provides college scholarships to Merced-area high school students. Adequate water would be available for university needs. The county government initiated a planning process to assure compatible development of adjacent land and good transportation access. Merced is centrally located with easy access from communities in the San Joaquin Valley, including the Valley's largest city, Fresno. By 1997, UC Merced had established a regional office at Merced College Opens a New Window. , and the UC Fresno Center also served as a focal point for the new UC Merced campus. In 1998, the university joined with the Merced County Board of Supervisors Opens a New Window. , the Virginia and Cyril Smith trusts, the City of Merced Opens a New Window. , and the Merced Irrigation District Opens a New Window. to initiate a collaborative planning process for the university community. The planning process produced a concept for a campus and community that could grow together in harmony with the landscape. 26,000 acres of seasonal wetlands adjacent to the campus are now permanently preserved by the state. Valley Preparations That same year, Carol Tomlinson-Keasey was appointed senior associate to UC President Atkinson to lead planning and development of the UC Merced campus. In 1999, Tomlinson-Keasey was appointed as founding chancellor of UC Merced, and the Tri-College Center on the campus of Merced College began to present UC Extension courses offered by UCs Riverside, Davis and Berkeley. As the planning process for the campus and its academic programs continued into 2001, much progress was made, including the establishment of a new UC Merced Center in Bakersfield. UC Merced now has four locations spanning the San Joaquin Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada region. Consideration and Compliance Careful analysis of the site's environmental as[ects contributed to a decision to move the campus and community closer to existing urban areas and away from more environmentally sensitive lands. The concepts developed jointly by the community and the university formed the basis for the preparation of the campus Long Range Development Plan Opens a New Window. (LRDP) and the county's draft University Community Plan. The Board of Regents approved the UC Merced LRDP and certified the associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in January 2002. Merced County approved the University Community Plan in December 2004 and certified the associated EIR. This action was a key milestone for the eventual development of the university community. Campus Opening Faculty members began to arrive in 2003 with graduate students in tow and began setting up research laboratories and programs at UC Merced's ancillary research facility on the former Castle Air Force Base, biding their time until buildings were ready on campus. The first graduate courses began in fall 2004. The campus celebrated its official grand opening and the arrival of the first class of undergraduate students on Sept. 5, 2005. The first semester saw most activities on campus taking place in the Valley Terrace housing complex and the Leo Dottie Kolligian Library, as other campus buildings were not yet ready for use. The Classroom and Office Building and the Science and Engineering Building opened for use in January 2006. State Support UC Merced has enjoyed strong bipartisan support throughout its history. Conceived under Gov. George Deukmejian in 1988, the campus was sited under Gov. Pete Wilson in 1995. Groundbreaking took place in 2002 under Gov. Gray Davis. The campus opened in 2005 under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and embarks on its ambitious 2020 Project under Gov. Jerry Brown. To date, the state has invested more than $500 million in construction and development of the 2,000-acre site. Upon completion of the 2020 Project, UC Merced will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 students, and as many as 25,000 students when the campus grows to full capacity in about three decades. UC Merced Now Carol Tomlinson-Keasey left the university in 2006, subsequently retiring from the University of California. In her place, Sung-Mo "Steve" Kang, UC Santa Cruz's school of engineering dean, was appointed chancellor in March 2007. Kang was formally inaugurated in September 2007 and led the campus until June 30, 2011. As chancellor, Kang oversaw increases in student enrollment and also the physical expansion of the campus. Kang returned to the faculty to focus on his research. Tomlinson-Keasey's death from a longtime illness in September 2009 saddened the university community, but the legacy she's left behind at UC Merced will speak of her commitment to both the UC system and Central Valley forevermore. The UC Board of Regents appointed Georgia College State University President Dorothy Leland Opens a New Window. to serve as the campus' third chancellor. She assumed the duties July 1, 2011. The 2020 Project Opens a New Window. , which obtained formal approval from the UC Board of Regents in 2016, will move UC Merced into the next chapter of its unique story.