History and Description of the Campus
History
Bringing Literature to Life
The roots of the campus date back to 1907 when the California State Legislature established the Citrus Experiment Station to conduct research on the agricultural problems of Southern California. Graduate work was conducted early in the station's history, and today, graduate education is central to its mission.
In 1948 the Regents approved the establishment of the College of Letters and Science. Necessary legislation was passed by the Academic Senate in 1951, and the college opened for classes in February 1954. The Riverside campus was declared a general campus by act of the Regents in 1959, with a mandate to develop appropriate areas of study. In 1960, the Graduate Division was established, and graduate and professional programs were added.
Current Status
The 1,200-acre Riverside campus of the University of California is conveniently located approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles within easy driving distance to most of the major cultural and recreational offerings in Southern California. In addition, it is about an hour drive from the desert, the mountains, and the ocean.
The city of Riverside, with the UCR campus on its eastern edge, is accessible by several main highways. The nearby Ontario International Airport has daily flights to most of the nation's major cities as well as connecting commuter flights to the Los Angeles International Airport. Metrolink train service is available to Los Angeles.
Adjoining the campus is University Village, a retail and office complex, a joint project between UCR, the city of Riverside, and a private developer. The project includes 10 theaters, some used during the day as UCR classrooms. UCR and other professional offices, restaurants, and retail shops are also part of the complex.
Enrollment at UCR is presently about 14,571 undergrads and 2,051 graduate students. The campus continues to expand, with a number of buildings being constructed or remodeled. These include academic settings such as laboratories, libraries, and performing arts studios, as well as housing and recreational facilities. Prominent features of the campus include the 161-foot carillon tower, the Botanic Gardens, and acres of citrus groves.
Accreditations
UCR is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The campus is fully accredited by the Senior Commission of WASC. This accreditation requires periodic review in accord with WASC policies and standards. WASC is located at 985 Atlantic Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001. In addition, the Biomedical Sciences Program is accredited by the Association of American Medical Colleges; the B.S degree (or equivalent program) in Chemistry has been certified by the American Chemical Society as meeting its standards; the credential programs of the Office of Teacher Education Services are approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing; and the B.S. degrees in chemical, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Previous Chief Campus Officers
Gordon S. Watkins, Provost 1949-1956
Herman Spieth, Provost 1956-1958/ Chancellor 1958-1964
Ivan Hinderaker, Chancellor 1964-1979
Tomás Rivera, Chancellor 1979-1984
Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr., Acting Chancellor 1984-1985
Theodore L. Hullar, Chancellor 1985-1987
Rosemary S.J. Schraer, Chancellor 1987-1992
Raymond L. Orbach, Chancellor 1992-2002
France A. Córdova, Chancellor 2002-present
Facts
Enrollment
16,826 students enrolled in Fall 2006 -- 14,743 undergraduates and 2,083 graduate students. Ethnicity: African American 6.5%, Native American 0.3%, Chicano and Latino 23.2%, Asian/Asian American 39.0%, White/Caucasian 20.8%, other ethnic 2.3%, unknown/decline-to-state 7.9%. Of bachelor's degrees awarded, 58% are completed within four years, 35% within five years, and 7% within six years. Enrollment is projected to grow to about 22,000 students by the year 2015.
Academic Programs
UCR offers Bachelor degree programs in 78 majors, 50 Master's degree programs, 38 PhD. Programs and 17 state teaching credentials. Academic units are: the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences; the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering; the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management; and the Graduate School of Education. The Division of Biomedical Sciences partners with UCLA to offer a path to a medical degree. Universit Extension offers contiuning education to the community as well as English Instruction to thousands of international students each year.
Economic Impact
UCR has a combined economic impact in the state of California of nearly $1 billion, with more than 70 percent of this economic activity benefiting the Inland Empire. Not only is the campus a robust economic engine, but through the creation of new knowledge, it also benifits the loca, regional, and statewide economies by providing highly skilled workers and discoveries that can be applied to new products and services. http://www.impact.ucr.edu/
Community Service
UC Riverside students are dedicated to community service and volunteer activities, as undergraduates and graduate students complete more than 100,000 hours of service each year. There are over 60 student volunteer service organizations, including every campus fraternity and sorority organization, each of which requires some form of community service as a condition of membership. In addition, the University Honors Program requires its participants to complete 10 hours of community service per quarter to successfully complete the program. UCR students also take internship courses, which are offered in nearly every undergraduate major on campus. http://www.impact.ucr.edu/ci.html
For more information
http://www.ucr.edu/about/factsheet.html.