UC Merced Connect: Community forum to address plans for campus growth

Readers of this newspaper are likely aware of the 2020 Project – UC Merced’s ambitious plan to nearly double the physical capacity of campus and enable enrollment growth to 10,000 students – but some might wonder what it all means for the surrounding community and local residents.

Chancellor Dorothy Leland will host a community forum on campus Wednesday to provide an update on the project and address what’s known and what’s expected when construction begins this fall. Leland will discuss construction plans, anticipated economic impact and predicted effects to nearby residents.

The forum will begin at 6 p.m. in the California Room, and refreshments will be served. Parking will be free in the Lake Lots, near the entrance to campus. A similar forum in 2015 drew a large audience, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to ensure seating.

The 2020 Project received final approval from the UC Board of Regents on July 21. The regents voted unanimously to approve the design proposal of the selected developer, Plenary Properties Merced; the proposed external financing; amendments to the project’s budget and scope; and revisions of the commercial terms of the project agreement.

“This is a historic step forward for UC Merced, the UC system and the growing numbers of talented students throughout California who want and deserve a UC education,” Leland said of the regents’ approval. “By significantly expanding the newest UC campus, we are redoubling our commitment to the San Joaquin Valley, the fastest-growing but most underserved region of the state, while providing critically needed access to many more qualified students throughout California.”

UC Merced opened in 2005 as the first new UC campus in 40 years and the first in the San Joaquin Valley. Enrollment has grown rapidly from 875 students in its inaugural year to 6,700 today, with application growth rates doubling the UC system average in recent years. About 99 percent of UC Merced undergraduates attended California high schools.

Groundbreaking on the 2020 Project is scheduled for October. The project will add approximately 1.2 million gross square feet of teaching, research, residential and student-support facilities adjacent to the existing campus. First building deliveries are planned for 2018, with substantial completion anticipated by 2020.

“This project represents a major step forward for a trailblazing campus that will build on its early record of excellence to lead the way for universities across the nation as we all strive to teach, conduct research and serve the public in the most dynamic, efficient manner possible,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “Final approval of the project is especially significant at a time when we are expanding opportunity by increasing enrollment of Californians by thousands throughout our nine undergraduate campuses, and aiming to maintain that growth beyond 2020.”

For information on the event or to submit questions to be addressed at the forum, call 209-228-4353 or email community@ucmerced.edu. A Facebook event page for the community forum can be found at http://bit.ly/2ahGifx, and additional information on the 2020 Project can be found at 2020project.ucmerced.edu.

Campus launches first extension courses

UC Merced Extension, a combination of professional development and personal enrichment courses that mark the campus’s first extension offerings, is launching this summer with educational excursions to Yosemite National Park and fully online courses for working professionals in business, management, information technologies and engineering.

UC Merced Extension has partnered with UC Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education to offer fully online educational opportunities for people who want to enhance their professional or technical skills. Participants can take individual courses or enroll in a variety of certificate programs taught by industry experts who share real-world experiences and best practices with students. Registration for fall 2016 opened July 22, with courses scheduled to begin in September.

Plans are in place to expand UC Merced Extension’s offerings in the coming months, with the goals of increasing the variety of continuing education opportunities available for educators and providing new educational programming for K-12 students during the summer.

For more information, go to extension.ucmerced.edu.

This story was originally published August 7, 2016 at 4:01 PM with the headline "UC Merced Connect: Community forum to address plans for campus growth."