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{{mergefrom|UC Riverside College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences}}

{{Infobox_University
{{Infobox_University
|name = University of California, Riverside
|name = University of California, Riverside
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}}
}}


The '''University of California, Riverside''' is a public, coeducational university located in [[Riverside, California]]. It is one of ten [[University of California]] (UC) campuses and is commonly known as "UCR" or "UC Riverside."
The '''University of California, Riverside''' is one of ten campuses of the prestigious [[University of California]] system. Located approximately one hour east of Los Angeles, it is commonly known as "UCR" or "UC Riverside."


==Academics==
==Academics==
===Colleges and schools===
===Colleges and schools===
UC Riverside is a research-based university that offers 78 majors, 45 minors, 50 Master's degree programs, and 38 Ph.D programs. Academic programs are organized into five colleges and schools:
UC Riverside is a research-based university that offers 78 majors, 46 minors, 50 Master's degree programs, and 38 Ph.D programs. Academic programs are organized into five colleges and schools:
*[[UC Riverside College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences]]
*[[UC Riverside College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences]]
*[[UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences]]
*[[UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences]]
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[[Image:UCRlibrary.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Students studying in the Science Library.]]
[[Image:UCRlibrary.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Students studying in the Science Library.]]


===Admissions===
===Undergraduate Freshman Admissions===
Beginning in the Fall of 2007, all UC schools will require a 3.0 GPA for the admittance of California residents and a 3.4 GPA for all non-residents. All UC requirements will be scored using the UC Eligibility Index. <ref>{{cite web | title= UC Admission Requirements | url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html/}}</ref>
UC Riverside offers admission to all graduating high school seniors in California, so long as they meet minimum UC eligibility criteria and submit an application<ref>{{cite web | title=MSNBC/Newsweek: UC Yourself in California? | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8928017/site/newsweek/}}</ref>. Unlike every other undergraduate UC campus (except Merced), UCR does not participate in Comprehensive Review to select applicants, which considers qualities and accomplishments that demonstrate leadership, intellectual curiosity, and initiative<ref>{{cite web | title=Comprehensive Review | url=http://ucop.edu/news/comprev/welcome.html}}</ref>. Instead, virtually any California student with a weighted GPA greater than 3.45 and an SAT score above 1858 (similar to 1240 on the old scale), who has taken minimum prerequisite courses, will be offered admission to UCR<ref>{{cite web | title=UC Eligibiblity Index for 2006-2007 | url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=MSNBC/Newsweek: UC Yourself in California? | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8928017/site/newsweek/}}</ref> .


The typical GPA of the freshman class admitted into UCR in Fall 2006 was 3.59. All accurate and up-to-date information on admissions rates, matriculation, retention, etc. can be found at the referenced UC website: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles.html
Historically and presently, UCR has the highest acceptance rate of any campus in the UC system (79% for 2004-05), excluding the newly-opened UC Merced. Its average admission GPA and SAT scores (3.48 and 1074, respectively) have traditionally been the lowest in the UC system. In addition, the percentage of admits who actually matriculate at UC Riverside is the second lowest of the UC system, after Merced, 17.3%<ref>{{cite web | title=UC Merced freshmen class shrinks by 50 percent | url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/14806316.htm}}</ref>. Indeed, a large proportion of incoming freshmen arrive with inadequate preparation for college-level math and English -- 70% of entering students are not ready for calculus (requiring remedial coursework in pre-calculus), and 50%-60% are not able to read and write at the college-level (requiring remediation in English)<ref>{{cite web | title= University of California Committee on Preparatory Education | url= http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/committees/ucope/ucope.1.27.06.minutes.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=How Can the State Better Prepare Students for College? | url=http://www.lao.ca.gov/analysis_2001/2001_pandi/pi_part_5b_anl01.html}}</ref>.

According to freshman admission data for 2003-05 published by the UC Office of the President (Merced excluded)<ref name="CFAP">{{cite web | title=California Freshman Admit Profile | url=http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2005/freshman_admit_profile_2005.pdf}}</ref>, approximately 20% of UCR's freshman classes come from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, the highest percentage as compared to other UCs. Low SES was defined as having a family income below $30,000 per year and as belonging to the first generation to attend college. This same study also reported that 28% of UCR students graduated from low-performing high schools, based on Academic Performance Index data -- the highest percentage of any UC<ref name="CFAP" />.


===Rankings and distinctions===
===Rankings and distinctions===
UC Riverside ranks #85 among national universities and #37 among public institutions<ref name="Best Colleges">{{cite web | title=Best Colleges | url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php| accessdate=May 07 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>, according to US News and World Report (2006). None of its graduate schools (including those in Engineering, Business, Biological Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics, English, and Political Science) are rated high enough to even be ranked by US News and World Report's 2007 Best Graduate Schools<ref>{{cite web | title = America's best Graduate School's 2007 | url = http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php | accessdate=June 10 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>.
UC Riverside ranks #85 among national universities and #37 among public institutions<ref name="Best Colleges">{{cite web | title=Best Colleges | url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php| accessdate=May 07 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>, according to US News and World Report (2006).


⚫
According to [[The Princeton Review]]'s ''Best 361 Colleges, 2006'' guide (ISBN 0375764836) UCR is listed as one of the "Best Western Colleges"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: The Best Western Colleges (Page 4 of 5) | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/regional/regional_results.asp?type=all&region=WE&page=4 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref> and one of "America's Best Value Colleges"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: America's Best Value Colleges (Page 5 of 7) | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/bestvalue/results.asp?page=5 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>.
Compared to other campuses in the University of California system, UCR's ranks last overall and has the lowest overall score<ref name="Best Colleges" />. UCR's peer assessment score, which considers a school's academic excellence as rated by top academics, is also the lowest in the University of California<ref name="Best Colleges" />.


⚫
For the past decade, UC Riverside has had the most [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] (AAAS) fellows in the nation<ref>{{cite web | title=UCOP: France A. Córdova Named UC Riverside Chancellor | url=http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2002/april09art1.htm }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=AAAS: AAAS Members Elected as Fellows | url=http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/2005.shtml/}}</ref>.
⚫
According to [[The Princeton Review]]'s ''Best 361 Colleges, 2006'' guide (ISBN 0375764836) UCR is listed as one of the "Best Western Colleges"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: The Best Western Colleges (Page 4 of 5) | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/regional/regional_results.asp?type=all&region=WE&page=4 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref> and one of "America's Best Value Colleges"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: America's Best Value Colleges (Page 5 of 7) | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/bestvalue/results.asp?page=5 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>. However, Princeton Review also ranks UCR as one of the worst 20 colleges in the nation for "Teaching Assistants Teach Too Many Upper-Level Courses"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: Teaching Assistants Teach Too Many Upper-Level Courses | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=1&topicID=11 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>, "Professors Get Low Marks [for Teaching]"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: Professors Get Low Marks | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=1&topicID=2 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>, and "Professors Make Themselves Scarce"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Princeton Review: Professors Make Themselves Scarce | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=1&topicID=6 | accessdate=April 27 | accessyear=2006}} (registration required)</ref>.


⚫
====Recruitment and alumni====
⚫
For the past decade, UC Riverside has had the most [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] (AAAS) fellows in the nation<ref>{{cite web | title=UCOP: France A. Córdova Named UC Riverside Chancellor | url=http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2002/april09art1.htm }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=AAAS: AAAS Members Elected as Fellows | url=http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/2005.shtml/}}</ref>. Unlike the majority of other UC schools, however, UCR does not have any Nobel laureates presently on its faculty<ref>{{cite web | title=List of Laureates and Universities | url=http://nobelprize.org/search/universities.html}}</ref>.

UCR has invited home-schooled and other nontraditional students to submit a portfolio of their work in addition to test scores<ref>{{cite web | title= UC Riverside puts out want ad for home-schooled| url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/27/news/californian/21_32_1510_26_05.txt}}</ref>.
⚫
====Retention, recruitment, and alumni====
1 out of every 8 freshmen leave UC Riverside by the their freshmen year, based on a published freshmen retention rate of 85%, the highest percentage of any campus in the UC system<ref name="usnews">{{cite web | title=US News and World Report America's Best Colleges 2006, National Universities: Top Schools| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/premium/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc.php}}</ref>. In order to attract more competitive applicants, UCR has invited home-schooled and other nontraditional students to submit a portfolio of their work in addition to test scores<ref>{{cite web | title= UC Riverside puts out want ad for home-schooled| url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/27/news/californian/21_32_1510_26_05.txt}}</ref>.
[[Image:Ucrcampus.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Construction on campus is common as the university expands.]]
[[Image:Ucrcampus.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Construction on campus is common as the university expands.]]

95% of UCR alumni do not donate back to their alma mater, based on an alumni giving rate of 5%, the lowest alumni giving rate of any national university<ref name="usnews" /><ref>{{cite web | title= New University Paper (4/27/06): UCI Works to Raise Low Alumni Giving Rates | url=http://horus.vcsa.uci.edu/article.php?id=3533 | accessdate=Mar 31 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. In comparison, the rate at UCLA and UC Davis are 3-times and 2-times as high, respectively. This low giving ratio may be a function of low student happiness. According to [[The Princeton Review]]'s 2004 publication of "Best 351 College Rankings", UC Riverside ranked #12 nationwide for "Least Happy Students". In a survey by StudentsReview.com, 52% of respondents said they would not attend UC Riverside again if given that chance, with one respondent calling the university "an abomination to higher education"<ref>{{cite web | title= Students Review UC Riverside| url=http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/UCRV_c.html}}</ref>.

Recent budget cuts to UCR made by Gov. Schwarzenegger may have forced the campus over its capacity to effectively address the educational needs of its students. The current administration has attempted to mitigate this problem by lowering standards for graduation, prompting the chair of the English Department to resign in protest<ref>{{cite web | title= English chair resigns in frustration |url=http://www.highlander.ucr.edu/article.php?artnum=3973}}</ref>.


===The Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences===
===The Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences===


The [[Thomas Haider]] Program in [[Biomedical Sciences]] offers a joint medical degree program with [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]. The first two years of medical instruction are taught on the UCR campus. The biomedical teaching complex at UCR consists of two portable trailer-classrooms located adjacent to the campus greenhouses. Additional medical school courses are taught in the basement of the Statistics building<ref>{{cite web | title= Campus Map | url=http://www.campusmap.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/mapit.cgi?zoom=2&map=92&options=00000000000}}</ref>. Third and fourth year clerkships are conducted at UCLA and its affiliated hospitals along with the rest of the UCLA medical school class. Students admitted in the program receive a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCR and an MD degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In the past, the UCR/UCLA program was an accelerated 7-year track offered exclusively to biomedical science majors. However, in 2002, the program was lengthened to 8 years and opened to all qualified majors at UC Riverside. Up to twenty-four of each year's applicants are chosen to attend medical school at UCR and UCLA. Students not selected are still eligible to apply to other medical schools, but have not always been successful.
The [[Thomas Haider]] Program in [[Biomedical Sciences]] offers a joint medical degree program with [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]. Third and fourth year clerkships are conducted at UCLA and its affiliated hospitals along with the rest of the UCLA medical school class. Students admitted in the program receive a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCR and an MD degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In the past, the UCR/UCLA program was an accelerated 7-year track offered exclusively to biomedical science majors. However, in 2002, the program was lengthened to 8 years and opened to all qualified majors at UC Riverside. Up to twenty-four of each year's applicants are chosen to attend medical school at UCR and UCLA.


==Campus==
==Campus==
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[[Image:ucrarcade.gif|thumb|right|00px|A student playing an arcade game in the former Commons.]]
[[Image:ucrarcade.gif|thumb|right|00px|A student playing an arcade game in the former Commons.]]
UCR is bordered by [[California State Route 60]], which overpasses University Avenue. Painted on the eastern support wall of the overpass is the Gluck Gateway Mural, a 190 ft memorial of UCR history from the early days of the citrus experiment station to the year it was painted in 2000. University avenue extends to downtown Riverside, about 10 minutes away by car<ref>{{cite web | title=The Story Behind the Gateway Mural| url=http://www.fiatlux.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=368}}</ref>.
UCR is bordered by [[California State Route 60]], which crosses over University Avenue. Painted on the eastern support wall of the overpass is the Gluck Gateway Mural, a 190 ft memorial of UCR history from the early days of the citrus experiment station to the year it was painted in 2000. University avenue extends to downtown Riverside, about 10 minutes away by car<ref>{{cite web | title=The Story Behind the Gateway Mural| url=http://www.fiatlux.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=368}}</ref>.
On the other side of Route 60, the University Village (UV) provides several shops and restaurants. UV's movie theaters also serve as lecture halls during the day, with a shuttle taking students every 15 minutes.
On the other side of Route 60, the University Village (UV) provides several shops and restaurants. UV's movie theaters also serve as lecture halls during the day, with a shuttle taking students every 15 minutes.


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==Student life==
==Student life==
===Enrollment===
===Enrollment===
Since its opening, UC Riverside has expanded significantly. In Fall 2006, enrollment was up to 14,649 undergraduate students and 1,973 graduate students.
Since its opening, UC Riverside has expanded significantly, with a peak undergraduate enrollment of 15,399 students in 2003. However, for each subsequent year, total enrollment of students has declined to its current number of 14,649<ref>{{cite web | title=The University of California Statistical Summary of Students and Staff, Fall 2005| url=http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/uwnews/stat/statsum/fall2005/statsumm2005.pdf}}</ref>. Despite this recent trend, UCR was previously projected to grow to 17,250 students by Fall 2006, and 25,000 by 2015<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Facts and Impacts (4/06/06): UCR Fact sheet| url=http://www.ucr.edu/about/facts.html| accessdate=Apr 6 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Fact Sheet (4/02/06): UCR Fact sheet| url=http://www.ucr.edu/about/factsheet.html| accessdate=Apr 2 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. Financially, UCR has received sufficient funding to become a comprehensive university, but has lagged behind other UC schools with respect to growth in this area. Despite being the fourth University of California campus to open, today it ranks the lowest in "financial resources," according to [[US News & World Report]]<ref name="usnews" /><ref name="ucrpark">{{cite web | title= UCR Technology Park (4/09/06): UCR Tech Park| url=http://researchpark.ucr.edu/| accessdate=Apr 9 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>.
Most additions to the campus since its founding have been built within the past 10 years in anticipation of Tidal Wave 2<ref>{{cite web | title=More students mean more construction.| url=http://www.fiatlux.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=384}}</ref>.


===Diversity and hate crime===
===Diversity===
UC Riverside's ethnic distribution, as of 2005, is as follows:
UC Riverside's racial distribution, as of 2006, is as follows:
*40% Asian/Asian American
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*22% Chicano and Latino
*21% White
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*6% African American
*2% Other ethnicity
*0.4% Native American <ref>{{cite web | title=UC Riverside Fact Sheet | url=http://www.ucr.edu/about/factsheet.html}}</ref>.


⚫
African American: 6.5%
⚫
Of note, UCR was ranked #4 nationwide for campus diversity by US News and World Report (2006)<ref>{{cite web | title=Campus Diversity: National Universities | url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/natudoc_campdiv_brief.php}}</ref>, and is the most racially diverse campus in U.C.


American Indian: 0.3%
Nevertheless, UCR's surrounding community has had frequent problems with racial violence. 148 Hate crimes were reported in the Inland Empire (1 every 2-3 days), with 5 occurring on the UCR campus alone in 2004<ref>{{cite web | title=Racism Rising in the Golden State | url=http://www.alternet.org/story/27461/?comments=view&cID=53268&pID=53243}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = UC Riverside Hate Crime | url=http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2004/riverside/miscellaneous_activity.html}}</ref>. This may reflect underreporting, however, as a special report revealed that in 2000, UCR (along with [[University of California, Irvine|UC Irvine]]) failed in its duty to compile detailed crime statistics as mandated by the federal Clery Act<ref>{{cite web | title=UC keeps sex crimes in the shadows | url=http://www.sacbee.com/static/archive/news/projects/ucrape/}}</ref>.

The most recent and notorious hate crime was the murder of man outside a gay bar in downtown Riverside<ref>{{cite web | title = Four arrested in gay man's death | url=http://groups.msn.com/JefferyOwens/june212002.msnw}}</ref>.
Asian/Pacific Islander: 41.8%

⚫
Chicano/Latino: 24.1%

White: 19.6%

Other: 1.8%

Not Stated: 3.9%

International 2.0%

<ref>{{cite web | title = University of California Admissions | url=http:/www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_descriptions/descr_ucr.html}}</ref>

⚫
Of note, UCR was ranked #4 nationwide for campus diversity by US News and World Report (2006)<ref>{{cite web | title=Campus Diversity: National Universities | url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/natudoc_campdiv_brief.php}}</ref>, and is the most racially diverse UC campus.

UCR has an extensive campus escort service that served 9,000 students and faculty in 1998. The UCR escort service was also awarded the Bayless Leadership Award from 1997-2000. <ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Escort Service | url=http://www.escortservice.ucr.edu/aboutus.html}}</ref>

Overall, UCR students feel that the student population is "small, but not too small" by UC standards and claim that the diversity and friendly demeanor of the students is a strength of UCR. <ref>{{cite web | title= What UCR students say about UCR | url=http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/studentsSay.asp?listing=1023545&ltid=1&intbucketid=&category=2}}</ref>


===Housing===
===Housing===
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UCR's Residence Halls consist of three structures, Aberdeen-Inverness, Lothian, and Pentland Hills, that house over 3,000 students, including 75% of the freshman class, in triple and double rooms on campus. Reflecting UCR's wide diversity, there are a number of traditional academic as well as student-initiated ethnic and gender-oriented theme floors located among the residence halls. These include halls for students in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), a hall for students in the University Honors program, and combined halls for majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) and the Bournes College of Engineering (BCOE), and also a hall for transfer students. Student-initiated theme halls include Unete A Mundo, established for students seeking to support Latino/Chicano peers in aclimating to life at UCR, the Pan African Theme Hall for students interested in developing consciousness of Pan African culture in relation to other cultures of the world, and Stonewall Hall, dedicated to students of all gender identities and sexual orientations who wish live in a gender-neutral community. <ref>{{cite web | title = UCR Housing Services | url=http://www.housing.ucr.edu/indexsub.php?content=housing/residence.html}}</ref>
UCR's Residence Halls consist of three structures, Aberdeen-Inverness, Lothian, and Pentland Hills, that house over 3,000 students, including 75% of the freshman class, in triple and double rooms on campus. Reflecting UCR's wide diversity, there are a number of traditional academic as well as student-initiated ethnic and gender-oriented theme floors located among the residence halls. These include halls for students in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), a hall for students in the University Honors program, and combined halls for majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) and the Bournes College of Engineering (BCOE), and also a hall for transfer students. Student-initiated theme halls include Unete A Mundo, established for students seeking to support Latino/Chicano peers in aclimating to life at UCR, the Pan African Theme Hall for students interested in developing consciousness of Pan African culture in relation to other cultures of the world, and Stonewall Hall, dedicated to students of all gender identities and sexual orientations who wish live in a gender-neutral community. <ref>{{cite web | title = UCR Housing Services | url=http://www.housing.ucr.edu/indexsub.php?content=housing/residence.html}}</ref>


According to the University of California, UCR and UCSC are the only two UC schools that guarantee housing for both freshmen and transfer students for the first two years. <ref>{{cite web | title = UC Undergrad Housing | url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/housing.html}}</ref>
According to the 2005 [[College Board]] profile, 28% of all undergraduates live on campus. Housing is available to all students for their first year and 76% of all first-year students live on campus<ref name="usnews2">{{cite web | title=US News and World Report America's Best Colleges 2006: UC Riverside profile| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/premium/drlife_1316.php}}</ref>. Nevertheless, only 30% of students remain at UCR for the weekend, which contributes to the "commuter school" reputation <ref name="usnews2" />.


===ASPB and ASUCR===
===ASPB and ASUCR===
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==Environment and community==
==Environment and community==
===Severe air pollution===
===Severe air pollution===
Riverside is part of what some locals refer to as the “smog belt” because of its exceedingly high levels of air pollution<ref>{{cite web | title = LA Weekly (9/22/05): The Air That We Breathe| url=http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lawcontent&task=view&id=8132&Itemid=| accessdate=April 22 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. This pollution is so notorious that it has been thought to influence administration policy (see Biomedical Sciences Program). The associated brown haze can be seen in the Carillon Tower photo to the upper-left, where it obscures the bottom third of the sky. The American Lung Association ranked Riverside County 1st in its "Top 26 U.S. Counties Most Polluted by Annual Particle Pollution," with nearby San Bernardio falling into 2nd<ref>{{cite web | title = American Lung Association Rankings Air Quality| url=http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=50752#graph1=June 11 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. According to the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was one of the most polluted areas in comparison to other U.S. cities<ref>{{cite web | title= Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and California Cities Top List for Worst Dangerous Soot Pollution; DC Ranks 13th for Smog | url=http://www.cleartheair.org/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=25781}}</ref>. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004) found that levels of pollution in Riverside were among the highest in southern California, and that the air in this region can damage the lungs of children<ref>{{cite web | title= Air pollution and lung development | url=http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/351/11/1057 | accessdate=Mar 17 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. The Air Pollution Research Center (APRC) at UCR serves to further study the effects of air pollution on the environment.
Riverside is part of what some locals refer to as the “smog belt” because of its exceedingly high levels of air pollution<ref>{{cite web | title = LA Weekly (9/22/05): The Air That We Breathe| url=http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lawcontent&task=view&id=8132&Itemid=| accessdate=April 22 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. This pollution is so notorious that it has been thought to influence administration policy (see Biomedical Sciences Program). The American Lung Association ranked Riverside County 1st in its "Top 26 U.S. Counties Most Polluted by Annual Particle Pollution," with nearby San Bernardio falling into 2nd<ref>{{cite web | title = American Lung Association Rankings Air Quality| url=http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=50752#graph1=June 11 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. According to the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was one of the most polluted areas in comparison to other U.S. cities<ref>{{cite web | title= Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and California Cities Top List for Worst Dangerous Soot Pollution; DC Ranks 13th for Smog | url=http://www.cleartheair.org/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=25781}}</ref>. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004) found that levels of pollution in Riverside were among the highest in southern California, and that the air in this region can damage the lungs of children<ref>{{cite web | title= Air pollution and lung development | url=http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/351/11/1057 | accessdate=Mar 17 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. The Air Pollution Research Center (APRC) at UCR serves to further study the effects of air pollution on the environment.
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<div style="clear: both"></div>

==="The 909" Stigma===
The Inland Empire area is sometimes referred to as "The 909," which makes reference to the region's former primary area code, but also carries a negative association with trailer parks, white supremacists, and cows. The region has also been the subject of frequent mockery by a variety of websites, television shows, radio stations, as well as bumper stickers<ref>{{cite web | title=Beyond the Valley of the Dirt People | url=http://www.ocweekly.com/news/talk/beyond-the-valley-of-the-dirt-people/15211}}</ref>. Despite the 2004 prefix change to "951," the nickname remains in use<ref>{{cite web | title = Urban Dictionary | url=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=909&r=d}}</ref>. The region is also known to have a pervasive problem with methamphetamine labs, which are typically housed in the garages and trailer parks in Riverside and San Bernardino. Drug activity has ultimately led to a rise in the rate of identity theft, for which the region now ranks #2 in the nation<ref>{{cite web | title = Meth abusers linked to identity theft-the ephedrine ain't gonna pay for itself! | url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/state/article_902424.php}}</ref>.


==Student media and industry==
==Student media and industry==
Line 136: Line 141:


==Libraries and collections==
==Libraries and collections==
UCR's library system is divided into general collections: music, media, and science specialties. General collections reside in the Tomás Rivera library, while the Science library building caters to the physical sciences, natural and agricultural sciences, biomedical sciences and engineering and computer sciences. It has no dedicated medical library for its 48 medical students, however. Of note, UCR is host to the world's largest academic collection of [[Star Trek]] material<ref>{{cite web | title= J. Lloyd Eaton Collection | url=http://library.ucr.edu/view=collections/spcol/eaton.html | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref>, and houses the 80,000 volume Eaton Collection of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and utopian literature - the world's largest such compilation available to the general public. In addition to the libraries, UCR houses various special research collections and museums, including an Herbarium<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Herbarium | url=http://herbarium.ucr.edu/UCR.html}}</ref>, one of the world's most important Citrus variety collections<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Citrus Variety Collection|url=http://www.plantbiology.ucr.edu/about_us/?citrus_variety}}</ref>, and one of the largest [[Entomology Research Museum|entomological museums]] in the United States<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Entomological Research Museum | url=http://entmuseum.ucr.edu}}</ref>.
UCR's library system is divided into general collections: music, media, and science specialties. General collections reside in the Tomás Rivera library, while the Science library building houses collections in the physical sciences, natural and agricultural sciences, biomedical sciences and engineering and computer sciences. Of note, UCR is host to the world's largest academic collection of [[Star Trek]] material<ref>{{cite web | title= J. Lloyd Eaton Collection | url=http://library.ucr.edu/view=collections/spcol/eaton.html | accessdate=November 23 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref>, and houses the 80,000 volume Eaton Collection of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and utopian literature - the world's largest such compilation available to the general public. In addition to the libraries, UCR houses various special research collections and museums, including an Herbarium<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Herbarium | url=http://herbarium.ucr.edu/UCR.html}}</ref>, one of the world's most important Citrus variety collections<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Citrus Variety Collection|url=http://www.plantbiology.ucr.edu/about_us/?citrus_variety}}</ref>, and one of the largest [[Entomology Research Museum|entomological museums]] in the United States<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR Entomological Research Museum | url=http://entmuseum.ucr.edu}}</ref>.


Of special note, UCR also administers the UCR/California Museum of Photography in downtown Riverside. With over 500,000 photographic objects, images, and related materials, CMP houses the most comprehensive photographic collections in the West, including Amsel Adams' Fiat Lux 1965 archive containing photos of UC campuses. Much of the museum's collections are viewable online; its website receives 3.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited photography museum website in the world<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR/California Museum of Photography | url=http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | title= Museum Fights to Stay Open | url=http://www.highlander.ucr.edu/article.php?artnum=3337}}</ref>.
Of special note, UCR also administers the UCR/California Museum of Photography in downtown Riverside. With over 500,000 photographic objects, images, and related materials, CMP houses the most comprehensive photographic collections in the West, including Amsel Adams' Fiat Lux 1965 archive containing photos of UC campuses. Much of the museum's collections are viewable online; its website receives 3.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited photography museum website in the world<ref>{{cite web | title= UCR/California Museum of Photography | url=http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | title= Museum Fights to Stay Open | url=http://www.highlander.ucr.edu/article.php?artnum=3337}}</ref>.
Line 143: Line 148:
[[Image:Ucrmascot.jpg|right|School Mascot.]]
[[Image:Ucrmascot.jpg|right|School Mascot.]]


UCR competes in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I of the [[Big West Conference]]. UC Riverside lacks a football team, but it does compete in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's golf. Football was played until 1975, when it was dropped due to budgetary reasons. Due to financial and NCAA restrictions, it will likely never be restored <ref>{{cite web | title= Ask Stan Morrison | url=http://www.athletics.ucr.edu/askstan/askstan5502.html | accessdate=June 15|accessyear 2006}}</ref>.
UCR competes in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I of the [[Big West Conference]]. UC Riverside competes in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's golf. Football was played until 1975, when it was dropped due to budgetary reasons. <ref>{{cite web | title= Ask Stan Morrison | url=http://www.athletics.ucr.edu/askstan/askstan5502.html | accessdate=June 15|accessyear 2006}}</ref>.


The volleyball and basketball teams play home games in the [[UC Riverside Student Recreation Center|Student Recreation Center]], which seats 3,168, though attendance is minimal. The baseball team competes at the Riverside Sports Complex, located just off campus at the corner of Blaine and Rustin streets. Softball competes at the Amy S. Harrison Field, adjacent to the UCR Soccer Stadium on the Lower Fields.
The volleyball and basketball teams play home games in the [[UC Riverside Student Recreation Center|Student Recreation Center]], which seats 3,168. The baseball team competes at the Riverside Sports Complex, located just off campus at the corner of Blaine and Rustin streets. Softball competes at the Amy S. Harrison Field, adjacent to the UCR Soccer Stadium on the Lower Fields.

Construction of a large arena as a venue for basketball and volleyball has been proposed, although UCR athletic attendance ranks near the bottom of all Big West schools<ref>{{cite web | title= Highlander Editorial: A more realistic proposal for a new arena at UCR | url=http://www.highlander.ucr.edu/article.php?artnum=3289 | accessdate=April 8|accessyear = 2006 }}</ref>.


UC Riverside does not have a marching band, but instead features a rock band with horns, a guitar, and a drummer. Due to NCAA's restriction against amplified instruments, UCR sometimes must "rent" a marching band from other colleges such as UCI and UCSB for Big West Tournament games<ref>{{cite web | title= Press Enterprise (3/16/06): UCR pep banned| url=http://www.pe.com/columns/danbernstein/stories/PE_News_Local_H_dan16.18339b31.html| accessdate=Mar 31 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title= Press Enterprise (3/20/06): UCR students deserve to join NCAA fun | url=http://www.pe.com/columns/jimalexander/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_jacol_20.57fb53a.html | accessdate=Mar 17 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. For the women's basketball team's appearance at the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, UCR brought its [[kilt]]ed [[bagpipe]] and drum ensemble, which drew raves from the fans in attendance at Vanderbilt University.
UC Riverside does not have a marching band, but instead features a rock band with horns, a guitar, and a drummer. Due to NCAA's restriction against amplified instruments, UCR sometimes must "rent" a marching band from other colleges such as UCI and UCSB for Big West Tournament games<ref>{{cite web | title= Press Enterprise (3/16/06): UCR pep banned| url=http://www.pe.com/columns/danbernstein/stories/PE_News_Local_H_dan16.18339b31.html| accessdate=Mar 31 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title= Press Enterprise (3/20/06): UCR students deserve to join NCAA fun | url=http://www.pe.com/columns/jimalexander/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_jacol_20.57fb53a.html | accessdate=Mar 17 | accessyear=2006 }}</ref>. For the women's basketball team's appearance at the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, UCR brought its [[kilt]]ed [[bagpipe]] and drum ensemble, which drew raves from the fans in attendance at Vanderbilt University.
Line 172: Line 175:
In the 1970s, the air quality in Riverside became a widely reported national issue and had disastrous effects on enrollment at UCR. According to Ivan Hinderaker, UCR chancellor during this period: “…Irvine didn’t have smog. It’s hard to realize what a tremendous problem that was. Your budget is related to enrollment, so what effect did smog have?... UCR in 1971-2 was 5,576 [students]… By ’78-’79, we had twenty five percent fewer students than we did in ’71-’72. In terms of faculty positions, we had taken away from us in ’72-’73 twelve, ’73-’74 ten, ’74-’75 twenty positions.” Hinderaker attributed this drop primarily to widely reported news stories on the air quality in Riverside. Rumors circulated that the campus would close; Hinderaker developed UCR’s competitive '''Biomedical Program''' (as well as popular Business Administration Program) primarily as a means of assuaging the enrollment problems created by Riverside's air quality<ref>{{cite web | title=Hinderaker Oral History Transcript| url=http://www.ucrhistory.ucr.edu/hinderakeri.htm}}</ref>.
In the 1970s, the air quality in Riverside became a widely reported national issue and had disastrous effects on enrollment at UCR. According to Ivan Hinderaker, UCR chancellor during this period: “…Irvine didn’t have smog. It’s hard to realize what a tremendous problem that was. Your budget is related to enrollment, so what effect did smog have?... UCR in 1971-2 was 5,576 [students]… By ’78-’79, we had twenty five percent fewer students than we did in ’71-’72. In terms of faculty positions, we had taken away from us in ’72-’73 twelve, ’73-’74 ten, ’74-’75 twenty positions.” Hinderaker attributed this drop primarily to widely reported news stories on the air quality in Riverside. Rumors circulated that the campus would close; Hinderaker developed UCR’s competitive '''Biomedical Program''' (as well as popular Business Administration Program) primarily as a means of assuaging the enrollment problems created by Riverside's air quality<ref>{{cite web | title=Hinderaker Oral History Transcript| url=http://www.ucrhistory.ucr.edu/hinderakeri.htm}}</ref>.


====Proposition 209====
UC Riverside enrolls the most diverse student body in the UC system. While this was true even before the 1997 implementation
of [[Proposition 209]], which banned the consideration of race and ethnicity in state-wide decision making, an outcome of this legislation has been the further increase of diversity at UCR, which accepts all UC eligible applicants, and a reduction in admissions of under represented minorities at Berkeley and UCLA, the most selective campuses in the UC system. [“Undergraduate Access to the University of California After the Elimination of Race Conscious Policies (2003)]

In 1998, when admit rates for underrepresented students declined sharply at the selective campuses, underrepresented students increased as a proportion of the freshman classes at both UC Riverside and UC Santa Cruz. This trend has continued strongly at UC Riverside, which now enrolls a higher proportion of underrepresented students than it did in 1995 (31.7 as compared to 30.0 percent) and the highest proportion of all the campuses<ref>{{cite web | title=Undergraduate Access to the University of California After the Elimination of Race Conscious Policies| url=http://www.ucop.edu/sas/publish/aa_final2.pdf}}</ref>.


====Proposed professional schools====
====Proposed professional schools====

Revision as of 19:35, 16 July 2006

University of California, Riverside
Seal of UC Riverside (Trademark of UC Regents)
MottoFiat lux (Let There Be Light)
TypePublic
Established1954
Endowment153.7 million USNWR
ChancellorFrance A. Córdova
Academic staff
650
Undergraduates14,649
Postgraduates2,051
Location
Riverside
,
California
CampusSuburban, 1,160 acres (4.7 km²)
MascotHighlanders
Websitewww.ucr.edu

The University of California, Riverside is one of ten campuses of the prestigious University of California system. Located approximately one hour east of Los Angeles, it is commonly known as "UCR" or "UC Riverside."

Academics

Colleges and schools

UC Riverside is a research-based university that offers 78 majors, 46 minors, 50 Master's degree programs, and 38 Ph.D programs. Academic programs are organized into five colleges and schools:

UCR's University Extension program provides continuing education to community members of the Inland Empire.

File:UCRlibrary.jpg
Students studying in the Science Library.

Undergraduate Freshman Admissions

Beginning in the Fall of 2007, all UC schools will require a 3.0 GPA for the admittance of California residents and a 3.4 GPA for all non-residents. All UC requirements will be scored using the UC Eligibility Index. [1]

The typical GPA of the freshman class admitted into UCR in Fall 2006 was 3.59. All accurate and up-to-date information on admissions rates, matriculation, retention, etc. can be found at the referenced UC website: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles.html

Rankings and distinctions

UC Riverside ranks #85 among national universities and #37 among public institutions[2], according to US News and World Report (2006).

According to The Princeton Review's Best 361 Colleges, 2006 guide (ISBN 0375764836) UCR is listed as one of the "Best Western Colleges"[3] and one of "America's Best Value Colleges"[4].

For the past decade, UC Riverside has had the most American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows in the nation[5][6].

Recruitment and alumni

UCR has invited home-schooled and other nontraditional students to submit a portfolio of their work in addition to test scores[7].

Construction on campus is common as the university expands.

The Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences

The Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences offers a joint medical degree program with UCLA. Third and fourth year clerkships are conducted at UCLA and its affiliated hospitals along with the rest of the UCLA medical school class. Students admitted in the program receive a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCR and an MD degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In the past, the UCR/UCLA program was an accelerated 7-year track offered exclusively to biomedical science majors. However, in 2002, the program was lengthened to 8 years and opened to all qualified majors at UC Riverside. Up to twenty-four of each year's applicants are chosen to attend medical school at UCR and UCLA.

Campus

Main campus

File:Ucrarcade.gif
A student playing an arcade game in the former Commons.

UCR is bordered by California State Route 60, which crosses over University Avenue. Painted on the eastern support wall of the overpass is the Gluck Gateway Mural, a 190 ft memorial of UCR history from the early days of the citrus experiment station to the year it was painted in 2000. University avenue extends to downtown Riverside, about 10 minutes away by car[8]. On the other side of Route 60, the University Village (UV) provides several shops and restaurants. UV's movie theaters also serve as lecture halls during the day, with a shuttle taking students every 15 minutes.

Carillon Tower, which stands in the center of campus.

In the center of campus stands the UCR Carillon, also known as the Bell Tower, one of only four in California. Designed by A. Quincy Jones, the tower is 166 ft tall and contains 48 bells, specially cast in France, which cover four chromatic octaves and range in weight from 28 to 5,091 pounds. Its chimes were first heard in 1966 and were part of the initial broadcast of KUCR[9].

Directly northwest of the Carillion, the Commons serves as a small student center for the campus and includes study rooms and restaurants with benches for dining. Construction is underway to more than double the size of the Center from 65,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet[10]. The new 50 million dollar Student Commons (slated for completion in 2008) is expected to include large buildings containing expanded meeting rooms, dining, and places to study[11]. The university has attempted to institute new instructional technologies such as online discussion groups, and its free wireless internet coverage has been praised by Intel[12].

Southeast of the Carillion is the Tomas Rivera Library, the main library on campus. Further southeast past the intersection of Citrus and Eucalyptus Avenues are the buildings that make up the instruction halls and research centers of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, including the relics of the original 1907 campus. The building currently occupied by the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management originally housed the historic UC Citrus Experimentation Station[13].

File:Uvvillage.jpg
The University Village (UV) is located 10 minutes (walking) outside of campus, nearby a strip mall. The movie theater is used for classes in the morning.

Forming the eastern border of UCR are the Botanic Gardens. The UCR Botanic Gardens occupy 40 acres of rugged terrain in the Box Springs foothills. Prominent natural features include two arroyos and a variety of plants native to the site including brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica) and deerweed (Lotus scoparius). More than four miles of hiking trails traverse the grounds[14].

In addition to supporting research and education at UCR, the Gardens offer a place of respite for students, visitors, and members of the community; in 2006 UCR Chancellor Cordova hosted a memorial service in the Botanic Gardens dedicated to members of the UCR community who passed away earlier that year, an event which is intended to become an annual tradition[15].

Though maintained separately, UCR’s campus grounds are also considered part of the Botanic Gardens, and are landscaped with plants that do well in Riverside's climate[14].

The Big “C”

A 132 by 70 ft concrete “C“, located approximately 1500 ft high on the eastern slope of the Box Springs Mountain. It was constructed primarily by students with materials and labor donated by Berkeley alumnus E. L. Yeager. Freshman classes have the responsibility of painting the letter (gold) and keeping it clean throughout the year[16].

UCR Palm Desert

UCR Palm Desert campus opened a new campus in the Palm Desert of the Coachella Valley. Initially funded by a $6 million gift from a local entrepreneur. The Richard J. Heckmann International Center for Entrepreneurial Management was founded in 2001 and was UCR's first institutional presence in the area. The campus currently focuses on providing Masters' level instruction in Management and the Fine Arts[17].

Student life

Enrollment

Since its opening, UC Riverside has expanded significantly. In Fall 2006, enrollment was up to 14,649 undergraduate students and 1,973 graduate students.

Diversity

UC Riverside's racial distribution, as of 2006, is as follows:

African American: 6.5%

American Indian: 0.3%

Asian/Pacific Islander: 41.8%

Chicano/Latino: 24.1%

White: 19.6%

Other: 1.8%

Not Stated: 3.9%

International 2.0%


[18]

Of note, UCR was ranked #4 nationwide for campus diversity by US News and World Report (2006)[19], and is the most racially diverse UC campus.

UCR has an extensive campus escort service that served 9,000 students and faculty in 1998. The UCR escort service was also awarded the Bayless Leadership Award from 1997-2000. [20]

Overall, UCR students feel that the student population is "small, but not too small" by UC standards and claim that the diversity and friendly demeanor of the students is a strength of UCR. [21]

Housing

File:Uvtowers.jpg
Photo of the UV Towers, newly constructed student housing.

UCR's Residence Halls consist of three structures, Aberdeen-Inverness, Lothian, and Pentland Hills, that house over 3,000 students, including 75% of the freshman class, in triple and double rooms on campus. Reflecting UCR's wide diversity, there are a number of traditional academic as well as student-initiated ethnic and gender-oriented theme floors located among the residence halls. These include halls for students in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), a hall for students in the University Honors program, and combined halls for majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) and the Bournes College of Engineering (BCOE), and also a hall for transfer students. Student-initiated theme halls include Unete A Mundo, established for students seeking to support Latino/Chicano peers in aclimating to life at UCR, the Pan African Theme Hall for students interested in developing consciousness of Pan African culture in relation to other cultures of the world, and Stonewall Hall, dedicated to students of all gender identities and sexual orientations who wish live in a gender-neutral community. [22]

According to the University of California, UCR and UCSC are the only two UC schools that guarantee housing for both freshmen and transfer students for the first two years. [23]

ASPB and ASUCR

The Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) is a thirteen member student organization responsible for producing entertainment events for the entire student body. Overseeing an annual budget of approximately $500,000, ASPB books popular artists for annual music festivals such as the Block Party and Spring Splash events, and also supports the annual Homecoming and World Fest celebrations[24]. The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUCR), Riverside has been the official representative body of UCR undergraduates. The senate is composed of 20 elected officers representing three undergraduate colleges in proportion to enrollment. [25].

Environment and community

Severe air pollution

Riverside is part of what some locals refer to as the “smog belt” because of its exceedingly high levels of air pollution[26]. This pollution is so notorious that it has been thought to influence administration policy (see Biomedical Sciences Program). The American Lung Association ranked Riverside County 1st in its "Top 26 U.S. Counties Most Polluted by Annual Particle Pollution," with nearby San Bernardio falling into 2nd[27]. According to the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was one of the most polluted areas in comparison to other U.S. cities[28]. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004) found that levels of pollution in Riverside were among the highest in southern California, and that the air in this region can damage the lungs of children[29]. The Air Pollution Research Center (APRC) at UCR serves to further study the effects of air pollution on the environment.

Student media and industry

KUCR

UCR also broadcasts as KUCR, a largely student and community programmed radio station, at 88.3 FM from its tower located in the Box Springs Mountains[30].

UCR is a primary partner in the Riverside Regional Technology Park, which also includes the City of Riverside and the County of Riverside. The park is intended to assist entrepreneurs in developing new products[31].

Libraries and collections

UCR's library system is divided into general collections: music, media, and science specialties. General collections reside in the Tomás Rivera library, while the Science library building houses collections in the physical sciences, natural and agricultural sciences, biomedical sciences and engineering and computer sciences. Of note, UCR is host to the world's largest academic collection of Star Trek material[32], and houses the 80,000 volume Eaton Collection of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and utopian literature - the world's largest such compilation available to the general public. In addition to the libraries, UCR houses various special research collections and museums, including an Herbarium[33], one of the world's most important Citrus variety collections[34], and one of the largest entomological museums in the United States[35].

Of special note, UCR also administers the UCR/California Museum of Photography in downtown Riverside. With over 500,000 photographic objects, images, and related materials, CMP houses the most comprehensive photographic collections in the West, including Amsel Adams' Fiat Lux 1965 archive containing photos of UC campuses. Much of the museum's collections are viewable online; its website receives 3.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited photography museum website in the world[36] [37].

Athletics

School Mascot.
School Mascot.

UCR competes in NCAA Division I of the Big West Conference. UC Riverside competes in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's golf. Football was played until 1975, when it was dropped due to budgetary reasons. [38].

The volleyball and basketball teams play home games in the Student Recreation Center, which seats 3,168. The baseball team competes at the Riverside Sports Complex, located just off campus at the corner of Blaine and Rustin streets. Softball competes at the Amy S. Harrison Field, adjacent to the UCR Soccer Stadium on the Lower Fields.

UC Riverside does not have a marching band, but instead features a rock band with horns, a guitar, and a drummer. Due to NCAA's restriction against amplified instruments, UCR sometimes must "rent" a marching band from other colleges such as UCI and UCSB for Big West Tournament games[39][40]. For the women's basketball team's appearance at the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, UCR brought its kilted bagpipe and drum ensemble, which drew raves from the fans in attendance at Vanderbilt University.

The official UCR mascot is "Scotty," a Highlander tartan-wearing bear.

History

University of California Citrus Experiment Station

On February 14, 1907, the University of California Board of Regents established an experiment/research station on 23 acres of land on the east slope of Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside, California. Dubbed the Rubidoux Laboratory, the purpose of this research station was to conduct various agricultural experiments such as fertilization, irrigation, improvement of crops, and air pollution research. It was here that the navel orange was introduced to the United States[41]. The laboratory was later moved in 1917 to the west slope of Box Springs Mountains. It was not associated with any particular campus but rather with the system as a whole, and as such was officially titled the University of California Citrus Experiment Station.

When the Citrus Experiment Station (CES) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, it had grown considerably in size and stature with several new buildings and a wider range of horticultural research conducted with more acres for experimental plantings. The laboratory's original two staff personnel increased to 265 personnel by 1957[42]. The lab itself had become famous throughout the citrus industry for its applied research on pest and disease control as well as on soil and irrigation problems[43]. In 1961, to reflect the growth of the laboratory, the name was changed to the Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station. At the time, the director was Alfred M. Boyce for which Boyce Hall, the home to the Entomology[44] and Biochemistry[45] Departments, is named.

College of Letters and Science established

In the late 1940s, a local group of civic and business leaders, as well as citrus growers, formed the Citizens University Committee (CUC) to lobby the State Legislature for a small liberal arts college attached to the UC Citrus Experiment Station. The UC and Cal State systems were anticipating a massive influx of students as the baby boom generation came of age, and a state education committee was scouting out locations for a new campus. After diligent lobbying by the CUC, the state committee recommended to the Legislature that Riverside become the location for the new UC campus. In 1949, California Governor Earl Warren signed the legislation approving the establishment of a small College of Letters and Science in Riverside[46].

That same year, University President Robert Gordon Sproul persuaded Gordon S. Watkins, then dean of the College of Letters and Science at University of California, Los Angeles, to undertake the organization of the College of Letters and Science at Riverside. Watkins accepted the job and started five years of planning, faculty recruitment, and building construction. He became provost of the Riverside campus and presided at its opening with 131 students in February 1954[47]. Watkins served as provost until his retirement in 1956.

UCR becomes a full research university

After Watkins retired, Herman Theodore Spieth, professor of zoology and chairman of life sciences, accepted the title of provost and guided UCR's development towards full university status. Spieth became UCR's first chancellor when the Regents designated Riverside as a general campus in 1958, in anticipation of the Legislature's passing of the California Master Plan for Higher Education. Under this act, Spieth's responsibility was to combine the College of Letters and Science and the Citrus Research Center into a single academic and administrative entity, as well as oversee the planning and development of UCR's graduate division. UCR started accepting graduate students in 1961; UCR's College of Agriculture, Air Pollution Research Center and the Dry-Lands Research Institute were also established during Spieth's administration[48].

Enrollment at UCR during the 1960s eventually grew to average out at 5000.

Program creation and history

In the 1970s, the air quality in Riverside became a widely reported national issue and had disastrous effects on enrollment at UCR. According to Ivan Hinderaker, UCR chancellor during this period: “…Irvine didn’t have smog. It’s hard to realize what a tremendous problem that was. Your budget is related to enrollment, so what effect did smog have?... UCR in 1971-2 was 5,576 [students]… By ’78-’79, we had twenty five percent fewer students than we did in ’71-’72. In terms of faculty positions, we had taken away from us in ’72-’73 twelve, ’73-’74 ten, ’74-’75 twenty positions.” Hinderaker attributed this drop primarily to widely reported news stories on the air quality in Riverside. Rumors circulated that the campus would close; Hinderaker developed UCR’s competitive Biomedical Program (as well as popular Business Administration Program) primarily as a means of assuaging the enrollment problems created by Riverside's air quality[49].


Proposed professional schools

  • UC Riverside would like to establish a traditional medical school and is currently planning a proposal to UC[50].
  • UC Riverside has proposed a Law School that the Regents of California have put on hold due to the budget crisis[51].

Organization

Chancellors and chief campus officers

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

Academia, science, and technology

Arts, Film and Literature

Keenyah Hill - Contestant on ANTM Athletics

Business and politics

Nobel Laureates

External links

References

  1. ^ "UC Admission Requirements".
  2. ^ "Best Colleges". Retrieved May 07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) (registration required)
  3. ^ "The Princeton Review: The Best Western Colleges (Page 4 of 5)". Retrieved April 27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) (registration required)
  4. ^ "The Princeton Review: America's Best Value Colleges (Page 5 of 7)". Retrieved April 27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) (registration required)
  5. ^ "UCOP: France A. Córdova Named UC Riverside Chancellor".
  6. ^ "AAAS: AAAS Members Elected as Fellows".
  7. ^ "UC Riverside puts out want ad for home-schooled".
  8. ^ "The Story Behind the Gateway Mural".
  9. ^ "UCR History 101".
  10. ^ "Student Commons Fact Sheet".
  11. ^ "UC Riverside Plays 'Catch-Up'".
  12. ^ "UCR Newsroom release".
  13. ^ "UCR History 101".
  14. ^ a b "UCRBG".
  15. ^ "Campus remembers community members".
  16. ^ "Riverside: Traditions".
  17. ^ "UCR Palm Desert".
  18. ^ [http:/www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_descriptions/descr_ucr.html "University of California Admissions"]. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  19. ^ "Campus Diversity: National Universities".
  20. ^ "UCR Escort Service".
  21. ^ "What UCR students say about UCR".
  22. ^ "UCR Housing Services".
  23. ^ "UC Undergrad Housing".
  24. ^ "ASPB Events".
  25. ^ "Inside ASUCR: an overview of UCR's undergraduate student government".
  26. ^ "LA Weekly (9/22/05): The Air That We Breathe". Retrieved April 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ 11 "American Lung Association Rankings Air Quality". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ "Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and California Cities Top List for Worst Dangerous Soot Pollution; DC Ranks 13th for Smog".
  29. ^ "Air pollution and lung development". Retrieved Mar 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "KUCR-FM 88.3-IE".
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference ucrpark was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ "J. Lloyd Eaton Collection". Retrieved November 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ "UCR Herbarium".
  34. ^ "UCR Citrus Variety Collection".
  35. ^ "UCR Entomological Research Museum".
  36. ^ "UCR/California Museum of Photography".
  37. ^ "Museum Fights to Stay Open".
  38. ^ "Ask Stan Morrison". Retrieved June 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Text "accessyear 2006" ignored (help)
  39. ^ "Press Enterprise (3/16/06): UCR pep banned". Retrieved Mar 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ "Press Enterprise (3/20/06): UCR students deserve to join NCAA fun". Retrieved Mar 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ "UCR: Citrus Variety Collection". Retrieved April 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ "More on the Citrus Experiment Station". Retrieved April 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "Homer D. Chapman Oral History Transcript".
  44. ^ "UCR Entomology Department".
  45. ^ "UCR Biochemistry Department".
  46. ^ "Oral History transcript, Gabbert".
  47. ^ Martinez, Richard. "700 Join in UCR's Second Founder's Day Celebration." Riverside Press Enterprise, October 7, 1987.
  48. ^ "Riverside: Administrative Officers".
  49. ^ "Hinderaker Oral History Transcript".
  50. ^ "Press Enterprise (3/7/06): Panel to hone pitch for medical school". Retrieved Mar 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  51. ^ "Major Step Toward Law School (4/09/06): UCR Law School". Retrieved Apr 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)


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