Dear Colleagues, The last month filled me with gratitude for all that we have built together. I have been overwhelmed by the kind remarks and thoughts from many of you—in person, in messages, and at events—to acknowledge my time at UC Riverside. I am deeply honored to have been your chancellor. At the same time, I am not confused about what it...

This announcement is an update to my March 24 message to campus about UCR’s compliance support plan for UC Cybersecurity Mandate 2025. As an important reminder, UCR has developed compliance support measures to ensure our campus meets the six UC-wide cybersecurity requirements. These measures are crucial for enhancing UCR’s security and aligning...

Dear Colleagues, My March message to the campus highlighted many of the budget challenges UC Riverside is facing. One of the primary concerns has been the 2025-2026 California state budget. On Wednesday, Governor Newsom issued his revised budget for the Legislature. The revised proposal offered an improved outlook for the University, reducing...

I would like to share that on Saturday, May 17th, the Associated Students Program Board is hosting UCR's annual Spring Splash concert. We wanted to notify you of potential amplified sound and access that may affect the inner areas of campus. The event kicks off at 4 p.m. and will last until 9:30 p.m. However, sound checks for the artists will begin...

Dear Colleagues, Around this time of year, we seem to be gathering speed as we roll toward commencement and the end of the academic year. But when I look back, it seems we’ve had that momentum all year long. Here’s some of what we have accomplished this year. Our unique combination of academic excellence and student success was apparent in national...

Dear Campus Community, My spring update is mostly a “save-the-date” notification for several upcoming opportunities to attend in-person discussions. For Senate faculty members, there are three upcoming events. On May 6, at the invitation of Senate Chair Ken Barish, we will hold a town hall on Responding Collectively to Unprecedented Challenges. On...

Dear Campus Community, This joint message is to inform the campus community about a recent incident and to provide important information regarding phone scams and other cyber crimes. UCRPD and the ITS Information Security Office are working together to ensure our community is aware of these malicious tactics and knows how to protect themselves. On...

Campus units’ migration to R’Mail, UC Riverside’s Google email and calendaring platform, is in full swing and on track for meeting campus leadership’s goal of having all Highlanders on a common email and calendaring platform by Fall 2025. As of March 2025, over 1,700 UCR staff have transitioned to R’Mail from Outlook and more are scheduled to...

Dear Campus Community, With no advance notice, we learned recently that the federal government terminated the eligibility of six student visas for members of the UC Riverside community, two for current students and four for recent graduates. We have not received detailed reasons for these terminations. This is not a situation unique to UCR and is...

Dear Colleagues, I am thrilled to announce the official launch of Academic Analytics! As of March 31, 2025, Faculty Insight profiles are live and research work is discoverable globally via the External Discovery tools. As I shared in my March 13 update, Academic Analytics is a powerful platform designed to enhance our research community's...

Dear Colleagues, Each year in March, I naturally find myself thinking about change—change of light, change of seasons, the end of one quarter, and the beginning of another, which leads to the end of the academic year. In 2020, the change was maybe most pronounced as we transitioned from in-person to remote teaching, an anniversary I acknowledged a...

Dear Faculty and Staff, Last week University of California President Michael Drake announced a systemwide hiring freeze and directed all UC locations to develop workforce management plans to address potential budget shortfalls. Each campus has the discretion to implement this directive in a way that is most appropriate to their local context. As...

As we approach the May 28, 2025, compliance deadline for the UC Cybersecurity Mandate, I want to provide an update on the planned compliance support measures that will be implemented to ensure our campus meets these vital requirements. As you know, these changes are part of a UC-wide initiative, mandated by the UC Regents and led by the UC Office...

Dear Colleagues, I am delighted to announce the upcoming launch of the Faculty Insight and External Discovery tools within Academic Analytics on March 31, 2025. This initiative, which has been in development for the past year, is designed to enhance our research community's visibility, facilitate collaboration, and streamline access to funding...

Dear Campus Community, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra H. Kim as interim vice chancellor for planning, budget, and administration, effective April 14, 2025. Sandra will serve in this role for a one-year term while we conduct a search for a permanent replacement for Gerry Bomotti, who will be retiring from UCR in April. Sandra...

It’s time to complete the 2024-2025 (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025) performance appraisals. Background The University of California’s PPSM 23: Performance Management policy informs campus locations that the performance of each employee shall be appraised at least annually in writing by the employee’s immediate supervisor, or more frequently in...

With the month of Ramdan beginning around Friday, Feb. 28, here is some information and resources to support students, staff, faculty, and other community members who may be observing and fasting. Resources 1. Ramadan 2025 Campus Dining Options (February 28-March 29) Suhoor Packs are available at Glasgow and Lothian Residential Restaurants The...

Dear Colleagues, On February 11, 2020, a dedication ceremony celebrated the installation of artwork on UC Riverside’s campus. The circular yellow sculpture between the Arts and College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Buildings proclaimed, “Things Change,” or “Change Things,” depending on perspective. Indeed, change was at...

This communication is to inform the campus community of UC’s decision to create a new, temporary Systemwide Wildfire Catastrophic Leave Bank. The leave bank is to benefit UC employees who have been adversely affected by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles region. Effective, Thursday, February 13, 2025, through Monday, March 31, 2025, eligible...