Dear Campus Community,

The results of the “third week census” are in: we have 27,633 students (undergraduate and graduate) enrolled at UCR, a new record for the campus. Here is a chart by enrollment type:

Enrollment Type                                            Fall 2024     Fall 2025          %Change     

I extend my gratitude to the faculty and staff who expanded course capacities, maximized course scheduling, connected students with resources, provided advising and tutoring, processed financial aid, managed classroom spaces, coordinated housing and residential services, led the revised orientation, and did so much more to ensure a smooth start to the academic year. As you surely know, planning is already underway for winter term, with spring planning just around the corner. Our goal is to retain every one of these talented students who chose to pursue their degrees at UC Riverside.

The remainder of my fall campus update focuses on important information for and about our faculty. We welcome 73 new Senate faculty members to UCR this academic year, the largest number since before the start of the pandemic. I have heard questions from many faculty, both those who are new to campus and those who have been here for a while, about the advancement of their careers in light of the uncertainties of federal actions. I call your attention to four initiatives to address this critical issue. First, “The Call” now includes the opportunity for faculty to prepare a “federal impact” statement, similar to the “covid impact” statement, and to receive a “federally-impacted merit half-step” in circumstances where an on-schedule merit file is deemed insufficient for a merit advance solely due to federal actions. This addition grew out of the second initiative, a series of faculty think tank luncheons held by Vice Provost for Academic Personnel Dan Jeske and me in 2024-25 on the subject of “achievement relative to opportunity” in the merit and promotion process. You can read a summary of those discussions here.

Third, since the evaluation of faculty for advancement starts with the department, I ask all academic departments to revisit their research and creative activity statements this year. The Call provides a helpful explanation of what to include in these statements to ensure that all faculty have maximal opportunity to demonstrate their contributions to academic scholarship and professional productivity.

Fourth, consideration of the new funding environment’s impact on faculty advancement will be taken up at the systemwide level. Earlier this week, Provost Newman announced the Joint Senate-Admin Task Force on UC Adaptations to Disruptions (UCAD Plus). One of the five working groups is dedicated to academic personnel evaluations; that workgroup will be co-chaired by two UCR representatives (Nael Abu-Ghazaleh and me).

Lastly, mark your calendars for the first faculty town hall of this academic year. On Friday, November 14, 1-2 pm, the Senate will host a Q&A session with Chancellor Hu and me. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I anticipate that the Staff Assembly will schedule a town hall for staff, so stay tuned for details about that event.