Campus Life

One of the nation's top NCAA Division II conferences - the California Collegiate Athletic Association - will get that much stronger as its Board of Presidents has voted unanimously to admit the University of California, Merced.

It's been more than a year since UC Merced joined the 1300 Campaign partnership, continuing its efforts to help students of color attend and succeed at four-year universities. Now it's time for a review and a look ahead.

Veterans with aspirations to pursue higher education will have access to new resources and support through the Veterans Upward Bound Program at UC Merced.

This year, the university was selected as one of the recipients of the Department of Education (DOE) grant, which helps to provide first-generation and low-income veterans with assistance from the application process through commencement. The DOE website states, "the program's primary goal is to increase the rate at which participants enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs."

Ed and Jeanne Kashian, longtime UC Merced donors who have supported the campus since its earliest days, have made a $5 million gift to advance the university's medical education efforts.

UC Merced has been designated a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader for 2023 by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Each year, the ECA recognizes the strong engagement of select HSIs within the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program.

Ahead of Native American Heritage Month, the Toloma 5K will return to UC Merced on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event has been held since 2021, and not only raises money for Native American activities on campus but preserves tradition while acknowledging the campus's location on Yokut and Miwuk land.

Distinguished rankings, new academic offerings, world-class research and campus expansions were among the highlights of the UC Merced State of the University address delivered by Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

"The state of this 20-year-old institution is unparalleled in the history of American higher education," said Muñoz. "And now I would like to invite you to join me in imagining an even more impactful future for our campus, faculty, staff and students."

Water is the most valuable resource in the world. And it's a particularly important commodity in the Central Valley, historically a desert but also home to some of the richest agricultural soil on Earth.

The UC Merced Library and Secure Water Future co-hosted an event to discuss water policy in California, its history and what the future might look like.

More than half of UC Merced's population is made up of Hispanic/Latinx students. There is no shortage of ways for Bobcats to get in touch with their roots on campus, in the community and even around the globe.

Taste of Latinx Cultures

The inaugural UC Merced Safety Conference is an effort to bring nationally recognized subject matter experts to the San Joaquin Valley to share critical safety information, best practices, and the latest innovations in enhancing community and campus safety with conference attendees. The overall goal is to amplify and grow the resources within area communities to prepare, recognize and respond to safety concerns.