Education Council and Fidelity Honor Transformation at UC Merced

The American Council on Education (ACE) and Fidelity Investments this week presented the 2024 Award for Institutional Transformation to UC Merced and to Florida Atlantic University.

The award, established in 2014, recognizes institutions that respond to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieve dramatic changes in a relatively brief period. It was presented along with a $10,000 prize to each institution at the ACE Presidents and Chancellors Summit in Washington, D.C.

"I am thrilled to be able to present this award to two outstanding institutions that have flourished in the face of adversity," ACE President Ted Mitchell said. "UC Merced's student-centered interventions and creative strategic planning have enabled the university to expand access and set it on a path for continued success. Florida Atlantic University's use of leading-edge student programming has supported students and helped boost graduation rates, highlighting the power of innovation in higher education. Both institutions exemplify how our members use critical thinking and creativity to serve all learners."

"We are so impressed by the innovative programs developed by both Florida Atlantic University and UC Merced - two schools stepping up to proactively support and break down barriers to student success," said Sangeeta Moorjani, executive vice president and head of tax-exempt business and retirement solutions at Fidelity. "These universities are tackling head-on the challenges being faced by their current and prospective students to both enroll and complete their education programs, and their efforts are truly making a difference in the lives of these students."

Since opening to undergraduates in 2005, UC Merced has worked to expand access for California students, especially those in the Central Valley. Over the years, the university has worked to identify and overcome barriers that impede the institution's ability to expand access, especially to Pell-eligible, first-generation, Hispanic and Black students.

After thoughtful campuswide discussion, UC Merced confronted these threats directly beginning in 2020 by designing and implementing its first strategic plan to advance and broaden student success and access; generate world-class research that benefits students and the community; and embody equity, justice and inclusive excellence.

To begin meeting those goals, UC Merced developed a variety of dynamic and responsive programs, including establishing local high school partnerships, instilling transfer student supports and pathways, and launching a degree-completion program for stop-outs, among other initiatives.

The university had earlier embarked on an ambitious construction program to expand the institution and sustain growth: the Merced 2020 Project, a $1.2 billion public-private partnership that doubled the physical footprint of its campus. The following year, UC Merced opened the silent phase of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign to propel growth, setting an initial goal of raising $100 million by 2030.

The success of UC Merced's strategic plan can be felt throughout the campus. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, enrollment either sustained or grew every year since 2020. Through 2022, the number of students graduating with debt decreased by 34 percent and the number of doctoral degrees awarded increased by about 70 percent. In 2023, 64 percent of UC Merced's undergraduate student population was first-generation and 59 percent was Pell-eligible.

Additionally, the university responded to the comprehensive campaign's initial success by elevating its goal to $200 million by 2030, with $98.5 million raised by the end of 2023.

"As the first U.S. research university built in the 21st century, we have had the opportunity to be purposive and thoughtful about a mission that speaks to the students of today and the global challenges we face," said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. "We deliver a world-class education in an environment that responds nimbly to the needs of current and future students, and we are proud of the successful students we have helped to launch on their lifelong journeys."