Campus & Community
UC Merced Gives Back to
Economy, Study Says
UC Merced nearly doubles the investment the community and state put into the university, according to a recent study.
For every dollar taxpayers give to the university, UC Merced returns $1.90 in the form of an expanded tax base because of students’ higher future income and workforce productivity, says the study commissioned by UC Merced and conducted by Emsi, a labor market data company.
The data, based on the pre-pandemic 2018-19 fiscal year, also says for every net dollar a student invests to attend UC Merced – not just tuition, housing and related expenses but forgone income from jobs passed up so they can pursue academics – they get $4.10 in higher future earnings. That's an annual rate of return of 14.9%. By comparison, the stock market averages annual gains of 10%, a government bond earns 5.5% and a savings account earns less than 1%.
By the numbers
Source: Emsi study for UC Merced, based on 2018-19 fiscal year
1 in 26
Jobs in Merced County supported by
UC Merced and its students
$1.90
Added tax revenue and public sector
savings for $1 invested
$4.10
Student lifetime earnings for $1 invested
$514.6 million
UC Merced’s total economic impact
on San Joaquin Valley*
*Defined as Merced, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera,
San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.
$38.6 million
Impact of annual research expenditures
on San Joaquin Valley
5,560
Total San Joaquin Valley jobs
supported by UC Merced
We were established not just in the Valley but FOR the Valley, and we will hold true to that promise.
Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz
Agreement Opens Doors for Merced-Area High School Students
As part of UC Merced’s mission to strengthen ties to the community, the university and a local school district forged an agreement that grants admission to qualifying high school graduates.
The agreement allows Merced Union High School District students with a weighted GPA of at least 3.5 and no grade lower than a “C” to be accepted to UC Merced through a streamlined admissions process. The school district includes Atwater, Buhach Colony, El Capitan, Golden Valley, Livingston and Merced high schools, along with four alternative education schools: Yosemite, Independence, Sequoia and Merced Adult.
"We were established not just in the Valley but for the Valley, and we will hold true to that promise,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D., said at a ceremony at El Capitan High, where he and MUHSD Superintendent Alan Peterson signed the agreement for the Merced Automatic Admission Program. “This will give our students a competitive advantage like never before,” Peterson said. “In turn, our hope is that many of our best and brightest will choose to serve our local communities as they begin their careers.” The program is scheduled to begin in the 2022-23 fall semester.
Women Honored FOR
Rocking IT During
Pandemic
Seven UC Merced staff members were honored with UC Women Rock IT: Achievements in Tech awards for going above and beyond during the pandemic.
Sarvani Chadalapaka (pictured, right), High Performance Cluster manager, was honored for orchestrating the relocation of the MERCED research computing cluster in March 2020, just as Gov. Newsom declared a statewide shelter-in-place. The move to a custom facility with redundant power, better cooling and more room to expand ensured robust and continuous computational services to more than 600 campus researchers.
Also honored were seven colleagues from Academic and Emerging Technologies and the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning: Nicole Alvernaz, Joan Holmquist, Jennifer Howez-Owens, Sushma Jolly, Rachel Peters, Cathy Pohan and Jacqueline Shay. As the pandemic’s ramifications became clear, they moved swiftly to design programs and resources for faculty and teaching assistants, optimizing remote tools ranging from Respondus to Zoom. The team facilitated workshops and one-on-one consultations with more than 300 faculty and over 130 graduate students.
Free Speech Week: How to See It Again
The university’s first Free Speech Week was a success, and all of its online presentations are archived on YouTube. The series of events, presented Feb. 22-26 by the Office of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and supported by the UC National Center for Free Speech and Social Engagement, was held online. DePauw University President Lori S. White gave the keynote presentation, “Can Speech Truly Be Free? Who Can Say What When?”
EDI has launched a new initiative, Dialogues That Manner – a series of workshops and conversations designed to foster and support a more inclusive community. The debut presentation, “Antisemitism in Our Midst: Past and Present,” was held March 31. Watch your inbox for information about the next events.
Virtual Town
Halls keep us
CONNECTED
With the conditions brought on by the viral pandemic changing by the day, UC Merced has found numerous ways to stay connected, remain nimble and promote transparency. One of the most important tools has been campus-wide town halls.
Campus Fall Planning
Friday, April 16
11 a.m. - noon
The virtual gatherings, which began in December, provide an opportunity for faculty and staff to listen to university leaders and ask questions. Videos and slides from every town hall are posted by Internal Relations.
There are two town halls scheduled for April. Check your inbox for registration information, along with announcements of future town halls.
Fiscal Responsibility
Friday, April 30
Noon - 1 p.m.
