INTRODUCTION
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Richard C. Atkinson, President
The University of California (UC) was chartered as the State's only Land Grant College in 1868. Throughout its first decades, the University's development was strongly influenced by leading educators and scholars from various parts of the country. Supported by the State and many generous benefactors, the University was responsive to the needs of California while progressing on a steady climb toward eminence in academic and scientific achievement.
Today the University system includes 10 campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Merced, which could open its doors to students as early as 2004. Among the campuses there are five medical schools, three law schools, a school of veterinary medicine, and professional schools of business administration, education, engineering, oceanography, and many others. The collections of the more than 100 UC libraries are surpassed in size on the American continent only by the Library of Congress collection.
The University is one of the world's largest and most renowned centers of higher education. The faculty is internationally noted for its distinguished academic achievements and includes 23 Nobel laureates. National Academy of Sciences membership numbers 320, greater than any other college or university system.
The University maintains a variety of research facilities, agricultural field stations, and extension centers in more than 100 locations throughout California. Public services include medical and dental clinics, information services for agricultural and urban populations, and a broad program of continuing education.
Under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, the University operates the Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Other major research facilities include the Statewide Air Pollution Research Center, Space Sciences Laboratory, Lick Observatory, White Mountain Research Station, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, among others.
One of the University's unique resources is its roster of University Professors. This title is reserved for certain distinguished faculty members who are recognized internationally as scholars and teachers. A University Professor may visit several UC campuses during the academic year, holding conferences and presenting lectures.
Governance. Under the State constitution, governance of the University is entrusted to the Board of Regents. The Regents appoint the President of the University, and with the President's advice, the officers of the University.
Authority in academic matters is delegated by the Regents to the Academic Senate, which consists of faculty and certain administrative officers. The Academic Senate determines academic policy for the University as a whole, sets conditions for admission and the granting of degrees, authorizes and supervises courses and curricula, and advises the University administration on faculty appointments, promotions, and budgets. Additionally, each campus has a divisional Academic Senate.
The President is executive head of the total institution. Each campus has a Chancellor as its chief administrative officer. Students participate in policy-making at both the campus and Universitywide levels.
The names of University Professors, Regents, Officers, and Chancellors are presented in the Appendix.
THE IRVINE CAMPUS
Ralph J. Cicerone, Chancellor
The University of California, Irvine (UCI) opened in 1965 with 116 faculty and 1,589 students. Since then, UCI programs, faculty and graduates have achieved distinction in virtually every discipline.
Two Nobel Prizes in 1995 for founding faculty F. Sherwood Rowland in Chemistry and the late Frederick Reines in Physics helped to secure UCI's position among the leading American research universities. More recently, UCI has been ranked prominently along with much older universities for excellence in the arts and humanities, earth system science, management, social sciences, technology, and information systems.
For quality of educational experience and caliber of faculty, UCI consistently ranks among the nation's 10 best public universities, and among the top 50 universities overall. Election to the American Association of Universities (AAU), a group of 60 of the most distinguished research institutions, is another indication of UCI's stature in the academic community.
As a research university, UCI challenges students at every level, both academically and personally. While research is critical to graduate education, the research environment also opens up new educational experiences for undergraduates. Students have access to a faculty at the forefront of their fields, and they also have opportunities to participate directly in faculty research projects. In addition, to empower students for the future in an information-focused society, UCI has integrated computer technology throughout the curriculum and campus life.
UCI is committed to the discovery and transmission of knowledge. It makes available to its 21,880 students (17,860 undergraduate, 2,925 graduate, and 1,095 health science students and medical residents) the education, skills, and credentials which provide the basis for lifelong personal and professional growth.
UCI's education and research missions are fulfilled in its academic units, which are described briefly below, and in its formal research units, which are described in the Research and Graduate Studies section.
The Claire Trevor School of the Arts teaches the creative as well as the academic and critical dimensions of the arts. It is concerned with the vitality of the arts in society. Faculty energies are directed toward the refinement, enhancement, and encouragement of students' artistic and creative talents and toward the development of the students' understanding of related theory and history. The School offers programs which emphasize extensive studio and workshop experiences, essential theoretical and historical background studies, and exercises in criticism. There are 1,040 students in the School, including 920 undergraduate and 120 graduate.
The School of Biological Sciences is one of the campus' larger academic units, with 2,730 students (2,540 undergraduate and 190 graduate). Faculty research areas include neural plasticity and behavior (which in part encompasses the development of the nervous system, memory, response to injury, and degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's); the nature of cell-cell interactions; pattern formation; the elucidation of ecological conditions and evolutionary histories that have been the driving forces in organism design and functional diversity; the organization and expression of genes; biomolecular structure; molecular pathogenesis; and cell biology.
The Department of Education, with 240 postbaccalaureate students, offers graduate degree programs and credential programs for current and prospective teachers and administrators in California's public elementary and secondary schools. The Department also offers an undergraduate minor in Educational Studies. Foci of the Department's research and instructional programs are educational technology and educational leadership. In addition, the teaching credential programs are enriched by an emphasis on literacy, multicultural perspectives, and modalities of learning. The Department is recognized throughout California for its leadership in the development of exemplary programs to improve education in grades K12.
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, with 2,360 students (1,960 undergraduate, 400 graduate), focuses on the analysis and design of physical systems applying modern scientific principles to the development of technology for society. The major research disciplines are aerospace, biochemical, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, materials science, and mechanical engineering. Research areas include biochemical and bioreactor engineering, earthquake engineering, water resources, transportation, parallel and distributed computer systems, intelligent systems and neural networks, image and signal processing, opto-electronic devices and materials, high-frequency devices and systems, integrated micro and nanoscale systems, fuel cell technology, fluid mechanics, combustion and jet propulsion, materials processing, robotics, and modern control theory.
The School of Humanities faculty have been repeatedly honored for their teaching and scholarly excellence. Included in the faculty's more than 100 research specialties are literary criticism, film studies, philosophical analysis, historical inquiry, art history, East Asian languages and literatures, and bilingual education. The faculty also participate in programs that cut across disciplinary boundaries in African-American Studies, Asian American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Women's Studies. At the core of the educational mission of the humanities is the goal of imparting to students critical tools of analysis, ways of seeing, knowing, explaining, describing, and understanding, that will allow them to comprehend the world around them. The School has 1,890 students, including 1,530 undergraduate and 360 graduate.
The Department of Information and Computer Science (ICS) has 1,920 students (1,690 undergraduate and 230 graduate). Faculty are actively engaged in research and teaching in artificial intelligence, especially machine learning, data mining, automated reasoning, brain modeling, biomedical computing; computer systems design, including computer-aided design, hardware-software codesign, optimizing compilers, parallel processing, networks; computing, organizations, policy, and society, including computer-supported cooperative work and human-computer interaction; informatics in biology and medicine, including computational biology; networks, including ubiquitous computing; software, including software environments, process, metrics, testing, analysis, user interfaces; theory of design and analysis of algorithms and data structures, including graph algorithms and computational geometry.
UCI's Interdisciplinary Programs (IDPs) provide students with opportunities to pursue subject areas which derive from the interaction of different disciplines. The IDPs are African-American Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Global Peace and Conflict Studies, History and Philosophy of Science, Latin American Studies, Transportation Science, and Women's Studies.
Graduate School of Management faculty research and teach in traditional management fields including organizational behavior, information technology, finance, marketing, international business, managerial economics, new ventures, accounting, decision sciences, operations management, strategy, public policy, and health care management. They also focus on how the implementation and integration of technology, combined with information management, are changing the way business is conducted. GSM has 280 students in the M.B.A. and Ph.D. programs, 300 in the undergraduate minor in Management, and 550 in the Executive M.B.A., Health Care Executive M.B.A., and Fully Employed M.B.A. Programs.
The School of Physical Sciences has a student body of 1,030 (730 undergraduate and 300 graduate). Researchers in the School are conducting investigations in atmospheric chemistry (including the discovery of the adverse impact of human-made chlorofluorocarbon compounds on the earth's ozone layer), biogeochemistry and climate, synthetic chemistry, laser spectroscopy, condensed matter physics, elementary particle physics, plasma physics, and pure and applied mathematics and mathematical physics.
The School of Social Ecology, a multidisciplinary unit established in 1970, is unique to UCI. The School's central objectives are the application of scientific methods to the analysis and resolution of societal problems, and the development of theory and knowledge pertinent to environmental and social phenomena. Among issues of long-standing interest are crime and justice in society, social influences on human development over the life cycle, and the effects of the physical environment on health and behavior. There are 1,930 students in the School, including 1,780 undergraduate and 150 graduate.
The School of Social Sciences, with 4,900 students (4,660 undergraduate and 240 graduate), is the largest academic unit at UCI. The faculty, many of whom are nationally recognized, have expertise in a wide range of specific social science topics, for example, the mathematical modeling of perception and cognitive processes; the economic analysis of transportation; the examination of the impact of society's political system on its economy; the study of social structure and values in different cultures through a rigorous scientific methodology; and the exploration of authority structures and inequality in society.
The UCI College of Medicine has 1,095 students (390 medical, 600 resident-physicians and fellows, and 105 graduate). It offers one of the country's largest residency training opportunities in primary care and internal medicine and houses some of the most advanced equipment in medical imaging and laser medicine available in the world. The College's faculty conduct innovative research in the following areas of emphasis: bioethics, biomolecular structure, oncology, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, geriatric medicine, immunology, molecular and human genetics, the neurosciences, and perinatology.
Academic Goals
UCI offers programs designed to provide students with a foundation on which to continue developing their intellectual, aesthetic, and moral capacities. Programs and curricula are based on the belief that a student's collective University experience should provide understanding and insight which are the basis for an intellectual identity and lifelong learning.
An important aspect of UCI's educational approach is the emphasis placed on student involvement in independent study, research, and the creative process as a complement to classroom study. Independent research in laboratories, field study, participation in writing workshops, and in arts productions are normal elements of the UCI experience. In many departments, special programs and courses which involve students in original research and creative activities are integrated into the curriculum.
UCI provides an atmosphere conducive to creative work and scholarship at all levels, to exploring the accumulated knowledge of humanity, and to developing new knowledge through basic and applied research. Along with these objectives, UCI has a serious commitment to public service. The campus generates research expertise which may be applied to regional and national social issues, and provides humanistic understanding of the problems facing society.
Academic Structure
UCI's instruction and research programs focus on fundamental areas of knowledge, and at the same time provide for interdisciplinary and professional study through the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Education, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, School of Humanities, Department of Information and Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Programs, Graduate School of Management, School of Physical Sciences, School of Social Ecology, School of Social Sciences, and the College of Medicine.
The Office of Academic Affairs has responsibility for all programs of instruction and research. Along with the Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the Division of Undergraduate Education, Academic Affairs reports directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor. Matters of educational policy, including approval of programs, courses, and grades, are the responsibility of the Irvine Division of the Academic Senate.
UCI Student Affairs supports the University's academic mission from outreach to alumni participation. Student Affairs offers comprehensive programs and services to advance co-curricular learning, foster student leadership, enhance the quality of student life, and promote the general welfare of the campus community.
The Division of Undergraduate Education provides leadership in developing policies and programs for the improvement of undergraduate education in such areas as general education, retention, advising, curricular development, undergraduate scholarship and research activities, international education, academic internship, grant proposals, assessment, improvement of instruction, and improvement of instructional space. Undergraduate Education also administers programs and services affecting undergraduate education which require campus-level attention and coordination and which do not come under the direct authority of the heads of academic units or the Irvine Division of the Academic Senate.
The Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies has general administrative responsibility for graduate education and research. In the area of research, the Vice Chancellor is responsible for research policy development, implementation, and oversight. In the area of education, the Dean of Graduate Studies serves as the academic dean for all graduate students and is responsible for admissions, graduate student services, graduate student support, and the Graduate Diversity Program.
Accreditation
UCI is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The campus is fully accredited by the Senior Commission of WASC. This accreditation requires periodic review in accord with WASC policies and standards. Further information is available from WASC, 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501; telephone (510) 748-9001.
In addition, the undergraduate degree program of the Department of Chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society; the Department of Drama is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre, and is a member of the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA); the credential programs of the Department of Education are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC); the undergraduate majors in Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering offered by the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Civil and Environmental, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology; the M.S. program in Genetic Counseling is accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counseling; the Graduate School of Management is accredited by AACSB International--The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; the M.D. program of the UCI College of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee of the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association; and the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program is accredited by the National Planning Accreditation Board.
Cooperative for Problem Resolution
The Cooperative for Problem Resolution (CPR) provides mediation services, informal conflict negotiation, and formal dispute resolution. It is comprised of the Campus Mediation Program, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, and the Office of the University Ombudsman.
The Campus Mediation Program, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP), and the Ombudsman's Office offer confidential, informal methods for dispute resolution. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD) conducts formal investigations of complaints involving discrimination and/or sexual harassment. Although the CPR philosophy emphasizes and encourages the use of informal dispute resolution before filing a formal complaint, a formal complaint can be filed with OEOD without prior visits to the Campus Mediation Program, Ombudsman, or FSAP.
OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD) provides consultation services and training programs to the UCI campus and the UCI Medical Center on the interpretation and application of both UCI policies and Federal and State laws regarding equal opportunity and diversity. It also develops and monitors UCI's Affirmative Action Plan for staff and faculty as required by Federal regulations.
OEOD investigates and provides assistance to UCI students, faculty, and staff in resolving discrimination complaints, harassment complaints, and sexual harassment allegations. OEOD also offers a variety of staff and faculty career development programs and workshops on diversity, cross-cultural communication, and conflict resolution that promote awareness, create organizational change, and provide support for the University's commitment to diversity.
OEOD is located in 4500 Berkeley Place; telephone (949) 824-5594 (voice), 824-7593 (TDD).
OFFICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OMBUDSMAN
The University Ombudsman is available to assist students, faculty, staff, and visitors with problems they may encounter while on the UCI campus. The University Ombudsman responds to individual grievances or group petitions by hearing complaints; clarifying issues; making appropriate on- and off-campus referrals; and providing a confidential, impartial, and informal setting for conflict negotiation. The Ombudsman Office also sponsors the Campus Mediation Program in which trained volunteer mediators provide free, confidential mediation services for the campus community. The Office is located in 437 Administration Building; telephone (949) 824-7256 (voice), 824-7593 (TDD).
The Campus Setting
UCI's location combines the cultural and economic resources of an urban area with access to Southern California's spectrum of recreational, scenic, and entertainment venues.
Fifty miles south of Los Angeles, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, and nestled in 1,489 acres of coastal foothills, UCI lies amid rapidly growing residential communities and the dynamic international business environment of Orange County and the surrounding region.
The famed sailing and surfing beaches of Newport, Laguna, and Huntington are a short bike ride from campus, while hiking trails, desert camping, or mountain resorts for snow boarding and skiing are within two-hour's travel distance from Irvine. The campus itself is a natural arboretum of native species, as well as trees and shrubs from all over the world. Adjacent to the campus, the San Joaquin Marsh serves as a natural classroom or peaceful refuge, with trails for viewing the rich diversity of wildlife.
A full roster of intramural sports and recreation events helps to fill the daily fitness needs of students, along with UCI's new Anteater Recreation Center. This 92,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility includes a pool, gymnasiums, racquetball courts, weight room, and jogging track. UCI is also an NCAA Division I campus that competes in men's and women's intercollegiate athletics.
Across Campus Drive, and linked by a pedestrian bridge, an area of shops and restaurants also features a movie theatre complex and a post office. Complementing UCI on-campus sports and cultural events throughout the year is the vigorous Orange County arts and entertainment environment. It offers everything from small venues for bands and performers to galleries, museums, the Irvine Barclay Theater, Orange County Performing Arts Center, and Pacific Symphony. And within a one- to two-hour drive are the metropolitan attractions of Los Angeles and San Diego.
With plenty of land for growth, UCI is building to accommodate greater numbers of students, as well as to provide the most updated classroom and laboratory space. Projects planned or under way include an arts complex renovation with plaza designed by famed artist/architect Maya Lin, an earth system science research building, a multipurpose science and technology building, a medical science research building, and expanded student housing. A seven-story parking structure opened in fall 2001. On the west campus, the 180-acre University Research Park is attracting private companies such as America Online, Canon Information Systems, and Cisco Systems, that agree to collaborate with UCI faculty and students on internships, research, and other programs.
Due to the high caliber of UCI faculty and scholarship, the campus is home to national organizations including the National Fuel Cell Research Center and the Western Center of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a major site for the nationwide cancer genetics research network. For its range of services and research, UCI's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is the county's only cancer facility designated "comprehensive" by the National Cancer Institute. UCI is noted in fact for its strengths in cancer and neuroscience research, much of which takes place at UCI Medical Center. Located in the City of Orange, 13 miles to the north, the Medical Center is the primary teaching and research hospital for the UCI College of Medicine.
Bus transportation makes travel convenient between the campus, UCI Medical Center and major housing areas, shopping centers, and recreation locales. In addition, the campus and surrounding communities are designed for bicycle traffic with trails connecting UCI with student housing and the coast.
CELEBRATE UCI
On Saturday, April 19, 2003, UCI will host its annual open house, Celebrate UCI. Among the day's events are the Wayzgoose Medieval Fair, housing and campus tours, and lectures and presentations, including information about admissions, academic programs, and financial aid. Additional information is available from the Office of the Dean of Students; telephone (949) 824-5182.
Office of University Advancement
The Office of University Advancement is responsible for increasing support and awareness of UCI's teaching, research, and public service missions through a strategic effort incorporating development, communications, alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, and community, state, and local governmental relations. These combined efforts provide a bridge between the University and community, promoting a climate of understanding, support, and access.
In an era of decreasing State funding to the University of California, the importance of private support is greater than ever. The Development Office, in conjunction with the UCI Foundation and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, raises private funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations, raising $52 million this past academic year.
UCI's development program works hand-in-hand with UCI schools and programs to secure major gifts from individuals to support faculty priorities; assists donors through gift planning who wish to include UCI in their wills or estate plans; and secures a large number of annual gifts through the Chancellor's Club, Daniel G. Aldrich Jr. Society, Scholar's Circle, and Annual Fund. In addition, numerous support groups offer affiliation with academic units, athletics, and student programs.
The Communications Office leads efforts to promote UCI's mission, priorities, and value; raise awareness of its achievements, academic accomplishments, and cultural events; and increase the involvement and support of its internal and external communities through regular communication to target audiences.
The UCI Alumni Association advances and supports the interests of UCI and its graduates through recruitment and retention of students, providing scholarships and fellowships, and disseminating information about UCI and its objectives. The Association provides opportunities for alumni to form lasting bonds with UCI through membership in its various chapters and clubs, networking via the Internet and reunions, and participation in special campus and alumni events and programs. The Association also keeps members in close contact with the campus and fellow alumni through the quarterly alumni newsletter.
The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations creates and manages robust strategic partnerships with top-tier corporations and foundations in order to help UCI compete successfully for private funding at the state and national level. The Office of Corporate Relations facilitates linkages for research and technology alliances, corporate education, and employee recruitment and workforce development. Foundation Relations works with major American and international foundations and UCI faculty to develop complex institutional projects. University Research Park Relations attracts and develops relations with University Research Park companies, serving as a liaison for internships, recruitment, research partnerships, and programming. In addition, this program ensures that Research Park initiatives are conveyed to the general public.
The Office of Community, State, and Local Government Relations is responsible for enhancing public understanding and support of UCI and the University of California. The program works to ensure that the University's mission, as well as its legislative and budgetary objectives, are given due consideration by elected officials and the general public. In addition, it sponsors the Chief Executive Roundtable, which fosters the exchange of ideas, advice, and assistance between UCI and local CEOs.
For additional information, call University Advancement, (949) 824-8696; Development Office, (949) 824-8696; Communications, (949) 824-6922; Alumni Association, (949) 824-2586; Corporate Relations, (949) 824-3872; Foundation Relations, (949) 824-7935; University Park Relations, (949) 824-8779; and Government Relations, (949) 824-7933.
