I often remind UCR’s faculty, students and staff that we will be remembered not for the brilliance of our decisions but for the compassion with which we make them. This belief has never been more important than it is now, as we face an economic downturn that is affecting many in our extended UCR family at a personal level at the same time that it is impacting the University as a whole.

In February, when I first had this conversation with my Cabinet, the suggestion of a community garden quickly surfaced. The idea was that UCR would provide the land, infrastructure and expertise to plant a vegetable garden from which the produce would be made available to the most needy in our community. On April 17, under the leadership of Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement Dan Aldrich, UCR broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot garden. Partnering with us is the Salvation Army, which will utilize 5,000 square feet for its clients. The rest is managed by our students, who will use some of the harvest for their own needs and direct the rest to charities.

This is just one of many examples of how we can work to help one another during these challenging times. The Staff Assembly Welfare Committee put out a call for donations to staff who are experiencing hardship. As a result, 38 staff and their families were assisted with gifts of cash, gas cards and food cards.

Our students, too, are demonstrating their concern by contributing countless hours to make our community a better place. They are out there representing UCR at its best on projects that include Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, the First Baptist Soup Kitchen, the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center and the Nati Fuentes Centro de Ninos, where they read in Spanish to local youngsters. Twice a month our first- and second-year medical students volunteer at the Student Run Health Clinic, a collaboration between UCR students, a local church, and an Explorer Post of the Boy Scouts of America. Students review medical histories, perform physical examinations and discuss treatment plans with patients without health insurance or homes.

And sometimes our students themselves need help. UCR’s Financial Aid Office has been enormously creative in assisting students whose families are experiencing financial difficulties. One such student faced having to drop out until financial aid staff found a way to augment her loans. The student’s mother wrote, “It is heartwarming — particularly in these times — to experience such generosity, professionalism, esprit de corps and humanity from such a large institution. While these are not the circumstances under which I would like to be introduced to people, it is a good indicator of the true character and spirit of the folks at UCR.”

Times are only getting tougher. Following the failure of the May 19 ballot initiatives, the University of California’s budget reduction will increase from $115 million to an estimated $519 million. UCR will be cut proportionately. On May 21, I discussed the impact to our campus at a Town Hall meeting. Since then, I have been touched by the outpouring of compassion from members of our campus community. Many are similar to the following, expressed in an e-mail from Pat Kohlmeier, director of major gifts.

“I am completely committed to seeing our campus weather this crisis in a way that will not lower our long-term pursuit of excellence,” she wrote. “We owe it to our students and to our region of Inland California. I am willing to do my part. I am happy to take on more work and I am willing to contribute to the overall well-being of our campus.”

We are at our best when we pull together. And staying together is the only way we are going to emerge from this crisis stronger and better positioned to continue “living our promise.” I take pride in our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends for doing their part.

Warm regards,
Timothy P. White
Chancellor