"Despite the enormous support of our community on and off campus, as well as friends around the state, I regret to inform you that state funding has not been provided for the UCR School of Medicine in the state's FY 11-12 budget," said Chancellor Timothy P. White in a message to campus. "The budget now signed by the Governor does not accommodate the pressing need of inland Southern California for this School of Medicine."
Indeed, the budget cuts an additional $150 million from the UC systemwide budget, a total of $650 million in total cuts so far for the fiscal year 2011-12. The Regents of the University of California will take up the impacts and solutions to this new cut in their mid-July meeting. UC President Mark Yudof has said that additional tuition increases are inevitable.
UC Riverside had been planning to open the School of Medicine in fall of 2012. Without additional state funding the campus will not be able to successfully appeal the denial of preliminary accreditation made by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
"With the full support of President Yudof and the senior leaders of the UC Office of the President, we will redouble our effort over the summer and fall to secure ongoing state resources to support our re-application in the fall for accreditation the following year, 2013," White said.
"While deeply disappointing, I am not disillusioned by this outcome because it is occurring in a very difficult economic time. No one has spoken against the merits of our School of Medicine, its approach, nor the compelling case from both a health care and economic perspective."
"I am deeply grateful to those of you here and around the community, and even around the nation, who added your voices to mine. This is a temporary setback, but we will prevail."
The delay means that the school can not accept student applications. But the staff that has been hired will continue to work on building the necessary structure for the school. Apart from accreditation, there is a need to expand student pipeline programs and to establish residency training programs. All of that work is continuing without interruption.