The University of California, Riverside today announced the establishment of the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) and named Robert L. Heath, professor of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, to serve as interim director.

The new Office is designed to function as a center to coordinate existing academic support programs and develop a formal academic support structure for undergraduate students. The OUE is the first step in what is planned to become a Division of Undergraduate Education.

"This is really the next step in our evolution as a campus," said David H. Warren, UC Riverside executive vice chancellor. "Academic support could be done well on an informal basis for a student population under 10,000, but it becomes more challenging with nearly 16,000 students. Just as we recognized the need for more classrooms, housing and parking to accommodate our growth, we recognize the need for a systematic approach for academic support programs to ensure our students and faculty can realize the full opportunities of engagement."

The OUE will have responsibility for organizing and conducting elements of the first year experience such as academic aspects of Welcome Week, summer enrichment programs, and academic success workshops. An OUE Advisory Committee to the interim director will consist of the chairs of the Academic Senate Committees on Educational Policy, Preparatory Education, and Undergraduate Council; two additional Academic Senate members; two representatives from student government and other representatives from the colleges and campus administration.

"I am delighted that Bob Heath has accepted this interim assignment," noted UC Riverside Chancellor, France A. Córdova. "Bob brings the combination of a full sense of UCR's history and culture, strong administrative experience as an associate dean, and a passion for the concept of a quality experience for students."

"We're fortunate to have such rich variety in the backgrounds, expectations and needs of our student population, and I'm pleased to be in a position to serve as a bridge between UCR the small campus and UCR the big campus with small campus values, " said Heath.

Professor Heath joined the UC Riverside faculty in 1969 and also serves as vice chairman of the Academic Senate. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the California Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley.

The University of California, Riverside offers undergraduate and graduate education to nearly 16,000 students and has a projected enrollment of 21,000 students by 2010. It is the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse campus of the preeminent ten-campus University of California system, the largest public research university system in the world. The picturesque 1,200-acre campus is located at the foot of the Box Springs Mountains near downtown Riverside in Southern California. More information about UC Riverside is available at by calling 909-787-5185.