As the nation’s premier public research institution and California’s third-largest employer, the University of California has taken bold steps to confront the existential threat of climate change and to harness the power of science to create solutions. While UC is a national leader among universities in its efforts to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and to invest in clean energy, the University recognizes it will take collective action to pull us back from the brink of disaster given the scale and severity of the climate crisis. The University therefore welcomes a stronger partnership with the federal government to embark on a new period of innovation and discovery and looks forward to seeing how our renowned faculty contribute to addressing this crisis.

The University of California today (March 16) announced a pioneering open access agreement with the world’s largest scientific publisher, Elsevier, making significantly more of the University’s research available to people worldwide — immediately and at no cost. The deal will put more UC research into the hands of individuals across the globe at a time when international collaboration to fight COVID-19 has illuminated the value of open access to scientific findings.

UC students and leaders testified to the urgent need to reinvest in Pell Grant funding that helps those from low-income families pay for college.

Security experts, higher education leaders convene in late Jan. to address the rise of foreign threats.

The Double the Pell campaign calls on the federal government to reinvest in Pell Grants, the vital aid program that helps millions afford college.

The University of California announced today (Feb. 8) that it is launching the Double the Pell campaign to urge Congress and the new federal administration to charter a more affordable pathway to higher education for America’s students and families.

The University of California announced today (Jan. 28) that the system received for fall 2021 admission the highest number of undergraduate applications in its history, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Highlights among California freshmen include a jump in overall applications and surges among African American and Chicano/Latino students, while California Community College transfer applications also grew by an impressive margin.

University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D., released the following statement today (Jan. 20) in response to President Biden’s executive order reinstating the U.S. to the Paris climate accord. 

UC is a major contributor to the state’s vitality, generating $82 billion in economic activity per year and supporting 1 in 45 jobs.

The University is an essential economic engine for the state, supporting over half a million jobs and contributing to the economy in every region. 

The University of California announced today (Jan. 11) that it is planning for a return to primarily in-person instruction systemwide starting fall 2021, enabling prospective and current students as well as their families to understand our goal well in advance amid the uncertainties of the pandemic.

Gov. Newsom’s budget provides $136.3 million of new ongoing support to the University of California, including $103.9 million to partly restore the $300.8 million in reductions made last year to UC. The proposal also includes $32.4 million for ongoing targeted investments in other areas, such as expanding access for student mental health services and supporting UC Programs in Medical Education (UC PRIME), which combine specialized coursework and training experiences that allow future physicians to better support underserved populations.