Bustling Campus Greets Students for UC Merced’s 21st Academic Year

The growing energy across campus is palpable as UC Merced prepares for its 21st academic year. Fall semester instruction begins Wednesday, Aug. 26, furthering the mission of one of the nation's top public research universities to provide knowledge and opportunity to a vibrant and diverse student body.

Orientation sessions and move-in activities for on-campus student residents began the week of Aug. 17, leading a slate of welcome-to-campus activities.

"To all of our new students, welcome to the UC Merced family. To all of our returning students, we are delighted to see you again," Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Engagement Tonanzín Oseguera said.

"Being a Bobcat means more than attending classes," Oseguera said. "It means exploring ideas, building community and finding your voice. You belong here, and we're ready to support you every step of the way."

Scholars Bridge Crossing

First-year and transfer students are invited to take part in one of UC Merced's oldest traditions. The new Bobcats will gather starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, on the green next to the Pavilion dining hall. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and other campus leaders will lead the march over the bridge, while staff, faculty, current students and alumni cheer on the students. The procession will then pass through the Beginnings sculpture, signifying the start of the students' academic journeys at UC Merced.

Immediately after Scholars Bridge Crossing, the schools of Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts will host welcome receptions for students. Those who have not declared majors are invited to attend a reception hosted by Undergraduate Education.

Signs of a Growing Campus

• Medical Education Building : Final touches are being made to the new home for healthcare instruction and research. The two-building complex, scheduled for occupancy in the spring 2027 semester, stands four stories tall and boasts more than 200,000 square feet of offices, classrooms and laboratories. The complex will host the public health and psychological sciences departments, the Health Sciences Research Institute, and the San Joaquin Valley PRIME+ program.

• Promise Housing: The distinctive residential complex going up next to the Bellevue parking lot is a joint initiative to streamline the transition for transfer students between Merced College and UC Merced. The complex will have nearly 500 beds in fully furnished, apartment-style units with two-bedroom and four-bedroom layouts. A Transfer Student Resource Center on the ground floor will provide academic advising, administrative support and campus integration services. Promise Housing's first residents, all of them Merced College students, are scheduled to move in this January for the spring 2027 semester.

• Classroom and Office Building 3: UC Merced's third "COB" is in the early stages of construction on the campus's northeast corner. Key features of the three-story project include a performing arts auditorium and an audience-in-the-round lecture hall.

New Degrees

• Business Administration: This bachelor's degree gives students a broad grounding in management, finance, marketing, accounting and economics, with an emphasis on real-world application, case studies and practical projects.

• Accounting: With a focus on financial accounting, auditing, taxation and regulation, along with the ethical standards required in public practice, this bachelor's degree prepares students for the California exam required to become a certified public accountant.

• Computer Science: The bachelor's degree will build a solid foundation for innovation in areas ranging from databases and data management, security, graphics and visualization, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and robotics and computer networks.

New Campus Leaders

• Louis Rossi started work Aug. 1 as dean of the School of Natural Sciences. Rossi, a professor of mathematical sciences, comes from the University of Delaware, where he was the founding dean of the Graduate College and vice provost for Graduate and Professional Education. He succeeds Professor Michael Findlater, who served as interim dean since March 2024. Findlater remains a member of the UC Merced faculty.

• University Librarian Sarah Forzetting started her role July 1. She came to UC Merced from Stanford University, where she was associate director for Acquisitions and Collections Services. Forzetting succeeds Haipeng Li, who retired in June after 11 years in the role and more than 35 years in higher education.

• Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students José Miguel Pulido León came to UC Merced from University of the Pacific, where he served as dean of students. He began his UC Merced role July 1. León succeeds interim Dean of Students Le'Trice Curl, who remains on campus as an associate dean of students.

Bobcat Athletics on the Rise

On Sept. 1, UC Merced's athletics program becomes an active National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II member. The university completed an expedited transition process from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the NCAA. The Bobcats are now eligible for all conference, regional and national championships.