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North America/United States of America/California/Irvine/University of California, Irvine/
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University of California, Irvine
- Location & Contact Information
- Address, Directions, & Map:
- Irvine, California, United States of America
- Telephone Numbers:
- Official Website: [1]
- Address, Directions, & Map:
- History & Memorable Moments
- Early years
The University of California at Irvine, was one of three new campuses established in the 1960s under the California Master Plan for Higher Education with the San Diego and Santa Cruz. During the 1950s, the University of California saw the need for the new campuses to handle both the large number of college-bound World War II veterans (largely due to the G. I. Bill) and the expected increase in enrollment from the post-war baby boom. One of the new campuses was to be in the Los Angeles area; the location selected was Irvine Ranch, an area of agricultural land bisecting Orange County from north to south. This site was chosen to accommodate the county's growing population, complement the growth of nearby UCLA and UC Riverside, and allow for the construction of a master planned community in the surrounding area. [1]
Unlike other University of California campuses, UCI was not named for the city it was built in; at the time of the university's founding (1965), the current city of Irvine (established in 1975) did not exist. The name "Irvine" is a reference to James Irvine, a landowner who administered the 94,000 acre (380 km²) Irvine Ranch. In 1960 The Irvine Company sold one thousand acres (4 km²) of the Irvine Ranch to the University of California for one dollar, since a company policy prohibited the donation of property to a public entity. The University purchased an additional 510 acres (2.1 km²) in 1964 for housing and commercial developments. Much of the land that was not purchased by UCI (which is now occupied by the cities of Irvine, Tustin, Newport Beach, and Newport Coast) is now held under The Irvine Company. During this time, the University also hired William Pereira and Associates as the Master Planner of the Irvine Ranch area. Pereira intended for the UC Irvine campus to complement the neighboring community, and the two grew in tandem. Soon after UC Irvine opened in 1965, the City of Irvine became incorporated and established in 1971 and 1975, respectively. [1]
UC Irvine's first Chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich, developed the campus' first academic plan around a College of Arts, Letters, and Science, a Graduate School of Administration, and a School of Engineering. The College of Arts, Letters, and Science was composed of twenty majors in five "Divisions": Biological Sciences, Fine Arts, Humanities, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences (which transformed into the present-day "Schools"). Aldrich was also responsible for implementing the wide variety of flora and fauna on the campus that fit the local Mediterranean climate zone, feeling that it served an "aesthetic, environmental, and educational [purpose]." [1]
On June 20, 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicated UC Irvine before a crowd of 15,000 people, and on October 4, 1965 the campus began operations with 1,589 students, 241 staff members, 119 faculty, and 43 teaching assistants. However, many of UCI's buildings were still under construction and landscaping was still in progress, with the campus only at 75% completion. By June 25, 1966, UCI held its first Commencement with fourteen students, which conferred ten Bachelors of Arts, three Masters of Arts, and one Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1965 the formerly osteopathic California College of Medicine, the oldest continuously operating medical college in the southwestern US was joined to UCI. Over the protests of faculty, the University bowed to pressure from Governor Brown and bought the Orange County Medical Center from the government ending ambitions for an on campus teaching hospital. Intermittent attempts over the years to bring a full medical center to the school itself have been frustrated by many factors. [1]
- Present day
A view of suburban Irvine. The white tower in the foreground is part of University Center, and everything to its left and right is part of UCI. [1]
UC Irvine itself has grown with its surroundings, with the university earning national acclaim in academia that reflects its status as a nationally-ranked public research university. This fast-paced growth has made UC Irvine the educational and cultural center of Orange County, as well as making a popular translation of the abbreviation "UCI" as "Under Construction Indefinitely".[15] The University is also a central component of Southern California's Tech Coast and the OCTANe technology initiative, fueling corporate and technological development that reflects its history as a planned campus. As the second-largest employer in Orange County (the largest employer being The Walt Disney Company), UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. Its extramural funding, which has shown exponential annual growth, was a record $263 million in 2005. [1]
In 2006, UC Irvine operated 68 undergraduate degree programs, 53 minors, 45 master's degree programs, and 43 doctorate programs (including one M.D., two Ed. D. programs). At UC Irvine's 2005 Commencement ceremonies, the university conferred 6,759 degrees to what was at the time its largest graduating class. [1]
- Future growth
As part of its long-term efforts to "attain flagship status," UC Irvine has implemented construction projects (estimated to cost $1.3 billion over the next decade) that will accelerate the campus build-out and employ the remainder of the university's land grant. The exponential increase in construction activity is a part of the Strategy for Academic Development at UCI through 2015, a master plan that outlines the vision of making UCI a first-choice university for college applicants nationwide. [1]
- Overview, Photographs, & Video Links
Prospective Students
- Admissions Tips
New & Current Students
- Campus Events
- Transportation
- Safety Tips
- Support Centers
- Counseling
- Grading System
- Good Classes & Teachers
- Groups & Organizations
- College & Career Tips
Alumni
- Benefits of Joining Alumni Association
- Mailing List Directory
- Chapters
- Teachers (Where are they now?)
- Aracil Diaz, Francisco (May 1991 - June 1995)
- Jacks, Sara (March 1991 - April 1995)
- Alumni Directory
- Alumni Events
Visitors
- Hotels Nearby
- Restaurant Recommendations
- Places of Worship
- Sports Facility Access
Other Links
References
