UC Riverside chancellor Timothy White assured the Coachella Valley community he has no plans to shut down the university's Palm Desert Graduate Center, according to an op-ed that appeared over the weekend in the Desert Sun.
The paper said concerns about a closure were raised in the community last month when the chancellor laid off the center's executive director Carolyn Stark and six staff members.
In an editorial board meeting with the Desert Sun, White told the paper the action was part of a plan to "press the reset button." He called on the community to work with the university on a new needs assessment.
“We want to be a good partner here,” White was quoted. “But I don't want to make promises I can't keep.”
The $16 million educational facility opened in 2005. It offers an executive MBA program and a master of fine arts in creative writing and writing for the performing arts. One consideration raised for bolstering the center would be offering undergraduate coursework.
In the editorial board meeting, White shared information about ongoing UC Riverside activities important to the Coachella Valley, including:
- The S. Roy Wilson Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems at UCR Palm Desert, a potential leader in the valley's green energy revolution
- The California Center for Native Nations, which initiates, facilitates, and executes research by, about and with American Indian people
- The Coachella Valley Agricultural Research Station, where UC scientists have conducted research on agriculture and pest control for more than 100 years
In a listing of University activities in the area, the story mentioned work by UCCE horticulture specialist Victor Gibeault, who teamed up with Palm Desert-based West Coast Turf to develop grasses used in many valley golf courses and in baseball and football stadiums.
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