According to statistics quoted in Los Angeles Times article (January 15, 2007), “Diversity  works at UC Riverside”,  UC  Riverside has the highest percentage of  African Americans of any of the 10 campuses and highest percentage of Latinos of any campus with the exception of the new Merced campus which has slightly more Latinos. UCLA and Berkeley continue to struggle to attract minorities while UC Riverside stands as one of the most ethnically diverse research universities in the country.

UC Riverside Chancellor France A. Cordova, hailed as the first Latina chancellor of UC system, leads the university reaching out to minority applicants, giving financial aid packages to promising students, offering summer programs to give high school students a chance to experience life on campus and creating race based programs to assist minority students.

As quoted in the LA Times article:

“We are not UC rejects,” says Samantha Wilson, 19, a white student who chose Riverside because of its diversity. “We are UC on the rise.”

Despite these successes there are challenges to overcome. Some students report that the school could do more to bring students of various ethnic backgrounds together. Others suggest there is too much emphasis on racial identity and not enough on integration. Even if true, hats off to UC Riverside, Chancellor Cordova, staff and students at UC Riverside for taking important first steps to attract college student-bodies that reflect the diversity of our state.