UC President Robert Dynes issued the following statement May 20 about the infrastructure bond package that has been placed on the statewide ballot for November:

"At the University of California, this funding would be used to accommodate growing numbers of students, to renew aging infrastructure, and to keep up with the changing technology that is so critical to instruction and research in so many fields," said Dynes.

"It also would help us further protect our people and buildings against the threat of a major earthquake and allow us to continue building out our new campus in Merced, which is central to keeping our promise of access to the youth of the San Joaquin Valley and throughout California," he added.

The $10.4 billion bond package includes $345 million per year, for two years, for UC facilities — including $18 million toward expansion and renovation of the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall), and $3 million to start the planning process for a new veterinary medicine building at Davis.

The bond measure also includes a total of $200 million over the two-year period for capital improvements to support expansion of UC medical education programs.

"I am additionally pleased," Dynes said, "that this bond package includes the governor's proposed funding for UC medical education programs to improve health care for underserved Californians."

— Dateline staff