3,800 UC technical workers vote to unionize. The engineering school launches a corporate partners program to expand the school's donor base. UCSD chemists report that a meteorite found in 1962 came all the way from Mars. Students swarm the Price Center to protest proposed tuition increases. The Regents abolish affirmative action, setting off rallies and protests on all campuses.
Students reject a third bid to reinstate intercollegiate football.
The Central Library is renamed Geisel Library to recognize a record gift by the author's widow, Audrey. Atkinson is named the UC's 17th president. Doctorate programs in oceanography and neuroscience are rated No.1 in the country by the National Academy of Sciences. 1996 - 300 demonstrators block La Jolla Village Dr. to protest the end of affirmative action. An on-campus charter high school is proposed to boost the number of disadvantaged students eligible for UC admission.