UC Riverside officials plan to tout their efforts in research and the arts when University of California leaders come to town next week.

About a dozen regents from the 26-member board are expected to be in Riverside on Wednesday and Thursday.

The regents, members of the UC system's governing board, will tour the campus, sample rare fruits from UCR's citrus collection and learn more about the study of genomics, engineering and the environment.

"This is a marvelous opportunity for the regents to experience first-hand the vitality and excitement of the UCR campus, from the excellence of our diverse student body to the world-class research of our faculty," UCR Chancellor France Córdova said in an e-mail. "Throughout their visit, the regents will be interacting directly with faculty, staff, and students and learning about the quality of our programs, from the performing arts to the latest technologies."

The regents last visited UCR in April 2000, when officials were planning for an enrollment surge. This trip comes amid concerns about proposed budget cuts and enrollment caps.

In his budget proposal, Gov. Schwarzenegger has called for cutting $372 million from the University of California system's budget and reducing state-funded research by 5 percent. Additionally, the governor has proposed increasing undergraduate tuition by 10 percent and graduate tuition by 40 percent.

UCR junior Christina Gonzales, a political science major from Lakewood, said she hopes the regents listen to students' concerns about rising fees.

Gonzales, 21, plans to return this fall for her senior year, but she expects to have to take out more student loans.

"It's still a burden because I know I'll have to pay that money back when I graduate," Gonzales said. "I know that they are trying, but it's still really hard as a student to understand it."

The regents typically make two or three UC campus visits a year to speak with students, faculty and staff, said Trey Davis, spokesman for the UC president's office in Oakland.

"This is an opportunity to showcase successes and highlight challenges," Davis said. "It's more of a fact-finding visit for the regents to hear what's on the minds of the campus community."