ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2024

Advancing student and alumni success

Student Success Initiative

The Student Success Initiative continues to provide vital financial resources for undergraduate and graduate students and access to guidance and experiences fundamental to their UC Santa Cruz education and future careers. 

Since its inception in July 2021, the initiative has raised more than $62 million from nearly 20,000 donors, helping to ensure that all UC Santa Cruz students have access to financial support, secure sources of housingand food, mental health support, and connections that support their educational journey and catalyze their social mobility.

Kresge College’s sustainable and award-winning renewal project

UC Santa Cruz’s Kresge College renewal project earned the prestigious Honor Award at the 2024 AIA Architecture Awards in San Francisco. Designed by the architecture firm Studio Gang, the comprehensive renewal will expand Kresge College’s footprint by more than 65,000 square feet, with new and renovated residential and academic buildings that blend harmoniously with the natural environment. Featuring renewable materials and advanced water and energy systems, the revitalization is aligned with the university’s commitment to ecological stewardship. 

Phase one, completed in fall 2023, included the new Kresge College Academic Center and three new residence halls for first-year students, with study spaces and enhanced accessibility features. Phase two will include more residence buildings, a new Town Hall, and a civic plaza for students to gather outside. All told, the renewal project will add more than 600 beds, giving more students the chance to live among the redwoods, build community, and possibly hear the hoot of the college’s very own mascot, the Kresge Owl. This ongoing project reinforces UC Santa Cruz’s dedication to sustainable development and vibrant living-and-learning communities.

Building education-to-employment pathways

UC Santa Cruz’s Educational Partnership Center is providing leadership for the Central Coast K–16 Regional Collaborative, which has been awarded an $18.1 million, three-year grant through California’s Community Economic Recovery Fund to establish pathways for career opportunities in healthcare and engineering/computing, and to bridge long-standing equity gaps for students across six Central Coast counties.

Established in 2023, the collaborative is led and operated by UC Santa Cruz’s Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educational Partnerships and Chief Campus Outreach Officer Maria Rocha-Ruiz and representatives from Cabrillo College, UC Santa Barbara, and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. It brings together K–16 educational institutions and localindustries throughout the Central Coast to create seamless transitions from kindergarten through higher education, aligning education with job market demands and helping students secure high-wage, high-impact careers. The collaborative’s work focuses on transforming lives, propelling regional economic growth, and invigorating communities. 

The partnership highlights UC Santa Cruz’s dedication to educational equity and its leadership role in supporting sustainable career pathways for students.

Surge in summer Slugs 

Summer enrollment at UC Santa Cruz is on the rise, with an impressive projected 15% growth in 2024 compared with 2023. This surge is driven by successful initiatives like the Pay for Only 10 program, which lets students pay for just the first 10 tuition credits while taking additional classes, and a 50% discount for visiting summer-only California community college students, making it easier for them to earn credits and prepare to transfer to a UC campus.

Summer courses play an important role in helping students meet prerequisite and graduation requirements, reducing both degree completion time and educational costs. Many courses are offered online, providing flexibility for students to attend from anywhere, and financial aid packages are available to make summer study more accessible. Additionally, programs like the First Year and Transfer Edge are increasingly popular, offering early coursework and mentorship to help students transition smoothly to UC Santa Cruz. 

These initiatives highlight UC Santa Cruz’s commitment to improving educational accessibility, affordability, and student success throughout the Summer Session and beyond.

Award-winning student global experiences 

UC Santa Cruz has earned national and international recognition for its commitment to global education, receiving the 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. This prestigious award recognizes innovative and effective approaches to integrating international perspectives and engagement across the university.

In the past six years, UC Santa Cruz has significantly expanded global learning opportunities for students. The Division of Global Engagement, established in 2016, has developed and launched programs such as Global Internships, which are academically integrated internships abroad; Faculty-Led Global Seminars; and the Global Classrooms initiative,which connects UC Santa Cruz students with students at partner universities abroad to collaborate on projects virtually. All of these new programs have seen remarkable growth. Student enrollment in Global Internships has nearly tripled since its 2021 launch, and participation in Faculty-Led Global Seminars grew from 12 students in 2017 to 129 in summer 2024.

The university’s collaborative efforts with faculty and the establishment of partnerships with over 50 institutions in more than 15 countries have been key to this success. 

Online major expands educational equity

Creative Technologies (CT), a new justice-focused online- and hybrid-modality major in the Arts Division, is the first of its kind in the University of California system. The innovative program emphasizes the study of creativity in digital environments and integrates practice, theory, criticism, and technology as forms of artistic and multi-genre expression. Launching in fall 2024, CT aims to promote equity by offering accessible, inclusive education that breaks down geographical and economic barriers within the UC system.

By providing flexible online learning, CT empowers students who may have paused their studies to resume and complete their degrees. The program also allows students to apply their learning directly in their communities and professions, offering unique flexibility compared with traditional on-campus programs.

Creative Technologies sets a new standard for accessible education in the UC system, preparing students for careers that extend beyond traditional art studios into virtual and global collaborations and creations. 

Well-being Collective advances community health

UC Santa Cruz in May joined over 30 U.S. institutions in adopting the Okanagan Charter, focusing on health promotion amid post-COVID challenges. The university aims to integrate health into daily operations and foster a supportive environment. Key objectives include promoting well-being; maintaining commitment to the university’s mission; and expanding opportunities for student, staff, and faculty involvement. The UC Santa Cruz Well-being Collective will support these efforts, ensuring long-term focus and community input. This initiative underscores the campus’s dedication to nurturing a supportive, inclusive environment for all.

Slug Support helps students in need

Slug Support continues to provide basic needs help by connecting students with a multitude of campus resources. Throughout 2023–24, the Slug Support program provided resources, guidance, and connection to more than 1,700 students. Students reached out to Slug Support for help with navigating financial, housing, and food insecurity; securing emergency housing; and more. Additionally, the Redwood Free Market, which offers students free produce, dry goods, weekly meal kits, CalFresh application assistance, and an emergency diaper relief program for student parents, recorded over 10,000 visits. Students who utilized Slug Support indicated a positive experience and lauded the program’s help. One student explained, “I had the guidance I needed in a hard time. Kind, understanding, and compassionate staff.” Another student shared, “I got a game plan for what I should do next to build the best outcome of my situation.”

Ecosystem of Care launches virtual coffee hour series

In December, the Division of Student Affairs and Success launched a virtual coffee hour series for students called Ecosystem of Care. This series was designed to provide parents, family, and all those supporting UCSC students with essential information about navigating campus life. The 2023–24 inaugural series included feature sessions with Student Health and Wellness, Campus Housing and Residence Life, Financial Aid, and Career Success. In each session, a panel of campus experts presented information about their resources before opening up the session for questions and answers. Nearly 700 people attended the inaugural virtual coffee hour series. 

Return to the Redwoods offers immersive alumni experience

Alumni relived their good ol’ days during Return to the Redwoods, an immersive experience that welcomed Banana Slugs back to campus. For three days and two nights, alums and their families and friends stayed in residential dorms and apartments while enjoying special curated events like sunrise yoga on East Field, breakfast in the dining halls, guided campus tours, engaging faculty lectures, a campfire with s’mores, and a movie in Quarry Plaza. Return to the Redwoods was created in response to a 2021 survey that revealed an overwhelming number of alumni identify with the extraordinary landscape of UC Santa Cruz over any other factor — a statistic unique to UC Santa Cruz compared with other universities nationwide. Return to the Redwoods reconnects alumni with a campus unlike any other.