UC Santa Cruz raises $2.7 million for student support

Chancellor Denice D. Denton announced that $2.7 million was raised in the last year to benefit scholarships and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students at UC Santa Cruz. The announcement was made on Saturday (November 5) to approximately 350 campus supporters at the annual Scholarships Benefit Dinner. At the dinner a year ago, campus officials said that $1 million had been raised for that purpose.

Record amount nearly triples the $1 million announced at last year's benefit dinner

"Support for students changes lives," Denton stated. After asking for a show of hands of those attending the dinner to indicate how many had benefited from scholarships or fellowships, she said, "It's clear that most of us can attest personally to the value of supporting students."

The dinner was co-hosted by the UCSC Alumni Association and the UC Santa Cruz Foundation. Dominic Siababa and Anuradha Luther Maitra, presidents, respectively, of those organizations, officiated at the event. Besides Denton, other speakers included Professor Faye Crosby, Academic Senate Chair, and Tremain Jones, a recent graduate and scholarship recipient.

The event culminated a series of activities celebrating Denton's investiture as the campus's 9th chancellor. Earlier in the week, Denton had hosted a symposium on "Achieving Excellence through Diversity," and on Friday, November 4, UC President Dynes officially invested Denton as chancellor. Approximately 400 campus members and friends attended the investiture and inaugural address, which Denton sprinkled with statements in Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and Swahili to underscore the theme of diversity and excellence. In her remarks, she highlighted six priorities that will guide the future of the campus, while acknowledging the work of the campus pioneers and others whose efforts have brought the campus to its present distinction.