Students, faculty, and staff came together Wednesday afternoon to reaffirm the values and principles of UC Santa Cruz and support the needs of the community.
Roughly 200 people stood in Quarry Plaza to listen to campus leaders talk about the thoughts and feelings expressed by many students in the last week.
“Our campus is committed to all of our students, and our entire community, regardless of anyone’s race, ethnicity, disability status, gender, sexuality, gender identity, religion, immigration status, or whatever challenging life experiences they’ve faced,” interim Vice Provost for Student Success Jaye Padgett said.
Padgett noted that the division includes resource centers, Student Organization Advising and Resources (SOAR), Learning Support Services, and more.
“We’re the Division of Student Success, so our job is to support the academic success of our students,” Padgett said. “But we know that academic success is not just about study skills. Much of our Division’s work was founded in historical struggles to give equal access to education and life opportunities to all people.”
Other speakers included Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway, interim Dean of Students Lucy Rojas, Academic Senate Chair Olof Einarsdottir, and Kresge College Provost Ben Leeds Carson.
After the brief speeches, members of the campus community wrote messages on canvas as part of an art project.
