Working toward a healthy campus climate

To: UC Santa Cruz Community

From: Teresa Maria Linda Scholz, Campus Diversity Officer for Staff and Students; Garrett Naiman, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students; Nader Oweis, Chief of Police

Redwood trees on campus

White nationalist messages left recently on our campus try to break the foundation of the social justice we strive for at UC Santa Cruz. We will not let cracks form.

We are determined to not let others undermine our work toward creating a healthy campus climate that is inclusive and physically safe for all members of our Banana Slug community. Our students belong here. Our staff members belong here. Our faculty members belong here.

If you have any information about who may be defacing the campus with these messages, which are believed to be part of a nationwide campaign, and/or if you come across hate-evoking graffiti or fliers, please immediately contact the UC Santa Cruz Police Department at 831-459-2231 ext. 1.

We also encourage you to:

  • Take a picture of the graffiti and/or the flier and include it in a report to https://reporthate.ucsc.edu/
  • Inform a senior director of college student life, associate director of college student life, coordinator of residential education (CRE) supervisor, dean, or provost so they can assess whether the graffiti and/or the fliers were posted in accordance with campus posting policies (all unauthorized postings, regardless of content, are removed).

Thank you to everyone who submitted a report and contacted our offices. Your willingness to report is indicative of how our community works effectively together. As a community we can do more to counter messages of hate and will continue to do so.

Campus resources

A range of support services is available for students through the Cowell Student Health Center, including personal counseling through Counseling and Psychological Services.

For employees, the Employee Assistance Program can provide personal counseling and support.