Today marks the final day of spring quarter and the start of commencement! As we all eagerly await summer—enough with the June gloom!—I want to celebrate our soon-to-be new graduates and acknowledge the efforts of all in our community whose day-to-day efforts enable our community to thrive.
To the Class of 2023, congratulations! Your determination, successes, and pursuit of excellence is inspirational. I am filled with optimism for our future when I hear your stories and learn your plans! Our campus published a series of videos to highlight just a handful of our amazing graduates. If you haven’t viewed them yet, please take a moment to do so. They are wonderful! Nothing makes me prouder than seeing the commitment shown by so many of you to change the world for the better.
To those students who have more work to do before earning your degrees, know that we are here to support you on your journey and that your day will soon come. To our faculty and staff, you have my immense gratitude for all that you do in support of our students, research efforts, and public-service initiatives. You are making a difference in the lives of so many.
The Highlights
| • | Still time to register for Summer Session |
| • | Celebrating Pride Month |
| • | Highlighting the value of a diverse leadership team |
| • | Foodways dinner a big success |
| • | Lots happening on and off campus this summer |
| • | Final opportunity to weigh in on our strategic planning |
| • | Updates to return in September |
Still time to add a Summer Session Class
While spring-quarter classes are over, it’s not too late to add a Summer Session class! Summer classes, both in-person and online, are a great way for students to make progress toward their educational goals, and you can add a class right up until the first session starts June 26. On-campus Summer Session housing is also still available. Visit the Summer Session website for details. Another reason to consider summertime learning: Under our new Pay For Only 10 program, all current and incoming UCSC undergraduates will only pay for up to 10 credits of summer tuition, even if taking more than 10 credits. This means students can make degree progress this summer at reduced cost.
Celebrating Pride Month
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Highlighting the value of a diverse leadership teamI was honored to be invited to contribute to Not Alone, a monthly online column that showcases new perspectives on global issues written by research and academic leaders. At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are under attack nationally, I thought it would be helpful to share our campus experience working to build a leadership team that better reflects our student body. Our campus benefits greatly from a tremendous team of leaders who bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds to their work and to our community. Though there is more work to be done to realize the campus climate we desire and deserve, I believe we have made progress in recent years hiring leaders who understand the value of diverse perspectives in the workplace and classroom. Foodways dinner a resounding successCongrats to all who took part in the recent Foodways Dinner at the UCSC Farm. Our Center for Agroecology presented the fundraising dinner to celebrate the recently launched “Roadmap to Student Food Security” project sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees. The evening was also an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of our students, staff, and faculty partners committed to advancing student success, especially as it relates to food insecurity. All told, more than $110,000 was raised through ticket sales and personal donations, many of which were made by members of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation board, who have shown an earnest commitment and deep interest in meeting student basic needs. All funds raised will be channeled to various projects detailed in the roadmap. Thank you to all involved! Summer happenings on and off campusCampus remains a busy place even during the summer months. Check out our online events calendar for a full listing of campus-affiliated happenings. Aug. 18-20 will be a fun-filled weekend, as we’ll be hosting hundreds of alumni and their friends and families as part of our first-ever Return to the Redwoods, a weekend of celebration and exploration that gives alumni a chance to relive the beauty of our campus. I highly recommend a drive over the hill to one of the many events in Lick Observatory’s 43rd annual Summer Series, which includes exceptional music, lectures by renowned scientists, and, of course, viewings through the telescopes. Final opportunity to weigh in on strategic planningWe are in the final stages of our work on Leading the Change: the UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan, our collective effort to develop a shared vision for the future of our campus. Leading the Change committee draft reports and our draft mission and vision statements remain available for review. Feedback from the campus community is extremely valuable, and can be submitted through Friday, June 30. Please weigh in to help craft the direction of our campus over the next decade! Visit the website for more information. Look for the next Chancellor’s Update in SeptemberThis will be my last monthly update until we approach the start of the 2023 fall quarter. We’ll continue to share important campus news updates in Tuesday Newsday, which runs biweekly during the summer, and on our campus newscenter. In the meantime, I hope everyone is able to take some time this summer to relax, recharge and do the things you love! Sincerely, Cindy |
