The Science Division has received a $1 million donation to begin a major new program on “degree-defining experiences.” The program will pilot 17 projects across campus that aim to profoundly inspire undergraduate students and fill them with the kind of optimism that forever changes how they see their time at UC Santa Cruz and their future careers.
The donation by the Helen and Will Webster Foundation is already being deployed across the campus to launch experiential field courses beyond the Natural Reserves—where they were initially developed with foundation support—through collaborations with colleges and departments campus-wide. Among the many programs this new funding will enable, a few are:
- overnight and daylong visits to Lick Observatory to meet astronomers and use the Shane 3-meter telescope
- expanding early access to SCUBA diving and associated community building, for undergraduates pursuing scientific diving and underwater science
- opportunities to engage undergrads in cancer-bioinformatics research
Extensive research led by Science Division faculty has shown that field courses have an overwhelmingly positive impact on students. Across all demographic groups, students who participate in introductory experiential field courses report higher self-efficacy when compared to students in traditional laboratory classes.
Moreover, for students from underrepresented backgrounds, the outcomes are especially impactful, reflecting higher self-efficacy gains, increased college graduation rates, greater major retention, and higher GPAs at graduation.
“We propose to radically scale up experiential-learning opportunities across the Science Division. We aspire to establish field programs and degree-defining experiences that will enable all students to immerse themselves in their respective fields alongside peers, other researchers, graduate students, postdocs, and professors,” said the Science Division’s dean, Bryan Gaensler. “These opportunities will empower students with unforgettable opportunities that will enhance retention, foster enduring campus connections, clarify career aspirations, unveil new pathways, and cultivate resilience for long-term success.”
Gaensler will co-lead the campus-wide Degree-Defining Experiences Program with Gage Dayton, director of the Natural Reserves System, and Don Croll, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. The first phase of the initiative will also include documenting and tracking the outcomes.
Dayton, who Gaensler has appointed as his faculty assistant on degree-defining experiences, said students who participate in existing field courses held in natural reserves are studying subjects taught throughout UC Santa Cruz's academic divisions: the arts, engineering, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. So, the plan to adapt field courses that appeal to students beyond the natural sciences has already been proven.
"A lot of the programs that this gift is funding will be focused on creating a sense of belonging and a sense of place; and you can use the natural environment to accomplish those goals," Dayton explained. "After you spend a couple of days in the field with people—working together, sitting around a campfire and talking—you build that community."
The initiative has been designed to offer successively deeper levels of experiences: from introductory programs for first-year students like the observatory visits, to intermediate degree-specific offerings like the SCUBA program, to more time-intensive opportunities like the cancer-bioinformatics internships.
When Gaensler joined UC Santa Cruz in August 2023 to serve as dean of the Science Division, he identified three core pillars to define what the unit should stand for and aim to do better: research impact, degree-defining experiences, and “DEI in our DNA.”
The division estimates that these programs will reach a total of more than 2,300 undergraduates in this initiative’s first year.
The divisional pillars align well with campus-wide goals that include increasing UC Santa Cruz’s research profile and impact, and fostering an inclusive environment. In addition, the initiative’s goal of providing students with deeply impactful and unforgettable experiences echoes a goal in the university’s strategic plan that calls for expanding undergraduate experiential learning opportunities.
“UC Santa Cruz has long championed experiential learning. We now aim to elevate this tradition to new heights. Our eventual goal is to coordinate, support, and extend this approach across the entire campus,” Croll said. “This initiative will empower students from all backgrounds to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings, to forge lasting connections, and to build the resilience necessary for academic success.”
To support this initiative for future students, please consider donating to the Degree-Defining Experiences Program. You may also contact Development Director Catherine Hsu.
