Student Experience
UC Santa Cruz earns Seal of Excelencia recertification for student-centered approach
UC Santa Cruz is one of 18 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2025, reaffirming its place in a group of nearly 50 institutions that are taking responsibility for advancing student success.
UC Santa Cruz is one of 18 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2025, reaffirming its place in a group of nearly 50 institutions that are taking responsibility for advancing student success.
UC Santa Cruz has earned the Seal of Excelencia recertification, recognition of intentional campuswide efforts to serve Latiné and all students.
The campus first earned the Seal of Excelencia in 2022, following a thorough data-driven review by Excelencia in Education. UC Santa Cruz is one of 18 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2025, reaffirming its place in a group of nearly 50 institutions that are taking responsibility for advancing student success.
“We are proud that remaining Seal certified continues to be a goal for our campus,” said Charis Herzon, director UC Santa Cruz Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives. “The Seal recertification framework asked us to highlight how we are collectively crafting transformative strategies. Areas we highlighted were faculty and curricular development, affordability and student transitions and pathways. It is important to affirm our unwavering commitment to intentionally serve our Latiné students, staff, and faculty and our entire community. We have repeatedly shown that as we know our strengths, challenges, and dreams, we can make improvements that better serve all.”
Institutions earn the Seal by taking responsibility and accountability for their efforts to serve students through evidence-based programs and practices that lead to degree completion. The Seal framework aligns data, practice, and leadership to move institutions beyond isolated programs toward systemic change and investment that provides value to students, their families, and their communities.
UC Santa Cruz is proud to attract students from across California with more than a quarter of students identifying as Hispanic/Latiné. Advancing student success for all students has been a guiding priority for the past five years, and the campus continues to pursue multi-dimensional, campuswide strategies to strengthen the undergraduate and graduate experience and help prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives after graduation.
This year’s Envisioning HSI session on Friday, Oct. 3 will incorporate both a campus update regarding impacts of the federal changes to HSI efforts, a workshop on how to build networks with intention, and a celebration for the Seal recertification.
The Seal celebration will include recognitions of the many units that contribute to our HSI ecosystem and were highlighted in our Seal recertification, performance by the Los Mejicas, and will conclude with a brief reception. Please join the HSI Initiatives team at the Multipurpose Room (John. R. Lewis/ College 9). The event begins at 1 p.m., with the celebratory portion scheduled to start around 3:10 p.m. Please RSVP online.