Welcome

Welcome to UC Santa Cruz, a community of distinguished faculty, staff, students, and alumni. In only 40 years, this campus has earned an international reputation for its outstanding scholarship and commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. By joining our campus, you choose to be among some of the most capable and talented scholars in California and the United States, who will become leaders of the new millennium. I have no doubt that through your experience and learning at UCSC, your life will change for the better, and you will prepare to change the lives of others in a positive way.

This catalog will help you to experience the best of UCSC by providing information about academic programs, plus resources for learning and research, student life, and engaging in the wider campus community.

Here at UCSC, you will have the opportunity to take classes from and work with outstanding faculty, whose scholarship and academic achievements have earned national and international acclaim. Many are leading innovators of their discipline and have been recognized by numerous awards and honors, such as membership in prestigious professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and many others. They are also dedicated teachers, who will provide guidance in your studies in classrooms, research laboratories, performance halls, and at field sites. Our graduate and undergraduate students alike are involved in discovering new knowledge through close cooperation with their professors.

At UC Santa Cruz, we are committed to the affirmation and appreciation of diversity of every sort. You will study, work, and live with people who reflect a rich array of experiences, different perspectives, exciting ideas, and new ways to address challenges, and who welcome the advantages of a multicultural society. UCSC’s college system was designed to both accommodate individual needs and foster various dialogues within the campus community. The campus itself, integrated in the groves of redwood trees and offering stunning views of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, is an inspirational setting in which to pursue a world-class education.

A measure of the quality of UC Santa Cruz’s education is the accomplishments of its graduates. Our alumni have achieved distinction in every field, profession, scholarly discipline, and artistic expression. They are the people who make a difference and bring about changes in our society. As a member of the UCSC community, you will also benefit from the inspiration, guidance, and assistance of our accomplished alumni.

Congratulations on your admission to UC Santa Cruz. I hope to meet many of you personally, and I look forward to congratulating you again on the occasion of your commencement.



MARTIN M. CHEMERS
Acting Chancellor

August 2004