Welcome to the University of California, Santa Cruz. We are very pleased that you have made this campus your choice and as a Chicano and Latino community will work very hard at supporting and inspiring you as a student, as a leader and most importantly as a scholar!

UC Santa Cruz has an outstanding presence of faulty, campus resources, educational/intership opportunites and student organizations important to building a strong foundation for your learning and personal growth. As a campus we are unique. We are very proud to have a strong representation of Chicano Latino faculty, administrative leadership and staff that are here to support all students, and to give voice to community issues, concerns and aspirations.We are particularly proud to say that some of the top administrative leaders on this campus are Chicana/o or Latina/o, including Francisco Hernandez Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and three College Provosts that include Pedro Castillo, Oakes College; Lourdes Martines-Echazabal, Merrill College and Juan Poblete, Kresge College. There contributions are immesuarable to the quality of life for all students on the campus.

As you discover information, we hope that you will access the many centers and programs that serve Raza students, including the Chicano Latino Research Center (CLRC), the Chicano Latino Resource Center (El Centro) and the many Raza student organizations that include cultural, educational, community service groups, political, religious and Greek affiliated groups. Along with these centers of support there are many allies and programs that are central to supporting your success, these include the Academic excellence Program (ACE), Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), the Disability Resource Center (DRC), the Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), the Lionel Cantu: Gay, Lesbian, Bi Sexual, Transgender and Intersex Resource Center, the Multicultural Engineering (MEP), Services to Re-Entry and Transfer Students (STARS) and the Women's Center. . .just to name a few! We encourage you to explore the many places that can make a real difference for you.

Students at UCSC make a difference. You will be invited to many events sponsored by Engaging Education (better known as e2) and asked to participate in the variety of Student Initiated Outreach efforts like ORALE and Student Retention efforts like CHALE. Their presence is very important to making student voices heard and transformed into action that helps to recruit and retain students of color and underrepresented students to the campus. They are an inspiration to us all.

Much of our activity is collective, working collaboratively with student organizations, programs and resource centers, Colleges and Academic Departments, and with community organizations. The Santa Cruz "vibe" thrives on collectivity - one that allows us to move within and across borders of ethnicity, socio economic status, political interests, gender, sexuality and academic interests. It is through this collectivity and in building allies that we are able to organize vibrant programming. We support each other's efforts to educate us about us, and about others. We explore the places not expected. . .the creative spaces that emerge as unique locations to express who we are as Chicana/o Latina/o communities and community. this is what University life is all about--using the resources and spaces to pull our passions and to prepare each and everyone of us for the contributions we will make within our families, home communities, the state of California and with the nation.

Bien Venidos, once again to the University of California, Santa Cruz.We look forward to the ways in which you will make your way in this new place we hope you will call home.

Rosalee Cabrera
Director, Chicano Latino Resource Center (El Centro)

For Chicalo Latino resources on campus please click on the link below:

Raza Directory