Stevenson College Provost

Provost Ellen Kappy Suckiel is Professor of Philosophy, and has been a member of the UCSC faculty since 1973. Professor Suckiel received her B.A. degree in Philosophy from Douglass College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She is the author of The Pragmatic Philosophy of William James ( University of Notre Dame Press, 1982), Heaven’s Champion: William James’s Philosophy of Religion (University of Notre Dame Press, 1996), as well as numerous essays, book chapters and reviews.  Her recent research focuses on the ethics of biotechnology, genetic ethics, and the ethics of scientific research. Some of the courses she teaches are "American Philosophy," "Advanced Ethics," "The Good Life," "Spirituality and the Sacred," "Bioethics in the 21st Century," and "Brave New World: Ethical Issues in Genetics."

Provost Suckiel has previously served as Provost of Kresge College, UCSC (1983-89) and has served on numerous UCSC faculty and administrative committees.

Contact Provost Suckiel:
Email:  suckiel@ucsc.edu
Phone: (831) 459-2328

What is a Provost?

The Provost is the chief academic officer of the college, who, in conjunction with the faculty, is responsible for all academic programs and courses, advising, academic standing, and academic honors and awards. The Provost sponsors numerous academic and cultural programs and courses throughout the year, as well as faculty and student projects.

The College System at UC Santa Cruz

There are ten colleges, each with a different thematic focus to the First Year Seminar. The College serves as an academic community that gives substance to students’ academic and university experience during a student’s time at UCSC. The college also houses student’s academic records.

Stevenson College

Adlai E. Stevenson is the second oldest college (founded in 1966). The Stevenson College Core Course is intended to provide intellectual and research preparation for students’ future academic endeavors. The course addresses the college’s intellectual and pedagogical aims through a holistic inquiry into academic research through the exploration of the relationship between "self and society". In addition, the course has an intellectual commitment to the general philosophy which has helped to define Stevenson College since its inception (articulated in the idea of the preservation of human dignity, the social cultivation of individual creativity and citizenship, and a belief in ethical responsibility). The course reflects the college’s long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary and culturally diverse readings while at the same time it affords students an opportunity to develop research interests, acquire greater understanding of the role of research universities in contemporary societies, and to acquire the requisite skills to engage in increasingly more sophisticated intellectual work while at UCSC. Over the academic year students read a diverse range of texts, many of which they may read in future courses; meet in small seminars two/three times a week to share and debate their reactions to the texts; and of course learn to articulate their views in writing and other forms of communication.