To move away from the divisiveness of the Cabrillo College name-change discussion, the school’s governing board is putting a pause on the topic until at least 2028. College leaders are moving forward with educational and support initiatives for Indigenous students and Native American studies.
Education
California’s new cursive mandate has supporters and skeptics in Santa Cruz County education
In 2010, cursive handwriting instruction dropped from California’s elementary school standards. A bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October mandates its return to the state’s public schools. How will that look in Santa Cruz County?
‘He was always really giving’: Family, coworkers remember UCSC bus driver Dan Stevenson as smart and caring
More than a month after the Dec. 12 bus crash on the UC Santa Cruz campus, family members and coworkers of Dan Stevenson, who died Dec. 29 from injuries sustained in the crash, remembered him as a caring person who loved a good laugh and said they are still reeling from the accident.
Court dismisses professor’s free speech lawsuit against UCSC over DEI statement
A federal court judge dismissed a lawsuit against UC Santa Cruz senior officials on Friday over the school’s requirement that candidates for academic positions submit a diversity statement with their applications. The judge ruled that John D. Haltigan hadn’t proved that he had standing. Haltigan alleged the school’s policy violated his free speech rights.
Soquel Union Elementary trustee resigns — again — a year after reelection
Phil Rodriguez submitted his resignation from the Soquel Union Elementary School District governing board last month. The district board plans to appoint a replacement in February.
A month after UCSC bus crash, officials still investigating the cause
UC Santa Cruz officials say they’re still investigating the cause of a Dec. 12 bus crash that led to the death of the driver on campus.
Cabrillo-UCSC joint housing project groundbreaking delayed to 2025
Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein says the challenges of doing a joint housing project with the University of California are delaying the groundbreaking of the complex planned for Cabrillo’s Aptos campus. That could push the opening of the 624-bed project a year later, from fall 2026 to fall 2027.
UC Santa Cruz whistleblower lawsuit shines spotlight on inner workings of big campus donations
A former UC Santa Cruz deputy development director claims a retaliatory firing after she complained about a scheme by a consultant to mislead and pressure campus donors involved in the key higher education program of planned giving. Campus officials call the claims “absurd.” The lawsuit centers on one top donor. In interviews, both the consultant and the donor contend that the lawsuit mischaracterizes their financial dealings and casts an unfairly negative light on donation arrangements that are widespread across the charitable giving sector.
Cal State faculty union vows to strike over the university’s final pay offer
After months of negotiations, university officials offer a 5% pay raise. The union is seeking 12% and plans to strike at the end of January.
One year after UC grad student strike, UCSC workers are still pressing for a better deal
More than 80% of Santa Cruz’s graduate student workers voted against the December 2022 contract that ended a historic six-week UC-wide strike. The deal, which boosts wages and child care subsidies, exacerbated a rift between workers at prestige campuses such as UCLA and those at smaller schools. The union representing UCSC grad student workers says it’s continuing to find new ways to organize and push for better employment contracts to offset the region’s high cost of living.

