Education
UCSC provost Lori Kletzer says battling antisemitism will take long-term cultural change
UC Santa Cruz’s participation in the Hillel International Campus Climate Initiative is “the way for us to live up to this responsibility to not only speak out, but to also take action” on antisemitism, university second-in-command Lori Kletzer told Lookout in the wake of incidents connected to campus and outcry from Jewish students and leaders about a lack of support.
‘A glorified photo op’: UCSC faces backlash over ‘Slug Crossing’ graduation ceremony
UC Santa Cruz replaced more traditional gatherings of its colleges’ graduates with a scaled-down experience, spread over three days, at which grads can receive their diplomas on stage. UCSC cites parking and infrastructure concerns and lack of a venue big enough in sticking with the pandemic-era ceremony, to the dismay of some soon-to-be graduates who’ve seen COVID rob them of many traditional academic experiences.
UCSC Jewish leaders say campus administration increasing efforts to address antisemitism in wake of Hitler birthday party
On Thursday, UCSC announced its administrators will participate in a 16-month program led by Hillel International to help the university strengthen its support for Jewish students. The UCSC leaders will join a cohort of other universities, including UC Irvine, to learn how to better understand the experiences of students on campus and implement ways to improve the atmosphere for Jewish students and all students.
Joint Cabrillo College-UCSC 624-bed housing project moving forward; public forum Monday
State Sen. John Laird said he’s “very optimistic” that the state will put $111 million toward a 624-bed student housing project being jointly developed by Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz. On Monday, Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz staff will discuss the joint housing proposal, its environmental impact reports and the possibility of the state grant. The meeting will be held in the Horticulture Building on Cabrillo’s Aptos campus.
One of the biggest extinction events in the planet’s history is happening again — in Santa Cruz
Scientists are using a UC Santa Cruz greenhouse to recreate the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. They want to learn why some species survived when so many did not.
Majority of UCSC students support fee to fund free concerts and entertainment on campus, according to poll
Nearly 70% of UC Santa Cruz students who participated in May balloting are on board with paying a fee for free entertainment, according to results the university released Wednesday. The school’s Student Union Assembly will also have a new president following the election of second-year student Airielle Silva.
Academic sues UCSC over requirement that candidates submit diversity statements, citing First Amendment
John D. Haltigan shelved his application for a tenure-track psychology position at UC Santa Cruz after seeing a requirement to submit a statement on diversity and equity. Now the Pennsylvania resident is suing the school, with his lawyer saying Haltigan feels the requirement infringes on his free speech because it compels him to adopt certain beliefs as a condition of applying for the job.
UC Santa Cruz has struggled to create a unified campus culture. These students are trying to change that.
UC Santa Cruz’s decentralized, woodsy campus has made hosting big student events challenging, but after putting on a concert last week at the renovated Quarry Amphitheater, Slug Life Productions Board members say they’re motivated to keep organizing events, and are gauging fellow students’ interest in a fee that could support those efforts.
UCSC to support new regional food business center as part of national initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is enlisting regional partners in its efforts to help small and midsize farming operations, socially disadvantaged farmers and traditionally underserved populations, and a team from UCSC’s Center for Agroecology is on board.