Two UC Santa Cruz students are concerned that university budget cuts are stripping resources from the beloved residential college system and weakening the student support networks that have benefited them and defined campus life since the campus’ inception. Alex Santiago and Isaac Belloso say staff layoffs and reductions in provost positions are eroding mentorship, belonging and academic success and implore university leaders to reconsider the cuts and include students in the decision-making process. These relationships, they say, shape opportunity – especially for first-generation and low-income students.
Higher Ed
Posted inEducation
Cabrillo College board censures trustee Steve Trujillo after finding he violated board policy
The Cabrillo College governing board voted Monday night to censure trustee Steve Trujillo after determining he violated board policies on four occasions. The censure, which bars him from leadership roles and committee service for three years, follows prior disciplinary action in 2023.
Posted inEducation
Cal State struck a deal with OpenAI. Some students and faculty refuse to use it
California State University’s $17 million contract with ChatGPT maker OpenAI is up for renewal. Some students and faculty say equal access to artificial intelligence is important for preparing students for the workforce. Others say the implementation of AI tools has been confusing and opens the door to cheating.
Posted inEducation
Why getting more California students into top UCs carries a big cost to taxpayers
At its three most popular campuses, the University of California agreed to admit more California students and reduce the number of out-of-state students. The state covered the loss of revenue from non-resident students, who pay three times what in-state students pay.
Posted inEducation
Por miedo, menos estudiantes indocumentados de Cabrillo buscan servicios a más de un año de la ofensiva migratoria de Trump
Más de un año después de que el presidente Donald Trump iniciara una ofensiva migratoria, los estudiantes indocumentados en Cabrillo College evitan cada vez más los servicios del campus y los programas de ayuda financiera debido al temor de exponer información personal. El personal del colegio reporta una disminución en la participación y un aumento de la ansiedad entre los estudiantes, incluso cuando la escuela amplía recursos para tranquilizarlos y apoyarlos.
Posted inEducation
Out of fear, fewer undocumented Cabrillo students seeking services more than a year into Trump immigration crackdown
More than a year into President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, undocumented students at Cabrillo College are increasingly avoiding campus services and financial aid programs due to fear of exposing personal information. College staff report declining participation and heightened anxiety among students, even as the school expands resources to reassure and support them.
Posted inEducation
UCSC hires UC Berkeley administrator as new second-in-command
UC Santa Cruz has appointed UC Berkeley executive dean Jennifer Johnson-Hanks as its next campus provost, with a start date of Jan. 1, 2027, Chancellor Cindy Larive announced last week.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
When leadership fails: Here’s what my Cabrillo students learned at our latest board of trustees meeting
Cabrillo College professor Skye Gentile says recent meetings of the school’s board of trustees have offered students a real-time lesson in poor communication and bad leadership. The meetings, she writes, have allowed students to see examples of tokenism and microaggressions and to discuss the importance of timing, apologies and public accountability. Effective leadership depends less on intent and more on listening, reflection and awareness of impact. Her students, she writes, have been left wondering if the current board represents their interests and values.
Posted inEducation
UCSC to reduce number of provosts by half, with each leading two of its 10 colleges instead of one
UC Santa Cruz will cut the number of college provosts in half next academic year, shifting to a model where five full-time provosts each oversee two colleges instead of one, a change administrators say will improve coordination and expand access to programs. The move has sparked concern among alumni who fear it could weaken college identity and student relationships, though university officials and current provosts say it will strengthen the system rather than diminish it.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
This new California law will offer college students rehab before discipline for overdosing
College students who seek help for substance use after an overdose face disciplinary action by their campus. A new California law, written in part by students themselves, will require colleges and universities to offer rehabilitation services to students rather than discipline.
