ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ
UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
UCSC Resource Centers offers counter-spaces for students who are queer, trans, non-binary, womxn, and people of color, and engages the broader campus about issues and challenges facing our communities. The Resource Centers impact institutional policies and campus climate, and RCs offer programs and services to foster student’s personal and professional growth, through community-based leadership development. The Resource Centers’ vision is for students to feel fully affirmed in their diverse and intersecting identities, empowered in their academic success, and graduate with a sense of belonging. Resource Centers include the following units: African American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC), American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC), El Centro: Chicanx Latinx Resource Center (CLRC), Lionel Cantú Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Resource Center (Cantú Queer Resource Center), and the Womxn’s Center.
The American Indian Resource Center is dedicated to supporting the needs of American Indian students and increasing Native visibility on campus by hosting student-centered programs, cultural events and providing tools for academic success and personal well-being. The center is a vital link between American Indian students, the University, and tribal communities that fosters growth through mentoring, leadership opportunities, and scholarly development.
The AIRC's objectives are to 1) promote the value of a college education for American Indians, 2) serve as a supportive space for students as they transition from home to campus life, 3) center Indigenous knowledge and practices in our activities and help preserve the culture and heritage of American Indian students, and 4) serve as a liaison between Native communities and the University of California, Santa Cruz.