Xatal

The president of the UC system, Mark Yudof, is proposing an additional increase in the cost of attending a UC — as much as 30% more by next year, in fact.

Fees to attend a UC have already gone up in the last year due to the budget situation in California, and it looks like we could be due for another one.

The UC system has long been known for being affordable, but lately costs of skyrocketed, to the point where it now costs around $27,000 each year.

This is ridiculous, and it just makes college less affordable and possible. Education is crucial, yet if costs keep rising, it becomes less and less feasible. Plus, on top of all this, I constantly hear word that the UC administrators are paid exorbitant salaries, yet they continue to suggest cutting spending and increasing fees.

What do you think?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: After I began to tell family and other adults that I decided to attend UC Santa Cruz, I was suddenly constantly bombarded by the same question, “Does UCSC give grades?” For a while, UC Santa Cruz did not actually give grades. The school earned a reputation in California for this at the time, and now many adults will often wonder if the school has changed it’s grading system.

And yes, the university has.

However, after talking to one of my professors last quarter, I learned a good bit more about the old system, and I definitely think that’s worth learning about as well.

First, let’s talk about how the system is now. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

College Ten was founded in 2002, shortly after College Nine. College Ten does not have a benefactor yet, and so still does not have a name.

Theme

College Ten’s theme is “Social Justice and Community”, and the required core course focuses on equality for all across a variety of issues — sexuality, environment, race, economic class, and more. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

College Nine was the first college founded at UCSC since College Eight was founded in 1972. College Nine was founded in 2000, and still hasn’t received a name yet.

Theme

College Nine’s theme is “International and Global Issues”. The core course takes an international focus on issues such as human rights, the environment, and economic globalization. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

Despite being founded in 1972, UCSC’s eighth college is still unnamed and maintains its number as its name. The reason College Eight hasn’t been named yet is because there haven’t been any benefactors who have contributed enough money to have the college named after them. The college was once nearly named “Adams College” after photographer Ansel Adams, but to this day, College Eight is still nameless.

Theme

College Eight is UCSC’s “green” college. The theme — “Environment and Society” — reflects on how humanity has impacted the environment. The core course involves readings about different ways in which our way of life has impacted the environment. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

During the late 1960s, a black power group demanded an all-black college. UCSC compromised and instead founded a new college whose theme would revolve around ethnic studies. Oakes was opened in 1972 as “College Seven”.

Oakes College received its name in 1975. “Oakes” is the surname of Margaret and Roscoe Oakes, who made a significant impact in the founding of the college.

Theme

The theme for Oakes College is “Value and change in a diverse society”. The core course consists of readings and films about ethnic studies and how to live in a multicultural society. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

Kresge was UCSC’s sixth college and opened in 1971. Kresge was named after Sebastion Kresge, who was the founder of K-Mart. Kresge was often jokingly referred to as “K-Mart College”. The college was largely designed by students — the first provost taught a course titled “Creating Kresge College”. Even some of the apartments’ layouts were designed by students.

Theme

Kresge’s theme is “Power and Representation”. The core course revolves slightly around politics, as well as how individuals interact with their community. Keep reading »

This post is part of a series about the colleges at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a general overview of the college system at UCSC, see this post.

History

Porter College is named after Benjamin Porter, the grandfather of three contributors to UCSC. The family owned some of the land of Porter Meadow (a meadow right next to Porter College), and donated this as well.

Porter was in fact named “College Five” for about 12 years before it received its official name. Porter opened in 1969.

Theme

Porter’s theme revolves around the arts. The core course explores art and the social implications of famous works. Keep reading »