From its flower-child beginnings, UC Santa Cruz has wandered back toward the mainstream. The yoga mats and surfboards still abound and Sammy the banana slug is still the mascot, but the students are a lot more conventional than in its earlier incarnation. The emphasis here continues to be on environmental stewardship, community engagement, and teaching students how to think, not what to think. Relatively small size and residential college system give it a homey feel.

UC Santa Cruz, still a baby in the UC system, was born during the radical ’60s when it reigned as the ultimate alternative school, a place that consciously rebelled against the stodginess of educational institutions. The founding vision of an integrated learning environment remains to this day, and every undergraduate affiliates with one of the residential colleges. Progressive thought continues to flourish, as does a strong academic program that strives to focus on undergraduate education. Students still come to UC Santa Cruz to do their own thing.

The campus, among the most beautiful in the nation, is set on a 2,000-acre expanse of meadowland and redwood forest overlooking Monterey Bay. Bike paths and hiking trails wind throughout the redwood-tree-filled campus, and the beach is a quick drive away-or a spectacular bike ride or scenic hike. The buildings range from 1860 Cowell Ranch farm structures to the award-winning, modern residential colleges, whose styles range from Mediterranean to Japanese to sleek concrete block. Thanks to a unique building code, nothing may be built taller than two-thirds the height of the nearest redwood tree. The 26,000-square-foot Digital Arts Research Center serves as a social and intellectual hub for UC Santa Cruz’s Arts Division. New additions to campus include the LEED Gold–certified Coastal Biology Building, supporting research and teaching on coastal conservation, ecology, climate change impacts, and similar concerns.

UC Santa Cruz’s academic offerings range as widely as its architecture and feature both traditional and innovative programs, but overall, the emphasis is on the liberal arts and sciences, and a majority of the students eventually go on to graduate study. To graduate, students must fulfill a standard set of distribution requirements, in addition to taking one of three “perspectives” courses focused on environmental awareness, human behavior, or technology and society, and a course on creative process, collaborative endeavor, or service learning. A disciplinary communication requirement helps students develop writing skills specific to their chosen field of study. All seniors complete a capstone experience.

Led by marine biology and biology, the sciences are UC Santa Cruz’s strongest suit. Science facilities include state-of-the-art laboratories; the Institute of Marine Sciences, which boasts one of the largest groups of experts on marine mammals in the nation; and the nearby Lick Observatory for budding stargazers. UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering offers strong programs in robotics engineering and computer engineering. The computer game design B.S. is noteworthy as the first such major in the UC system, and linguistics is strong. Students in STEM fields may benefit from research or internship opportunities coordinated through the university’s satellite campus in Silicon Valley. UCSC boasts more than the average number of interdisciplinary programs, including feminist, Latin American/Latino, and critical race and ethnic studies; environmental studies and community studies are standouts. The most popular majors are computer science; psychology; molecular, cell, and developmental biology; and business management economics. While most students pursue traditional majors, the possibility is still there for eclectically minded students to pursue “history of consciousness” or just about anything else they can get a faculty member to OK. Thirty-seven percent of students engage in faculty-guided undergraduate research, and 12 percent study abroad; field study and internships are also encouraged.

“Courses are very rigorous, in my experience,” warns one undergrad. Though the curriculum is demanding and the quarter system keeps the academic pace fast, the atmosphere is emphatically noncompetitive. Classes can be large, with 28 percent enrolling more than 50 students. All UC campuses insist on faculty research, but most professors at UC Santa Cruz are there to teach. “I’ve been very impressed with how accessible professors are,” says a sophomore. “Whether it’s via email or regular office hours, I feel very comfortable approaching and talking to all of my professors.”

“Before I came here I was told that UCSC was a ‘hippie-dippie’ college,” says one student, “but it’s not true at all.” Even so, UC Santa Cruz remains the most liberal of the UC campuses and, according to one student, is “still a school with a social conscience.” Eighty-nine percent of undergraduates are Californians, though the university always manages to lure a few Easterners; 8 percent are international. Asian Americans account for 22 percent, Hispanics 26 percent, African Americans 2 percent, and multiracial students 8 percent. “Racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity is celebrated and strongly encouraged by the majority of the students here,” reports a politics major. Merit scholarships, which average $6,200 each, are available, but there are no athletic scholarships.

In an effort to become what one official calls a “near-perfect hybrid” between the large university and the small college, campus life revolves around the residential colleges, each of which has dedicated faculty fellows and support staff. Half of the undergraduate population lives in university-sponsored housing. Freshmen and transfer students are guaranteed on-campus housing for two years. Some dorms have their own dining halls with reasonably good food; students may also opt to join a food co-op. The CARE (Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education) office provides education on issues of sexual assault and support to survivors.

A dozen fraternities and sororities attract 7 percent of the men and 8 percent of the women, respectively. Students 21 and over are allowed to drink alcohol on campus, although not in public areas, and parties must be registered. More than 150 student organizations on campus-including major-focused clubs, ethnic and cultural groups, hobby clubs, volunteer groups, and honor societies-cover a wide range of interests. The beach and resort town of Santa Cruz, with its boardwalk and amusement park, are only 10 minutes away from campus by bike, although pedaling back up the hill takes much longer. Those looking for city lights can take the windy, mountainous highway to San Jose (35 miles away) or the slow, scenic coastal highway to San Francisco (75 miles), or ride a bus to either city. If you have a car, destinations such as Monterey, Big Sur, the Napa Valley, and the Sierras are easily accessible.

Although UC Santa Cruz fields only a handful of varsity teams, which compete in Division III, students love their school mascot, Sammy the banana slug (who sports a brand-new logo!). Men’s tennis is strong and makes regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament; men’s and women’s basketball and cross-country have also performed well in recent years. Participation in intramurals (“Friendship through Competition” is the motto) and club sports is widespread, with rugby in particular growing in popularity. Sailing and scuba diving are among the many physical education classes offered, and the student recreation department sponsors everything from white-water rafting to cooking classes.

UC Santa Cruz is a progressive school with a gorgeous campus and innovative academic programs, where the main priority is the education of undergraduates. Many students are concerned that it is growing too fast, and an ambitious proposal for future expansion has threatened its heretofore cozy relationship with local citizens. Still, as long as the university retains its belief in “to each his or her own,” it will remain uniquely UC Santa Cruz. Where else do you get to rally around a banana slug?

-Fiske Guide