Welcome to John R. Lewis College
Dear New John R. Lewis Students,
As Provost of John R. Lewis College, let me be one of the first to congratulate you and your family on your admission to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and to welcome you to John R. Lewis College. Our faculty, staff, and students look forward to meeting you, and we are excited that you will be joining our community. You are part of the inaugural entering class of John R. Lewis College, which was named on May 6, 2022 after the late civil rights icon and congressman. Formerly, we were known as College Ten, the youngest of UCSC’s colleges, which was founded in 2002.
Our college’s guiding theme is “Social Justice and Community,” and it informs our programming and learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. We encourage students to develop the knowledge, skills, cross-cultural understanding, and social connections necessary to become future leaders in their own communities, workplaces, and academic disciplines, as well as in the larger U.S. society and the world. Our student body represents the full array of majors that are available at UCSC, including those in the natural sciences, humanities, arts, engineering, and social sciences.
Many of our educational, social, and cultural programs reflect this theme of Social Justice and Community. As a community member of John R. Lewis College, you will have many exciting opportunities to enhance your undergraduate experience through a variety of programs such as Multicultural Community Weekend, Practical Activism Conference, and (H)ACER (the Apprenticeship in Community Engaged Research), which runs Alternative Spring Break and Praxis. In addition, opportunities to get involved are available on our Leadership Opportunities Website. We also hope that you consider participating in the programs like Global Learning Programs (previously known as Study Abroad) and the UCDC Washington Program.
Instructions on how to access the required online Orientation Course will be sent directly to your UCSC email account. Check your UCSC email account regularly (your @ucsc.edu email) as it is the official form of communication for the university. In addition to information about academic advising in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the orientation process, you will get information about how to connect directly with your academic advisors this summer as well as contact information for other offices on campus. Your Orientation Leaders are available to you via email, chat, phone, and Zoom drop-in hours throughout the summer.
I hope you will soon feel at home here at John R. Lewis College. You are an integral part of our community, and I encourage you to get to know faculty members (including myself), our wonderful staff, and your fellow students. We are all here to guide and mentor you during your time at UC Santa Cruz and throughout your university career.
I encourage you to get involved in the college experience, and not to hesitate in asking for assistance or information from any of our staff. It is so important to make connections with people in all roles at this university. You will discover that there is a great deal to learn about academic policies, resources, and UCSC in general. Be proactive, engaged, intellectually curious, and open to new experiences. I look forward to meeting you and am happy you are here.
Warmly,
Dr. Kimberly Lau, Provost
College Nine and John R. Lewis College
Professor, Literature Department
