Welcome to College Nine

Dear New College Nine Students,

As incoming interim Provost of College Nine, 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 College Nine. Our faculty, staff, and students look forward to meeting you, and we are excited that you will soon join our community. Founded in 2000, our college’s guiding theme is “International and Global Perspectives,” 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.

Many of our educational, social, and cultural programs reflect this theme of International and Global Perspectives. 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. As a College Nine community member, you will have many exciting opportunities to enhance your undergraduate experience through a variety of programs such as Intercultural Community Weekend, Practical Activism Conference, and (H)ACER (the Apprenticeship in Community Engaged Research), which runs Alternative Spring Break and Praxis. In addition, information about getting involved is 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 College Nine. 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

lau@ucsc.edu