About the Division

In the Social Sciences Division at UC Santa Cruz, we are equal parts thinkers and doers. Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni are changemakers and visionaries, advocates and innovators, thought leaders and organizers. We champion the public value of the social sciences for tackling the world’s toughest challenges, and we believe in the power of higher education to help people thrive, on both the individual and societal level. 

We were founded in 1965, alongside the founding of the campus, and have since become UCSC’s largest academic division. As part of a public, nonprofit university, we serve the people of the state of California and their values, including social justice, sustainability, innovation, and equity in opportunity. We challenge problematic narratives and institutions in our society, teach critical thinking skills, and generate insights that shift public discourse in productive new directions, facilitating action for justice and sustainability. 

Through our research and leading by example, we’re also transforming academia to center equity, so that each student can achieve their full potential and academic institutions can build meaningful relationships with communities based on deep mutual respect. We strive to be resourceful, inclusive, caring, and collaborative in all that we do.  

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Support our mission

In the effort to build a better future, every bit of support counts. The social and environmental problems facing our world seem to get bigger and more serious each year, but philanthropy helps us rise up to meet those growing challenges.

Our donors choose to partner with the Social Sciences Division in order to help make the world a better place. They are an integral part of our community of changemakers.

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