Undergraduate Opportunities
The HSI Initiatives team is proud to partner with several units and departments across campus to strengthen our university’s capacity to provide culturally-affirming and academic support to all UCSC undergraduate students. Although these programs and services are mostly housed outside of our office, they are all partially or fully supported by HSI grants or HSI administrative funding.
Pan Dulce Fridays
Pan Dulce Fridays, hosted by El Centro in collaboration with HSI Initiatives, have made a joyful return, becoming a cherished tradition on campus. These bi-weekly gatherings offer a unique blend of informal and structured dialogue, centering on support services and resources, and experiences and issues pertinent to our communities while celebrating cultural ties through a beloved staple: pan dulce. Pan Dulce Fridays echo the importance of being part of a supportive community, as students pursue their personal and academic goals.
Community College Partnership Programs
The Cultivamos Excelencia grant funds the Community College Partnership Programs (CCPP), which aim to build meaningful relationships with community college transfer students.
The benefits of being a part of the CCPP community are:
- Receiving guidance on the transfer application process
- Learning about the services and resources available at UCSC
- Developing meaningful connections with UCSC faculty, staff, and student leaders
Cultivamos Excelencia Research Scholars
This program offers transfer students paid research internship experience and mentoring support through the graduate school application process. Scholars will be matched with a UCSC faculty mentor based on the research project of their interest and will receive additional mentorship on research and graduate school pathways from a graduate student mentor.
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Supplemental Instruction (SI) incorporates high-touch practice sessions that closely follow the content and lecture material of a course. In SI Sessions, students work collaboratively to practice concepts and problems from lecture. The SI Leader attends each lecture and prepares unique sessions throughout the week that incorporate active learning strategies and collaborative learning techniques.
Career Success
Career coaching helps students plan for their future, explore career options, develop career goals and more. Typical sessions focus on career exploration, graduate school applications, job search support, and interview preparation.
Pathways to Graduate School Course
The Pathways to Graduate School Course (MERR 35A) is designed for undergraduate students who are unfamiliar with graduate school and its application process. Students will identify and employ strategies for addressing the challenges and opportunities they face while preparing to apply.
