2014-15 Black Experience Team

UCSC Black Experience Team Charge:

The Special Working Team appointed by the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion will advise the Chancellor and Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor on recruitment, retention and campus climate matters surrounding African American, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) students at UC Santa Cruz. This team has emerged based on the survey results of recent campus climate surveys. The goal is to enhance the campus climate and success of ABC students by understanding the challenges and identifying strategies.

Black Experience Team Report:

The 2014-15 UCSC Black Experience Team (BET) final report is available for download. The report is intended to give some context and most importantly be an action plan for making a lasting impact to enhance the campus climate for all African American, Black and Caribbean students. 

Black Experience Team Vision:

We will reach a critical mass of African American, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) students. ABC students, representing all intersectional identities, will feel a great sense of belonging, reach their full potential, and be recognized and celebrated for their contributions to the academic community. Our students will be retained and graduate at the same rates as the majority population and have high levels of satisfaction in their UC Santa Cruz experience.

2014-15 Black Experience Team Members:

• Sheree Marlowe, Assistant Campus Diversity Officer, ODEI  (Co-Chair)

• Michelle Whittingham, AVC, Enrollment Management (Co-Chair)

• Michael McCawley, Director of Admissions

• Ebony Lewis, Associate Director of Outreach, Admissions

• Shonte Thomas, Director, African-American Resource and Cultural Center

• Amber Austin, Undergraduate Student

• Jocqui Smollett, Undergraduate Student

• Melissa Lyken, Undergraduate Student

• Wisdom Cole, Undergraduate Student

• Pablo Reguerin, Executive Director of Retention Services and Director of EOP

• Maria Rocha-Ruiz, Executive Director, Educational Partnership Center

• Donnae Smith, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, CHES

• Adrienne Harrell, Director of Undergraduate Student Affairs, Engineering

• Hashim Jibri, Coordinator for Residential Education, Oakes College

• Laura Turner-Essel, Coordinator for Residential Education, Village and Camper Park

• Maya Iverson, Graduate Student

• Herman Gray, Professor, Sociology Department Chair