A Healthy and Safe Environment for You
We pride ourselves on making our campus a supportive, safe place for you to learn, grow, and thrive. From our on-campus Student Health Center to our counseling services supporting mental health, from police and fire services to our CruzAlert emergency messaging system, our students’ well being is at the heart of our on-campus infrastructure.
We also have a zero tolerance for any form of hate or bias. We have a reporting structure in place to report hate or bias, and a Hate/Bias Response Team.
Campus Medical Resources
Mental Health Support & Resources
Confidential appointments available to talk to a counselor, or you can use the Let’s Talk drop-in program. You can also sign up for a wide range of groups and workshops on various topics.
Student Health Outreach & Promotion (SHOP) promotes healthier choices by offering advising and education on alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, recovery, wellness, and other topics.
We have psychiatrists on staff who can help students with therapy and prescribe medications.
If you or a friend are experiencing a crisis that needs immediate attention, do not wait! Contact our 24-hour crisis line at (831) 459-2628.
Our LGBTQ+ counselors are knowledgeable about intersecting and non-binary identities, polyamory, the coming out process, homophobia and transphobia, adjustment to college, family concerns, trauma, self-esteem, and much more.
The UCSC Center for Advocacy, Resources, & Empowerment (CARE) office provides free and confidential services to students impacted by stalking, dating/domestic violence, and sexual assault.
Campus Safety
UC Santa Cruz publishes an Annual Security & Fire Safety Report, based on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Safety and Campus Crime Statistics Act (commonly referred to as the Clery Act). The report contains detailed information on the campus’s crime and fire prevention programs, as well as campus crime and fire statistics for the past three years. A paper version of the report is available upon request.
UC Santa Cruz has an on-campus department of sworn police officers who are dedicated to protecting the safety of the campus community. The department is committed to diversity and inclusion, and its members reach out to the community in various ways, including a Student Ambassador program.
The campus has a Campus Fire Station with a Type 1 fire engine and a Type 3 wildland fire engine. The Fire Prevention Division of the Office of Emergency Services makes it a priority to educate campus staff, faculty, and students to reduce fires and injuries on campus and routinely gives presentations to campus members.
To ensure safety in the residential colleges and the entire campus at night, we have a Community Safety Program. Community Safety Officers (CSOs) are a very visible part of our campus from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. every night, and are available to help you with any emergency needs, from lockouts to medical issues. They also provide security for university events. CSOs are trained in emergency response, first aid, CPR, and disaster response, and they carry radios linked to University Police Dispatch.
60+ phones located throughout campus, connecting callers directly to the Dispatch Center to notify police or fire personnel to respond as appropriate.
CruzAlert is our emergency notification system, which is used to quickly communicate information to you during emergency situations. Register for the service to receive texts, cell phone calls, and/or emails in the event of a campus emergency.
As a UCSC student, you can request a free “Safe Ride” from one location on the residential campus to another, so that you don’t have to walk alone at night. The service is operated by UCSC’s Transportation and Parking Services and is staffed by student operators. Safe Ride is available from 7:00 p.m. to 12:15 a.m., seven days a week when classes are in session during fall, winter, and spring quarters. There may be exceptions for holidays and finals week.
The first program of its kind on a University of California campus, this extension of Counseling and Psychological Services supports students’ diverse needs through innovative and culturally competent responses to campus behavioral health crises.