Crown College
Crown College Administration Building
831-459-2412
https://crown.ucsc.edu
Crown College seeks to provide students with a living and learning environment in which they can positively develop intellectually and socially. Crown is traditionally viewed as the “science college,” and it does have a strong presence of engineering, biology and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students but a large number of students majoring in the social sciences and some arts and humanities students call Crown home as well.
Crown is located on a hilltop surrounded by a redwood forest. The award-winning architecture with its white walls and high-pitched tiled roofs suggests a hillside Mediterranean village. The college’s residential facilities house approximately 800 students. The facilities at Crown College were built through a partnership of public funds and a gift from the Crown Zellerbach Foundation. We enjoy the strong support of generations of Crownies and they continue to be a part of the community they formed as students. Alumni participate in an advisory capacity in the college’s governance and their generous contributions have allowed Crown to renovate Crown’s Library and its Fireside Lounge, enrich our student’s Core experience, and develop our extensive curriculum of elective classes.
Academic Programs
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate
Academic Emphases
From the time of its founding in 1967, issues pertaining to the role of science and technology in society have been a focus of special interest at Crown College. We approach these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective that recognizes the influence of social and cultural factors on the scientific enterprise, as well as the ways in which science and technology influence our society.
Orientation
All new frosh and transfer students who start fall quarter are required to enroll in one of two online orientation courses. Frosh enroll in CRWN 1A, Crown 1A: Introduction to University Life and Learning. Transfer students enroll in KRSG 1T, Kresge 1T: Introduction to Research Universities and the Liberal Arts. Crown 1A and Kresge 1T integrate introductions to academic skills with the online Slug Orientation process, and begin student preparation for their studies at UC Santa Cruz.
CRWN 1A Introduction to University Life and Learning (1 credit)
Offered online in summer quarter.
KRSG 1T Introduction to Research Universities and the Liberal Arts (1 credit)
Offered online in summer quarter.
Core Course
CRWN 1, Academic Literacy and Ethos: Ethical and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies
Crown College’s entering frosh enroll in our core course, CRWN 1, which explores Crown’s theme, Ethical and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies. Students work individually, in small groups of four to five students, and in sections of 25 to 30 students, thereby modeling and embracing the diversity found across campus. CRWN 1 looks at technological revolutions and at
their implications both locally and globally. CRWN 1 also explores issues of inequality and the ethical dilemmas involved and what we can do as responsible citizens to address the challenges facing our society. Deeper goals of this course include fostering a sense of belonging, and ensuring that our students develop the analytical reading, critical thinking, and effective communication skills that they need to succeed in their studies.
A central component of the course is a group research project, in which students study the impact of a technology of their choice, while learning strategies for effective group work. Crown’s core course is enhanced through our plenary series, which gives students opportunities to hear intellectual leaders speak and to interact with them, while getting to know our team of Core faculty. All students admitted as frosh are required to complete the core course. Students admitted as transfer students with sophomore standing or above (45 or more credits in transfer) are exempt from the core course requirement.
Other Academic Programs
In addition to sponsoring an Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate, Crown facilitates access to incubator space and to funding opportunities for student ventures through its partnership with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development. Crown also offers elective courses that provide experiential learning opportunities and support the development of transferable skills for students from any major. Crown electives include classes supporting multimodal communication and artistic expression, such as courses in partnership with the KZSC FM radio station and courses on podcasting, digital theater, and digital storytelling. For more information about academics, see Crown College.
College Advising
Crown Advising is located in the Crown Administration Building and is staffed by the college assistant, professional academic advisors, and a team of peer advisors. Crown Advising offers appointment advising (phone, in-person, or remotely via Zoom) every weekday in fall, winter, spring, and summer. To schedule an appointment, students should use Slug Success. For quick questions or completion of most forms, students are encouraged to email crownadvising@ucsc.edu. Please visit our website for the most up to date information about advisor availability.