Merrill College
Merrill College Administration Building
831-459-2144
https://merrill.ucsc.edu
Academic Emphasis
Founded in 1968, Merrill College is dedicated to our theme, “Cultural Identities and Global Consciousness.” Merrill students engage in the exchange of ideas across differences and the shared work of creating a world capable of sustaining diverse cultures, perspectives, and forms of life.
We welcome all students with their wide-ranging backgrounds and interests. The academic atmosphere at Merrill College is friendly, engaged, and accepting. Our excellent students, faculty, and staff represent numerous cultural groups and nationalities. The college seeks to expand students’ awareness and understanding of the diversity of cultures around the world, past and present. Merrill students develop a sense of social consciousness and social responsibility, both locally and globally. They come to appreciate how people from the most diverse cultural backgrounds can work together, both to form a local community and to serve humankind.
Orientation
All new first-year and transfer students who start in Fall Quarter are required to enroll in one of two online orientation courses designed to prepare students for their studies at Merrill College and throughout their time at UC Santa Cruz. First-year students will enroll in MERR 1A, Merrill 1A: Introduction to University Life and Learning. Transfer students will enroll in KRSG 1T, Kresge 1T: Introduction to Research Universities and the Liberal Arts. MERR 1A and KRSG 1T integrate introductions to academic skills with the online Slug Orientation process.
MERR 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
MERR 1, Academic Literacy and Ethos: Reading Ourselves, Reading the World
MERR 1, also known as “Core,” empowers students to develop university-level critical thinking skills with a focus on reading. Students learn strategies for building relationships with professors and other instructors, staff people, and fellow students who are essential for success at our university and beyond. Readings illuminate the rich history of community and activism at Merrill College and raise urgent questions that matter to all students, regardless of major. Topics we will address include the purpose of higher education, global inequality, and climate change. Through active learning, students cultivate skills that enable us to analyze different forms of evidence, formulate arguments, work in collaboration with others, and enter into constructive dialogue with members of our university community and the wider world.
All students admitted as first-year students are required to complete Merrill 1. Students may complete the course in either the fall or winter quarter. Students admitted as transfer students with sophomore standing (45 or more credits in transfer) are exempt from the core course requirement.
College Advising
Crown College Administration Building
Contact Information:
merrilladvising@ucsc.edu
Phone: 831-459-2144
Merrill College advisors help students interpret academic policies and procedures and clarify educational goals. They provide support to students to ensure their academic success and progress toward their degree throughout their time at UC Santa Cruz. Advisors help students make informed decisions, develop resiliency, and develop the ability to take ownership of their academic choices. Advisors also connect students to resources that will enrich their academic experiences.
Other Academic Programs
A key characteristic of Merrill’s academic program from its founding has been the importance of experiencing the world, not just studying it.
Pathways to Graduate School supports junior and seniors on their journeys to graduate school, including support for creating successful applications and negotiating potential barriers to success. A series of leadership courses, open to students involved in any of UC Santa Cruz's registered student organizations, teaches of principles of critical engagement, collaboration, and organizational leadership for social change.
Merrill College offers several funding opportunities including Merrill Undergraduate Research Mentorships, which provide students with paid research internships. These internships provide invaluable research experience, personal and professional development, and prepare advanced undergraduates to pursue graduate studies. The Sandra Frausto Education Abroad Scholarship provides a scholarship to one qualified undergraduate annually to study in Latin America. Students may also apply for campus-backed research funds.