Spectacular Setting, Puzzling Problem

The University of California here is a standout.

Set in a storybook campus of rolling hills, towering trees and ocean views, it might be the prettiest in the UC system. It is one of the smallest, so students do not get lost in the crowd. Academic programs are varied and strong. There’s just one quandary.

UC Santa Cruz has a higher dropout rate than any of its eight sister schools. About 20% of freshmen do not make it to their sophomore year, according to a recent study. One in three do not graduate.

“This is our top priority--it’s something we are very concerned about,” said Michael Thompson, the university’s associate vice chancellor for outreach, admissions and student academic services. “But there are no easy answers. Retention is the most complex problem concerning students that we face.”

Over the last decade, UC Santa Cruz has lagged behind in student retention. UCLA’s freshman dropout rate is 4%; UC Berkeley’s is 5%. Those are the best numbers yet for the two schools, known for rigorous entrance requirements and tough academic standards. UC Santa Cruz, meanwhile, has hit a 10-year low in retention, says a recent report from its planning office.

“Why aren’t they staying? It’s a complicated question and we’re trying to figure it out,” Thompson said. “But you have to be careful about students who will give you a facile answer; you have to look behind that answer and see what’s really true.”

What is true about UC Santa Cruz is that the seaside campus is more complex than the laid-back, surfer dude first impression it conveys. U.S. News and World Report named it one of the 20 best public campuses in the country this year. A survey by the National Research Council ranked the school’s doctoral programs in astronomy /astrophysics and linguistics among the top 10 nationwide.

The campus’ 10,500 students are spread out in eight residential colleges. Some love the personal atmosphere; others say the separate schools promote a sense of isolation.

Students are divided about the pass / fail system of grading, one of the hallmarks of UC Santa Cruz’s liberal education style. They can choose to get traditional letter grades, but some students accustomed to grade-point averages complain that the university’s lack of emphasis on such gauges of success is unsettling.

“I know that the dropout rate here is higher among people with better GPAs and test scores. In certain ways, there’s an intellectual climate here that is so laid-back, it puts people off, especially at the lower levels,” said Jordan Benjamin, 21, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Benjamin was not sure about Santa Cruz when he arrived from San Francisco, and he spent the first year wondering whether he had made the right choice. He watched students leave, including a housemate who was disillusioned with the school’s liberal policies.

This year, however, Santa Cruz’s unique structure captured Benjamin’s interest. While sophomores at other schools have worked their way through entry level classes, he has embarked on original research.

“I’m about to start my senior thesis research, and that has turned things around for me,” he said. “Anywhere else, it wouldn’t be possible to work at this level so early on. It’s that kind of academic freedom that makes this school all worth it. It’s one of the great strengths, but I think not everyone knows how to make the most of it.”

Sarah Shirazi, 19, a sophomore majoring in economics, has had a vastly different experience. She is transferring to UC Irvine this fall. A good friend transferred to UC Santa Barbara, and Shirazi knows others thinking of leaving too.

“They’re so liberal here [that] they can go the other way and be closed-minded,” she said. “I belong to a sorority, and here that’s not OK. The city doesn’t allow Greek letters on the buildings, and I’ve had professors make fun of sororities and fraternities in class. It’s not a comfortable environment--a lot of people are unhappy up here.”

Allison Endert, a 22-year-old political science major, has been trying to do something about it. She was one of a group of students who lobbied for a campus-based retention center, which would have researched the reasons students leave, as well as offer assistance for students who are struggling.

“I have had a lot of friends who left for a lot of reasons--academic problems, financial reasons, different family situations. It’s actually hard to tell what the problem is,” she said.

A proposed $7-per-student quarterly to fund the retention center failed to get the required two-thirds vote in the May student election.

Endert is philosophical. “We should have done more to educate people about the center,” she said. “But we’ll try again next year.”

A lot is riding on next year. Endert hopes that the university will fund student intern positions to learn why people leave UC Santa Cruz and why they stay. The administration has plans of its own.

Vice Chancellor Thompson said his department has set aside $100,000 for peer mentoring, interns and academic support services for the 1999-2000 school year. “Rather than focus on why people leave, if we learn to think about what makes people stay, then we can create that experience for them,” he said.

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Santa Cruz Blues

Despite its small size and idyllic setting, UC Santa Cruz has the highest dropout rate in the UC system. One in five freshmen don’t return for their sophomore year -- an 80% one-year retention rate that ranks well below the UC average of 91%.

Percentage of Freshmen Retained

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Campus 1987 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 Berkeley 91 92 90 91 93 94 93 94 93 94 95 Davis 93 93 94 94 93 93 93 91 89 91 90 Irvine 92 93 90 93 93 94 94 92 91 91 93 UCLA 92 94 94 94 94 94 94 94 95 95 96 Riverside 84 85 88 89 90 89 88 85 85 86 86 San Diego 87 90 91 92 93 94 92 92 93 93 94 Santa Barbara 87 87 87 87 88 87 85 84 86 88 89 Santa Cruz 83 85 85 84 83 82 85 80 81 81 80 UC average 89 90 90 91 91 91 91 90 90 91 91

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Prepared by Office of Planning and Budget, UC Santa Cruz