African, Black, and Caribbean Themed Housing Communities
For new incoming undergraduate students , ABC-themed living-learning communities are located at Stevenson College, Oakes College, and Rachel Carson College, and are available to students of any college affiliation. Directly connected to the Office of African, Black, Caribbean (ABC) Student Success and the African American Resource & Cultural Center, and designed for students whose interests span historical, present-day, and future experiences of predominantly African, Black, and Caribbean peoples, these communities intentionally create space for students to feel connected, safer, and supported in a community centered on the experiences of African, Black, Caribbean peoples.
Utilizing the community cultural wealth model, students develop cultural competence/cultural intelligence, aspirational capital, linguistic capital, resistance capital and ally development through organizing, living, studying, and socializing with peers passionate about political, cultural, popular, social, and economic issues of the African Diaspora.
Students who indicate an interest in living in ABC theme housing will be required to complete a supplemental application when applying for university housing. All students must agree to the principle that all members of ABC theme housing are expected to model behaviors that ensure a safer and supportive environment for African, Black, and Caribbean peoples.
Supplemental questions for the 2024-25 Housing Application will be as follows:
How would living in this community contribute to your learning, growth, and knowledge of social justice, unlearning anti-blackness, and being a social change agent?
How do you plan on supporting the mission of ABC theme housing and implementing what you learn from this community into your future goals?
Rosa Parks African- American Theme House
(R.PAATH)
The Rosa Parks African American Theme Housing (R.PAATH) is a student-initiated living-learning space for students whose interests span historical, present-day, and future experiences of predominantly African, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) peoples. Established in 2011, it has grown into a space that nurtures, educates, and supports the students in community. Named for NAACP activist Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, R.PAATH was created after students asked for a dedicated space for those committed to the growth and development of ABC peoples. Now a unique icon across campus, the iconic red, black, and green coloring was added in 2017 as a result of student voices.
Located at Stevenson College, the Rosa Parks African American Theme House is available to students of any college affiliation. There are residence hall spaces for first-year students (strongly encouraged for Black Academy participants) and apartment spaces for continuing students available to current and future R.PAATH residents. Students who have lived in R.PAATH previously have the ability to return to the community when they indicate it in their supplemental application. All new incoming students in R.PAATH are matched with a College Possible Coach who you will connect with on a monthly basis to assist in Academic Success, Personal Development, and Financial Management. All students connected to a College Possible Coach also have a lifetime nationwide connection to Americorps beyond their participation in the program.
Students benefit from:
Peer to Peer mentoring from ABC housing mentor living in the community
Priority enrollment to Wellness Coach sessions
Match with College Possible Success coach and access to Americorps benefits
ABC STEM @ Biko House
(available to Oakes affiliates only)
Located at Oakes College, ABC STEM @ Biko house is only available to Oakes affiliates. Named after Steven Biko, anti-apartheid leader and founder of the Black Consciousness Movement (Black Consciousness began to be defined as “an attitude of mind” or “way of life” of black people who believed in their potential and value as black people and saw the need for black people to work together for a holistic liberation), Biko house is connected to our ABC STEM community. Students develop and utilize strategies that assist them in communicating and building relationships across political, social, and cultural differences. All new incoming students living in ABC STEM are matched with a College Possible Coach who you will connect with on a monthly basis to assist in Academic Success, Personal Development, and Financial Management. All students connected to a College Possible Coach also have a lifetime nationwide connection to Americorps beyond their participation in the program.
Students benefit from:
A strong connection with Oakes’ Scientist-in-Residence housed within the community
Priority enrollment in Oakes 3L course (if enrolled in Pre-Calc or Calculus in their first year at UCSC)
Experiential learning in the Black Lives Matter Garden
Involvement with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
A direct connection to faculty and staff committed to the progress and success of ABC students pursuing a degree in STEM
ABC
STARS
(Transfer and Re-Entry Students)
Located at Rachel Carson College, the ABC STARS community is specifically designed for incoming transfer students. As a cohort, ABC STARS residents have a connection to the Services for Transfer and Re-Entry Students (STARS) Office.
Residents of this community will have an opportunity to:
Connect with other transfer or re-entry students around a shared experience of being continuing students in their first year at UCSC
Participate in the extended orientation program known as Black Academy
Gain practical experience engaging in the African American community on campus and in the local community
Identify campus and community resources and activities that educate and support them on issues of the African Diaspora