UC Santa Cruz joins Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV)- UC Santa Cruz announced that they will be joining the Hillel International's Campus Climate Initiative.
The initiative is to help improve and strengthen the environment on campus for Jewish students. UC Santa Cruz will be the second UC campus and fourth university to join the initiative in California.
School officials said that the initiative will provide campus officials with a comprehensive program to build a campus climate which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity free of antisemitism.
This comes after there were reports of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQIA+ incidents that took place on campus back in May. UC Santa Cruz said that it is important to participate in this initiative to strengthen the campus climate for Jewish students.
Over the next 16 months, campus leaders will receive training and resources plus work closely Santa Cruz Hillel leaders and the Campus Climate Initiative team.
The program will provide educational curriculum for senior leaders which include exploring Jewish student experiences on campus.
“The sharp rise in antisemitism across the nation is deeply troubling, and we must work to counter those who perpetuate hate in an effort to divide us,” Chancellor Cynthia Larive said. “We are looking forward to partnering with Hillel leaders to strengthen the UC Santa Cruz experience for Jewish students.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number of anti-Semitic incidents increased by 36 percent in 2022 which was an all-time high in the United State. Anti-Semitic activity reported on college campuses increased by 41 percent in 2022, with 219 incidents reported at more than 130 campuses across the country.
