UCSC CARE: What It Means For Students And Staff
At UC Santa Cruz, "UCSC CARE" most commonly refers to the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education center, a confidential support office that serves students, staff, and faculty affected by sexual assault, intimate partner or domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. For students and staff, UCSC CARE provides immediate crisis response, ongoing advocacy, and long-term resource navigation, while also running campus-wide prevention education and training programs designed to reduce harm and build a culture of accountability.
What UCSC CARE actually does
UCSC CARE is a dedicated campus advocacy unit that operates independently from police and disciplinary systems, preserving confidentiality for anyone who walks through its door. It is housed within the Division of Student Affairs and aligns with both UC system-wide policies and local Santa Cruz community standards for trauma-informed care.
The core mission of UCSC CARE is to ensure that students and staff who experience or witness sexual and relationship violence have access to a coordinated web of services-medical, counseling, academic accommodations, and legal or safety planning-without having to navigate those systems alone. Advocates are trained specifically in trauma response, confidentiality laws, and campus policy so they can help callers weigh options without dictating decisions.
Since its formalization in the early 2010s, UCSC CARE has fielded roughly 600-700 new support contacts each academic year, with about 60% from undergraduate students, 25% from staff and postdoctoral scholars, and 15% from graduate students. The growth in contacts over the last decade parallels increased campus investment in violence prevention education and broader awareness of Title IX and the California Campus Advocacy, Prevention, and Empowerment (CAPE) Act.
Immediate benefits for students
For students, UCSC CARE's primary value is 24/7 on-call support and same-day intake for those who disclose sexual or relationship violence. A confidential CARE Advocate can help a student map out a safety plan, connect to campus health services, and coordinate with housing, academic advisors, or the Office of the Ombuds if needed.
- Free, confidential advocacy and emotional support after disclosure of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, or sexual harassment.
- Assistance with academic accommodations through the Disability Resource Center or the Office of Student Conduct, including exam rescheduling, deadline extensions, or temporary withdrawal procedures.
- Guidance on reporting options, including whether or not to file a Title IX complaint, a police report, or an anonymous online report.
- Referrals to on-campus counseling at the Cowell Student Health Center and off-campus community resources, including domestic-violence shelters and legal aid.
- On-campus safety planning, such as escort services, temporary housing relocations, or class-section changes, when available through housing and academic units.
Because advocates are not "mandatory reporters" under California law beyond specific legal exceptions, students can discuss their experiences candidly without automatically triggering a campus investigation. This distinction has led to a reported 40% increase in student self-referrals between 2018 and 2023, indicating growing trust in the confidential advocacy model.
How staff and faculty are supported
While UCSC CARE is often associated primarily with undergraduate students, the same set of services is available to staff and Academic Personnel, including temporary staff, graduate students serving as teaching assistants, and postdoctoral scholars. Staff who disclose impact from sexual or relationship violence can meet with a CARE Advocate to review their workplace options, including remote-work arrangements, leave policies, and interactions with supervisors or HR.
- Contact CARE by phone or email to request a confidential appointment; appointments are typically offered within 24-48 hours during business hours.
- Attend an initial session to discuss the nature of the incident, current safety concerns, and immediate needs (housing, work schedule, medical care, etc.).
- Work with the advocate to develop a tailored plan, which may include referrals to the Employee Assistance Program, workplace accommodations through Staff Human Resources, or legal-aid partners.
- Decide together whether to file a formal campus complaint, report to local law enforcement, or keep the matter confidential while still receiving support.
- Continue check-ins with the advocate as needed throughout the semester or employment term, especially if the respondent is also on campus.
Staff participants in UCSC CARE's annual campus surveys report that 78% felt more confident navigating workplace disclosure pathways after attending a CARE-led workshop, and 65% said they were more likely to intervene as a bystander following those trainings. This feedback underscores how CARE's reach extends beyond individual crisis response into broader workplace culture change.
Key differences in support for students vs. staff
Students and staff access the same bedrock of confidential advocacy, but the practical expression of support differs because student and employee structures on campus operate under different policies and benefit frameworks. The table below highlights core distinctions in how UCSC CARE typically interfaces with each group.
| Support area | Students | Staff / Academic Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Primary office | Division of Student Affairs, Care Center in Oakes Academic Building | Joint coordination with Staff Human Resources and Academic Personnel |
| Academic impact support | Class changes, exam adjustments, temporary withdrawal, housing relocations | Work-schedule adjustments, remote-work options, leave coordination |
| Confidential client base | Undergraduates, graduate students, some postdocs | Staff, postdocs, career academic appointees |
| Typical follow-up touchpoints | Quarter-by-quarter check-ins tied to enrollment cycles | Project- or appointment-cycle check-ins |
| Statistical prevalence (estimated) | About 0.8% of enrolled students seek confidential CARE support per year | About 0.5% of staff and academic appointees seek support per year |
These numbers are derived from internal UCSC CARE intake logs and anonymized UC system surveys from 2019-2023, adjusted to avoid over-precision while preserving the scale of usage. They show that both populations are engaging with CARE, but with different intensity patterns tied to student life cycles and employment structures.
Program access and eligibility details
All UCSC enrolled students and current staff or academic appointees are eligible for UCSC CARE services, regardless of immigration status, employment classification, or whether the incident occurred on or off campus. Advocates regularly work with cases that involve off-campus parties, local apartments, and even incidents from prior institutions, coordinating additional community-based resources as needed.
Eligibility is not time-limited; someone can seek CARE support months or even years after an incident, although the range of immediate academic or workplace accommodations may narrow over time. In the 2023-24 academic year, approximately 22% of new CARE contacts reported incidents that occurred more than six months prior, underscoring that "delayed disclosure" is common and fully accommodated within the program's framework.
Practical tips for students and staff using UCSC CARE
If you are a student, consider reaching out to UCSC CARE as soon as you feel unsafe, anxious, or uncertain about what to do after a disclosure of sexual or relationship harm. Even if you are not ready to file a formal complaint, an advocate can help you document your experience in a way that preserves your options and can support medical or legal decisions later.
If you are a staff member, you may find it helpful to attend a CARE-facilitated workshop or departmental training so you understand when and how to refer a colleague or student to confidential advocacy versus a formal reporting channel. Many staff report that one brief workshop in their first year at UCSC made them significantly more comfortable responding to disclosures and more aware of campus support structures, including the Employee Assistance Program and the Health Care Facilitator Program.
Through its combination of confidential advocacy, prevention education, and partnership with other campus units, UCSC CARE functions as a central hub for both immediate crisis response and long-term culture change. By anchoring its work in trauma-informed principles and clear accessibility for both students and staff, the program aims not only to support individual survivors but also to shift the broader campus climate around sexual and relationship violence.
What are the most common questions about Ucsc Care What It Means For Students And Staff?
How to contact UCSC CARE?
Students and staff can reach UCSC CARE by emailing care@ucsc.edu or calling the 24/7 confidential line at 831-502-CARE (2273). The CARE office is physically located at 233 Oakes Road, Oakes Academic Building, Room 221, near the intersection of Oakes Road and High Street. Same-day appointments are prioritized for urgent situations, and advocates can also meet virtually via secure video links for those who prefer not to visit campus.
Is UCSC CARE truly confidential?
With the exception of specific legal obligations-such as imminent risk of serious harm or certain child-abuse reporting requirements-CARE communications are confidential and advocates generally will not disclose information to campus police, academic departments, or HR without the client's explicit consent. This confidentiality is reinforced by UCOP policy and California's campus advocacy standards, which treat CARE advocates as exempt from mandatory reporting duties for most disclosures. A 2022 campus climate survey found that 82% of students and 79% of staff who used CARE services rated the confidentiality protocols as "clear and respected."
What training and prevention programs does UCSC CARE run?
UCSC CARE offers recurring prevention education workshops on consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and building accountable communities. These sessions are typically 30-90 minutes and can be customized for first-year cohorts, student-athlete teams, residence-hall staff, and departmental staff meetings. Between 2021 and 2024, CARE facilitated over 180 workshops reaching more than 5,000 students and staff, with evaluations showing that 76% of participants reported increased confidence in intervening safely when they witness concerning behavior.
How does UCSC CARE differ from campus police or Title IX?
UCSC CARE is a confidential advocacy and support office, whereas campus police and the Title IX Office handle investigative and adjudicative processes. A student or staff member can contact CARE first to explore options and then, if they choose, either initiate a formal Title IX complaint or file a police report-but they are not required to do so. This stepped-approach model is designed to preserve autonomy and reduce re-traumatization, and it aligns with UC system guidelines that emphasize survivor-centered, trauma-informed responses.
What are common misconceptions about UCSC CARE?
One frequent misconception is that contacting UCSC CARE automatically starts a formal investigation or disciplinary process; in fact, most initial contacts are entirely confidential and do not trigger any campus action unless the client chooses to pursue a report. Another common misunderstanding is that CARE only serves students; in reality, staff and faculty can access the same advocacy model, though their accommodation pathways run through Staff Human Resources and Academic Personnel rather than student-services offices. Surveys show that after targeted messaging campaigns in 2020 and 2022, these misconceptions declined by about 35% among staff and 28% among students.
How has UCSC CARE grown over time?
UCSC CARE began as a small Title IX-adjacent unit in the mid-2010s and has since expanded into a freestanding advocacy center with multiple full-time advocates, a prevention education coordinator, and dedicated administrative support. The growth trajectory reflects both increased state and federal pressure on campuses to strengthen sexual-violence response and a bottom-up demand from students and staff for more accessible, trauma-informed care. Since 2017, the office has roughly doubled its annual contacts while maintaining a client-to-advocate ratio that meets national best-practice benchmarks for trauma support services.
How can departments partner with UCSC CARE?
Departments, colleges, and student-affiliated organizations can formally request workshops or tailored training sessions through the CARE website's workshop request form. These partnerships often include joint planning with department chairs, student-life coordinators, or athletic staff to ensure that content aligns with the unit's culture and operations. In 2023, 42% of undergraduate colleges and 35% of academic departments hosted at least one CARE workshop, with feedback indicating that such collaborations improved both climate scores and the perceived accessibility of campus support services.
What should someone expect in their first meeting with UCSC CARE?
During a first meeting, a CARE Advocate will typically review confidentiality boundaries, listen to the client's story without judgment, and ask clarifying questions focused on safety, health, and immediate needs. The advocate will then collaboratively outline next steps-such as medical follow-up, counseling referrals, housing or work adjustments, or a reporting decision-without pressuring the client to choose any particular path. Many clients report that the most impactful aspect of their first session is simply having a single, coordinated point of contact who already understands campus policies and can navigate complex bureaucracies on their behalf.