Welcome Message from the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
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Dear Students:
Welcome to UCSB! Joining a world-class university like this one confers privilege, prestige, and unique opportunity; but it also comes with important responsibilities. I think these responsibilities can be summed up in three simple words: "scholarship, leadership, and citizenship." Being a scholar requires true engagement in your classes and in the broader universe of ideas. Being a leader and a good citizen requires that you make a positive impact in your world; this can be in any or all of your various communities, in your field of study, or with your peers. I believe these things will happen naturally as you develop your passions and talents and the best qualities in yourself and then direct these toward good work and high purpose.
One way to engage yourself in the world of ideas is to take full advantage of the brilliant minds you will find all around you at UCSB--undergraduate, graduate students, professors, and others. You may never again be in the company of so many bright and creative people working at such a high level in disciplines that span the spectrum from music, to physics, to computer science to the history of art and architecture and so on. This campus has outstanding faculty, unparalleled course offerings, and a wide variety of out-of-class experiences (research opportunities, internships, study abroad, UCDC, etc.) to help you get the most out of your years here. I hope that you will take full advantage of this dynamic place and time in your life. Most professors are eager to engage you and hear your views, so visit them during their office hours as well. You are likely to find that these one-on-one talks become some of the most memorable academic experiences of your college years.
In addition to academics, you will be exploring many other exciting things during your years here. A social life will be important, and you will develop new relationships, many of which will last a lifetime. You will also be learning a lot about yourself: your standards and habits, your dreams and goals and aspirations.
As the senior administrator for student life, I have some dreams and ideals for our community that I would like to share with you. First, we aspire to high standards of respect for each other in our academic community, striving for an atmosphere in which individual differences are celebrated and where the expectation is that a variety of opinions will be voiced and heard. Members of this community have vastly different life experiences and worldviews, and this means there will be disagreements from time to time. This is as it should be. A university campus must encourage open and passionate--but respectful--debate about the concerns, issues, and ideas that are most important to all of us. Academic inquiry always requires a free, open, and respectful exchange of ideas; this is one of the principles at the very foundation of the university.
Without a doubt, one of the most exciting opportunities you will have here is the chance to try out new ideas--wild and crazy ideas that in other circumstances might not be encouraged. Sometimes the safety and comfort of our established habits and opinions can prevent us from experiencing new perspectives, people, cultures, arts, or leisure activities. Avoid this at all cost. This campus is an exciting world of possibilities, and I encourage you to take full advantage of them. One reality of trying out new ideas and behaviors is that we sometimes make mistakes. We might hurt other people or ourselves unintentionally. For those times, we all need to be prepared to ask for and/or to receive a healthy dose of forgiveness.
One of the topics that you will discuss and hear discussed during your years here is that of diversity. Let me share with you just a few of my own thoughts on this very broad and complex topic. The word "diversity" has many meanings. For the purposes of my thoughts here, I am talking about the expansion of the university to embrace all populations, ideas, disciplines, and styles, including those that were previously absent or marginalized. I believe that UCSB cannot achieve true excellence without embracing this kind of diversity. Let me tell you why.
The richness of classroom interactions between students with different perspectives is far greater than what is possible when a homogeneous group is assembled. A person cannot be truly educated about a topic if he or she explores only one perspective, and the more thoroughly different kinds of people talk about and explore a problem, situation, or concept, the broader and deeper everyone's understanding will be. One way to explore different points of view is to enroll in courses that challenge your thinking and push you out of your comfort zone. UCSB has a variety of ethnic and interdisciplinary studies programs and departments, and many courses to provide richness--and I encourage you to sample as many of these as you can.
As I'm sure you have gathered from these thoughts, I believe that you will get from your university education exactly what you put into it. I also believe that the key to true success as a student here is the extent to which you embody the values behind "scholarship, leadership, and citizenship." I would love to discuss these things with you, so I hope that our paths will cross on campus or that you will stop by my office to get acquainted. I look forward to getting to know you and learning and growing with you over the next few years!
--Michael D. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
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