The purpose of our visit is to welcome new graduate students, and promote a strong sense of community and peer-support among the UCSC Ocean Sciences graduate students. Recent surveys conducted at UCSC revealed that less than half of students in the Physical and Biological Sciences feel that they fully belong in their department, and that sense of belonging was strongly correlated with level of engagement and burnout in their graduate studies. The sense of belonging was especially low among students from groups that have historically been excluded from the environmental sciences, including first generation students, students of color and women. Evidence from peer-reviewed literature suggests that peer support networks can bolster the success of students from underrepresented groups (Wolfe & Riggs, 2017). Part of the aim of the graduate student retreat is to address these challenges in our department and promote a culture of peer support and collaboration. Students will spend time together in a natural setting, building connections, and new students will have the opportunity to connect with peer mentors before beginning the graduate program. Additionally, visiting the reserve will be an invaluable opportunity for new graduate students to learn from their peers about the natural history of central California and Big Sur.

Approved