Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services
683
College Student Life sponsored programs
2.2 Million
UCSC Dining transactions across 18 locations
2K+
Hours of infant care provided through Early Education Services
Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES) provides leadership in the areas of college student life and residential services, housing services and facilities, capital planning, dining services, conference services, and early education services. Through these departments, educational and development programs and services are offered to all members of the campus community including students, faculty, staff, children, and the wider Santa Cruz community.
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Community Rentals
Finding off-campus housing in Santa Cruz can be challenging, especially for first-time renters. As UC Santa Cruz’s official off-campus housing information source, Community Rentals equips students with the resources they need to make informed decisions about living off campus. Resources like the housing search timeline, free Renters Workshop, and rental listings guide students through the process step by step.
Our Departments
Capital Planning
Capital Planning works with campus stakeholders to plan for long-term capital projects (such as land or a building), and aids in the management of campus spaces, particularly in the 10 colleges, housing, and dining.
College Student Life
College Student Life (CSL) provides leadership for the student experience using a curricular approach. Staff specialize in residential education, student activities, housing, student conduct, and operations & staff development.
Dining Services
In addition to managing five campus dining halls, numerous cafes, coffee shops, and markets, UCSC Dining offers University Catering for both on-campus and off-campus university events.
Housing Services
UCSC Housing Services includes student housing, Early Education Services (EES), Conference Services, Facilities, and the Residential Community Service Program (RCSP).
Leadership
Laura Arroyo, Ed.D. (she/her)
Associate Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing and Educational Services
Laura Arroyo was appointed to the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing and Educational Services effective July 1, 2024. She joins UCSC from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she most recently served as the assistant vice chancellor for transitions and academic partnerships.
A first-generation college student, Laura holds an Ed.D. in educational equity with a concentration in urban and diverse communities from the University of Colorado Denver; her dissertation is titled “Let Us Make It Ours: Black Student Mattering in Residential Housing.” She also holds a bachelor of social work (BSW) from Mansfield University and a master of social work (MSW) with a clinical focus from the University of Maine.
Laura’s academic and research interests include issues of equity and justice within higher education, co-curricular approaches to student learning, living-learning community development, and third space theory.
Meet our senior leaders
Alex Belisario
Executive Director, College Student Life
Omar Galvez
Executive Director, Dining Services
Dave Keller
Executive Director, Housing Services
Steve Houser (he/him)
Executive Director, Capital Planning