Crown College
Crown College
Crown College Administration Building
831-459-2412
https://crown.ucsc.edu
Academic Programs
Crown College
Crown College seeks to provide students with a living and learning environment in which they can positively develop intellectually and socially. Crown is traditionally viewed as the “science college,” and it does have a strong presence of engineering, biology and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students but a large number of students majoring in the social sciences and some arts and humanities students call Crown home as well.
Crown is located on a hilltop surrounded by a redwood forest. The award-winning architecture with its white walls and high-pitched tiled roofs suggests a hillside Mediterranean village. The college’s residential facilities house approximately 800 students. The facilities at Crown College were built through a partnership of public funds and a gift from the Crown Zellerbach Foundation.
We enjoy the strong support of generations of Crownies and they continue to be a part of the community they formed as students. Alumni participate in an advisory capacity in the college’s governance and their generous contributions have allowed Crown to renovate Crown’s Library and its Fireside Lounge, enrich our student’s Core experience, and develop our extensive curriculum of elective classes.
For more information on the Crown’s academic and social environment please visit Crown’s website and also see this feature article: Crown College: Science Minded, Socially Mindful.
Academic Emphases
From the time of its founding in 1967, issues pertaining to the role of science and technology in society have been a focus of special interest at Crown College. We approach these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective that recognizes the influence of social and cultural factors on the scientific enterprise, as well as the ways in which science and technology influence our society.
Orientation
All new frosh and transfer students who start fall quarter are required to enroll in one of two online orientation courses. Frosh enroll in CRWN 1A, Crown 1A: Introduction to University Life and Learning. Transfer students enroll in KRSG 1T, Kresge 1T: Introduction to Research Universities and the Liberal Arts. Crown 1A and Kresge 1T integrate introductions to academic skills with the online Slug Orientation process, and begin student preparation for their studies at UC Santa Cruz.
CRWN 1A Introduction to University Life and Learning (1 credit)
Offered online in summer quarter
KRSG 1T Introduction to Research Universities and the Liberal Arts (1 credit)
Offered online in summer quarter
Core Course
CRWN 1, Academic Literacy and Ethos: Ethical and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies
Crown College’s entering frosh enroll in our core course, CRWN 1, which explores Crown’s theme, Ethical and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies. Students work individually, in small groups of four to five students, and in sections of 25 to 30 students, thereby modeling and embracing the diversity found across campus. CRWN 1 looks at technological revolutions and at their implications both locally and globally. CRWN 1 also explores issues of inequality and the ethical dilemmas involved and what we can do as responsible citizens to address the challenges facing our society. Deeper goals of this course include fostering a sense of belonging, and ensuring that our students develop the analytical reading, critical thinking, and effective communication skills that they need to succeed in their studies.
A central component of the course is a group research project, in which students study the impact of a technology of their choice, while learning strategies for effective group work. Crown’s core course is enhanced through our plenary series, which gives students opportunities to hear intellectual leaders speak and to interact with them, while getting to know our team of Core faculty. We also organize a science-fiction short story contest. In winter of their frosh year, our students have additional opportunities to build on their Core experience by performing a play connected to the theme of Core Digital Theater Workshop (CRWN 96), by turning their research project into a podcast (Podcasting: Digital Storytelling [CRWN 98]), or by attending and/or presenting at Crown’s Social Fiction Conference SFC.
All students admitted as frosh are required to complete the core course. Students admitted as transfer students with sophomore standing or above (45 or more credits in transfer) are exempt from the core course requirement.
Other Academic Programs
Complementing its focus on science and technology, Crown provides experiential learning opportunities and supports the development of transferable skills. This includes providing funding for materials needed for class projects (Crown Student Project Funds) and an extensive curriculum of elective classes. These classes are open to all majors and can be grouped in three areas: entrepreneurship, digital literacy and communication skills.
Crown offers three entrepreneurship classes: Start-up Entrepreneurship Academy (CRWN 90), Social and Creative Entrepreneurship (CRWN 92), and Fundamentals of Starting and Scaling an Organization (CRWN 100). Crown also offers two exciting opportunities for experiential learning in the area of entrepreneurship: GetVirtual Business Assistance (CRWN 95), and Marketing for Good (CRWN 91) and facilitates access to incubator space and to funding opportunities for student ventures through its partnership with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development. Opportunities to explore the ethical implications of emerging technologies and to develop tools for ethical assessment are available through Crown’s Center for Applied Ethics and Values of Emerging Technologies.
Crown supports digital literacy through two classes: Computational Futurology: Use of Data Analysis for Predicting Human Behavior and Activity (CRWN 88), and Workshop in Computational Biology (CRWN 89). CRWN 88 covers statistical and computational approaches available to predict human activity, both at the individual and at the collective level, and culminates in a group project that integrates the concepts learned in the course. CRWN 89 engages students in genomics research by forming teams of complementary expertise in coding, advanced statistics and biology and guiding them through the process of academic inquiry.
Crown also offers a variety of classes supporting multimodal communication and artistic expression. This includes two classes offered by the KZSC FM radio station: Introduction to Broadcast Media: Radio (CRWN 70) and Broadcast Production: Radio (CRWN 70L) and also a Sci-Fi class, Science Fictions (CRWN 80F) and a Sci-Fi drama class tied to Core, Digital Theater Workshop (CRWN 96), a videography class, Storytelling in a Digital Age (CRWN 86), a podcasting class, Podcasting: Digital Storytelling (CRWN 98).
Finally, Crown has also established a collaboration with the departments of Mathematics and Statistics to develop a data science track. The first class in this track is Mathematical Problems in Data Science (CRWN 85).
Crown College participates in the UC Santa Cruz College Scholars Program (CSP), a stimulating home for highly motivated students to have community with like-minded peers during their first and second years as they explore research at a research university. The program recruits and supports a diverse cohort of college scholars across all five academic divisions and all 10 colleges who show potential to cultivate academic and non-academic strengths in a learning community. Between 20 and 25 students are housed in close proximity in each college and together participate in an enriched program of study designed to prepare them to take advantage of opportunities for undergraduate research at the upper division. Across four quarters, students have access to supplementary activities, special courses, small seminars, and a faculty research colloquium to explore what questions drive researchers and what forms research can take. To facilitate participation in these program requirements, CSP students receive priority enrollment during their time in the program.
Student Well-Being
Crown a class to promote student resiliency (CRWN 81). In a workshop series, students explore their identity while managing and letting go of stress, anxiety, and depression. This program focuses on understanding: 1) how we process our thoughts and feelings; 2) how society (family and friends) and culture impacts us; 3) ways to experience and create meaning and value in life.
Summer Classes
Crown College will offer a great curriculum in Summer 2024! These classes are open to all UCSC students from any and all colleges and majors, as well as students from other universities or high schools.
CRWN 80F Science Fictions
CRWN 90 Start Up Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA)
CRWN 95 GetVirtual Business Assistance
CRWN 98 Podcasting: Digital Storytelling
CRWN 100 Fundamentals of starting and scaling an organization
Enrollment opens May 1, all students are welcome.
Costa Rica: CRWN 94 Ecoentrepreneurship, CRWN 92G Social and Creative Entrepreneurship
Ireland: CRWN 98B Podcasting: Digital Storytelling, in conjunction with Writing 2: Research and Travel Writing
By application only—see website for details, info sessions, and deadlines.
Through Summer Session Summer UCSC, Crown offers a large part of its curriculum in the summer.
These classes are open not only to all UCSC students but also to students from other higher education institutions and are delivered in 5-week, 8-week or 10-week periods.
College Advising
Crown Advising is located in the Crown Administration Building and is staffed by the college assistant, professional academic advisors, and a team of peer advisors. Crown Advising offers appointment advising (phone, in-person, or remotely via Zoom) every weekday in fall, winter, spring, and summer. To schedule an appointment, students should use Slug Success. For quick questions or completion of most forms, students are encouraged to email crownadvising@ucsc.edu. Please visit our website for the most up to date information about advisor availability.
Crown Staff Directory
Crown College Core Faculty Core Faculty
Crown College Fellows Fellows