Adlai E. Stevenson College is a
residential collegeA residential college is an organisational pattern for a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship with the overall...
at the
University of California, Santa CruzThe University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
. It was founded in 1966, only a year after the university was established. Currently, the college is host to the Linguistics Department, as well as many humanities faculty.
The college was named after
Adlai StevensonAdlai Ewing Stevenson II was an American politician, noted for his intellectual demeanor, eloquent oratory, and promotion of liberal causes in the Democratic Party. He served one term as governor of Illinois, and received the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 1952 and 1956; both times...
, an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
ambassador. The college was founded in 1966, a year after the establishment of the university and its first college, Cowell.
The core course
The core course at Stevenson College is Self & Society. It is the only two-quarter long core course at the university and students can earn up to five general education requirements.
The course holds an emphasis on analytical writing, critical thinking, and oral presentation skills. Due to the broad nature of the course, students find themselves learning about and discussing religion, political theory, social criticism, and literature. Some texts that the course includes are the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Koran, Plato’s Five Dialogues, The Autobiography of Malcom X, Mary Shelly’s
FrankensteinFrankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, generally known simply as Frankenstein, is a novel written by Mary Shelley. Shelley started writing when she was 18 and the novel was published when she was 21. The first edition was published anonymously in London in . Shelley's name appears on the second...
,
The Communist ManifestoManifesto of the Communist Party , often referred to as The Communist Manifesto, was first published on February 21, 1848, and is one of the world's most influential political manuscripts. Commissioned by the Communist League and written by communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, it...
,
PersepolisPersepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty. Persepolis is situated northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran...
, and much more. Students enjoy the small seminar sections, to discuss many ideas relating to “self” and “society.”
Living at Stevenson
At Stevenson College, there are eight dormitory houses that are separated into two adjacent locations: “upper quad” and “lower quad.” Each house contains single, double, and triple rooms, and can house approximately 60 students. Stevenson College also has apartments that are an option for non-freshman undergraduate students. They house approximately 136 students, and come fully furnished.
The knoll, which has one of the most spectacular views of the Monterey Bay from campus, is a popular hangout for all Stevenson students. It is common to see students studying, napping, and sun bathing on the knoll at any given time during the year.
The Stevenson Coffee House is also another popular hangout where students and professors can eat, socialize, and study. If that environment is too distracting however, students have found that the Stevenson Library is a great, quiet location to work on papers and do any late night assignments they might have.
Finally, Stevenson College is also located just above the university’s gym and pool, giving its students easy access to an excellent workout facility.
Community at Stevenson
Stevenson College holds many events for its community as well. College Night happens two to three times a quarter, where students enjoy specially themed meals with some type of live entertainment. Open Mic Nights at the Stevenson Coffee House are also a fun event that occurs several times a month. Anybody can sign up, and many students perform songs, recite poetry, or even perform magic tricks. The Resident Assistants (RAs) at Stevenson College also host many events each quarter that everybody is invited to participate in.
External links