A Word from the Chancellor

UCSB has a reputation as a world-class university in both our undergraduate and graduate programs, with a friendly and rich environment in which all of us from diverse backgrounds and perspectives will explore and learn together. Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to helping you achieve your academic and personal goals, and we hope that you will take full advantage of all that our campus has to offer.

Our stature as a world-class research university is unquestioned: In 1997, the campus was ranked in a national study as one of the top two public research universities in the country, based on per capita faculty productivity and scholarship. Even more recently, a survey of U.S. universities in 21 fields by Science Watch ranked UCSB among the top ten highest impact universities, based on the citation rate of research papers by our faculty. UCSB is a member of the 62-member Association of American Universities, which is comprised of the top two percent of all the universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. The quality and stature of our undergraduate programs equal that of our research programs. We are committed to our twin goals—excellence and diversity.

These honors and other recognition of our academic excellence are testimony to the pre-eminence of our professors, the academic programs in which you will participate, and the very high quality and diversity of the student community of which you are an important and valued member.

There are many opportunities here for you to learn about yourself, your community, and your world. Perhaps you will join some of UCSB’s 300 clubs, or participate—as do 80 percent of your fellow students—in intramural sports. You could become a volunteer in the community, as nearly half of our students do, or become active in student affairs through the Associated Students, Graduate Students Association, and others.

Whatever you decide to do, we are all here to support and encourage your efforts to become the best that you can be. This is a wonderful place for you to learn and blossom.

Welcome again!
 

Henry T. Yang