Students encouraged to take advantage of Student Community Center

Nervous about finding your niche here on campus? The Student Community Center (SCC), located across from Peter A. Rock Hall (formerly 194 Chemistry), offers a wide range of resources for all UC Davis students.

The SCC is home to six resource centers, including the Cross Cultural Center, the Student Recruitment and Retention Center, the Women’s Resources and Research Center, the Undergraduate Research Center, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center (LGBTRC) and the IET Computer Room and Media Lab. Furthermore, the space includes an extended study space as well the South Coffee House.

Open since January 2012, the SCC is intended for students that are looking to take advantage of campus resources for the upcoming school year.

“I really like it because it’s a central point on campus for students to hang out and study,” said fourth-year sociology major and SCC student manager Eric Guess. “It’s a meeting place to gather that’s different from Olson or Wellman where you have to find an empty room.”

In addition, the center has five meeting rooms and a multi-purpose room for student and faculty events and meetings. Student groups can reserve Meeting Room D as well as the multi-purpose room in advance online.

Each of the six resource centers offers different services and resources for students.

“The LGBTRC offers a safe and welcoming space for all students to access resources, attend programs and workshops and to build community,” said director Sheri Atkinson.

The LGBTRC encourages students to challenge homophobia and to explore their identities. The LGBTRC promotes education about all genders and sexualities and addresses forms of oppression.

The Student Recruitment and Retention Center includes seven components to help students who are underrepresented: African Diaspora Cultivating Education (ACE); American Indian Recruitment and Retention (AIRR); Bridge, a Filipino-targeted education service; Collective, a transfer student support service; the Graduate Academic Achievement and Advocacy Program (GAAAP); Southeast Asians Furthering Education (SAFE); and Yik’al Kuyum (YK), Chicano and Latino Holistic Student Support.

“Our goal is to offer resources academically and personally,” said fourth-year animal science major and AIRR retention coordinator Marissa Saenz. “Our space offers a home away from home. Students can identify with each other culturally or through their lifestyles, as opposed to their majors. No one is judgmental; you can just be yourself.”

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.