Events & Programs
Reconnect with your University
Our office plans myriad events and programs just for you! Attend a reunion, network at an event near you, nominate someone for an Alumni Award, connect with us virtually, or even travel the globe with fellow Slugs.
Return to the Redwoods
A reimagined campus experience for Alumni. Return to the Redwoods welcomes alumni, friends, and family back to UCSC for a weekend of celebration, exploration, and an opportunity to relive the beauty of our campus. Alumni and their guests are invited to stay on campus overnight for the weekend.
Save the Date, August 14-16, 2026.
Alumni Reunion Weekend
Alumni Reunion Weekend brings together alumni celebrating their 50th or greater reunion milestones. This weekend hosts a series of events to honor our golden alumni including a celebratory dinner, college reunion events, and opportunities to reconnect with classmates and pioneer faculty.
Join us April 24-26, 2026!
Inspiring Change
UC Santa Cruz is a place of change. Powerful, lasting, redefining change. Change, defined by those involved in it. Here, we turn ambitions into answers and learners into leaders, ideas into action and gifts into impact.
Celebrate The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz at an event near you. Join fellow Banana Slugs to network, mingle, and hear from distinguished faculty at an Inspiring Change event near you. Raise a glass to the future of innovation, discovery, and Slug spirit!
Santa Cruz events
Over 20,000 Alumni live locally in Santa Cruz! Join us for events in the community and on-campus such as sports games, art exhibitions, performances, Alumni Days at campus institutions, and more.
Events near me
Connect with your local Slug community at events near you.
Virtual Slugs
Banana Slugs from around the world connect to UC Santa Cruz through virtual events including Slugs & Steins, Lectures from UC Santa Cruz and the Kraw Lecture series.
Alumni Awards
UC Santa Cruz recognizes and honors those who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements, made distinct contributions to society and UC Santa Cruz, and have embodied the values and spirit of the University.
Nominations are accepted annually in February, winners are announced in the summer and honored in October at the Alumni Awards Celebration event. Save the date, Friday, October 16, 2026.
Supporting students
While you’re a student for just a few short years, you’re an alum for life. The UCSC Alumni Association is here for you, and we’d love to get acquainted early on.
The Alumni Association supports student success in a number of ways. Alumni interested in getting involved to support current students can email alumni@ucsc.edu to learn more.
Travel with UCSC
Making the world our classroom, Inspired Expeditions explores the far-reaching corners of our globe and showcases our extraordinary faculty, celebrating the expertise and research they conduct on and off campus. Strengthen your connection to the university and broaden your understanding of our world; join us as we explore, learn, discover, and connect while traveling with like-minded friends and fellow Banana Slugs.
Upcoming Alumni Events
HireDMV Multi-University Alumni Career Fair
Alumni Reunion Weekend 2026
UCSC Summer Academy on Artificial Intelligence for High School Students
