ABOUT ACE
What is ACE?
The ACE Mission is to increase the diversity of students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math. We provide a challenging and supportive setting to help you develop skills that will earn you higher grades in science and math. We pride ourselves in working towards retaining students in science and math intensive majors and supporting them throughout their undergraduate career.
Pathway to Academic Excellence
Helping you excel in introductory science and math courses is our focus. ACE students earn higher grades because of their personal commitment to learning. With the leadership of ACE professional staff and student co-leaders/mentors, you learn study skills and techniques that lead to critical thinking and problem solving. Your success is achieved through collaboration, community, and mentoring.
Collaboration
Master your courses in small discussion sections that supplement your large science and math lectures. Our small, structured workshop setting provides an environment where collaborative learning can take place. Students learn by teaching each other; the collaborative method successfully enforces critical thinking and problem solving skills. ACE students share a commitment to achieving their personal best and helping their friends do the same.
Community
ACE is a community of scholars. We offer an informal setting where you are recognized as an individual on a large campus. We provide an academic setting, yet the ACE staff cultivates a friendly environment where students feel welcome and safe. At ACE you can make connections with other science and math students who have similar goals and aspirations. ACE is the place to grow and thrive in science and math throughout your undergraduate career.
Mentoring
The ACE program is so successful at community building because of its strong mentoring component. We provide mentoring formally and informally, from student peers and professional staff.
Peer mentors are experienced students who help you integrate into the science and math community. These successful role models provide mentoring hours outside of the classroom and can help you with your academic questions and concerns. In addition, they can provide valuable information about campus life and the many student resources available to you.
Professional staff encourage you to consider particular research and career opportunities and advocate for you, writing letters of support for your applications to summer and yearlong undergraduate teaching and research programs and to graduate and professional schools. We provide academic counseling support services to help you succeed in science and math undergraduate careers. Often upper division students who participated in ACE as freshman and sophomores continue to utilize the ACE community resources when they need guidance and mentoring. This relationship can continue beyond graduation as students reconnect with ACE counselors when looking for graduate school advice or letters of recommendation.
The professional staff also mentor our top ACE students by inviting them to join the ACE student staff to be coleaders/mentors. We provide ongoing training and development for our student staff through the academic year.
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Research Opportunities
and Success Beyond the ACE Classroom
All year long, ACE staff receive information about internships, fellowship and research awards. We provide this information to the ACE student community and encourage students to apply for appropriate programs.
We are proud each year to honor students who have been awarded prestigious teaching and research fellowships from programs such as:
Who Can Join?
ACE is open to any current UC Santa Cruz undergraduate interested in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) fields who will contribute to a diverse and motivated learning team. Priority is given to EOP STEM students although, all applicants are considered. Each student is reviewed individually based on a combination of factors, including academic history, academic goals, disadvantage and a desire to work in groups.
How to Apply
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