History of the SUA

The Student Union Assembly (SUA) is the official undergraduate student government at UC Santa Cruz. Founded in 1985, the SUA was the product of the growing desire amongst students for an umbrella establishment to organize and sustain various campus groups as well as to advocate the collective student voice. The SUA, an ever-growing organization, represents a broad cross-section of the undergraduate population.

The SUA is entirely student-led and student-funded. It deals directly with student concerns – both those that relate directly to UCSC students (such as student fees, campus labor issues, and matters of academic integrity), and those that affect students on the local, state and national levels (including budget cuts, voter registration, and accessibility to higher education). The SUA holds a high priority in hosting student events, holding political rallies, establishing/maintaining coalitions with other campus entities and the university administration. Above all, the SUA’s highest priorities are to facilitate student internships and activist opportunities.

The assembly operates through issue-specific campaigns. SUA has previously formed strategic campaigns around fighting fee hikes, defending affirmative action, saving the narrative evaluation system, striving for reasonable campus growth, and reforming the UC Regents’ procedures.