INTRODUCTION
The Student Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee was established in the year 2007 with input from several “mother organizations” across campus including Black Student Union, El Congreso, M.U.J.E.R., Hermanos Unidos, Hermanas Unidos, Kapatirang Pilipino, and the American Indian Cultural Resource Center. Through time and effort, SIRRC has established strong relationships with its members who are passionate about reaching out to high school students and 1st year university students who will begin their careers in higher education institutions across California. SIRRC’s outreach programs help build a bridge from high school to the university. Through its retention services, SIRRC offers support for students who are already in the university by hosting Study Jams and encouraging them to achieve academically and branch out to different student organizations on campus that will open way for student leadership. SIRRC’s Facebook site reflects its desire to connect students with on-campus opportunities. Click here.
With a focus on improving the lives of under-represented, under-privileged, low-income students SIRRC has nurtured countless relationships between its members, mentors, mentees and will continue this work with students yet to come!
G.U.I.D.E.S
SIRRC’s Guiding Under-represent Individuals in Developing Educational Success (G.U.I.D.E.S.) Mentorship Program provides mentors for high school and university students to help them develop as student leaders and achieve academic success. Through the G.U.I.D.E.S., high school students receive the opportunity to be paired up with a student leader that will serve as their mentor providing personal guidance, leadership involvement, and help them achieve academic excellence.
To participate in the G.U.I.D.E.S. program mentees must first attend a five-day orientation on campus. Activities and workshops fill the week and help students bond with each other and their SIRRC mentors. Mentees are paired with an active student leader who provides personal guidance, information on academic resources, and access to leadership opportunities. Through this mentorship program, SIRRC empowers first-year students and prepares them for success in a higher education institution. It a a hands on student-initiated effort to both encourage students to attend UCSB and keep them to graduate once they’re arrived.
G.U.I.D.E.S. TRANSFER SUMMER ORIENTATION PROGRAM AWARD
In May SIRRC received Office of Student Life Co-Curricular Excellence awards and for their Guides Transfer Summer Orientation (GTSO) program for most creative program for 2016-2017.
GTSO brings transfer students to campus to orient them to campus life. Their time on campus is packed with activities and workshops to help them with the transition to UCSB. Since many are the first in their family to go to college SIRRC’s work is invaluable and transformative.
BOOK BANK
The Associated Students Book Bank is a student-run service of SIRRC that’s available to all UCSB students, both graduate and undergraduate. All donations received are for loaning and not up for resale. The Book Bank provides students with the opportunity to check out books for a certain amount of time as a student-initiated in effort to reduce the costs for students in need. The Book Bank were collected books from different campus locations throughout the end of each
quarter in order to increase the amount of books that can be lent out to students. SIRRC also held a book drive at the end of the year to make even more books available for the following year.
THEMED MEETINGS
Sports night anyone? Halloween?
STUDENT OF COLOR CONFERENCE
SIRRC strongly encouraged participants to attend the annual Student of Color Conference held in Irvine this year.
OUTREACH EVENT PREP
SIRRC outreach hosted a short prep/planning meeting in the AS Annex to get folks ready for an upcoming college admissions workshop. They went over the requirements for the UC personal statement. This meeting was open to anyone interested in volunteering or helping out with the workshop, which was hosted at a downtown Santa Barbara venue.
JUST DANCE SOCIAL
SIRRC hosted a winter quarter social to bring everyone’s favorite peeps together to just dance!
PERKS OF SIRRC WEEK
The flyer tells you all about the events SIRRC hosted for this special end of quarter week.
STUDY JAMS
SIRRC hosted study jams for midterms and finals each quarter to help students through their exams. Rony Castellanos said it best with java in hand, “Thanks AS Student Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee [SIRRC]] for the treats and great energy to push through finals! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
WRAPPING UP THE YEAR WITH THE SIRRC BANQUET
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT WITH JOSHUA SALAS
To sum up, long time SIRRC participant and leader Josh Salas posted these photos on the SIRRC Facebook site. From GSO to Black Graduation. This is what SIRRC is all about! Congratulations to you Josh and all the other grads! Best of luck with your future endeavors!
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