September 20, 2021


Dear Members of Our Campus Community:

Welcome to the new academic year! While we continue to respond to the challenges and uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic, we are deeply grateful for the shared dedication of our academic community, and excited about the return of our vibrant campus life.

UC Santa Barbara will continue the tradition of welcoming our incoming undergraduate students to the experience of higher education during our Virtual New Student Convocation today, September 20, 2021, from 3-4 p.m. at http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/convocation/welcome.

This event constitutes a key component of broader campus efforts to communicate to students the values of a UC Santa Barbara education, and the excitement of becoming part of our campus community. Our New Student Convocation is the University’s official induction ceremony for new students and the only campus ceremony for the entering class until Commencement.

I am looking forward to welcoming our incoming students at this year's ceremony, which will feature keynote remarks by Dr. Victor Rios, MacArthur Foundation Endowed Chair for Sociology; remarks by Executive Dean of the College of Letters and Science Pierre Wiltzius; and greetings by 2021-2022 Associated Students President Yuval Cohen and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Margaret Klawunn.

Our New Student Convocation is a special opportunity to create a sense of community for our new students in the first days of the fall quarter. Please join me and the academic leadership of our campus in welcoming our incoming class.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor