Even without a departmental home, the student-led Pilipino Historical Dialogues class is taking small steps towards bringing ethnic studies to the UCSC community.

Student-driven education is a laudable effort. It’s one of the most encouraging aspects of university life. But the burden of something as comprehensive and necessary as ethnic studies and its related programs shouldn’t be relegated to students alone.

On May 24, executive vice chancellor Alison Galloway hosted a forum to bridge the gap between student and faculty discussions on the possible inclusion of an ethnic studies program.

Unofficial student organizing group Open University Together (OUT) gathered students in a peaceful and creative demonstration as an alternative way to protest the UC budget epidemic, on Tuesday March 1st. Following the rally in Quarry Plaza on Wednesday, though, demonstrators occupied the Ethnic Resource Center, citing the lack of an ethnic studies program as the catalyst for their action.

Free education and a call for awareness on March 1 and March 2 advocate for a space of open discussion for future strategic planning on UC education. The Open University Together has been organizing since the start of the quarter to make the March protests a peaceful, fun and informative demonstration.