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[jacaranda_]

I was a grad student there in English in the 90s, when the reputation of the campus was up and coming, and I don't think it's lost any of that momentum.  You will find brilliant, nationally prominent scholars in every humanities dept. there (like all the UCs), many of whom regularly get offers from Ivy League or otherwise more prestigious places -- and regularly turn them down.  Other depts are also very prominent:  Sociology, I believe, is in the top 5 nationally, and Religious Studies also has a strong reputation.  The one thing that sets the place apart from other R1 campuses I've encountered is the degree of collegiality among the faculty, esp. in English -- I'm sure they have their conflicts, but it wasn't on display in the way it often is at other high profile places.  The reputation of the students as spoiled surfer-dude slackers is overplayed.  There are plenty of incredibly bright, interesting, diverse undergrads -- students of color made up 20–25% of the undergrad population when I was there, and they seemed to be running the place (in terms of student leadership, active participation in/creation of campus culture).  And yes, it's a drive to LA, but wow, it's a beautiful drive!  If you can handle the financial end of things (and all the younger faculty I knew back then seemed to be doing just fine), it would be a dreamy place to work.

[daurousseau]

I really like SB, actually. I'd live there if I could get paid enough. But I can't...I'm too old to live in an efficiency.

Will a salary about 70k allow a decent living for a family of three there (assuming the subsidized faculty housing priced something around 400k to 500kwith school-financed loan for the housing)? Will an academic couple each with such a salary make a quite comfortable living there?

The touted California cost of living really has to do ONLY with housing. Food and clothing cost the same as everywhere else. Stuff like gasoline and private schools shouldn't count since they are optional.

[spicoli]

I agree with the above assessments of UCSB's academic standing and cost of living.  It's a top 50 RI and much too expensive to live near campus on an assistant professor's salary in the humanities.

I went to UCSB for my freshman year of undergrad and couldn't get out of there fast enough.  It's a good school, but the undergraduate culture was so mind-numbingly party oriented that I couldn't find my niche.  This was a while ago, so things may have changed.  I doubt it, though. 

The campus does have a decent right point break that lights up on big north west swells, but is flatter than a lake for 9 months of the year.  A drunk student will fall off the cliffs above the beach every year or so, which keeps things interesting.

[canadia]

I went to UCSB for my freshman year of undergrad and couldn't get out of there fast enough.  It's a good school, but the undergraduate culture was so mind-numbingly party oriented that I couldn't find my niche.  This was a while ago, so things may have changed.  I doubt it, though.

I doubt that it's changed. I just don't think it's all that different from many institutions. I know ppl that went to Berkeley and UCLA and left to go UCSB to start anew for much the same reasons that you left UCSB. And I know countless ppl from countless schools who partied way too hard their freshman year and either were forced to transfer or got their act together.

But for a professor considering UCSB, it's not that big of a deal. There *is* a gap btw UCB/UCLA and UCSB as far as the undergrads and grads. However, part of the joy of working at these schools is that the faculty becomes really adept at finding young stars in the making and then nurturing them along, moreso than at the elite-tier schools in state systems.

As a prof at UCSB, the OP will have the resources to conduct cutting edge research. So if it's time to move on, that's entirely possible.


OP has a kid, right? SB is home to numerous festivals and almost all of them incorporate children's activities in an incredible way. I was passing through once and there was a chalk festival in which artists painted works of art in chalk on the sidewalk near the mission. And they had workshops for kids and places for the kids to draw.

The kids were thoroughly engaged and having a blast! I made a comment to a few locals and they said that all the festivals do stuff like that.

And then there's Fiestas in August. Girls spend the entire year rehearsing flamenco and put on performances. Stunning!

It's a great place to raise a child, I think.

[superabound]

It is a good place to raise kids (except for the money part). They have a really good zoo that's great for frequent visits if you're a member. Many very nice parks along the beach and up towards the hills. And as was just said there are many parades and festivals that involve kids (dog parade, summer solstice parade, 4th of July parade, Fiesta). This is because Santa Barbara is a tourist town they like to make the events that bring the LA crowd up north with their dollars.

[doctorious]

I got my BA in English there (with a creative writing emphasis) and really enjoyed the experience (as a student of course). I am actually now teaching a buying behavior course in their extension program (it is my goal to incrementally earn back all of my undergraduate tuition -- one extension course at a time!). But overall I would say the atmosphere is very collegial as some have said in this thread. I generally liked and enjoyed very positive relationships with my professors and TAs. Really liked my creative writing teacher in particular -- as I recall he invited some students to contribute material to a writing book he was publishing. There were a few characters in the dept. too -- one somewhat famous prof. (who sadly, but not unpredictably died from alcoholism I believe) would smoke in class and hobble to and from campus with a crinkled brown paper bag in hand. Another was obsessed with things like the "homosocial square" and spent most of the class dramatically gesticulating and holding his forehead in his hand (he wore clogs to class too). The cost of living is high, but many employees and faculty members live in Ventura and even out in Lompoc or Santa Ynez. Not sure if this is the kind of info you wanted but hopefully it will shed some light on UCSB for you.

[wonderland]

Can anyone share insights about how tough the tenure-review process at UCSB in particular or UC in general?

Also any information about the benefits package for UC faculty these days? Thanks.

[superabound]

Google "UC benefits".

[mythbuster]

UC Benefits are fantastic. The entire system together has amazing bargaining power for health insurance etc.