The mission of COAST is to create interpersonal connections with students and those associated with the
University of California, San Diego through personal and professional development, networking,
leadership, and ambassadorship to the university.
 The Chancellor’s Organization of Allied Students (COAST) was created in 1997 by the UCSD Office of
Government and Community Relations. The organization was designed to provide students with the
opportunity to develop their public relations, communication and general leadership skills. The members,
in turn, used these skills to further the External Relations objectives of the university by attending
functions in the community and serving as representatives of undergraduate leadership. In the early days,
COAST members accompanied the Chancellor during visits with elected officials, events hosted by the
External Relations Department (Development, Alumni, Special Events, etc.), and informal round table
discussions with senior campus administrators (i.e. vice chancellors, provosts, deans), alumni, and
community leaders. The Chancellor’s title in the group’s name stems from these early days when most of
their activities were directly connected to the Chancellor’s presence in the community. At these functions
COAST members greeted guests, distributed programs and name tags, shared the student perspective,
and assisted with tasks as needed. With personnel changes in the Office of Government and Community
Relations, the organization lost its “home” and objective between 2000 and 2002. In 2002, the UCSD
Alumni Association, which needed a student support group, adopted COAST. The group became fully
active again a year later.
COAST members participate in a variety of External Relations events, including the annual Alumni
Awards for Excellence, Chancellor’s Associates donor luncheons, UCSD Near You regional lectures,
donor activities, and campus community gatherings such as Spirit Night and Triton Junkyard Derby. Their
role is to greet guests, host tables, facilitate conversations, share the student perspective, and assist with
tasks as needed. For the Chancellor’s Inauguration in March 2004, COAST members coordinated the
banner design contest and assisted in the day’s activities. In addition, COAST serves as an informal
advisory group for the board and staff of the UCSD Alumni Association.
COAST is made up of a dynamic group of active and professional students, many of whom maintain
strong ties to UC San Diego and the UCSD Alumni Association. Two of the founding members of COAST
went on to charter the Boston Alumni Chapter, with another founding member became the President of
the New York Alumni Chapter. The President of the Silicon Valley Alumni Chapter is also an alumna of
COAST. Former COAST members make up the core group of representatives in the Young Alumni
Council for the UCSD Alumni Association, and other members have opened their homes to current
members traveling across country for COAST events. This illustrates that COAST is not simply
developing student leaders, but it is preparing alumni leaders of the future.
 Everyone is encouraged to apply as we look for people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. The application process entails the submission of an application and an interview during the end of winter quarter. Please check out the HOME page during winter quarter for the application and further instructions about the application process.
COAST might interest you, if you:
- Want to develop networking skills
- Meet important people from the community
- Interact with important people from the University
- Want to help UCSD connect with its community, alumni, and donors
- Want to learn more about UCSD
One of the primary benefits for joining COAST is the opportunity for you to develop your communication skills through workshops and opportunities to practice these skills in real life situations.As a student you will have the opportunity to attend invitation-only events where you will enjoy the opportunity to interact with local, state, or national leaders.
Through these interactions, you help connect UCSD to its community, alumni, and donors. These connections will increase the presence of UCSD on a local, state, and national scope, which in turn will indirectly benefit you when you graduate.
Each member is required to participate in a minimum of three events per quarter in addition to the monthly General Body Meetings. Members must be registered UCSD students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. |
