Join the 2026 Student Life and Experience Conference (SLEC)

Letter to the Community
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Dear Students,

We are thrilled to have our new and returning students on campus. We are also excited to announce this year’s Student Life and Experience Conference (SLEC).

As one of the many ways staff and students partner together, this conference is another opportunity to work together to assess and continually enhance the student experience at Caltech. The goal of SLEC is to plan for Caltech’s future through fostering open and constructive dialogue, developing actionable recommendations, and promoting a collaborative Caltech community.  One example of such an enhancement came in response to the survey data received by the food committee during the inaugural SLEC. Based on that data, the committee recommended an adjustment of weekend dining hours and facility arrangements that would improve students’ weekend dining experience, which Dining Services then implemented for the 2025-26 academic year.

We look forward to partnering with each of you to make SLEC 2026 a success. Here is what you can expect:

  • An academic year-long process that develops co-created recommendations founded in survey and institutional data.
  • Six committees that will each explore a thematic area and develop survey questions to send to the campus community.
  • Alumni and Community Engagement
  • Athletics and Recreation
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Housing and Residential Life
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
  • Transition to Caltech and First-Year Experience
  • The committees will review the analyzed data and develop actionable recommendations and present them to the campus community at the spring conference on Friday, April 17th.
  • A short video with an overview of the SLEC process is available on the SLEC website.

In addition to attending the conference, here are other ways for you to participate.

  • Undergraduate students can sign up to participate on a committee here.
  • We ask all undergraduate students complete the SLEC survey over winter break. Share your voice regarding what you enjoy about the student experience and what can be enhanced on a variety of topics.
  • Continually give us your feedback. There is a form for general comments or questions available on the SLEC website in addition to the orientation video with more info about this process. Those forms are sent directly to a staff advisor who will work to incorporate your suggestions into the SLEC process.

Caltech is a unique place – with talented students, staff and faculty who are committed to the student experience. We thank everyone who already strives to continually assess and enhance the Caltech experience. We look forward to partnering with each of you to make Caltech the best student experience possible. Keep an eye out for updates along the way.

Joseph Greenwell, Associate Vice President of Student Life and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Ashlyn Roice, ASCIT President

Elisa Grillo, IHC Chair & SLEC Chair