SPACES at UC San Diego

What SPACES at UC San Diego does

SPACES (Student Promoted Access Center for Education and Service) is a student-run university center within UC San Diego's Division of Student Affairs, founded in 2003 and headquartered at 9500 Gilman Drive in La Jolla, California. The organization delivers educational access and retention programs for K-14 students from underserved communities and for UCSD undergraduates from low-income, first-generation, undocumented, disabled, and underrepresented student populations. SPACES operates through three core programmatic components: SIAPS (Student-Initiated Access Programs and Services) for K-14 outreach and college access; SIPHR (Student-Initiated Programs for Holistic Retention) for undergraduate retention; and SPICEE (Student Programs Ignited for Community Engagement and Education), established in 2017 for community engagement. Supporting service programs include the ASP Booklending free textbook library, The Collective Voice digital publication, High School Conferences, the So Cal College Tour, the Summer Summit residential program, the Experience UC San Diego Overnight Program, Alternative Tours and Panels, and College Application Submission Support.

The operating model is community-led and student-initiated, with approximately 31 paid student staff coordinator positions across four functional areas plus 8 appointed Co-Directors serving in administrative roles. Programs are delivered free of charge to all participants. The organization is governed by student staff, Co-Directors, and three professional advisors (SIAPS, SIPHR, SPICEE) within a framework established by formal MOUs with ASUCSD, University Centers, and the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. SPACES serves as an umbrella for affiliated CORE cultural organizations including APSA, BSU, KP, MEChA, NASA, MSA, PISA, and QTPOC, and maintains program partnerships with the Jacobs School of Engineering IDEA Student Center, the LGBT Resource Center, Raza Resource Centro, and the Black Resource Center.

SPACES is funded entirely through student-body referendums (the 2003 Price Center Expansion Referendum and the 2007 PULSE Referendum) and Associated Students Council allocations rather than commercial revenue. There are no product sales, subscriptions, or enterprise contracts; all programs are provided at no cost. Geographic scope is regional, covering San Diego County and Southern California for outreach programs and the UCSD campus for retention services. The organization does not operate any technology platform, proprietary software, or AI/ML systems, and has no patents, trademarks, or venture funding.

Name

SPACES at UC San Diego

Legal name

Student Promoted Access Center for Education and Service

Website

https://spaces.ucsd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPACES is a student-run university center at UC San Diego that delivers free K-14 college access programs and undergraduate retention services through three components (SIAPS, SIPHR, SPICEE) for underrepresented and first-generation students, funded by student-body referendums and AS allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAFAN

Guest, Visitor & Conference Housing Services (Summer/Break Housing)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Dormitory, Housing & Residential Life Support Services

Keywords

• Student retention programs
• College access services
• Educational equity programs
• Free textbook lending
• Community engagement education

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla (San Diego)

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Student Body Funding: Funded through the Price Center Expansion Referendum (2003) and PULSE Referendum (2007), which secured student body funding for operations. Additional funding from AS (Associated Students) Council allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SPACES is a student-run university center at UC San Diego that delivers free educational access and retention programs for underserved K-14, community college, and undergraduate students. It operates through three core components—SIAPS (access), SIPHR (retention), and SPICEE (community engagement)—and supports services such as free textbook lending, college tours, summer residential summits, and overnight programs for admitted students.

Product overview

SPACES (Student Promoted Access Center for Education and Service) is a student-run university center at UC San Diego that operates through three core programmatic components: SIAPS (Student-Initiated Access Programs and Services) for K-14 and undergraduate access initiatives, SIPHR (Student-Initiated Programs for Holistic Retention) for undergraduate retention programs, and SPICEE (Student Programs Ignited for Community Engagement & Education) for community engagement. Supporting these components are various service programs including ASP Booklending (free textbook lending), The Collective Voice (digital publication), High School Conferences, College Tour, Summer Summit, the Overnight Program, Alternative Tours/Panels, College Application Submission Support, and student organization funding. The organization focuses on achieving educational equity through student-initiated action for underserved and underrepresented communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student-Initiated Access Programs and Services (SIAPS) Access component of SPACES that demystifies the college experience and promotes higher education access for K-12, community college, and undergraduate students from low-income communities of color in the greater San Diego region.
• Student-Initiated Programs for Holistic Retention (SIPHR) Student-initiated and student-run retention service that increases UCSD undergraduate retention through peer-to-peer programming, political empowerment, book-lending, and mentorship programs.
• Student Programs Ignited for Community Engagement & Education (SPICEE) Community-oriented programs and relationships with CORE organizations, resource centers, and on-campus departments that empower students in activism, mentorship, and professional development.
• ASP Booklending Free textbook lending service available to all UCSD students providing course-related textbooks, access codes, lab notebooks, and iclickers to relieve the financial burden of academic materials.
• High School Conferences One-day conferences providing high school and community college students opportunities to learn about college while networking with UC San Diego students, including keynote speakers and workshops on admissions, career paths, and social issues.
• So Cal College Tour Annual program touring UC and CSU System campuses in Southern California with sight-seeing activities, academic workshops, and group building activities, provided free of charge.
• Summer Summit 6-day, 7-night (or 9-day, 8-night) residential program for high school students (10th-12th grade) from San Diego County to stay in UCSD residential halls and learn about higher education.
• Experience UC San Diego Overnight Program Invitation-only program for select UC San Diego admitted high school seniors offering campus experience, networking with admitted students, and learning about campus resources through host mentorship.
• College Application Submission Support Free virtual support for UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) from current UCSD undergraduates, including essay review and revisions for UC college applications.
• Alternative Tours and Panels Personalized campus experiences for K-14 groups providing institutional knowledge through campus tours and student panels on academic, social, cultural, and political aspects of UCSD.
• The Collective Voice (TCV) Digital multimedia publication covering topics including anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, decolonial, visionary feminist, and queer communities and experiences.
• Student Organization Funding Funding for student-initiated and student-run access and retention programs of SPACES student staff members and registered UCSD student organizations through ASP, SIAPS, and SIPHR.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free textbook lending to reduce financial barriers to education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vice Chancellor of Student AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2010Formal MOU with VCSA for administrative oversight, policy alignment, and institutional support.
• University CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009MOU with University Centers for operational support and facility access within the Price Center.
• ASUCSD (Associated Students)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2008Formal MOU partnership with Associated Students of UC San Diego for funding support and organizational collaboration.
• Jacobs School of Engineering - IDEA Student CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACES partners with the IDEA Student Center to offer dual tracks of the Overnight Program - SPICEE track and IDEA Engineering track - providing activities and workshops to admitted high school seniors, including those interested in engineering majors. Both tracks occur simultaneously with joint activities.
• Black Student Union (BSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACES partners with BSU and the Black Resource Center (BRC) to offer the 'Root and Horizons' track of the Experience UC San Diego Program, connecting admitted students with the Black community at UCSD through current students, faculty, staff, and community leaders.
• LGBT Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPICEE Overnight Program has partnered with the LGBT Resource Center to offer activities and workshops that are culturally relevant and academically based.
• Raza Resource CentrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPICEE Overnight Program partners with Raza Resource Centro to offer virtual activities and workshops that are culturally relevant and academically based.
• CORE Organizations (APSA, BSU, KP, MEChA, NASA, MSA, PISA, QTPOC)coreOthersCORE organizations are affiliated student groups that have demonstrated commitment to educational access and retention throughout the years, even prior to SPACES establishment. They operate under SPACES umbrella with dedicated coordinators and receive funding support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• College Track: College access and success nonprofit serving students from underserved communities through high school through college graduation. Comparable pipeline-based model for educational equity.
• QuestBridge: National college access nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students to top colleges. Comparable in providing free access pathways for underserved high school students.
• Posse Foundation: National nonprofit identifying and supporting diverse student cohorts through college access and retention programs at partner universities. Comparable mission and student-initiated program model.

Broad incumbents

• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): Established nonprofit providing K-12 college readiness systems to schools nationwide. Comparable in serving underserved students with college access programming at scale.
• TRIO Student Support Services: Federal program providing retention and support services for first-generation, low-income, and students with disabilities at universities nationwide. Comparable retention-focused mission.

Direct peers

• UC Davis Student Affairs Retention Programs: UC Davis's Student Retention programs serving first-generation and underrepresented students through mentorship and community programming, funded via student fees and university allocations.
• UC Berkeley Student Support Services: UC Berkeley's umbrella for student retention and support programs serving similar underserved student populations through federal TRIO-style programming. Comparable in mission to support access and retention across the UC system.
• UCLA Academic Advancement Program (AAP): UCLA's student retention program providing academic support, mentorship, and community for first-generation and low-income students. Comparable as a UC-system peer program with similar access/retention mission, though at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spacesatucsd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1O5UpKLX0-RctewmLTJW5w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucsdspaces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ucsdspaces
• Instagraminstagram.com/spacesatucsd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPACES at UC San Diego