Named in honor of conservationist Rachel Carson,[1] it is on the west side of campus, north of Oakes College and southeast of Porter College.

The current provost of the college is Professor Sue Carter, also a faculty member of UCSC's Physics Department.

[1][3] Rachel Carson College's freshman core class, Environment and Society, "examines education, identity, nature, community, livelihood, and livability at local and national levels as contemporary global transformations affect them."

(All Rachel Carson College freshmen must take it, but transfer students are exempt if they have more than 45 credits.)

The course has been expanded to a year, the first quarter being an overview of environmental issues with an emphasis on social sciences and environmental justice, the second providing a strong grounding in biological and atmospheric issues (along with empirical and quantitative methods), and the final course emphasizes creative hands-on solutions, particularly in terms of energy issues.