 |
||
|
||
|
Opportunities and Synchronicity Home | Blueprint | Earth Summit | CSC Members | Links | Meetings The 2005-2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) Once every fifteen years our campus redefines its vision, academic priorities, and physical development strategy through a Long Range Development Plan. The LRDP will plan for the students enrolled, number of faculty and programs, transportation systems, land use, housing & student life, and impacts to the social, built, and natural environments. Two committees have been created to work together on this plan: Strategic Futures Committee focusing on the academic plan, and LRDP Committee focusing on the physical plan. Both committees are consulting widely for input, and public hearings occur regularly. http://www2.ucsc.edu/ppc/planning/lrdp-2005.html http://planning.ucsc.edu/sfc UC Regents Green Building Policy and Clean Energy Standard In July 2003, the UC Regents approved a systemwide policy to “Adopt, as University policy for all capital projects, the principles of energy efficiency and sustainability in the planning, financing, design, construction, renewal, maintenance, operation, space management, facilities utilization, and decommissioning of facilities and infrastructure to the fullest extent possible, consistent with budgetary constraints and regulatory and programmatic requirements.” Also, to implement programs to reduce consumption of non-renewable energy, and “Develop and implement this policy for all proposed and existing University facilities, and provide an annual report to The Regents that examines impacts on energy utilization and building design and the effects of this policy on capital and operating costs.” This is a significant advance for sustainability in the UC System. How is t! his policy being implemented at UCSC, and what are the avenues for input? http://www.ucop.edu/facil/greenbldgs/ (see Regental Action and Implementation Policy links) Executive Budget Committee & Project Teams (EBC) Because of the budget deficit in California, and the dramatic cuts to statewide education, our campus has been forced into cutting costs. The Executive Vice Chancellor oversees a consulting firm (AVCOR) and 18 campus project teams looking to change how the campus functions to cut costs strategically. Several of the EBC project teams may offer opportunities for sustainability: Strategic sourcing and e-procurement, Facilities integration and asset management, Organizational measures, Information technology transformation. http://planning.ucsc.edu/ebc/ Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Reaffirmation (WASC) Every ten years our campus accreditation by WASC must be reaffirmed, and the Dean of Undergraduate Education is leading this effort now. This is a priority for the Chancellor because it will determine whether our campus joins other UC campuses as one of the top 60 universities in the nation. The process reviews the quality of both undergraduate and graduate education, and looks to quantify it. How do we analyze our ability to educate? What is quality? How will we improve it? What types of education are best for contributing to the betterment of our society? What kinds of research are we doing? How is that research improving our society? Campus education and research related to sustainability certainly contributes to the betterment of our society. http://planning.ucsc.edu/wasc/ Campus Information Systems The campus information technology organization is moving towards consolidation in response to the budget shortfalls. This should result in more coordination among campus information systems, and the implementation of a number of new campuswide systems (campuswide portal, e-procurement, time and attendance, and others). The new Academic Information System (AIS) is being implemented right now. These changes may offer a number of opportunities, such as: the ability to gather information related to sustainability in a more effective manner, to reduce paperwork/paper consumption, and to improve electronic communications. http://itshome.ucsc.edu/ (IT Transformation) http://ais.ucsc.edu/ (Academic Information System) Collaboration with students during spring quarter course and lecture series “Education for Sustainable Living Program” (ESLP) During spring quarter 2004, five different UC campuses (Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Barbara) will host the first year for this annual lecture series and course. World renowned guest lecturers such as Vandana Shiva, Satish Kumar, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Helena Norberg-Hodge, and Starhawk will lead the community in evaluation of the meaning of sustainability and how to implement it in our daily lives and in our communities. The lectures are open to the public. Students who take the course will work in project groups on specific sustainability topic areas to research and develop action plans in each area (similar to the topic areas for the Campus Earth Summit). Campus faculty will guide student project teams and staff, administrators, and community members will advise and support students. Students will be building on the outcome of the Earth Summit and the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. The teams will p! resent their work to panels of key administrators and faculty at the end of the quarter. A statewide retreat in Santa Barbara on May 7-9 will allow students from all the campuses to collaborate, share experiences from the course, and strategize action plans for the coming year. http://www.ucssc.org/esl/ |
UC Santa Cruz Student Union Assembly
Student Union, 2nd Floor • 1156 High Street • Santa Cruz, CA 95064
(831) 459-4838 • fax (831) 459-5187