UCSB has made commitments to sustainability through signing the Talloires Declaration in the 1990s, having sustainability as a theme in its 2007-2025 strategic plan, and registering with AASHE's STARS program. It supports sustainability initiatives through a Chancellor's Sustainability Committee, sustainability-focused research, courses, and degree programs. Sustainability is also addressed through general education requirements, a PhD emphasis, internship programs, and appointments of Sustainability Champions to conduct research and mentor students.

1. A Case Study from
the University of California, Santa Barbara

2. A Commitment to Sustainability
Signatory of the Talloires Declaration (1990s)
10 point action plan for incorporating sustainability and
environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations
environmental literacy in teaching research operations
and outreach at colleges and universities
UCSB Strategic Academic Plan (2007‐2025)
d l ( )
3 of the 4 Interdisciplinary themes identified focus on
sustainability: Environment, Global and International
y ,
Issues, and The Academy and Society
Registered with AASHE’s STARS Program
R i t d ith AASHE’ STARS P

3. Administrative Support
Allocated funds in 2009‐2010 and 2010‐2011 for our
Sustainability Champion Program
New internship program designated as “Chancellor’s
N i hi d i d “Ch ll ’
Sustainability Interns (CSIs)”
Established Chancellor s Campus Sustainability
Established Chancellor’s Campus Sustainability
Committee with greater faculty involvement than prior
committees
Strong LEED effort

4. The Chancellor’s Sustainability Committee
The Chancellor’s Sustainability Committee (CSC) is
charged to
“advise our campus administrators and the Chancellor
on matters of campus sustainability, make
recommendations on sustainability initiatives, help
prioritize and monitor the execution and progress of
the campus sustainability plan toward our goals, make
recommendations on allocations of available funding
resources, and provide guidance in the creation and
fostering of alliances.
fostering of alliances ”

5. Structure of Sustainability
Chancellor
Academic Senate
Chancellor’s
Sustainability
Committee
Academic Senate
Sustainability Work Group
Change Agent Groups
Built
Waste Energy Transportation Food Water Communication Landscape
Environment

6. A Commitment to Sustainability
Research
Dr. Nakamura (Materials)
Invented the Blue LED
I t d th Bl LED
Dr. Mezic (Mech. Engineering),
Dr. Valentine (Earth Science)
and Dr. Leifer (Ecology,
Evolution and Marine Biology )
Deepwater Horizon
Dr. Kolstad (Economics)
Lead Author for the IPCC
Many others

7. A Commitment to Sustainability
18 Departments offer at least
one course (136 total). E.g.:
One working definition of a
Politics of the Environment Sustainability Course:
(Political Science)
(P liti l S i )
Global Warming – Science
and Society (Earth Science) A course that has a
American Environmental
A i E i t l substantial component
History (History) which addresses the
Third World Environments:
Conservation and relationship between
Sustainable Development humans and the
(Anthropology)
Climate Change environment.
(Economics)

8. Student Commitment
Associated Students Legislative
Council passed policy statements
g g
urging UCSB to ensure that all
students who graduate are
environmentally literate
AS Environmental Affairs Board also
launched a campaign in support of an
environmental GE
Environmental Education for the Next
Generation (EENG) launched by
UCSB Undergraduates

9. Academic Senate Work Group
The SWG identified an interlinked set of proposals
that form the core of UCSB’s academic program in
sustainability. The proposals coordinate new initiatives
sustainability The proposals coordinate new initiatives
designed to foster and reward faculty research,
enhance undergraduate education, and create
g ,
innovative programs in graduate training
Reports to the Academic Senate and regularly
collaborates with the Chancellor’s Campus
Sustainability Committee

10. SWG Membership
Bren School of Environmental Science Dean (1)
and Management Chairs (2)
(1 faculty)
Professors (4)
College of Creative Studies (1 Dean)
Geography (4 faculty)
Associate Professors (3)
Earth Science (1 faculty) Assistant Professors (3)
EEMB (2 faculty) Lecturers (2)
Engineering (4 faculty) Staff supporting the
English (2 faculty) committee
Environmental Studies (2 faculty)
y Instructional
Film Studies (1 faculty) Development (1)
D l ( )
History (1 faculty) Academic Senate (1)
Political Science (2 faculty) Sustainability Program
Writing Program (1 faculty)
( ) (2)

11. General Education Requirement
Foster Environmental Literacy for All
This is the 4th action item of the Talloires
Declaration signed by UCSB in the 1990s
Only a GE requirement can ensure that this action
item is fulfilled
The Structure
Special Subject Requirement
Can overlap with other
requirements

12. PhD Emphasis and Program
The key to solving environmental problems begins
with training the next generation of researchers to
engage in interdisciplinary collaborations
Structure
Set of core courses that focus on interdisciplinary
problem solving, communicating research to the public,
and ethics
Interdisciplinary advisors on PhD committee
Developing an IGERT proposal to fund early stage of the
emphasis
h i

13. Chancellor’s Internship Program
Capstone programs available to
undergraduate students with
prior internship experience who
seek to advance sustainability
seek to ad ance sustainabilit
goals on campus or in the local
community
Goals:
1) Encourage undergraduate initiatives for campus and
community level sustainability projects
community‐level sustainability projects
2) Offer students in all academic disciplines an opportunity to
actuate and apply their education in sustainability and gain
p
practical experience
p
3) Facilitate partnerships between faculty, staff, students, and the
community

14. Sustainability Champion
The Sustainability Champion
Promotes the discussion, measurement and
implementation of sustainability through the
i l t ti f t i bilit th h th
appointee’s own research, including significant
mentoring of undergraduate student researchers in
areas that have near‐term potential results
Educates the campus and community of the significance
of that work
Explores its application to advancing sustainability at
p g p p
levels spanning from the campus to the planet

15. David Cleveland
Research on Transgenic crops and
Sustainable Development in China
and Mexico
Surveyed 800+ residents of SB
d d f
County on Public Opinion on
Tradeoffs between Agriculture,
Open Space, and Urbanization
Open Space and Urbanization
Six Public Presentations including culminating
presentation to an audience of 200 plus community
members and students
Collaboration with 14 undergraduates ranging from
, j g p
freshmen to seniors, with majors in a range of disciplines .
Students carried out the full range of research activities
under Cleveland’s mentoring

16. Eric Matthys Developing Bioengineering solutions
to energy problems through the use of
t bl th h th f
bioproducts such as biofuels from
algae.
Development and testing of new solar
energy technologies.
Research on fluid additives aimed at
reducing the energy spent during fluid
transport in pipelines.
Student Champion (Internship)
Partnership with the Green Campus Program
Freshman Seminar
Energy Internships