California State University, Channel Islands
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Student engagement in research, scholarship and creative activities (RSCA) is a central part of the student experience at CSU, Channel Islands, and the university has a range of ongoing programs to provide opportunities and resources for student research in sustainability.

The Student Research Advisory Committee (SRAC) was established in 2008 and administers several programs that engage students in sustainability-related RSCA experiences. These include:

• Summer SURF
o The Summer SURF Program affords students an opportunity to engage in a meaningful, faculty-mentored research project over 8 weeks in the summer. Students receive a stipend, engage in an interdisciplinary learning community and enjoy professional development opportunities. The following are examples sustainability-related projects funded the Summer SURF program.
 Studying Bats to Assess an Island’s Recovery
• Under the direction of CSUCI mathematics professor Jason Miller, biology major Karissa Rico and mathematics major Krista Beck studied the California bat population on Santa Rosa Island as part of the university’s summer undergraduate research program.
 Measuring microplastics and environmental toxins in the field and monitoring their effects on mussels in the lab
• In Summer 2020, Biology professor Geoff Dilly will work with CSUCI research students to travel to the surrounding watersheds in Ventura and Santa Barbara county to collect environmental samples of microplastics and BaP in water, sediment, and in living mussels. Working with colleagues in Biology and Chemistry, the students will catalogue the effects of these environmental toxins on mussels as well as quantify their environmental levels using GC/MS and filtration/microscopy. Additionally, students will work with Prof. Dilly to examine the genotypic and physiological effects of microplastics and BaP on mussels through molecular analytics such as quantitative PCR and respirometry on live collections. Through this process, students will gain first-hand experience working on novel questions using a built mesocosm in Prof. Dilly’s lab along with environmental sampling field work.

• Research & Conference Travel for CI Students
o The Faculty-Student Research Grant program provides $1,800 to support a student who is engaged in faculty-driven research with a faculty mentor. The grant is intended to 1) provide faculty the benefit of student engagement in faculty-directed research and, 2) provide students the benefit of working closely with a faculty-mentor.

The SRAC administers programs that allow students to present their work to the campus community and the public:

• SAGE Student Research Conference
o An annual research conference sponsored by SAGE Publishing that is open to all students and the public. Students may present either a poster or oral presentation. Prizes are awarded for best poster and best presentation.
• California State University (CSU) Student Research Competition
o The CSU Student Research Competition (SRC) is the premier showcase for student research in the CSU. Undergraduate and Graduate students are eligible to participate in the SRC.
• Southern California Conference of Undergraduate Research (SCCUR)
o An annual conference where undergraduate students are invited to present their research findings.
• Fall Research Showcase
o The Showcase gives students an on-campus forum to present faculty-mentored research they conducted over the Summer. Students present posters or video displays.

The institution administers two annual grant competitions open to all faculty including faculty who conduct sustainability research.

• Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities (RSCA)
o All faculty are invited to apply for funds to support research, scholarship, and creative activity. These funds are made available in an effort to support faculty scholarship and raise the visibility of the California State University as an institution that values faculty RSCA. Faculty may apply for release time from teaching, $5,000 seed grants, or $3,000 in summer salary.
• Faculty Research and Development MiniGrants
o Faculty members may apply for a grant to further professional development; build an individual's CV, inform their teaching, and strengthen the University's academic reputation. Each year, the University sets aside funds specifically for this competitive proposal opportunity to give faculty members additional resources that will enhance their ability to be productive scholars in their discipline. Faculty may apply for release time from teaching, $8,000 seed grants, or $3,000 in summer salary.

In addition the programs listed above, the Provost’s Office offers the Materials, Services, Facilities, and Technology (MSFT) program, which provides funds for securing equipment or material resources needed for teaching, research, and/or creative activities. Proposals from
individual faculty can be for the purchase of equipment and/or material resources costing up to $2500.

The university also provides resources to assist faculty with identifying potential opportunities for extramural funding for sustainability research as well as assistance with developing and submitting proposals and administering awards.

-From Senate Policy 15-15 on Retention, Tenure and Promotion:

A. RETENTION, TENURE, PROMOTION AND THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION
California State University Channel Islands (CI) is committed to providing high quality, student-centered instructional programs to all constituencies. Excellent faculty members, dedicated to continued intellectual and professional growth, are essential to fulfilling our commitment. All elements and standards of faculty performance evaluation recognize and reflect the University’s Mission, including:
1. placing students at the center of the educational experience;
2. providing undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across
disciplines through integrative approaches;
3. emphasizing experiential and service learning; and
4. graduating students with multicultural and international perspectives.

Retention, tenure, and promotion of a faculty member shall always be determined on the basis of competence and professional performance and not on the basis of beliefs or on any basis that constitutes an infringement of academic freedom.

D. RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
The University values and supports the development of a range of research, scholarship and creative activities, including the following kinds of scholarship:
1. a scholarship of discovery - pursuing knowledge, covering all aspects of research and
disciplinary discovery;
2. a scholarship of integration - bringing knowledge and discovery into larger patterns and
contexts and working in and across disciplines;
3. a scholarship of teaching and learning - investigating and assessing teaching methods and
practices and their impact on student learning outcomes;
4. a scholarship of engagement - using research and knowledge to engage in problems that
affect individuals, institutions, and society.

The library gives students access to a robust collection of 235,000 bound and digital books, over 20,000 electronic journals and newspapers, numerous databases, a comprehensive digital image collection, DVD's/VHS's, CD's, best sellers, and children's books and K-8 curriculum materials. In addition, the library houses a number of interesting archival and special collections that can be used for original research. The Library offers classes and services that help students develop life-long information and computer skills. Librarians collaborate with faculty in all disciplines to provide information literacy sessions, resource specific instruction, reference service, and instruction on digital equipment.

http://www.library.csuci.edu/research