Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.86
Liaison Elida Erickson
Submission Date March 23, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Santa Cruz
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Shauna Casey
Sustainability Programs Manager
Campus Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a program to encourage student sustainability research that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s program(s) to encourage student research in sustainability:

Students are eligible for the following grants to support student research in sustainability:

The Carbon Fund was started in 2010 as a funding source to diminish the campus’s carbon footprint through campus projects undertaken by staff, faculty and students. So far the group has set aside an impressive $100,000 for this purpose. The Carbon Fund uses money raised by a student-approved fee measure (Measure 44) that raises money through a $3-per-quarter student fee. During 2014-2015 the Carbon Fund awarded $148,202.50 to 18 projects. http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/funding/carbon-fund/Projects/2014-2015.html

The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) provides funding to registered UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally sound practices on campus as established through the protocol outlined in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. In Winter and Spring 2015, CSC awarded $96,865 in project funds to 12 organizations or projects. http://csc.enviroslug.org/

The Sustainability Office provides small grants for projects that help the campus achieve and support the goals of the Campus Sustainability Plan. $48,000 was awarded to seven projects in 2014-15.

Another opportunity for student research funding is the Center For Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Sustainability Fellowships, which awards around $87,000 in fellowship money annually. http://news.ucsc.edu/2010/11/sustainability-fellowships.html

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In addition, the Environmental Studies Department also offers a host of scholarships and grants to encourage sustainability related research, including:

The Terence Freitas Award is given in memory of Terence Freitas, a 1997 graduate of UCSC. This is an undergraduate award of up to $500 and will be given to a UCSC Environmental Studies major with financial need. Emphasis shall be given to the interests and commitment of Terence Freitas to indigenous peoples in developing countries. Consideration shall also be given to students whose studies are related to preservation/conservation of rainforests.

The CONCUR, Inc. Scholarship: This award of up to $500 is given to graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated an interest or are pursuing studies in environmental dispute resolution. It is for Environmental Studies students, and the award shall be based on academic merit as indicated by performance in classes and internships and academic recommendations.

The Richard A. Cooley Award in Environmental Studies: An award of up to $1000 will be given to one or more continuing undergraduate students for a field project that results in a tangible, positive action for the betterment of the natural environment or improvement in environmental quality. This award is given in honor of Richard Cooley, founder of the Environmental Studies program at UCSC.

The Surfrider- Skye Ksander Award in Environmental Studies: An award of up to $500 will be given to an undergraduate based on scholastic ability, financial need, demonstrates interest through work and study, towards protecting and enhancing our coastal and ocean environment. Preference is given to Environmental Studies majors.

http://envs.ucsc.edu/ENVS_Awards/


The website URL where information about the student research program is available:
Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty sustainability research that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s program(s) to encourage faculty research in sustainability:

are eligible for the following grants to support research in sustainability:

In Spring 2014 the UC Office of the President awarded each UC campus with funds to support a faculty climate action and sustainability champion. $25,000 was awarded to one faculty member to support their research and teaching related to climate change and sustainability. http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/funding/global-climate-leadership.html

The Carbon Fund was started in 2010 as a funding source to diminish the campus’s carbon footprint through campus projects undertaken faculty, staff and students. The Carbon Fund has ~$100,000/annually to allocate for this purpose. The Carbon Fund uses money raised by a student-approved fee measure (Measure 44) that raises money through a $3-per-quarter student fee. During 2014-2015 the Carbon Fund awarded $148,202.50 to 18 projects. http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/funding/carbon-fund/Projects/2014-2015.html

The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) provides funding to registered UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally sound practices on campus as established through the protocol outlined in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. In Winter and Spring 2015, CSC awarded $96,865 in project funds to 12 organizations or projects. http://csc.enviroslug.org/

The Sustainability Office provides small grants for projects that help the campus achieve and support the goals of the Campus Sustainability Plan. $48,000 was awarded to seven projects in 2014-15.


The website URL where information about the faculty research program is available:
Has the institution formally adopted policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
Yes

A brief description or the text of the institution’s policy regarding interdisciplinary research:

Interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research programs are a hallmark of the Santa Cruz campus of the University of California. The campus's Strategic Academic Plan discusses our campus's emphasis on interdisciplinary work, and many of our faculty are involved in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research and teaching.

A faculty member's participation in interdisciplinary programs is considered during the merit and promotion process, including the tenure review. Although we do not necessarily advantage a faculty member for participating in interdisciplinary work, just as we don't disadvantage someone who is not participating in interdisciplinary work, campus reviewers do consider the overall impact of the work. And it is often true that interdisciplinary work can have widespread impact.


The website URL where information about the treatment of interdisciplinary research is available:
Does the institution provide ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution's library support for sustainability research and learning:

University of California Santa Cruz’s University Library includes fifty-eight interviews with farmers, activists, researchers, and educators. It encompasses the 1960s through the present. Here you will find transcripts of all of the interviews in full text (PDF) format, along with audio clips from the oral histories, photographs, and additional resources. We provide three navigable categories that offer different portals to this archive. The entire collection of oral histories is also fully searchable (across interviews) through the UCSC Library's Digital Collections site (ContentDM) at UCSC.


The website URL where information about the institution's library support for sustainability is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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