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In 2007, the Academic Senate created a Sustainability Task Force to address faculty concerns around sustainability at UCSF. The Task Force recommendations included:
1. Create a sufficiently-funded central Sustainability Office and website to propose, support, track and publicize sustainability efforts at UCSF.
2. Encourage campus leadership to shift the culture at UCSF toward sustainability, including development of a brief, web-based educational module that covers behaviors to improve sustainability practices at UCSF.
3. Support faculty efforts to improve sustainability in all their individual activities, including an Academic Senate policy encouraging faculty to reduce business travel.
4. Encourage and support innovations to improve sustainability in all buildings and facilities occupied by UCSF personnel, such as UCSF Medical Center, SFGH and leased space.
5. Support the inclusion of sustainability into the curriculum at UCSF
In 2012, the Academic Senate Creates a permanent Committee on Sustainability. due to the continued issues and concerns by faculty.
The 2013-2014 Academic Senate Committee on Sustainability website contains documents of interest including documents produced by the committee.
In 2014, Presidient Janet Napolitano created the Global Climate Leadership Council to support various activities to meet her newly announced goal of Climate Neutrality by 2025. Various activities were funded across all 10 campuses towards meeting that goal.
In 2014, President Napolitano funded a Global Food Initiative to address food insecurity, sustainable food, and related issues. Two UCSF fellows were awarded funds for their projects. Please see this article on our website Student Projects Get Creative to Encourage Healthy Eating. 2 Students Join UC Global Food Initiative’s Mission to Feed the World Nutritiously, Sustainably.
In 2014, the Academic Senate approved the permanent status of the Academic Senate Committee on Sustainability with inaugeral chair, Ruth Greenblatt, MD leading the group for fiscal year 14-15. Please see their website for more details and annual reports. The Committee selected the UC President’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative(CNI) fellows as well as the nominations for the Sustainability Award in the Faculty category. In FY15-16, Torsten Wittmann, in the School of Dentistry became the chair of the committee and continued to select the CNI fellows and the Faculty Sustainability Award winner.
In 2015, UC President creates the Carbon Neutrality Initiative (CNI felowships) and committee members selected the winne(r)s of the fellowship. Winners and their projects can be found at this link.
In April 2016, Arianne Teherani was Honored with The Faculty Climate Change Champion Award by the committee,
In June 2016, former Committee member Lisa Thompson was recognized for raising Awareness of Health Impacts from Wood-burning Stoves at a WHO conference in Bhutan.
In July 2016, the Committee was re-evaluated by the Academic Senate and restructured to be an ad hoc committee meeting twice a year to address topics of interest with additional ad hoc meetings as needed.
In September 2016, UCSF faculty member, Arianne Teherani and Sheri Weiser hosted a Workshop to Explores How to Integrate Environmental Sustainability & Health Issues into Coursework
Other Stories regarding the work of the Academic Senate Commmittee on Sustainability are below:
Vlahov, Wintroub Join Nationwide Push for Climate Change Training
Student Projects Get Creative to Encourage Healthy Eating
Summit Brings Forth Ideas on Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Academic Senate Creates a permanent Committee on Sustainability
Healthcare gathers at UCSF for “Sustainable Meat Summit
UCSF Academic Senate Approves Sustainability Activity Guidelines
UCSF Academic Senate Approves Resolution to Phase Out Meat Raised with Non-Therapeutic Antibiotics
Save the Date—Saving Antibiotics: A Clinical Perspective on Antibiotic Overuse in Agriculture
Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions: Dr. Susan Ryan
Spotlight on Sustainability: UCSF Faculty Sustainability Award Winner: Dr. Tom Newman
Four UCSF Green Champions Receive Annual Sustainability Award