President Signs Climate Leadership Commitment
Cal State San Marcos President Ellen Neufeldt pledged to take the next step in climate action by signing the Second Nature Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitment on Aug. 17. The signing was followed by a tree-planting ceremony in front of the University Bookstore as a symbol of the university’s dedication to sustainability efforts on campus.
The Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitment is a comprehensive roadmap for mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, one that sets high goals of sustainability for the university. Over the next few years, CSUSM will develop, implement, evaluate and adapt its climate action plan as a commitment to carbon neutrality and resilience.
“The act of planting a tree and pledging our commitment may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but its impact is immeasurable,” Neufeldt said. "Our journey toward sustainability – which has been part of CSUSM’s story since its founding – is more than just a promise; it's a dedication to our students, our community and the global community we're a part of. It's a recognition that in today's intricate and interconnected world, our students must graduate not only as scholars, but as individuals with a deep awareness of how climate change and sustainability influence every facet of their lives and careers.”
Second Nature provides resources and opportunities to network with a coalition of colleges that are leading in climate action and sustainable solutions.
“CSUSM is joining over 650 other higher education colleges and universities in not only a commitment to carbon neutrality but the resilience of our community,” said Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, the university’s sustainability manager and a lecturer of environmental studies.
California State University has established systemwide efforts toward sustainability and climate action, and 19 of the 23 CSU campuses have signed a Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitment.
CSUSM’s strategic plan, “The Power of CSUSM,” includes sustainability and climate justice among the university’s values. As a part of CSUSM’s sustainability master plan, students and employees already have been tackling climate resilience due to concerns from wildfires, droughts and other impacts of a warming world on our community. This new commitment is part of an effort to elevate and showcase the work that CSUSM is doing to ensure student success through the lens of sustainability and climate justice.
Higher education institutions whose president or chancellor have made a formal commitment with respect to climate leadership on their campus become Climate Leadership Network signatories.
“I have long hoped for our campus to be one of the many signatories of this climate commitment, and I am so proud that President Neufeldt has recognized the significance and importance of committing our campus to carbon neutrality,” Goodlaw-Morris said.
Second Nature is committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education. This is accomplished by mobilizing a diverse array of higher education institutions to act on bold climate commitments, to scale campus climate initiatives and to create innovative climate solutions. Second Nature aims to align, amplify and bridge the sector’s efforts with other global leaders to advance urgent climate priorities.
Latest News Release
- Seven Alumni Selected for Prestigious Doctoral ProgramSeven Cal State San Marcos alumni were selected for the CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program, also known as CDIP, for the incoming 2024-25 cohort. CSUSM has the second most CDIP fellows among the 23 CSUs. The CSUSM fellows are: Daniela Adriana Carreon, who is studying sociology at Arizona State and is sponsored by communication professor Michelle Holling. Yvette Conde, who is studying education at UC Riverside and is sponsored by sociology professor Marisol Clark-Ibañez Matthew Logan Cope-Arugello, who is studying plant pathology at UC Davis and is sponsored by biology professor Elinne Becket. Diana Gamez, who is studying anthropology at UC Irvine and is sponsored by sociology professor Marisa Salinas. Rachel Ann Nortz, who is studying education at Pacific University and is sponsored by speech-language pathology professor Suzanne Moineau. Ciara Sanders, who is studying molecular biology at Princeton University and is sponsored by Becket. Emmanuel Solis, who is studying medical and molecular genetics at Indiana University and is sponsored by biology professor Carlos Luna Lopez. CDIP aims to increase the number of faculty with the qualifications and skills needed to teach the diverse students of the CSU. The largest program of its kind in the United States, CDIP has supported nearly 2,500 fellows pursuing doctoral degrees since 1987. CDIP also prepares promising doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing financial support, mentorship from CSU faculty and professional development with grant resources. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314
- Summit at CSUSM Elevates Voices of Young StudentsAs a student affairs professional, Erik Ramirez has attended many meetings in which the primary topic is concerns about enrollment in higher education. What if the best way to address such worries isn’t to brainstorm solutions among administrators in a conference room, but rather to go out and ask the targets of any enrollment push: high school students? That’s the concept behind a national organization called REP4 (of which Cal State San Marcos is a founding partner), and it was main thrust of a REP4 regional summit hosted by CSUSM on June 11-12. “I don’t think it happens often that young people are asked to share their ideas or to tell us what it is that we’re doing wrong or what it is that we could be doing better to serve them,” said Ramirez, director of initiatives and partnerships for CSUSM’s Division of Student Affairs, and the organizer of the summit. REP stands for “Rapid Education Prototyping,” and it aims to engage young students to solve problems in higher education. Earlier this month, for the first time, CSUSM held a two-day summit that brought together 37 high school students along with eight CSUSM student mentors, three CSUSM professors and some staff members. The high school students were 10th through 12th graders from Los Angeles County who have migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds. They were already on campus as participants in the second annual Migrant Scholars Summer Institute, a 10-day program through which students live at CSUSM and get a head start on experiencing what college is like. The summit took place in the Innovation Hub and the University Library Reading Room. The students were split into seven groups, and each group started with a team-building activity that involved building a tower out of raw spaghetti. With a CSUSM undergraduate mentor embedded in each team, the students then were introduced to the notion of design thinking by the trio of CSUSM faculty: sociology professor Matthew Atherton, social work professor Jimmy Young and Sajith Jayasinghe, chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department. The faculty teach different disciplines in different colleges, but all are experts in design thinking, a framework for grappling with real-world problems by trying to empathize with the community that the problem affects. It’s an iterative process with multiple stages: understanding the problem, devising various possible solutions, creating a prototype of the solution you decide on, then testing and evaluating it. Once they had settled into their teams, the high school students were presented with a prompt: How do we make college more attractive, inclusive and accessible? Guided by the professors and using the principles of design thinking, the teams went through a series of activities to determine how to tackle the prompt. Some focused on the difficulty of picking a college, others on the financial aspect or a sense of belonging. “Then based on what particular issue they wanted to address or they identified, they proposed a solution,” Ramirez said. The proposals were made in the manner of a business-style quick-pitch competition – think the TV show “Shark Tank” – and, in the end, two top pitches were selected. The first was for a peer mentor program called Adopt a Buddy that would pair new students with upperclassmen who would serve as their mentor during their first year at a university. Participation would be incentivized by things like academic credit for the mentors and free swag for the mentees. The second pitch was for a phone app titled Uni-verse through which college students would create youth-oriented content to help high school students learn about universities in California and ameliorate the issue that many feel of overwhelming choices. The app could be scaled to include virtual reality tours of individual campuses. “The most rewarding part was seeing their confidence build throughout the process,” Atherton said. “As the students were able to start creating and refining their innovations, you could see them getting excited about their proposals. Seeing the students gain confidence each time they presented their idea to a new audience during the final event shows the power of active, experiential learning opportunities.” Each member of the winning teams received a $200 credit for the CSUSM bookstore. More significantly, from a university perspective, the two winning pitches will be submitted this fall to the REP4 national conference, where the best two pitches from all the regional summits across the country will be chosen to receive funding as a prototype. Media Contact Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306
- Periodic Review Complete for VP WydenThe periodic review of Vice President Leon Wyden has been completed. We're grateful to the Periodic Review Committee and everyone who participated in the review for their contributions to the university in providing this valuable service. Congratulations to Vice President Wyden on their continuing success as vice president of Finance and Administrative Services. We look forward to their leadership in meeting the goals we established at the end of the review process.
- Campus-wide Building Evacuation Drill Aug. 9A campus-wide building evacuation drill will be held at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 9. The drill is in compliance with California State University Executive Order No. 1056, which requires each campus in the system to conduct a building evacuation drill at least once annually. Timeline: On Aug. 9 at 9 a.m., a message will be sent via the emergency notification system (ENS) to start the evacuation drill. Multiple modalities may be utilized, including desktop alerts, digital signage, library PA, Cougar Central PA, and text messages. Your building’s fire alarm may also activate. The drill is expected to last 20-30 minutes. Please evacuate the building, report to the nearest evacuation zone, and wait for the “all clear” before re-entering buildings. Evacuation zones: The campus evacuation zones have changed! Please review the new assignments for your location. Please contact Emergency Manager Jennifer Ralph at jralph@csusm.edu with any questions.
- Transfer Collective Led by CSUSM Administrator Receives Second GrantA state group led by a Cal State San Marcos administrator has received a second grant that will allow it to continue its work in removing barriers to the success of transfer students. College Futures Foundation has provided $650,000 toward the CCC-CSU Transfer Collaborative. That amount increases to almost $1 million thanks to a portion matched from a fund created at CSUSM this spring by CSUSM Foundation Board Director Daniel J. Epstein and his wife, Phyllis. The collaborative, which is composed of seven California State University campuses (including CSUSM) and 10 schools from California Community Colleges (CCC), was launched and is led by Dawn M. Formo, CSUSM’s dean of undergraduate studies. “I am grateful to College Futures Foundation for its support,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “Our values align around students and their economic and social mobility; it is an honor to lead this important initiative. By partnering with other institutions, under the leadership of Dean Formo, we are transforming the transfer student experience. Together, we are advancing opportunities for all students.” The collaborative was formed in January 2023 thanks to a $350,000 grant from College Futures Foundation, supplemented by $100,000 from the CSU Chancellor’s Office. At the outset, Formo led a working group made up of representatives from the 16 other campuses to reduce obstacles to transferring. The program was designed to focus specifically on students who are underrepresented minorities, first-generation and eligible for Pell grants – the populations at the highest risk of not transferring and completing their four-year degrees. According to 2020 data from the Public Policy Institute of California, only 10% of California community college students who intend to transfer reach that goal within four years, and 19% do so within six years. With the initial $450,000 in awards last year, the collaborative identified systemic barriers to transfer and generated solutions. Now, with the second set of awards totaling $900,000, Formo and her team will begin to implement solutions. Those solutions come in the form of the Transfer Collaborative Framework, which was shared last month during a meeting attended by 121 stakeholders. The recommendations focus on four clear needs: improved communication, data sharing, degree completion support and statewide collaboration. Besides CSUSM, the CSU schools involved in the collaborative are Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Los Angeles, Northridge and Pomona. The community college partners include Bakersfield, Chabot, Chaffey, East Los Angeles, L.A. Mission, L.A. Pierce, L.A. Valley, Palomar, Pasadena and Las Positas.
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