UC Santa Barbara is one of the most popular campuses in the University of California system, with applications doubling in the past decade. However, in keeping with the limits agreed to under the last LRDP, on-campus enrollment has been capped at 20,000 for several years. We are proposing to meet increased demand in a managed way, maintaining a one percent annual enrollment increase of 250 students per year to carry us to the year 2025 and a maximum of 25,000 students.
UC Santa Barbara's annual growth mirrors that of the entire Santa Barbara County region (about one percent per year). Due to the campus's location in the Coastal Zone, it is subject to jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission .
The proposed enrollment increase is needed to achieve two important objectives: accommodation of UC Santa Barbara's fair share of the increased enrollment demand in UC and continued rise in the academic excellence of the Santa Barbara campus. We are especially mindful of the need to provide access for students from this region who are interested in enrolling at UC Santa Barbara.
We are expected by the State of California and the UC system to accommodate new generations of students. The number of students seeking admission to the UC system continues to climb. The UCSB LRDP creates a blueprint for accommodating a modest percentage of that demand. We believe the proposed one percent is sensitive to community interests, consistent with regional growth projections and responsive to state demand.
To maintain and advance UC Santa Barbara's position in the top tier of research universities, its academic strengths must continue to develop. Given the effort and resources invested in growing existing programs to their current levels, some managed growth is necessary to complete what has already been a substantial investment. The proportion of graduate students in particular must grow. An additional challenge will be to replace the substantial number of faculty and staff that will be retiring during this next period.
The Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) is a tool used by the University of California campuses to plan facilities and services to accommodate changing demand. It is similar to a general plan used by local governments in California communities. The LRDP defines how a campus will accommodate anticipated enrollment, and faculty and staff needed to support it. An important component of the plan is a discussion of how coastal resources will be protected and enhanced.
LRDPs contain four major elements:
UC Santa Barbara anticipates a gradual increase in enrollment at an average annual rate of one percent. This rate would be among the lowest in the UC system.
The UCSB "Vision 2025" LRDP proposes the physical plan needed to accommodate 250 additional students per year (one percent annual increase) and the faculty and staff needed to support that growth.
LRDPs help guide and fund campus decisions about the long-range physical development of a campus. UC Regents use LRDPs in reviewing capital projects and approving proposals for individual buildings. The LRDP covers a series of individual projects that will be carried out in phases, and each phase will be supported with a certified environmental impact report (EIR).
Additionally, all development in the Coastal Zone of California, where most of UC Santa Barbara is located, requires an approved permit from the California Coastal Commission.
Yes. The current LRDP was prepared over 17 years ago, in 1990. The new LRDP will extend planning to the year 2025.
The Vision 2025 LRDP was prepared by UC Santa Barbara officials. The preparation process was multi-faceted and included a review of projected enrollment demands, analysis of assets and limitations of the campus, traffic studies, resource and service demands, capital costs and many other factors. The draft LRDP integrates findings and ideas from this work and describes a plan for managing growth.
UC Santa Barbara worked with planning professionals and campus leadership in the development of the proposed LRDP. Elements of the plan were presented to a wide range of interested people and groups, including the campus community, environmental organizations, business groups, neighborhood associations and residents, and elected officials and staff members of neighboring cities and counties. The draft LRDP and its accompanying environmental impact report (EIR) were released in March 2008, followed by a public hearing on June 4, 2008 and close of public comment period on June 23, 2008.The objective of the process is to develop an LRDP that reflects extensive community awareness and is responsive to the needs of both the local community and the people of California. The draft documents are now being finalized and will be posted on this Web site when ready (likely Fall 2008).
The Chancellor and UC Board of Regents approve the LRDP, with Coastal Commission approval required for the portions subject to the California Coastal Act.
The LRDP will be approved by the UC Chancellor as well as the UC Board of Regents. Elements related to consistency with the California Coastal Act will be approved by the California Coastal Commission.
A plan to provide for the housing needs of students, faculty, and staff is a critically important component of the LRDP and environmental review process. UC Santa Barbara believes that the community would like to see an increase in the percentage of students and faculty housed on campus, and proposes development that would increase on-campus student housing from approximately 33 percent today to 50 percent in future years with the new LRDP.
In addition to more than 50 meetings and presentations on the LRDP http://www.ucsbvision2025.com/outreach.html, a public hearing on the draft LRDP and EIR documents was held on June 4th, 2008, and the public comment period ended June 23, 2008.
University officials and environmental consultants are reviewing comments and questions received during the public comment period and preparing responses. Responses to the comments will be incorporated into the Final LRDP and EIR. Those documents are anticipated to be available in Fall of 2008 and will be available on this Web site. The LRDP and Final EIR will then proceed to the UC Board of Regents, followed by the California Coastal Commission for review and anticipated approval in 2009.
Updates regarding next steps and the LRDP & EIR approval process will be posted on this Web site. If you would like to receive updates via mail and/or email, please click here http://www.ucsbvision2025.com/contact.html to register your contact information. If you are already on our outreach list, no further action is necessary. Thank you for your interest in UC Santa Barbara.