Academic Senate Resolution


Academic Senate Resolution

 

Adopted:

That the Academic Senate of Cal Poly endorse the following statement formulated by the national Focus the Nation organizing committee:

 

ACADEMIC SENATE

of

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY

San Luis Obispo, CA

 

AS-___-07

 

RESOLUTION ON

FOCUS THE NATION

 

WHEREAS, In May 2003, the Academic Senate endorsed the Talloires Declaration, committing Cal Poly to a ten-point program of promoting sustainability in education; and

 

WHEREAS, Addressing the threats of global warming and climate change has become a crucial priority in educating students about sustainability; and

 

WHEREAS, Focus the Nation is one way that colleges and universities can use their educational mandates to motivate their students and others to address these threats; and

 

WHEREAS, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in conjunction with colleges, universities, and high schools across the country, will organize a symposium about “Global Warming Solutions for America” on or around January 31 2008; therefore be it

 

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of Cal Poly endorse the following statement formulated by the national Focus the Nation organizing committee

 

Global warming poses a serious threat to people and natural systems across the planet. Public and private policy decisions about global warming this decade will have impacts lasting for generations. To focus the nation’s attention on this crucial issue, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in conjunction with colleges, universities, and high schools across the country, will organize a symposium about ‘Global Warming Solutions for America’ on or around January 31 2008. On that day, faculty are strongly encouraged to travel with their classes to attend scheduled programs about climate change or to discuss it with their own students. The symposium program committee will work with interested faculty to develop appropriate material for their classes and to insure that diverse disciplines are represented in symposium panels and workshops.

 


 

 

Proposed by: Academic Senate Sustainability Committee

 

Date: January 24, 2007

 

Rationale:

 

The threats of global warming and climate change are becoming more manifest every day. Our patterns of energy production and consumption need to undergo profound transformation within the next decade to avert possible catastrophic consequences by the end of the century. Educational institutions are obliged to join government, businesses, community organizations and individuals in raising awareness of the threats and searching for ways to bring about these transformations.

 

Focus the Nation is one way that colleges and universities can use their educational mandates to contribute to such an effort. Its goals are to shift the national conversation about global warming from fatalism to determination and to create a national educational dialog on policy options by involving 1,000 participating schools, 5,000 organizers, 20,000 presenters, and 3 million students in discussions of “Global Warming Solutions for America” on a single date, January 31 2008, just before the first 2008 presidential primaries. [See http://www.focusthenation.org]

 

At Cal Poly, an organizing committee representing students and faculty from all colleges is developing programs culminating in this day’s events. The committee’s work will be facilitated by the endorsements of Cal Poly administration, faculty and student organizations. Such endorsements have already been provided by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and by the presidents of Lewis & Clark College, The University of the South, Smith College, and Mount Holyoke College, among others.

 

In May 2003, the Academic Senate endorsed the Talloires Declaration, committing Cal Poly to a ten-point program of promoting sustainability in higher education. The Senate’s endorsement was followed by President Baker’s signing the Declaration in August of 2003. The Declaration has served as a statement of commitment and a guide to action for Cal Poly’s sustainability programs. Though more specific in scope, the endorsement of the resolution of support for Focus the Nation will similarly signify commitment and lead to action. The statement submitted herein for endorsement has been formulated by the national Focus the Nation organizing committee.