Purpose
It is the policy of UC Nature that reserves be reviewed at least every ten years to assess whether they continue to meet UC Nature objectives. At the time each site was incorporated in UC Nature, it underwent a stringent review process that involved campus UC Nature representatives, a three-campus review committee, the UC Nature Universitywide Advisory Committee as a whole, the Chancellor of the administering campus, and the UC Nature Systemwide administration. Finally, The Regents approved incorporation of the site as a UC Nature reserve.
Physical, ecological, management, programmatic and administrative considerations may change over time, often because of factors beyond the University’s control. Thus, a periodic review is needed to assess whether the values represented by a given reserve continue to or have the potential to be of sufficient importance to the research, teaching and public outreach mission of UC Nature. It is also useful for an independent committee to recommend new management and administrative strategies to improve further the management, use, and administration of each reserve.
Procedures
A UC Nature Committee will be appointed by the Executive Director of UC Nature based upon recommendations by the Chair of the UC Nature Universitywide Committee and the UC Nature faculty and staff from the administering campus. The committee will ordinarily consist of representatives from three campuses, the UC Nature Systemwide Office, and from the administering campus (as an ex officio member). An exception to the composition of the committee can be made to include a suitably qualified person from outside the University.
The administering campus will provide the committee with background information on the reserve, including site history, a complete description of the reserve’s scientific value, management issues, research, teaching, and public outreach use, facilities and infrastructure, and its administration (campus administrative structure, staffing, promotion, and funding). The committee will review these background materials, visit the site, and prepare their evaluation and recommendations.
The committee’s report will be submitted to the UC Nature Executive Director, who will seek comments from the UC Nature Universitywide Advisory Committee. Based on the review of the evaluation report and advice from other sources, the UC Nature Executive Director will forward the report to the Vice President of Research and the Chancellor of the administering campus for appropriate action.
Content of the Review
Given the great diversity of reserves, it is difficult to establish a specific procedural format that will be suitable for all reserves. Examples of the issues that the committee should address include, but are not limited to, the list of questions in Appendix 16A: Evaluation criteria.