The Area
Though the campus address indicates that UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, the actual city of Santa Barbara is about ten miles southeast of the University. The city, of approximately 89,000 people, is easily accessible from campus via the local Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) bus service, which is free to registered students. West of our campus is the unincorporated community of Isla Vista (I.V.) and the city of Goleta, with a total combined population of about 68,000. About 8,500 UCSB students reside in I.V. The city of Santa Barbara sits on a coastal shelf, spreading like a fan into curving beaches and mesas. Protected by the impressive Santa Ynez Mountains to the north and the Channel Islands off the coast to the south, Santa Barbara is able to maintain a mild climate at an average temperature of 72 degrees year-round. Mountain ranges, desert, and coastal areas make Santa Barbara one of only five sites in the world with a distinct Mediterranean climate. With such diverse physical surroundings and comfortable weather, the area provides a perfect environment for many outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, surfing, visits to the Channel Islands, and a variety of beach activities. In addition, many historical sites, such as the Santa Barbara Mission, founded in 1786, provide opportunities for tourism. Santa Barbara’s history and native culture come alive at local museums and cultural performances.
The Campus: Then and Now
The actual piece of land on which UCSB sits today has undergone many historical changes. The 1022-acre site forms a peninsula bordered by tall oceanic bluffs on both sides and a marshy slough behind it. The slough area used to look like a lake with a solid island in the center where a Chumash Indian village once thrived. By the early half of this century, bean farmers began to use the land, though unsuccessfully, for their own agricultural purposes. As the farmers failed, the U.S. military took over to create a military base for action in World War II. Contractors scraped topsoil from the site and deposited it into the slough area to fill it in and form the runways that the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport uses today for commercial purposes. Using these nearby runways, the site functioned as a Marine Air Station until 1948, when the War Assets Administration virtually gave it to the University of California for a grand total of ten dollars. When the UC Regents took possession of the land, it was a barren, mosquito-infested military ghost town. Within six years, they managed to create an entirely new campus, ready to accommodate students. Today, UCSB includes more than 300 buildings, 1080 faculty members from a wide range of fields, and 20,559 students (17,726 undergraduates and 2,833 graduates). UCSB now offers over 90 majors ranging from Communication to Chemical Engineering, as well as many academic minors. UCSB was ranked #9 nationally in “Highest Impact U.S. Universities” by Science Watch and UCSB also serves as the headquarters for the University-wide Education Abroad Program, which enables UC students to attend study centers in thirty-four countries worldwide.
Research Facilities
As a research-oriented university, UCSB provides extensive laboratory facilities, organized research units, and an excellent library with over 2.7 million volumes in circulation, providing a wide variety of resources for effective teaching and learning. UCSB boasts the highest percentage of undergraduate students involved with research among the ten UC campuses. In a recent study of America’s top research universities, UCSB ranks No. 2 among public universities nationwide. The rankings were cited in The Rise of American Research Universities (Johns Hopkins University Press) and were based on objective data such as research dollars, prestigious fellowships, and number of publications.
The Changing Facilities
The UCSB campus is a constantly evolving environment in which to learn, study, and play. The campus is designed to provide cutting edge research facilities, high quality athletic resources, and a streamlined community environment. With this in mind, the campus is in the midst of a range of development. UCSB is currently in the process of over $700 million of improvements that include the newly completed Engineering Science Building, the 44,000 square foot Intercollegiate Athletics Building, and the new Marine Sciences Research Building, funded by faculty research grants, which includes a new Education and Outreach Center. The California NanoSystems Institute, a combined effort between UCSB and UCLA to create the world’s premiere nanosystem research and education initiative, meant the addition of a new 61,000 square foot building which opened in 2006. Completed during 2006 was the renovation and addition of 12,000 square feet to the Psychology building as well as the opening of the new Life Sciences Building. Students also voted in a fee to construct a new Student Resource Building and parking structure which both opened in winter of 2007. Aside from the main campus, Storke Campus contains playing fields and a family student-housing complex, and West Campus contains a natural preserve of ecologically vital dunes In addition to current projects, UCSB has also been in the process of updating its Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), which details how the campus will develop physically until the year 2025. Information about the LRDP can be found at www.ucsbvision2025.com.
Expanded Housing
UCSB is also focusing on improving housing conditions at the university to satisfy the demand of its growing enrollment. In the fall of 2003, the 800 bed Manzanita Village began housing students, and includes seventeen building units, each three or four stories, and all adorned with Spanish or Chumash names. In addition to Manzanita Village, the brand new San Clemente Villages, a 325 apartment complex dedicated to housing graduate students, will be opening for the 2008-2009 academic year. Studies are currently underway to develop new housing for faculty, graduate students and families. We are currently working with Santa Barbara County and local landlords to improve existing housing in Isla Vista.
Funding
Funding for our facilities comes from a variety of sources including State general obligation bonds, faculty research grants, student voted fees, donors, and revenue generated from sources such as our bookstore, food facilities, and parking.
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