Chancellor Henry T. Yang has announced the formation of a new, permanent UCSB commission on Isla Vista and the appointment of its first members. His memo to the campus community, and the roster of appointees, appear below.

The Isla Vista Commission will coordinate the many ongoing activities that are currently part of the Isla Vista-UCSB relationship, and recommend or assist in the development of new initiatives intended to serve the mutual interests of I.V. and the campus.

"We have already accomplished a great deal in Isla Vista in recent years. I formed the I.V. Commission because I believe we can do even more," said Chancellor Yang. "Simply put, our goal is to continuously improve the learning and living environment for all residents of Isla Vista, especially the students."

The commission was formed in response to a recommendation by the Isla Vista Action Group, an ad hoc panel established by the Chancellor in November 2003. The group's members included UCSB faculty, staff, students, and administrators as well as representatives of Santa Barbara City College, the County, and Isla Vista residents and business owners.

"We see this as a way to build on what the action group has accomplished by institutionalizing its broad-based, multi-faceted, and integrated approach to dealing with UCSB-Isla Vista issues," said Yang.

"As a result of the actions of our dedicated Isla Vista Action Group members as well as so many other colleagues, we have facilitated greater communication and coordination among the many university entities that are involved in Isla Vista issues, and we have forged stronger relationships with Santa Barbara County government officials, Santa Barbara City College leaders, Isla Vista property owners, community leaders, and merchants, as well as Isla Vista residents," Yang added. "We also have developed university-sponsored cultural programming in Isla Vista on the weekends, as part of our efforts to ensure that Isla Vista is a vibrant, safe, and robust community. And we have made significant progress in coordinating efforts by the campus and local community to help ensure the safety and well being of our students and other Isla Vista residents during Halloween, and throughout the year.

"I am proud of these achievements, and grateful to all of our dedicated colleagues who have contributed to these efforts. I would like to especially thank the co-chairs of the Isla Vista Action Group, Professors Catherine Cole, Harry Nelson, and Walter Yuen."

Yuen and Nelson will serve as the first co-chairs of the Isla Vista Commission.

"We appreciate the support of the chancellor and of the entire UCSB campus for these efforts," said Yuen. "We see this commission as a way to help draw the roadmap for how our campus and this community can develop and prosper together in the future."

Below is the text of the Chancellor's announcement to the campus, as well as the list of the commission's members.

Chancellor's announcement to the campus

June 10, 2005

TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the formation of the Isla Vista Commission for UC Santa Barbara. The new Commission will coordinate the many ongoing activities that are currently part of the Isla Vista-UCSB relationship, and initiate or assist in the development of new programs intended to serve the mutual interests of I.V. and our campus. Professor Walter Yuen and Professor Harry Nelson will serve as the first co-chairs of the Commission. The membership of the Commission, as shown below, includes faculty, staff, students, and administrative personnel from UCSB. Ex officio members and other individuals who represent government and community organizations with concerns in I.V. will participate in the Commission meetings. Four facilitators who represent different segments of our administrative organization will be responsible for the plans formulated by the Commission and approved by the Chancellor.

The Commission has been formed as a result of a recommendation of the Isla Vista Action Group. The Isla Vista Action Group is an ad-hoc group I established in November 2003, largely to address the difficult Halloween problem. At the conclusion of its work in Winter 2005, this group, which included members representing UCSB faculty, staff, students, and administration as well as Santa Barbara City College and the County of Santa Barbara, recommended that the campus maintain its effort to improve the quality of life of our students and other residents of Isla Vista. The group recommended the formation of the Isla Vista Commission.

We are grateful for the diligent efforts that the Isla Vista Action Group has made to bring the Isla Vista-UCSB relationship to the forefront of campus awareness, and we look forward to the continuation and enhancement of these efforts by our new Isla Vista Commission.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor

Isla Vista Commission

• Walter Yuen (Co-Chair) Chair, Academic Senate; Professor, Mechanical & Environmental Engineering; Former Chair, I.V. Action Group
• Harry Nelson (Co-Chair) Professor, Physics; Former Co-Chair, I.V. Action Group
• Donna Carpenter Acting Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services
• Howard Giles Professor, Communication; Executive Director, Center on Police Practices and Community (COPPAC)
• Peter Haslund Santa Barbara City College Faculty Representative
• Richard Hecht Professor, Religious Studies
• Melissa Kwon President and Representative, Graduate Students Association
• Duncan Mellichamp Professor Emeritus, Chemical Engineering; Trustee, The UCSB Foundation; Senior Advisor to the Commission
• Joel Michaelsen Vice Chair, Academic Senate; Professor, Geography
• Harry Reese Professor, Art
• Denise Segura Professor, Sociology; Co-Director, ENLACE
• Richard Watts Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Long-Range Planning; Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Chaz Whatley President and Representative, Associated Students
• John Wiemann Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement
• Kim Yasuda Professor, Art; Co-Director, UC Institute for Research in the Arts
• Michael Young Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
• Marc Fisher (Facilitator) Associate Vice Chancellor, Campus Design and Facilities
• Yonie Harris (Facilitator) Dean of Students
• Gerry Hesse (Facilitator) Director, Governmental Relations
• Martie Levy (Facilitator) Director, Capital Development

Isla Vista Commission Web Site

http://senate.ucsb.edu/ivcommission/