The mission of the California Student Sustainability Coalition is to unite and empower the California community of higher education to collaboratively and nonviolently transform our selves and our institutions based on our inherent social, economic, and ecological responsibilities.

Vision

There is no single vision of the CSSC. The vision of the CSSC is a collective vision created by the CSSC members. Instead of a fixed vision, ours will be an evolving one, for which the process will be as follows: At least once a year at a gathering, we will do a round on our vision for the CSSC, record the round in its entirety, and post it online where all members of the CSSC could access it.

UC Campuses:  Davis, Berkeley, Merced, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Irvine and San Diego

The principles and objectives of CSSC help to guide us in all our decision making and actions. If our mission and vision is our ultimate goal, then our principles and objectives are our conscience as we strive for those goals. We reference these values at all points in our endeavor to ensure that we maintain an unbiased, objective, and compassionate course of action.

Principles

Our prinicples are adapted from the Earth Charter.

Respect and Care for the Community of Life

• Respect Earth and life in all its diversity, recognizing that all beings are interdependent and that all life has value.
• Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love.
• Build democratic societies that are sustainable, just, participatory, and peaceful.
• Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.

Ecological Integration

• Protect and restore natural systems that sustain life.
• Prevent environmental harm and apply a precautionary approach where knowledge is limited.
• Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities.
• Environmental quality, economic health, and social equality are all mutually dependent.

Social and Economic Justice

• Advance the study of sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired.
• Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative.
• Ensure that economic institutions of all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
• Affirm equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.
• Uphold the rights of all to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being.

Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace

• Strengthen democracy at all levels and provide transparency, accountability, and access to decision-making.
• Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
• Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
• Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.
• Change the world by changing yourself

Objectives

Integrate the vision and values of sustainability into the mission and actions of California, starting with its Higher Education institutions.

• Place high emphasis on developing leadership and modeling change in the University of California
• Support student sustainability action at California State Universities, Community Colleges, and private schools
• Actively initiate, draft, and lobby for institutional and public policies
• Cultivate relationships with state and system-wide decision makers, as well as potential advisors and experts.
• Work to get students placed on key committees and working groups

Be a voice for sustainability throughout California and beyond!

• Participate in local, regional, statewide, national, and global initiatives
• Partner with external organizations when necessary and appropriate
• Network and share resources
• Send representatives to key events

Maintain dynamic and adaptable statewide leadership bodies that effectively channel grass-roots collaboration into collective action

• Establish, support, and grow campus chapters and campaigns
• Acquaint all CSSC members with founding documents and the structure of the coalition
• Generate resources to empower all aspects of the coalition
• Build organizational capacity for and facilitate communication amongst coalition campaigns, committees, and projects
• Generate strong and successful internal and external communication strategies
• Model sustainability throughout our organizational culture and encourage individuals to model sustainability in their own lives and work.

Network, build the skills, and provide opportunities for the development of young leaders

• Create space to train and transition new leaders
• Develop the skills of individuals and capacity of campaigns, committees, and projects
• Provide and promote jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities
• Create and maintain an alumni directory to strengthen individual and institutional relationships

Evaluate & Celebrate

• Evaluate and celebrate actions at completion
• Evaluate and celebrate individual and organization accomplishments semi-annually
• Evaluate our core principles, mission statement, and objectives annually
• Revisit and evolve our vision annually
• Celebrate life in everything we do!