The Faculty Steering Committee on the Environment has explored a number of alternatives for organizational structure that it seeks comments upon at the meeting in the Silo's Cabernet Room 3-5 p.m. Monday, March 13. They include: A new division The division would be headed by a dean, formed with broad teaching, service and research missions, including undergraduate education. Many existing departments (whole or part) might be merged into the division, including a varieåty of undergraduate majors and graduate groups. Restructuring of faculty and programs might be extensive. Faculty would have joint appointments. Hiring decisions on new faculty positions would be managed by the divison's dean. A school of the environment, alternative I This school, headed by a dean or vice provost, would be formed with a less all-inclusive goal than the division model. Large amounts of environmental scholarship would take place outside of the school, but the school would have a broad campus coordination role. The school would serve as the center for many graduate groups, graduate courses and some key undergraduate courses in the environment (but perhaps not undergraduate majors). It would have some core faculty and some partially affiliated faculty. Core faculty would be shared with other schools, colleges or divisions. The hiring process for new-initiative hires would be managed by the new dean. A school of the environment, alternative II This school, headed by a dean, would be formed with a less all-inclusive goal than the first alternative. Large amounts of environmental scholarship would take place out of the school, but the school would have a broad campus coordination role. The school would serve as the center for many graduate groups and graduate courses. It would have only partial faculty appointments (10-15%), with no core faculty, and would not deliver any undergraduate courses. New faculty positions would reside in home departments and the school would have representation on environmental searches. The new dean would oversee hiring for new-initiative positions. Institute (non-organized research unit) This alternative would be largely the same as the school of the environment -- alternative II (graduate education only), but would have a vice provost as its head. The vice provost would have responsibility for coordinating environmental research, teaching and outreach programs across all the colleges and schools. The vice provost would be advised by a faculty and administrative steering committee. The vice provost and the steering committee would play the major role in defining the initiative positions and for the recruitment process. John Muir Institute for the Environment This alternative would use the existing Muir institute and its organized research unit structure but with increased funding to provide for additional support services. The services could include administering the graduate groups and assistance with grant administration and preparation and matching funds. Consistent with current practice, the initiative faculty positions would be managed by one of the existing deans. Coordinating committee The coordinating committee might consist of department chairs and graduate-group chairs (or their representatives), plus the John Muir Institute for the Environment director and a provost's representative. The committee might be charged with coordinating hiring of environmental faculty positions campuswide (either in an advisory capacity or something more formal). Consistent with current practice, the hiring of initiative faculty positions would be managed by one of the existing deans. Leadership would be on the committee chair level.