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February 9th, 2026

2:20 – 4:00 pmJoin Zoom (opens in new tab)

AgendaMinutes

Present: Marshall, Mel, Vir, Laila, Trey, Sezona, Nicholas, Lucy, Lyra, Arielle, Cheryl, Aims, John, Sofia, Maya, Lisa, Lucy

Guests: Chancellor Cindy Larive; Special Projects Analyst Philip Goodrich; Executive Director TAPS Dan Henderson.

  1. [2:20 - 2:30] Welcome and Introductions
    1. Members' introductions: Name, Pronouns, Year, Major, and Space.
    2. Order: Cowell, Stevenson, Crown, Merrill, Kresge, Porter, Oakes, RCC, C9, JRL, Graduate Students, SAB, Provost, SUA, Lisa, Sezona, Lucy
    3. The group welcomes Cindy and Philip to the space.
      1. Chancellor Cindy Larive
      2. Special Projects Analyst Philip Goodrich
  2. [2:30 - 3:00] Visit with Chancellor Cindy Larive
    1. Lucy and Marshall introduce the session
    2. Marshall invites Cindy to share updates on things she has been working on.
      1. Cindy explains that she was in Washington DC last week, met with Senator Schiff and Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
      2. Capital Campaign has been launched - the student success initiative is a major part of the campaign (which started in 2021). Funds go to scholarships, basic needs, and experiential learning.
    3. Cindy asks SFAC some questions:
      1. Location of the Campus Store - is the location a challenge for students
        1. Restroom access is cut off (exterior)
        2. Closure of Slug Stop has an impact
      2. A lot is going on in the country and in the world - how are people coping with these challenges?
        1. Many students are facing anxiety about going to classes due to fears of being picked up intentionally or accidentally by ICE.
    4. Chancellor Meeting Questions
      1. Do you think there are any student service gaps that you think the university needs to address?
        1. Many of the anticipated funding cuts did not materialize, while some grants did face cuts; overall funding for research institutions has more or less remained flat. Chancellor does not believe we are facing the dire situation we anticipated at the beginning of the quarter. UCSC also has a great deal of support from the state legislature. One budget proposal even suggests the UC system may receive a 7% budget increase from the state legislature.
      2. What current projects are you working on to improve our campus?
        1. Working on 4 main goals: Increase students success: Retention and timely graduation, advancing our research profile, and student access to research, Inclusivity and Belonging (Research Center), Financial sustainability.
      3. SFAC has been wondering if the process by which a fee with a sizable carryforward is reduced or paused can be adjusted for better collaboration between SFAC, SUA, etc, in order to stop the growth of massive carryforward accounts.
        1. Currently Fees can with massive carryforward can be completely paused, by the chancellor's office after recommendation by the budget and planning office. Counselor notes she would be happy to work with the SFAC to address fees they find concerning.
    5. Resources
      1. SFAC_Navigating the University
      2. Chancellor’s Website
  3. [3:00 - 3:30] Measure 73 Annual Update with TAPS
    1. Guest: Dan Henderson, Executive Director of TAPS
      1. Group introduces themselves
    2. TAPS Meeting Questions
    3. Measure 73
    4. Dan’s presentation Slide deck and other materials available [HERE]
      1. Measure 73 funding increase has allowed TAPS to fund its transition to zero emission buses, along with the charging infrastructure required to support them. Along with other ongoing capital improvement projects.
      2. Metro trips are up 18% during fall 2025, compared to the same time last year.
      3. Student Fee-funded Bus hours (-8% vs 2024)
      4. 1993 buses are fully retired.
      5. 12 New buses, DVS vans and more vehicles have been purchased.
      6. Better bus tracking is being implemented,
      7. Pre-booking reservation for SVC/WSC in order to avoid sending buses when there is no demand.
      8. Telematics and Cameras are being installed to improve safety and facilitate incident reviews
      9. Plans to merge bus tracking so that both loops, and Metro buses can be viewed in one app.
      10. Continue the electrification of the Fleet.
      11. Continuing steady training of drivers, as TAPS faces retirements and turnover.
      12. Electric buses are arriving later this year.
    5. Questions
      1. Vir asks about the project's cost increases for the next six years that were mentioned in the email to campus on January 30, 2026. Dan refers to this information that’s on the TAPS website:
        1. Sustain core operations
        2. Support subsidized sustainable transportation and safety programs
        3. Meet growing service demands through strategic investments
        4. Adopt new technologies to improve efficiency and reliability
        5. Expand parking capacity as needed
        6. Cover debt service for the Core West parking structure.

Dan explains that new costs are associated with costs that were previously covered centrally (Core West Parking structure debt payments, campus assessment for shared services, parking lot stewardship at the new family student housing, safe ride program.)

      1. Maya explains that the VEST commission has had trouble connecting with TAPS. VEST wants to make contact with TAPS. Dan explains that AVC Stokes will be taking the lead.
      2. Cheryl asks about campus service to the west side campus locations - which can only be secured through a reservation (Westside connector). Dan explains that ridership has been low on the Westside connector. Dan adds he will continue to advocate with METRO for routes/times that better favor student needs.
      3. Will parking rates decrease once the debt for core west parking has been paid off?
        1. Student and Faculty unilaterally, need more sidewalks, more parking, and so currently the plan to use these additional funds to fund capital improvements projects to build this much needed infrastructure once the core west debt has been paid off.
      4. Do the parking rate increases affect all members of the community? Dan says yes, the proposal is 10% across the board with the exception of some student permits.
      5. Notes: Since April 2025, Metro hasn’t provided ridership numbers. They have numbers but they can’t validate numbers with confidence.
  1. [2:33 - 2:35] Approval of the Agenda and Minutes - Tabled
    1. Approval of 2/9/26 Agenda
    2. Approval of February 2, 2026 Minutes
  2. [3:30 - 4:00] Announcements & Updates - Tabled
    1. New Oakes Rep
      1. Swearing in Lyra
    2. Debrief CSF Meeting
      1. Agenda
    3. Appeals Subcommittee
      1. Summary and recommendation
    4. Funding Call Presentations begin this week - Update and instructions from Lucy
    5. Survey has launched - please help promote the survey
      1. Link to survey
      2. Flier
      3. Instagram post
  3. Meeting Adjourned at 4:05 PM

Upcoming Guests/Topics:

  1. Presentations from Referenda Authors - February 23rd or March 2nd
  2. Potentially SFAC Attending a UC Regents Meeting: March 17th, 2026 @UCSF
  3. Planning Spring CSF Meeting
  4. University Registrar Tchad Sanger: Records Fee (late spring 2026)

Meeting and Committee Member Resources:

  1. SFAC Roster
  2. Orientation Materials
  3. Agendas and Minutes
  4. Tracking Sheet for Campus Based Fees ongoing discussion
  5. Google Folder
  6. Summer 26 Fee Levels