UCGIS

University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)

The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is a non-profit organization of universities and other research institutions dedicated to advancing the understanding of geographic processes and spatial relationships through improved theory, methods, technology, and data. UCGIS provides ongoing research priorities for advancing theory and methods in Geographic Information Science. Its members provide assessment of the current and potential contributions of GIS to national scientific and public policy issues. The organization’s efforts expand and strengthen Geographic Information Science education at all levels. UCGIS provides the organizational infrastructure to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research in Geographic Information Science. It promotes the ethical use of and access to geographic information, and fosters Geographic Information Science and analysis in support of varied societal needs.

This membership by the CSU GIS Specialty Center ensures that the entire CSU GIS community is able to maintain professional contact with GIS professionals at other universities and research institutions. Through meetings and publications, members of this organization work together to present an effective, unified voice for the geographic information science research community; to foster multidisciplinary research and education; and to promote the informed and responsible use of geographic information science and geographic analysis for the benefit of society. Contribution by the CSU System to this organization in support of these worthy goals expands the prestige of the CSU System.

With an enrollment nearing 350,000, the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) form one of the largest systems of higher education in the world. With an estimated 80 faculty conducting GIS research and education, CSU also represents a significant concentration of GIS activities which are rapidly expanding on all campuses. To help facilitate the expansion of GIS in the CSU system, the Multidisciplinary GIS Specialty Center was established at San Francisco State in January 1988. The mission of the CSU GIS Specialty Center is to facilitate the solving of community problems using GIS, to serve as the focal point for GIS business processes, to enhance student learning at all levels (from k-12 to Ph.D.) and across a wide range of academic disciplines, to serve as a clearinghouse for GIS research opportunities, and to provide sources of expertise. The Center has been active in offering GIS workshops to faculty and staff, providing geospatial databases to campus users, and administering system-wide GIS software licenses.

Diversity is the strenght of the CSU system

The diversity within and among our campuses is a distinguishing characteristic of the California State University. Faculty on the various campuses are exploring many more GIS applications than this document can review, but these areas are well represented: (1) urban and regional land-use planning applications; (2) state and local government applications; (3) natural resource management; (4) ecological and environmental studies; (5) geography; (6) engineering; and (7) landscape architecture.

Many of the campuses exist in urban environments and the GIS applications that are most frequently applied focus on urban systems, with applications and initiatives in community development, land use planning and governmental applications. Campuses such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco have programs with significant urban applications. At CSU Chico, the focus shifts to rural and town planning, in its Department of Geography and Planning, and related Geographic Information Center.

Several campuses are leaders in applying GIS to natural resource management, in particular Humboldt State University. Environmental and ecological research and educational programs are the focus of GIS applications in the departments of Geography & Human Environmental Studies and Biology at San Francisco State University.

Landscape architecture and environmental design are important to the history of GIS, and this tradition is well represented at two of the campuses: California State Polytechnic University at Pomona and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.

Linking traditional geographic techniques such as cartography to the larger world of geographic information science is an important focus in programs that had strong techniques programs in the past, such as Chico, Long Beach, Northridge, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.