Committees: Planning, Design, and Finance

Three committees guide UC Berkeley in campus planning, design, and capital project financing. They are the Capital Planning Committee (CPC), the Design Review Committee (DRC), and the Capital Projects Finance Committee (CPFC).

Administrative committees draw on the knowledge and resources of faculty, students, and staff to help the University gauge the tenor and tone of the issues facing the campus. Learn more about administrative committees(link is external) appointed by central campus administrators that serve in a variety of units across campus.

Capital Planning Committee (CPC)

Chaired by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, the Capital Planning Committee (CPC) advises the Chancellor on campus land use decisions, capital investments, and project priorities. They assure that land use and capital investment decisions optimize the use of resources – both land and capital – to realize the campus vision for academic excellence and physical growth. The committee oversees the preparation of the campus Long Range Development Plan, the annual Capital Financial Plan, and oversees campus work with the City of Berkeley and other agencies on local plans that impact UC Berkeley. The CPC also oversees and formally approves the work of the Capital Renewal Committee and approves the annual Capital Renewal Program and funding levels.

CPC Meetings and Membership

Design Review Committee (DRC)

Chaired by the Dean of the College of Environmental Design, the DRC provides advice to the Campus Architect regarding historic preservation and the design of university buildings and open spaces. The Chancellor appoints members who are design professionals and faculty from the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and planning, and historic preservation. There are also two graduate student members from the Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. The respective department chairs each nominate one graduate student. The DRC chair also sits on the Capital Planning Committee.

DRC Meetings

Capital Projects Finance Committee (CPFC)

Chaired by the Vice Chancellor for Administration, the CPFC provides capital resource strategic advice for the performance of financial and operational capital project review. Members provide capital resource strategic advice in the performance of financial and operational review of capital projects to the Capital Planning Committee (CPC), the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and the Chancellor. The CPFC helps provide institutional assurance that each capital project has a realistic and sustainable funding plan within the larger real estate portfolio.

CPFC Meetings, Charge, and Membership

Meetings and Operations:

The CPFC will collectively have the experience and business judgment necessary to evaluate the information presented to the CPFC with respect to capital and real estate. Committee members shall be appointed for three year terms by the Chancellor/Provost, based on nominations put forward by the CPC, Academic Senate, and other parties. The Committee shall meet as frequently as necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities, and not less frequently than quarterly. A meeting of the CPFC may be called by its Chairperson or any two members of the Committee. In fulfilling oversight responsibilities, each Committee member shall be entitled to rely on the integrity and expertise of those persons providing information to the Committee and on the accuracy and completeness of such information, absent actual knowledge of inaccuracy.

CPFC Charge:

Develop and maintain a financial model through which capital projects will be evaluated for feasibility.

Systematically evaluate the funding plans for all capital projects (referred by CPC and greater than $10 million) to assure financial viability and alignment to available financial resources. The CPFC's evaluation should:

Validate that the proposed funding plan is in compliance with financial, accounting and campus standards;

Assess the school/college/unit unrestricted and/or restricted reserve commitment to the project;

Identify funding sources and qualify projects for applicable external funding;

Assess the school/college/unit financial capacity to assume annual debt service, should any external financing be required to complete the project;.

Assess the feasibility of planned fundraising in coordination with University Development and Alumni Relations;

Ensure that the funding plan sufficiently covers the life cycle maintenance and renewal costs of the new building/structure;

Balance individual project goals within the campus risk profile.

CPFC Membership:

CPFC Chair (non-voting, by ex officio appointment): Marc Fisher, Vice Chancellor for Administration

CPFC members include three UC Berkeley faculty representatives, two external expert advisors, the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Capital Strategies, the Executive Director of Finance and Capital Asset Strategies, and a University Development and Alumni Relations representative.

CPFC institutional observers and committee staff (non-voting) include a representative from the Office of Legal Affairs, the Campus Architect and Assistant Vice Chancellor, and staff designees from Capital Planning, Capital Strategies, and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.

Richmond Field Station Steering Committee

Chaired by the Vice Provost for Academic Planning, the steering committee will provide advice to the Chancellor and to the EVCP and is charged with considering the long-range development and near-term stewardship of the Richmond Field Station (RFS).

Capital Strategies