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Are you a Stanford
alumnus who would like to see permanent protection of the foothills?
If so, sign SOSA’s Stanford alumni letter below.
Dear Chairman Stein
and Stanford Trustees:
We write as alumni
with deep love for the University, but great concern regarding its current
direction.
As a century-old
institution destined to continue playing a leading role in the new millennium,
Stanford must think in the long term. It is time for the University
to chart a course that will be sustainable--for itself, its neighbors,
and its local environment--for at least another century. It is time
for Stanford to act with integrity for the long-term good of the community,
exemplifying the values it seeks to impart to its students.
Accordingly, it
is time to think seriously about how big the University really needs
to become. Many other institutions have maintained their eminence without
major physical expansion. In contrast, Stanford plans to enlarge its
physical plant by one-third over the next decade, on top of the millions
of square feet added in the last.
Moreover, despite
the obvious need for protection of open spaces in an increasingly congested
area, the plan fails to guarantee any long-term protection of Stanford
lands, on the theory that the unpredictability of the future requires
unlimited flexibility in land use.
Surely a world-class
institution can do better than this. Planning for sustainability will
undoubtedly be challenging, but true leadership requires making predictions
about future needs and commitments to future generations.
We therefore request
that you direct the University Planning Office to take the following
specific steps, which will ultimately benefit the Stanford community
as well as its neighbors and its regional environment.
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