Investing in Our Future
The Parnassus Heights campus has evolved with new campus construction and renovation over the years. However, significant renewal and investment is needed to keep pace with aging facilities and changes in programmatic needs. We are making plans to replace and renovate some of our outdated and seismically vulnerable buildings, making the Parnassus Heights campus a destination for our world-renowned research, training programs and patient care. Plans include building the new hospital at UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights with more capacity so that we no longer have to turn away patients in need.
Dan Lowenstein (left) and Paul Jenny answer questions from the UCSF community at a Town Hall on the re-envisioning of Parnassus Heights.
Commitment to Our Original Campus
UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood and his leadership team are committed to revitalizing the Parnassus Heights campus. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Dan Lowenstein and Senior Vice Chancellor Paul Jenny co-chaired a steering committee to “define the long-term vision for the Parnassus campus and the design that will enable it.” The steering committee comprised of representatives from across campus and UCSF Health who developed the Comprehensive Parnassus Heights Plan (CPHP) based on the feedback of stakeholders and with the assistance of Perkins Eastman, a global architecture and planning firm.
While the CPHP is a long-term vision, UCSF is continuing to invest in ongoing, visible improvements to enhance the Parnassus Heights campus and ensure the seismic safety of its facilities.
Serving Our Growing Internal Community
UCSF involved many stakeholders to solicit their ideas on the future of the Parnassus Heights campus and hospital, including UCSF and UCSF Health employees, students and the community at large. To garner broad input for the CPHP, the University:
- Conducted four surveys receiving feedback from more than 4,000 respondents;
- Convened three workshops with UCSF leaders, faculty, and staff;
- Established a community working group comprising representatives from community groups and the City and County of San Francisco, as well as from local non-profit organizations;
- Formed four faculty-led subcommittees on co-labs, research, education and a digital hub, all of which have submitted final reports for consideration; and
- Hosted three open houses for the broader community and led one campus walking tour for the community working group.
The result of this research was shared at an internal town hall meeting in April 2019. Several short and longer-term renovation projects are planned over the next decade. In addition, a group of committed faculty stakeholders and members of the Academic Senate are continuing to work to ensure the Parnassus Heights campus remains a destination for excellence across UCSF’s mission areas.