University of Maryland president Darryll Pines discussed campus climate, state budgetary updates and infrastructure improvements in his biannual State of the Campus Address at Wednesday’s University Senate meeting.

Pines shared highlights from this university’s Belonging and Community Survey, which aimed to assess community members’ experiences, perceptions and sense of belonging at this university, according to the survey’s website. Results from the survey were published in November.

Survey results reported about 75 percent of respondents were comfortable or very comfortable with the overall climate at this university. Similarly, roughly three-quarters of respondents were comfortable or very comfortable with the climate in their classes, the results showed.

Pines said the survey results were especially “impressive,” amid a difficult year with November’s presidential election and conflicts in the Middle East.

After sharing details from the results, Pines reviewed the 10 recommendations from this university’s antisemitism and Islamophobia task force, which published its findings Nov. 22.

Pines said the administration plans to seriously consider creating a neutrality policy, which would encourage this university to avoid asserting a position on politically divisive topics, one of the task force’s recommendations.

[UMD task force releases findings to address antisemitism, Islamophobia]

While Pines doesn’t anticipate this university will completely stop issuing public statements on political issues, the university will be more selective about what topics to address, he said.

“We maybe don’t need to respond to everything that happens in the world,” he said.

In his address, Pines reiterated his goal of creating an environment where all community members can “reach their full potential and feel like they belong here.”

Pines celebrated this university reaching its highest ever U.S. News & World Report ranking earlier this year.

This university rose from No. 46 to No. 44 among national universities. This university also jumped two positions to No. 17 among all public universities, marking its highest ranking in more than a decade.

“We’ve made incredible progress,” Pines told the senate. “The hope is that we can get to the top 15 [among public universities] in another couple of years.”

Pines said one ranking he is particularly proud of is from Newsweek, which included this university on its 2024 America’s Greatest Workplaces list.

Pines also presented charts from the Maryland State Department of Legislative Services showing a $2.7 billion deficit in the state’s budget for the next fiscal year.

It’s still unclear how the deficit will directly impact this university, Pines said, but he will “​​remain optimistic that they will minimize the impact on higher education.”

Pines discussed several infrastructure projects, including Purple Line construction.

Construction for the Purple Line in the main part of campus was completed before the start of this semester, he said.

He also talked about the successful launch of Workday — this university’s new administrative management platform — last month.

Pines said Workday was a “major investment” for this university. In the coming years, this university will also update and streamline the student records systems on Workday, which are currently “antiquated,” Pines said.

Following Pines’ address, Bob Reuning, the interim vice president and chief administrative officer for the division of administration, introduced Maureen Kotlas, this university’s director of environmental safety, security and risk, to present a new climate action plan to senators.

[University Senate discusses belonging survey, new biostatistics graduate degree programs]

This university’s climate action plan — an initiative that started in 2007 — outlines strategies for reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions, according to the university sustainability office’s website.

A new iteration of the plan is put out every five to eight years, Kotlas said. The current version is this university’s third published plan.

“Our challenge and overarching goal is to meet the energy, food, water, shelter and other physical needs of the campus population while supporting the Earth’s ecosystems,” Kotlas said in her presentation.

The plan’s three main targets are total carbon-neutrality by 2025 and operating a zero-emissions vehicle fleet and a central energy plant free of fossil fuel by 2035.

The new plan is “really exciting,” Reuning said.

After implementing the plan’s suggested strategies, this university expects to prevent releasing between 1.78 million to 1.98 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere between 2023 and 2040, according to the plan.

“This is vitally important for our students and their futures, and for the entire campus community,” Kotlas added.