Ohio University Outreach Sub-Group Implementation Packet March 2013
Sustainable Ohio University Leaders SOUL
Sustainability Plan Benchmarks: (Outreach Benchmarks noted in bold font.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Reduce institutional greenhouse gas emissions (<â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Also, Climate Action Plan Goal) Reduce campus and building energy intensity Increase renewable energy LEED certify new buildings and major renovations on all campuses Reduce solid waste Institute annual sustainability profile tracking and assessment process Increase recycling rates Improve sustainability literacy of students, faculty and staff Increase enrollment in sustainability-themed courses, majors, and programs Integrate sustainability goals and objectives into capital campaign Provide undergraduate students with a sustainability-focused major, degree program, or equivalent Evaluate LEED EBOM of existing facilities Prohibit the installation of permanent irrigation systems that rely on potable water Increase purchase of local food Improve identification and proper handling of hazardous waste Improve sustainability profile of student, staff, and faculty vehicles Institute storm water management plan Improve sustainability profile of campus fleet Increase use of green cleaning products Increase the percentage of paper products on campus that include post-consumer recycled content Assess endowment investment in sustainable corporations and entities and recommend strategies for increasing investment in these corporations and entities Implement recruitment strategies targeting sustainability-minded students, faculty, and staff Strengthen sustainability research activities Prohibit elective use of Styrofoam materials and containers Sub-meter campus facilities Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Decrease use of Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV) Increase purchase on non-food local goods and services and environmentally preferable goods Increase purchase of environmentally preferable computer products Provide information to diners regarding sustainability-attributes of food options Develop sustainability guidelines for concessionaires and franchisees Increase food donations to local service organizations Encourage residency in City of Athens for Athens campus employees Implement notification system for local service organizations regarding availability of surplus items Define and track sustainability research activities
Benchmark 6 Institute annual sustainable profile tracking and assessment process. Target and date: Formal mechanism implemented within 3 months of Sustainability Plan adoption. Reporting Bodies: Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee, Office of Sustainability FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Significant Progress Narrative: The Office of Sustainability compiled data and published an annual sustainability report. The Office of Sustainability also created a new publication, Routes, to inform the campus community about sustainability initiatives and progress on the Sustainability Plan throughout the academic year. As this is the first Sustainability Plan report, the Office of Sustainability is collecting feedback regarding content and ease of readability. Each report will include an invitation for reporting bodies to provide the Office of Sustainability with feedback on how to improve the data gathering and communication process. The establishment of the tracking and assessment process is in draft form, and this activity will remain in process in perpetuity.
FY 13 Progress (as of March 5, 2013): SOUL is now the governing body for the future development of this process. Online forms are currently being generated to improve the reporting process.
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Benchmark 8 Improve sustainability literacy of students, faculty and staff. Target and date: December 2011: Define “sustainability.” June 2012, Establish “sustainability literacy” baseline. Annually: Increase sustainability literacy among student, faculty and staff by 5%. Reporting Body: EECC Office of Sustainability, University College, Commencement, Enrollment
FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Some Progress Narrative: Sustainability Literacy was defined: “A person literate in sustainability understands basic definitions of sustainability and understands how to incorporate sustainability values and practices into everyday living and other personal and professional choices.” Basic definitions of sustainability include the Brundtland Definition (“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” from The Report of the Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future. Oxford University Press. (1987) and the intrinsic connection between the three pillars of sustainability as highlighted in the Ohio University approach of “people, planet, prosperity.” To measure sustainability literacy, a pilot sustainability literacy study was completed for the 2011-2012 academic year. From this study, a baseline sustainability literacy survey was created which will be given to incoming freshmen vi the CIRP survey, and to outgoing seniors through an emailed exit survey. The 2012 freshmen CIRP survey will provide the sustainability literacy baseline by which future increases in sustainability literacy will be measured. The theme for the Common Experience Project, an academic effort to promote unified curriculum messaging for 2012-2015 will be “sustainability.”
FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): Same as above—no change. Still waiting on baseline results from the CIRP. Action Items (with delegate and due date): Task
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Benchmark 9 Increase enrollment in sustainability-themed courses, majors and programs. Target and date: December 2011-define sustainability-themed. Determine baseline. Annual: 5% increase in sustainability-themed course offerings and enrollment. Reporting Body: EECC, OoS, University College, Enrollment
FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Minimal Progress Narrative: Sustainability-themed courses have been defined. Baseline data gathering is underway. Sustainability has been selected as the theme of the Common Experience Project for a minimum of 4 years. Participating faculty will assist with baseline data by completing a course offering survey. Next Steps: Continue to implement survey distribution and collection. All faculty are invited to self-report.
FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): An initial survey was administered, but received a poor response rate. A more detailed survey regarding course offerings is being developed and will be distributed this spring (by EECC).
Action Items (with delegate and due date): Task
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Benchmark 10: Integrate sustainability goals and objectives into capital campaign Target and date: Goals will be developed and integrated into the capital campaign by Fall 2012. Reporting body: University Advancement FY 12 Report: Progress: Insignificant Progress In FY12, â&#x20AC;&#x153;sustainabilityâ&#x20AC;? was highlighted throughout the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital Improvement Plan. Such inclusion in such a prominent document suggests that conversations regarding inclusion in the capital campaign will happen more organically in the future. Next steps: Begin conversations with University Advancement to determine the role sustainability can play in future campaign priorities and/or values.
FY 13 Progress: None to report. Action Items (with delegate and due date):
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Benchmark 11 Provide undergraduate students with a sustainability-focused major, degree program or equivalent. Target and Date: 2015:One major, degree program or equivalent. Reporting Body: Office of the Provost FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Significant Progress Narrative: Honors Tutorial College (HTC) will offer a B.S. Environmental Studies, beginning in 2013. Details are available at http://www.honors.ohio.edu/programs/environmental-studies.html.
FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): None to Report
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Benchmark 22 Implement recruitment strategies targeting sustainability-minded students, faculty and staff. Target and Date: Fall 2012-use the sustainability profile of the school as a tool to recruit students with an expressed interest in sustainability. Faculty and staff will be recruited based on an expressed interest in sustainability and environmental issues. Reporting Body: Human Resources, Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Sustainability FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Minimal Progress Narrative: The Office of sustainability attended all transfer and recruitment fairs in 2011-2012 and has begun discussions with Admissions staff regarding future recruitment strategies as they relate to sustainability. Sustainability highlights have been included in all freshman orientation materials for Fall 2012. Additionally, sustainability is highlighted in the upcoming OU Viewbook. Next Steps: Work with Undergraduate Admissions and University Communications and Marketing to integrate sustainability information in recruitment materials.
FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): None to report
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Benchmark 23 Strengthen sustainability research activities Target and Date: 2012-2013: 25% increase in full-time faculty engaged in sustainability research and 75% increase in sustainability research in all academic departments and centers by 2020 or a 5% increase per year in each category beginning 2012-2013 Reporting Body: CE3, Research and Sponsored Programs, all individuals engaged in research.
FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Insignificant Progress Narrative: Minimal progress has been made since Benchmark 25 must first be completed in order to calculate the baseline for Benchmark 23. Next step: Complete baseline inventory for benchmark 35. Start discussions with internal grant administrators about incentives for sustainability research. Assess how types of research are funded, acknowledged and rewarded during faculty promotion and tenure across campus. Develop a reporting mechanism that encourages all faculty to self-report their sustainability-related research activities (especially those not grant-funded). FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): Some progress in Benchmark 35. No other report to offer.
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Benchmark 35
S
Define and track sustainability research activities
Target and Date: July 2011, define “sustainability research activities.” September, 2011: Conduct inventory of sustainability research activities by faculty, department, collaboration, awards and award dollars Reporting Body: Research and Sponsored Programs, OoS, individual researchers FY 12 Report: Progress Level: Minimal Progress Narrative: A definition of sustainability research activities was created: “sustainability” research activities must be multidisciplinary and must advance knowledge in all three of the tenets of sustainability: preserving the planet, promoting a strong economy and fostering healthy populations. Activities which will be included in the inventory of sustainability research activities will include controlled terms from each of the three tenets. The list of controlled terns was created and 55 faculty members potentially conducting current sustainability research was generated. Next steps: Work to inform faculty of reporting sustainability research...with the help of SOUL, the institution will be able to create an inventory of sustainability research activities in 2012-2013.
FY 13 Progress (as of February 27, 2013): OoS Graduate Assistant, Pronoy Rai, has developed a rough draft of the sustainability research activities for FY13.
Action Items (with delegate and due date): Task
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