Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 87.10
Liaison Alex Davis
Submission Date March 5, 2020

STARS v2.2

Arizona State University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Alex Davis
Asst. Director
University Sustainability Practices
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
ASU, NAU, and Navajo Nation Energy Partnership

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:

ASU and NAU have a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to support the Navajo Nation's planning work in light of the closure of the Navajo Generating Station (formerly a significant component of the Navajo Reservation economy).

ASU supports this partnership by providing expert faculty time and meeting space. ASU's contribution to the partnership is led by Kris Mayes, with additional support from Nate Johnson, Christiana Honsberg, Gary Dirks, Harvey Bryan, Martin Pasqualetti, and several others. Per the MOA, ASU has also worked to secure outside grants to support this work.

Statement from the Navajo Nation President:

ASU AND NAU RENEWABLE ENERGY PARTNERSHIPS 12.30.19

This morning, President Jonathan Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer, and several Division Directors met with several Arizona State University professors and officials as the ASU Tempe Campus, to discuss an existing Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Navajo Nation, ASU and Northern Arizona University (NAU).

In 2017, the MOA was finalized to provide the Nation with assistance in its planning related to the “possible closure of NGS” and addressing the economic impacts. However, President Nez today pointed out that the Nez-Lizer Administration’s primary focus is now on renewable energy development and that the MOA should be updated to reflect this new energy focus.

He noted that the Nez-Lizer Administration issued the Háyoołkááł Proclamation that declares the Nation’s renewable energy priority and creates the Háyoołkááł Work Group comprised of officials from the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Economic Development, Division of Community Development, Navajo Nation Washington Office, and the Office of the President and Vice President.

Since then, the work group has served as the Nation’s clearinghouse for energy development proposals and continues to meet on a regular basis to strategize and plan for the long-term vision and priorities related to energy development of the Navajo Nation. The Háyoołkááł Work Group will continue serving as the primary clearinghouse for energy projects along with the Navajo Nation Energy Office when it is established.

The officials from ASU’s School of Sustainability said they are open to changing the MOA to reflect renewable energy as the top priority. They also provided updates on their initiatives, which includes their outreach efforts to Navajo chapters that are interested in renewable energy projects in their communities. Over the last couple of years, they have presented to several chapters regarding the implementation of renewable energy projects.

President Nez and Vice President Lizer we’re joined by Chief of Staff Paulson Chaco, Navajo Nation Washington Office Executive Director Santee Lewis, Division of Natural Resources Director Dr. Rudy Shebala, Environmental Protection Agency Director Oliver Whaley, Division of Community Development Director Dr. Pearl Yellowman, and Attorney General Doreen N. McPaul. The Nez-Lizer Administration appreciates the partnership with ASU and NAU and looks forward to continuing working together to build a strong renewable energy future for the Navajo people. Ahe’hee’

More information:
https://www.facebook.com/NezLizer2018/posts/asu-and-nau-renewable-energy-partnerships-123019this-morning-president-jonathan-/2389641964634666/

https://static.sustainability.asu.edu/giosMS-uploads/sites/37/2019/04/MOAsigned2017-07-26-NAU-ASU-NN-Memorandum-of-Agreement-NGS-FINAL_signed-.pdf


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Sustainable Cities Network and Project Cities

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):

Decisions made today regarding land use, transportation, water, economic development, and social services will have enormous long-term impacts on the future sustainability of our megapolitan region. Recognizing this, Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability created the Sustainable Cities Network, which works with local communities to explore sustainable approaches and address challenges.

The Network provides practitioners with knowledge, resources, and innovations to accelerate the valley toward national leadership in sustainability. Through the Network, partners, the steering committee, and workgroups collaborate to streamline city operations, advance solar energy, mitigate the urban heat island, design sustainable neighborhoods, and secure water supplies in a changing climate. Working together, Network partners are making sustainability a core value in city planning, policy, and operations.

ASU, city, county, and tribal leaders established the Sustainable Cities Network to:
- Enhance and ensure the sustainability of the region
- Share knowledge and coordinate efforts to solve local sustainability issues
- Foster partnerships and discover best practices
- Provide training and information
- Offer meaningful connections and collective learning opportunities
- Connect ASU research with the front-line challenges of sustainability

This partnership is managed by a steering committee of member agencies and supported by ASU staff.

URL: https://sustainability.asu.edu/sustainable-cities/

As part of the Sustainable Cities Network, the Project Cities program pairs sustainability faculty and students with a city to co-create strategies for better environmental, economic and social balance in the places we live. Students from multiple disciplines research challenging issues chosen by the city and propose innovative sustainability solutions that enable the city to make progress toward a better future.

https://sustainability.asu.edu/project-cities/


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
One Square Mile Initiative

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-related

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):

ASU's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions One Square Mile Initiative is a project to help revitalize Maryvale, a growing community of 230,000 residents in Phoenix. The initiative works on two fronts. First, to help students in Maryvale achieve higher education by setting aside money for scholarships, internships, and study abroad opportunities. Second, to address issues that may lead to low educational attainment, such as economic hardships, low property values and higher than average levels of crime, all of which affect the Maryvale village.

Unlike conventional community initiatives, ASU is coming into the community not as a savior, but as a partner, willing to listen and act upon the concerns of the community. Public meetings to solicit residents’ feedback have identified issues of over-policing, a lack of sufficient street lamps, public transportation, pedestrian safety, crime, and violence — interconnected problems that present challenges for improving outcomes. ASU views these meetings as a key piece for the long-term success of the initiative because ASU wants to ensure all work going forward is “of, by and for the community.”
ASU’s dean of the Watts College explained, “The idea is not that we come here, plant a flag, say we’re open for business and everything is about us, because that’s not sustainable. What we are interested in doing is helping start things that have an organic basis and they last forever.”

To better reflect community needs, the One Square Mile Initiative relies on local groups who are on the ground improving their community already, such as Chicanos Por La Causa, Estrella Super Moms, and other local advocacy groups. ASU sees part of its role in helping to unite the efforts of these groups.

More information:
https://publicservice.asu.edu/content/maryvale-one-square-mile-initiative


A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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