Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.61
Liaison Margaret Lo
Submission Date Sept. 28, 2012
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Ball State University
PAE-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Robert Koester
Director of CERES
Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES)
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee or a brief description of the committee's purview and activities :

Ball State University Council on the Environment (COTE);
A University-Wide Clearinghouse for Sustainability Initiatives was created on March 26, 2001 by then Ball State University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Warren Vander Hill. The council is comprised of representation from each of the university's academic colleges and vice presidential areas as well as the student body and Muncie community.

Mission
The Council on the Environment (COTE) provides leadership for initiatives at Ball State University and in the surrounding community that promote the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of ecological systems that sustain life.

To encourage the development of an environmentally responsible campus community, the Council on the Environment will:
1.Provide a forum for the open exchange of information pertaining to environmental issues.
2.Increase awareness of the environmental and social implications of university operations.
3.Promote a strong, positive environmental ethic that motivates sustainable practices in all university activities.
4.Promote communication and education about sustainability issues and achievements.
5.Promote outreach and educational activities that encourage sustainable practices in the broader community.


Members of the committee, including affiliations:

Ms. Olivia Burns, Student Government Association
Mr.Michael Downs Emerging Green Builders (EGB) Undergraduate Student
Mr. Paul Desmond BSU Energy Action Team (BEAT) Undergraduate Student

University Area Representatives
Mr. Charles Allen Telephone and Postal Services Information Technology
Ms. Brenda Davis University Development
Dr. Michelle Dudka Educational Studies Teachers College
Dr. John Emert Honors College Academic Affairs
Mr. Kevin Kenyon Facilities Planning and Management Business Affairs
Dr. Mai Kuha English/College of Sciences and Humanities
Mr. Rob Richards/Intercollegiate Athletics Athletics
Mr. Jon Lewis University Dining University Dining
Mr. Michael Mayfield Indiana Academy for Sciences, Mathematics and Humanities Contract Faculty
Mr. Ted Neal Art College of Fine Arts
Dr. Klaus Neumann Geological Sciences College of Sciences and Humanitites
Dr. Mary Annette Rose Industry and Technology/College of Applied Sciences and Technology
Ms. Ro Anne Royer Engle Housing and Residence Life Student Affairs
Mr. James Shimkus University Libraries University Libraries
Ms. Sheryl Swingley Journalism/ College of Communication, Information and Media
Mr. Jon Weiss University Computing Services Information Technology
Dr. Gwendolen White Accounting College of Business
Dr. Ted Wolner Architecture College of Architecture and Planning

Community Members
Mr. Barry Banks Red-tail Conservancy, Inc. Muncie Community
Ms. Betty Brewer Minnetrista Cultural Center Muncie Community
Mr. Jon Creek Sierra Club Muncie Community
Muncie Community
Dr. Warren Vander Hill Founder, Emeritus Muncie Community

Administrative Support
Mr. Robert Koester Center for Energy Research/Education/Service Council Chair
Dr .James Eflin Natural Resources and Environmental Management Resource Person
Mr. Justin Miller Academic Research and Sponsored Programs Green Development Specialist
Dr. John Motloch Landscape Architecture Resource Person
Dr. John Vann Marketing Green Initiatives Coordinator
Ms. Peggy Weis Center for Energy Research/Education/Service Office Support
Mr. Jeff Culp Center for Energy Research/Education/Service Web / Technical Resources Manager


The website URL where information about the sustainability committee is available:
Does the institution have a sustainability office?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability office:

The facilitative functions of a sustainability office have been subsumed under the mission of an existing administrative entity: the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES), which serves as the Secretariat for the BSU Council on the Environment (COTE).

CERES is an interdisciplinary academic support unit focused on issues related to energy and resource use, alternatives and conservation. As described below, our mission is to serve the campus, local, state and regional communities.

Mission Statement
To maintain ongoing programs for the examination of state-of-the-art energy conservation and end-use practices
To investigate alternative solutions to contemporary energy problems
To develop projections and implications of the results of these solutions
To devise means of implementing these ideas
To disseminate findings to the appropriate publics—professionals, educators, policy planners, students and laypersons

COTE, as noted previously, serves as the clearinghouse for university-wide sustainability initiatives.

In addition, the Facilities Planning and Mamnagement Department employs a Sustainability Specialist.


The number of people employed in the sustainability office:
4

The website URL where information about the sustainability office is available:
Does the institution have a sustainability coordinator?:
Yes

Sustainability coordinator's name:
_____Robert J. Koester, AIA LEED AP

Sustainability coordinator's position title:
_____Robert J. Koester, Director of CERES and Chair of the BSU Council on the Environment;

A brief description of the sustainability coordinator’s position:

_____Robert J. Koester, AIA LEED AP
The Chair of COTE through CERES oversees the following actions:

Clearinghouse
_____collects and coordinates dissemination of information resources for sustainable topics and technologies.
Publicity/Education
_____creates press releases and other publication outlets on the following:
- Green facts
- Campus information on sustainability projects & clustered minors
- Circuit riders
Liaison with other environmental groups
_____establishes and maintains campus, community, state, national & international links.
Internal Grants
_____coordinates grant searches and proposal development with faculty sponsors and campus agencies.
Corporate partnerships
_____seeks and develops relationships with corporate partners and sponsors.
Team building for campus projects
_____seeks faculty, staff, student and community members for teams to address COTE projects.
Conferences
_____coordinates conferences for on-campus and off-campus audiences in support of COTE initiatives.
Meetings
_____coordinates and facilitates meetings for various constituencies of COTE.
Website
_____oversees construction and maintenance of a comprehensive website addressing all aspects of campus sustainability efforts.


The website URL where information about the sustainability coordinator is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.