| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 47.04 |
| Liaison | Debbie Liddick |
| Submission Date | April 21, 2023 |
Black Hills State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Maggie
Torness Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Services |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Plan Published: BHSU Sustainability Master Plan
https://www.bhsu.edu/Faculty-Staff/Campus-Services/Facilities-Services/Sustainability/_docs/VER_BHSU_sustainability_master_plan_final2.pdf
1. Increase the number of courses offered that are sustainability courses or that include sustainability from 58 to 143 (20% of all courses offered).
2. Offer a 4-class Certificate in Sustainability.
3. Gain approval from the South Dakota Board of Regents to employ the SUST prefix in the undergraduate course catalog.
4. Offer a minor or emphasis in sustainability.
5. Conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of the BHSU community every two years
6. Include a sustainability assessment in each student’s exit exam
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Plan Published: BHSU Sustainability Master Plan
https://www.bhsu.edu/Faculty-Staff/Campus-Services/Facilities-Services/Sustainability/_docs/VER_BHSU_sustainability_master_plan_final2.pdf
Engagement Objectives:
1. Create an employee educators (or sustainability ambassadors) program for faculty and staff, in which they provide sustainability outreach and education to their peers.
2. Offer professional development and training opportunities in sustainability to all staff at least once per year.
3. Assess the number of service learning hours currently offered at the university, and incorporate these into Community Service tracking.
Climate Action Plan:
https://www.bhsu.edu/Portals/0/Student-Life/Go-Green/Climate%20Action%20Plan%202015%20Update.pdf
1. Continue to increase awareness of the sustainability program on campus through events, social media, Sustainability Day, Earth Day, summer camps, outreach material and publications, and other programming.
2. Establish a place on campus for a permanent sustainability display and utilize BHSU Marketing’s video production abilities to reach more people. Impact will be measured through increase in points earned in STARS engagement.
Climate Resiliency Plan:
https://www.bhsu.edu/Faculty-Staff/Campus-Services/Facilities-Services/Sustainability/_docs/climate-resiliency-plan-2020.pdf
1. Educate the public on energy conservation
strategies,
2. Encourage local businesses to benchmark, disclose, and reduce energy use in their buildings. Consider creating a city sponsored recognition program for
businesses who conserve energy.
3. Create a Northern Black Hills Recycling Hub in partnership with the University
and City. This will create a student-run recycling processor for the region, which should make it easier and more efficient for businesses, residents and the University to recycle.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Climate Action Plan: Continue to increase campus energy efficiency by following through with previous and future energy audit recommendations, especially areas where electricity or heating demands can be significantly reduced. Ensure that efficiency measures are well maintained and continue to work properly to save fiscal resources. Completed an upgrade of the building automation system in 2018.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
BHSU's Climate Resiliency Plan, a collaboration between BHSU and the city of Spearfish, measures and highlights key strengths and vulnerabilities of the campus and community amidst a changing climate. Based on these strengths and vulnerabilities, the plan outlines clear goals and objectives that the University and City can and plan to implement to be able to minimize, be well-equipped for, and support peoples' wellbeing through the changes and transitions that might have to take place in the coming decades. Some of these goals include:
-increase environmental coordination and monitoring
-improve access to basic human needs
-build community cohesion
-strategic investment in educational resources
-conserve natural resources
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
Vision statement: Black Hills State University will innovate to provide cutting-edge education, promote student success, be a sustainable campus, and serve as an economic engine for Western South Dakota.
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
From our Sustainability Plan: An understanding of the holistic and interdependent
nature of sustainability is the foundation of this plan. “Sustainability means meeting the social, environmental, and financial/economic needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainability does not pertain just to environmental actions or benefits, though those certainly have a central role. Rather, a holistic view of sustainability understands that natural and human systems need to be healthy in order for each to thrive. Economist Kate Raworth has designed a schema that shows that the optimal space for humanity to live and thrive is the space between a just social foundation and a healthy environment (see next page). This is a space where natural resources are used within the limits of their availability, where human bodies are healthy and interactive with their natural surroundings, where natural habitats are conserved and free from pollutants, where employees are treated fairly and where, as in natural ecosystems, diversity makes a system stronger. Accordingly, this Sustainability Master Plan includes two goals that are holistic in nature: Diversity and Wellness. Diversity is included here because of the acknowledgement of the intertwining of environmental, economic and racial justice. The greater diversity a university embraces and supports, the more its intellectual, social and occupational life will thrive. Wellness is included because of the understanding that sustainability and health are interrelated. The Wellness chapter outlines strategies that will help BHSU students, faculty and staff achieve greater wellness — and thus more success — in their educational pathways and in their work.
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | No |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | No |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | No |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | No |
| SDG Accord | No |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | Yes |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | No |
| UN Global Compact | No |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
BHSU became a signatory of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), now Second Nature's Carbon Commitment, on May 14, 2007. By signing the commitment, BHSU pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Policies are in place that specify all new buildings and significant renovations
will be built to US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.
BHSU has committed to achieving zero-waste by 2030. Zero waste means that 90%
of an organization’s waste is diverted from the landfill through recycling, reuse
and composting.
BHSU has committed to reducing campus water use by 15% by 2030 (from baseline 39.9 million gallons).
BHSU has committed to building and supporting a thriving and robust regional food system by 2030.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.