California State University, Northridge
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Road Map to Sustainability Engagement Section: Education

Intent

Provide immersive sustainability education experiences that contribute to academic knowledge and enrich learning outcomes.

The new sustainability plan is deeply aligned with CSUN’s educational mission. Providing sustainability focused curriculum and initiatives fosters an environmentally conscious campus community with the knowledge and skills to transform our world to one that is more resourceful and resilient. This focus area contains actions to connect the campus community to research, learning and experiential opportunities that integrate social, academic, economic, and emotional competencies. Providing education rooted in sustainability is essential to this generation and the future of humankind.

Goals

Foster and support Interdisciplinary collaborations across CSUN and beyond.
Develop and maintain a Central Sustainability Repository to integrate sustainability into all aspects of CSUN.
Directly align all sustainability related curriculum and research with the CSUN Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions - Academic Excellence.
Ensure all CSUN students graduate with general sustainability knowledge/literacy.
Provide experiential learning and professional development opportunities.
Objectives

Baseline 2021 STARS Performance: 45.21/58 Academics (AC) points

Secure 81% of the available points within the Curriculum sub-section by 2033; baseline 71.6%
Secure 97% of the available points within the Research sub-section by 2033; baseline 91.9%


Alignment with the Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions: Advance Academic Excellence

Road Map to Sustainability Engagement Section: Cultivating Sustainability

Intent

Create vibrant communities of sustainable practices throughout CSUN.

Producing meaningful human and environmental benefits requires a shared vision of a more sustainable CSUN. Fostering connections and awareness on campus is equally important to investments in buildings and infrastructure. This focus area encompasses policy and administrative actions that will broaden the culture of sustainability at CSUN. The plan update is intended to create ecosystems of programs and initiatives that nourish the campus community to be more innovative and solution driven. What will emerge in the next ten years is an inclusive set of values, resources and partnerships that will support the improvement in all focus areas and enhance CSUN’s reputation as a sustainable leader.

Goals

Broaden the culture of sustainability that is evident in policy and practice across the entire university.
Provide a structure for sustainability that promotes transparency and accountability using a centralized platform.
Generate and allocate sufficient resources to advance sustainability in support of student success.
Develop programs that promote CSUN as a destination university for students and employees who value sustainability.
Utilize sustainability as a catalyst to drive partnerships to develop innovative equity-centered solutions to sustainability challenges.

Objectives

Baseline 2021 STARS Performance: 27.2/41 Engagement (EN) points

Secure 80% of the available points within the Engagement section by 2033; baseline 66.3%
Secure 50% of the available points within the Investments and Finance section by 2033; baseline 27.6%
Secure 97% of the available points within the Coordination and Planning section by 2033; baseline 86.1%


Alignment with the Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions: Strengthen Capacity for Institutional Transformation, Enhance Community Connections

Road Map to Sustainability Engagement Section: Energy

Intent

Increase the efficiency of buildings and the amount of renewable energy used on campus in order to meet long-term emission reduction targets.

CSUN is one of the most energy-efficient universities among similarly sized CSU campuses according to STARS tracking. But further savings are needed to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Reducing energy use will require investments in new equipment and infrastructure, optimization of existing buildings, and procurement of both on-site and off-site renewable energy. The goal of these changes is to create a campus-built environment with lower emissions, lower operating costs and increased resilience in a changing climate. Technologies like heat pumps and solar photovoltaics are an important part of the strategy, as are advanced metering and monitoring that allow for smart building operation and support the established culture of energy efficiency.  

Goals

Electrify campus operations.
Implement a smart campus and buildings program.
Increase clean electricity mix through expansion of onsite and offsite renewables.
Design for resiliency in major construction.
Identify building level Energy Use Intensity goals and programs to ensure their success.
Prioritize funding and engagement for energy conservation.

Objectives

Baseline 2021 STARS Performance: 5.74/10 Operations (OP): Energy points

Secure 98% of the available points within the Building Energy Efficiency sub-section by 2033; baseline 94.8%
Secure 27% of the available points within the Clean and Renewable Energy subsection by 2033; baseline 1.3% (goal: 5MW)


Alignment with the Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions: Strengthen Capacity for Institutional Transformation

Road Map to Sustainability Engagement Section: JEDI
Intent

Elevate a rich culture of talents, knowledge, beliefs, abilities, and lived experiences by advocating for climate justice, social equality, cultural competence, and circular economy.

CSUN is committed to providing an environment that fosters a strong community of belonging that is inclusive, accessible, diverse, and culturally rich. The goals for this focus area build upon CSUN’s past successes in addressing system inequities, by supporting ongoing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (J.E.D.I) programs and explicitly connecting sustainability to equity and justice issues. Supporting and including diverse stakeholders into the implementation of the plan is a key step.

Goals

Expand the breadth and depth of the intersections between Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) and sustainability, building on the university’s historical progress.
Engage diverse stakeholders in planning efforts to evolve our institutional culture, curriculum, structures, and practices to advance equity by aligning with CSUN Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions - Honor Our History.
Provide holistic support for underserved community members and align with CSUN Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions - Disrupt Systemic Inequities and Enhance Community Connections.
Apply an equity lens to policies, practices, and programs to investigate systemic inequities, using evidence to ideate and innovate equity-centered solutions.

Objectives

Baseline 2021 STARS Performance: 8/10 Planning & Administration (PA): Diversity & Affordability points

Secure 85% of the points available within the Diversity and Affordability sub-section by 2033; baseline 80%
Secure 95% of the points available within the Inclusive and Participatory Governance sub-section by 2033; baseline 91.6%


Alignment with the Road Map to the Future Strategic Directions: Disrupt Systemic Inequities, Enhance Community Connections, Facilitate Holistic Student Success, Honor Our History and Aspire to a More Equitable Future

Additionally, CSUN has developed a Campus Action Plan for Improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

Campus Action Plan Objectives

Create a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all
Create a community of shared values
Recruit, retain and graduate a diverse student body
Recruit, retain and promote a diverse workforce
Actively engage the rich background and diverse talents of university faculty, staff and students to propel CSUN forward and achieve inclusive excellence
Campus Action Plan for Improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Black Students, Faculty and Staff

Implement effective recruitment, retention and graduation plans for Black students. Collaborate to actively engage in reducing equity gaps that persist at higher rates for Black students by meeting with representatives to review and assess interventions regularly and at least twice per semester.
Provide funding and an action plan to recruit, retain and promote Black faculty, staff and administrators.
Provide funding, resources and an action plan to create an Institute/Center for Research and Resources on Equity and Black Culture. The Institute/Center will be specifically designed to address resources for Black students and elevate and promote the publication and dissemination of research on Black culture and the Black experience.
Support efforts by the Career Center to expand their focus on increasing the engagement of Black students’ career readiness and successful entry into the workforce.
Develop an oral history project and visual/digital arts installation(s) showcasing the histories and contributions of local Black communities.
Launch Human Resources partnerships with Black organizations on campus to ensure that faculty, staff and administrators are provided with anti-racist and social justice training and mentorship in our professional development series. We will seek to incorporate these topics as a part of mandated training.
Faculty Development will facilitate semester-long faculty learning communities, including culturally relevant pedagogy, helping faculty review their curriculum and infuse ally-ship and anti-racism into the classroom. Faculty Affairs will begin a systematic campus-wide policy, procedure and process review to identify and work to eliminate racial disparities in outcomes for recruitment, retention and promotion of Black faculty, staff and administrators.
Create an annual conference on Black Lives and Black Voices in conjunction with Black Faculty and Staff Association, Black Student Success Council, Black Alumni Association and other campus groups for Fall 2021. Develop and establish a speaker series/public forum, with breakout sessions/work groups, to engage the entire community around issues related to social justice, equity, police reform and other related topics.
Develop and implement a fundraising campaign that will be facilitated by University Relations and Advancement, with measurable benchmarks (for the creation of the Institute, student scholarships, staff and faculty development, grant writers and related needs).
Secure additional funding to enhance mental health support, including, for example, counselors, therapists, advocates and social workers who can assist in helping students navigate systems, while focusing on enhancing their own mental health, well-being and meeting their basic needs.