Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.35
Liaison Juliana Goodlaw-Morris
Submission Date Feb. 6, 2024

STARS v2.2

California State University, San Marcos
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Marissa Acosta
Zero Waste and Sustainability Specialist
Safety, Health and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
We are members of AASHE, USGBC, and IEN.

Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
We are members of the California State University Sustainability Officers network (a group of all CSU institutions), the SoCal Sustainability Officers Network (this is open to all southern California institutions and meets on a quarterly basis). In addition, we are members of UC/CSU Energy Partnership and the Energy and Utility Managers Committee for the CSU.

Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
Our Sustainability Program has collaborated with our Office of Inclusive Excellence and presented at this year's, 2023, AASHE conference on the connection between Social Justice/Diversity and Sustainability. More specifically the presentation focuses on our Planet Mentorship Program, which is a paid opportunity for students with diverse backgrounds to gain experience and knowledge on the connections between Social Justice/Diversity, Equity, and Sustainability. At this same conference, one of our Sustainability Staff members hosted a Networking session for Early Career Professionals, in partnership with two other campuses. This session focused on fostering long-lasting relationships for people who are new to this field of sustainability within higher education.

Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
CSUSM was recognized alongside 5 other CSU campuses for the multi-campus faculty learning community consisting of 62 faculty representing over 30 disciplines. The CSU Faculty Learning Community in Teaching Climate Change and Resilience was awarded the 2022 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by AASHE. They also were awarded the 2023 American Association of State Colleges and Universities Excellence & Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development -- Comprehensive.

CSUSM won a Leadership Award through the Green California Schools and Higher Education Sustainability Conference and a CHEC Focus on Efficiency Award in Fall 2023. These were awarded for our zero-waste efforts and our new Zero Waste Donation Pick Up Form which has streamlined our process for reducing and reusing materials on campus.

Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Our Zero Waste and Sustainability Specialist is on the board of the non-profit: Sustainability is Sexy. The mission of this organization is to inspire and drive innovation within the San Diego community through connection and provide tangible education and solutions to the global climate crisis.
https://www.sustainabilityissexy.org/

Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
Yes

A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
Through the SoCal Sustainability Officers group, we have a variety of mentoring activities that take place throughout the year, including meetings and learning activities that provide mentoring opportunities across institutions.

In addition, the CSU system has a variety of ways to help support and mentor other schools. For example, our STARS Support Group is basically a way to mentor and support each other through the process. In 2023, the STARS Support Group met about once a month for best practices presentations and "office hours".

Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
Yes

A brief description of the peer review activities:
This year, in 2023, our Sustainability Staff served as peer reviewers for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo STARS submission.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
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Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations 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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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.