| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.77 |
| Liaison | Susan Kaspari |
| Submission Date | July 16, 2022 |
Central Washington University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Susan
Kaspari Professor Geological Sciences |
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:
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:
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:
The CWU master plan identifies sustainability as a priority on p. 7 (note reported page numbers refer to the page number of the PDF, rather than page numbers written on bottom of report pages: "The Capital Master Plan sets as priorities academic quality, aesthetics, pedestrian access, and sustainability, including preserving green space) and p. 33 ("Sustainability is a priority: Promote energy conservation to support sustainability and cost efficiency. Use space efficiently, adding new gross square footage only when necessary. Building design and materials should be consistent, meet sustainability standards, and complement campus setting
and regional climate. Open space outdoors should provide a respite from intellectual pursuits, provide inviting space for solitude or socialization, and feature interesting, diverse, well maintained plant life as well as complementary hardscapes. Planning should be integrated with Ellensburg and Kittitas County comprehensive growth plans. The depreciation of facilities, fixtures, and equipment, and strategies to maintain or replace them is an integral part of campus planning.")
The plan addresses sustainability in terms of dining (health and well-being: "CWU will incorporate innovative approaches to dining planning, including exhibition cooking, healthful and local options, sustainability, and branded concepts."), residential halls (p.40: "Ensure that dining services for residential students are modern, innovative, healthy, and sustainable"), transportation (p. 48: "Provide sustainable and safe parking away from the academic core of campus. Provide sufficient, but not excessive, parking for campus residents and commuters."), a sustainable natural environment (p. 50: "Create an integrated and comprehensive landscape design plan that considers, among other factors, sustainability, climate, topography, compatibility with building design, plant diversity, and aesthetics"), and energy efficiency infrastructure (p. 26" "In 2018 the university launched a new, campus-wide sustainability initiative to better coordinate efforts to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste production, and to enhance community awareness about the need to use current sustainable practices in all areas of university operations, as well as develop new ones. The initiative will also work toward the certification by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a member of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) program. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.").
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:
In Fall 2019 President Gaudino in his State of the University Address outlined the following goals that include sustainability:
Increase diversity of the CWU’s faculty and staff by 5% in five years.
Reduce the campus carbon footprint by 5% in 5 years.
Reach AASHE Gold STARS in the next 5 years, and strive for platinum
https://www.youtube.com/embed/JKJTuOpUSBY?rel=0
Attached is a report of strategic plan progress (President Gaudino's strategic plan) on diversity and inclusion from 2019-2020 from the VP of Diversity and Inclusivity.
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 and Mission Statements
"The collaborative and inclusive process we utilized to create new Vision and Mission statements captured the heart of who we want to become as a university. On Friday, May 20, 2022, the Board of Trustees approved the final Vision and Mission statements:
Vision: Central Washington University will be a model learning community of equity and belonging.
Mission: In order to build a community of equity and belonging, Central Washington University nurtures culturally sustaining practices that expand access and success to all students. We are committed to fostering high impact practices, sustainability, and authentic community partnerships that are grounded in meaningful relationships."
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
CWU has not formally defined sustainability. Now that we have our new vision and mission statement, we will be doing strategic planning which will include sustainability strategic planning.
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 | No |
| 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:
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.