Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.95
Liaison Susan Powers
Submission Date Feb. 12, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Clarkson University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.33 / 4.00 Susan Powers
Assoc. Dir. Sustainability
ISE
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) Measurable Objectives (Yes or No)
Curriculum No No
Research (or other scholarship) No No
Campus Engagement No No
Public Engagement No No
Air and Climate Yes No
Buildings Yes Yes
Dining Services/Food No No
Energy Yes Yes
Grounds No
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
No
Purchasing No
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
No
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
Transportation No No
Waste Yes Yes
Water Yes Yes
Diversity and Affordability Yes Yes
Health, Wellbeing and Work No
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
No
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
Investment Yes Yes
+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016
Other Yes No

A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:

Indoor air quality included in Chapter 3.4, Environmental Standards, of the Facilities Design Manual, including use of only low toxicity/VOC materials.

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):

Comply with ANSI's ventilation standards. Refer to Section 3.3.1 – HVAC Systems
for the appropriate ventilation standards for each type of room. (https://www.clarkson.edu/facilities/Engineering/environmentalstandards.pdf)

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):

Facilities, ISE


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:

An entire chapter of the Construction management standards address environmental attributes - Chapter 3.4, Environmental Standards, of the Facilities Design Manual


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):

All new buildings will be at least LEED silver certified and will explore feasibility of renewable energy strategies. New buildings and significant renovations shall look to achieve at least a 20% energy reduction from ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 -2013.


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):

Facilities


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:

Plan for electricity purchases developed by Facilities and Services Department to respond to the Presidential mandate. The plan includes aggressive efforts to establish PPAs for local and renewable electricity over 2015 - 2017 time frame, including 2 MW solar on our campus property through NY SUN (owned by an energy company), purchase of electricity from new small scale hydroplant adjacent to our property and owned by the Village, and PPA established that will enable a larger hydroplant to be renovated to increase efficiency (electricity to be available in 2017)

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):

yes - at least 25% electricity from renewable sources by 2015 (as established in the President's goals for 2013 and 2014)


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):

Facilities, Finance


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:

N/A

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):

Facilities


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:

N/A

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):

N/A

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):

OIT, Finance, Facilities


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:

N/A


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):

N/A


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):

N/A


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:

Details for construction waste included in Chapter 3.4, Environmental Standards, of the Facilities Design Manual. In addition, a detailed solid waste management plan that reviews SW from generation through final disposition is under development. This could include implement a streamlined system with centralized waste pick up locations and diverting food waste from the landfill while clarifying proper recycling practices.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):

50% C&D reused/recovered
600 lb Food waste to anaerobic digester by 2017


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):

Facilities, ISE


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:

Water use in new buildings and existing building renovations shall be 30% below the Energy Policy Act of 1992 standards (http://www3.epa.gov/watersense/docs/matrix508.pdf ). In building design, innovative technologies to address the challenges of harvesting, storing, reclaiming, and reusing its water resources shall be evaluated and integrated.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):

Water use in new buildings and existing building renovations shall be 30% below the Energy Policy Act of 1992 standards


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):

Facilities


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:

The University Strategic Plan (Clarkson@125) includes three primary goals. One is directly related to diversity: "Expand the world reach and diversity of the Clarkson community"

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):

* We will double down on our past efforts to increase the number of minority undergraduate students. We began in 2003 with fewer than seven percent minority students and moved to 12 percent in 2013. Our objective is to move to more than 14 percent by Fall 2017; and more than 18 percent by Fall 2021. Associated strategy: Target diversity recruitment efforts through partner organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers. * We will hold the percentage of students receiving Pell grant aid at 29 percent or higher as a measure of reaching an economically diverse population.

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):

Human Resources, Student Success Center


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:

N/A

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):

N/A

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):

Human Resources


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:

Presidential mandate - "Develop Endowment Social Responsibly Investment Policy." A specific SRI investment plan was developed by the SRI committee and approved by the Board of Trustees, investment committee. The socially responsible fund was developed and qualities determined based on feedback and values from the entire campus.

+ Date Revised: March 21, 2016

The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):

Move $5 million of our endowment into a socially responsible fund. As the financial feasibility of this fund is proven, move more of our endowment is moved into this fund


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):

Finance


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:

In October 2015, Clarkson signed a new Climate Commitment as organized by Second Nature. This extends our current commitment to reduce carbion emissions to also now consider resilience and adaptation.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):

For the new resilience aspects of our commitment, we must create a campus community task force and conduct a resiliency assessment within the next two years.


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):

ISE, Facilities


The institution’s definition of sustainability:

Sustainability involves the just, equitable, and efficient use of all types of capital -- human, financial, manufactured and natural -- with the goal of replenishment and enhancement rather than long-term depletion of these resources for short-term gains.


Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:

Yes, included throughout mission, vision, and values statements and in current University strategic plan


The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning 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.