Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 44.43
Liaison John Stolz
Submission Date March 4, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Duquesne University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 4.00 Mary Kate Ranii
Program Administrator
Center for Environmental Research & Education (CERE)
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
Yes

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

Duquesne University's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan directly mentions sustainability in Strategic Imperative 5. "Placing a high value on sustainability, encompassing environmental protection, social responsibility, innovation, and sound business and policy practices.


A copy of the strategic plan:
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The website URL where the strategic plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a published sustainability plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
Yes

A copy of the sustainability plan:
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The website URL where the sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a published climate action plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
No

A copy of the climate action plan:
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The website URL where the climate action plan is publicly available:
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Does the institution have other published plans that address sustainability or include measurable sustainability objectives (e.g. campus master plan, physical campus plan, diversity plan, human resources plan)? :
Yes

A list of other published plans that address sustainability, including public website URLs (if available):

Duquesne University's 2018-2023 Institutional Master Plan proposes development of additional campus park and greenspace as well as developing further Sustainability Goals and Objectives as official next steps.


https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/IMP/2018-10-02%20Duquesne%20IMP.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum and the published plans in which each objective is included:

In Duquesne University's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, plans for developing interdisciplinary and sustainability programs are clearly identified in Strategic Initiative 3.

"Recognizing the importance of these trends, therefore, Duquesne will explore developing interdisciplinary programs in other cutting-edge areas, including information technology, informatics, data analytics, sustainability and other areas in which demand and need have grown. Incorporate into the curriculum an emphasis on civil discourse and an exploration of the positive and negative impacts of new technology on learning and other aspects of contemporary life;"

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Research?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Research and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:

Institutions of higher education often declare they are “student-centered.” Yet the reality of making daily decisions that advance student interests is not so
easy or clear-cut. Today’s Duquesne students have far different backgrounds than those children of immigrant steelworkers who first enrolled; still, they face similar hurdles in attaining success. To prepare them for the world beyond graduation and to create a student-centered environment that will be a national model, we are committed to ensuring that Duquesne will
• consider the best interests of our students as the polestar of all decision-making, elevating even further this aspect of Duquesne’s historic mission;
• focus on the development and well-being of the whole student—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual—with a renewed emphasis on core values and ethics;
• provide a safe, comfortable, interactive living environment that fosters the growth of students academically, as persons, as citizens and as tomorrow’s leaders;
• comprehensively reevaluate all facets of our curriculum and integrate practical applications and experiences into academic offerings so as to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century
workforce;
• become a University known for providing first-rate internships and meaningful job/career opportunities for its students;
• recruit and retain students best able to benefit from Duquesne’s programs, including students with limited resources; and
• become a University known for providing a great value in higher education, constituting an excellent investment for students and their families.

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings and the published plans in which each objective is included:

"Our commitment is for all new construction to be LEED certified and for major renovations to achieve LEED-EB (Existing Building) certification."

https://www.duq.edu/Documents/sustainability/_pdf/sustainabilityreport2013-14_v5.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing and the published plans in which each objective is included:

To ensure the institution has the physical and financial means to maintain and grow in its mission of serving God by serving students, Duquesne will
• place a high value on sustainability, encompassing environmental protection, social responsibility, innovation, and sound business and policy practices

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Water?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Water and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability and the published plans in which each objective is included:

In Duquesne University's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, plans for developing more diversity programs are clearly identified in Strategic Initiative 4.

"Duquesne will
• recruit, hire and retain a talented, diverse, productive and dedicated community of teachers and staff to enrich and energize the entire campus;
• cultivate a pervasive campus culture of diversity and inclusion in recruitment, hiring and programming across campus, supported by a robust Diversity and Inclusion Council;
• redefine the Office of Research to creatively support research and scholarly initiatives that attract a wide array of current and future funding opportunities; and
• create a new Staff Advisory Council charged with providing input to the administration on matters of importance to all non-faculty employees."

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance and the published plans in which each objective is included:

To ensure the institution has the physical and financial means to maintain and grow in its mission of serving God by serving students, Duquesne will
• creatively and effectively develop, manage, maintain, use and/or liquidate University assets to allow optimum focus on core strengths and fuel the institution’s ability to grow;
• maintain, enhance and beautify the physical plant, so that the University’s resources can be utilized in a productive and energizing fashion for
present and future generations;
• engage in outcomes assessment in all areas of the University’s operation, using the results to achieve continuous improvement;
• place a high value on sustainability, encompassing environmental protection, social responsibility, innovation, and sound business and policy practices

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work and the published plans in which each objective is included:

In Duquesne University's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, plans for cultivating more Wellbeing and Work programs are clearly identified in Strategic Initiative 4.

Duquesne will
• refocus support for teaching excellence and pedagogical originality by tapping into advances in learning science to create transformative opportunities for students;
• make available to faculty and staff ample and fulfilling opportunities for personal and professional growth; and
• create a new Staff Advisory Council charged with providing input to the administration on matters of importance to all non-faculty employees.

https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/strategic-plan/Strategic%20Plan%20Brochure%20October%2026%202017.pdf


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas (e.g. arts and culture or technology)?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body (e.g. a mission statement that specifically includes sustainability and is endorsed by the Board of Trustees)? :
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The formal statement in support of sustainability:
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The institution’s definition of sustainability (e.g. as included in a published statement or plan):
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Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter ---
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) ---
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter ---
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment ---
The Talloires Declaration (TD) ---
UN Global Compact ---
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) ---

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.