Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.81
Liaison Kathleen Crawford
Submission Date July 28, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Florida Gulf Coast University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Katie Leone
Sustainability Coordinator
Environmental Health & Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution an active member of a national or international sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
-AASHE MEMBERSHIP FGCU is a member of the Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education professional association which supports the advancement of sustainability in higher education by empowering higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. -AFFILIATE OF THE EARTH CHARTER FGCU is a member of The Earth Charter Initiative, whose mission is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace. -UNEP FGCU is a member of the Global Universities Partnership for Environment and Sustainability/UN Environment Programme (GUPES/UNEP). The Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education Director serves on the Steering Committee for North America. -GREEN FAITH INTERNATIONAL Dr. Maria Roca serves as the Chaplin for the Green Faith Spiritual Associates Program which is a global program that brings eco-theologians together in daily prayer and sharing about environmental issues. She also serves on the Green Faith International Core Team which is the advisory team for the organization. Their mission is "inspiring education, and mobilizing people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership."

Is the institution an active member of a regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
-Sustainable Florida Sustainable Florida promotes sustainable best management practices through collaborative educational efforts throughout Florida. These efforts include convening and working with regional grassroots sustainability organizations and Florida’s colleges and universities.

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

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
The Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education tracks the scholarship completed by Senior Faculty & Staff Associates as well as that completed with the help of Earth Charter mini-grants. This is not a comprehensive list of all sustainability-focused conference presentations that FGCU faculty and staff have completed but shows that which we are easily able to track at this time through the CESE. An excerpt from the CESE's FY 15-16 annual report attached to this credit for details.

Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to a sustainability awards program that is inclusive of multiple campuses? :
Yes

A list or brief description of the awards program(s) and submission(s):
FGCU was recognized by Sustainable Florida for the following Best Practices Awards: -2016 Best Practice Award Finalist in the Sustainable Florida Government Category -2016 Best Practice Award Finalist in the Sustainable Florida Leadership Category Please see the following website for more information:http://sustainableflorida.org/best-practice-awards/2016-award-2/

Has the institution had staff, students or faculty 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):
-Sustainability Chautauqua at FGCU The Sustainability Chautauqua focuses on collaboration in FGCU's efforts to address the economics, equity, and environment that are the “triple bottom line” of sustainability. During this conference, we explore new possibilities of partnerships for building community, furthering economic viability, and advancing broad sustainability goals on campus and in our local area. -Water Resources Conference at FGCU The conference brings together researchers, managers, agency staff, consultants, and other interested parties to discuss ongoing technical and social research and innovative projects, to share ideas, and to increase awareness of the issues of water supply, water use efficiency, water body protection, watershed health, and environmental sustainability facing Florida. -Biodiversity Conference at FGCU During this conference, the conference shares important sciences on biodiversity conservation; emphasizes the relevance of biodiversity loss to restoration projects, ecosystem services, economic and social issues; and elevates dialogue on biodiversity among scientists, educators and policy makers. -Spirituality & Sustainability Conference in Rome & Assisi This Conference will bring together visionary people from a range of ecological-spiritual perspectives, centers, and movements. Participants dialogue about transformative global change based on spirituality and sustainability. They also identify key recommendations for creating a spiritual and sustainable global future. -2016 Cela Tega Conference Series: Resilience and Adaptation in the Estero Bay Region Cela Tega is the southwest Florida native (i.e.: Calusa) term for “A view from high ground”. We used it here to symbolize “overview”. The term was inspired from the Carib Native North American term epopopanana meaning:this is Meeting (Epopo) + And (ana) +Place (Pa) which in Carib syntax is Epopopanana. Please see the following website for more details: http://fgcu.edu/celatega/

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:
Dr. Peter Blaze Corcoran, the Director of FGCU's Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education, has a mentoring relationship with the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi. Their Center is modeled after FGCU's CESE and Dr. Corcoran works with the Wangari Mathai Institue to assist with strategic planning and program development. Dr. Corcoran also serves on the ethics advisory committee at the University of Gibralter and has a mentoring relationship with their senior leadership. He is advising the University of the Sunshine Coast who is in the process of establishing a new Environmental Education Center on K'Gari/Fraser Island. Catawba College has a Center for the Environment and CESE Director is assisting with their strategic planning and development. Dr. Corcoran serves on the board of the Earth Ethics Institute of Miami-Dade College and advises them in developing their Institute's programming and activities. Finally, he serves on the Steering Committee for North America in the Global Universities Partnership for Environment and Sustainability/UN Environment Programme (GUPES/UNEP).

Has the institution had staff, faculty, or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data (e.g. GHG emissions or course inventory) and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
No

A brief description of the peer review activities:
Not applicable.

Has the institution participated in other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year, e.g. joint planning or resource sharing with other institutions? :
Yes

A brief description of other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year:
The Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education serves as the secretariat for the International Intergenerational Network of Centers (IINC) as was one of the groups founding members. The concept for an international, intergenerational, informal network of centers in environmental and sustainability education emerged from discussions at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya on August 31, 2009. Today, IINC acts as a research subgroup within the larger Global University Partnership for Environment and Sustainability (GUPES). While GUPES will work broadly toward advancing sustainability in higher education across critical dimensions of sustainability in higher education, IINC emphasizes researching institutional change, promoting strong sustainability, and intergenerational collaboration. The network maintains relationships with other international organizations and initiatives advancing sustainability in higher education, such as University Leaders for a Sustainable Future, International Association of Universities, UNESCO and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and Earth Charter International. CESE collaborates with the Center at Rhodes University in South Africa for peer learning and sharing best practices.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.