| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.07 |
| Liaison | Yumiko Jakobcic |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Grand Valley State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Amanda
Rodgers Graduate Assistant Sustainable Community Development Initiative |
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 | Yes | Yes |
| Research (or other scholarship) | Yes | Yes |
| Campus Engagement | Yes | Yes |
| Public Engagement | Yes | Yes |
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes | Yes |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes | Yes |
| Purchasing | Yes | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes | Yes |
| Waste | Yes | Yes |
| Water | Yes | Yes |
| Diversity and Affordability | Yes | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work | Yes | Yes |
| Investment | Yes | Yes |
| Other | No | No |
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
"2010-2015 Stragetic Plan: Objective 3.6:
By 2015, students will have the opportunity to take course work or participate in internships and domestic and global service learning experiences that focus on best practices in sustainability."
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
Sub-objective 3.6.1: By 2013, 10% of students will have access to high impact service learning, internships, and co-op experiences in sustainability practice. Sub-objective 3.6.2: By 2015, students will have the opportunity to pursue a certificate or other credentials that certifies their sustainability expertise.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
University administrators including the Provosts office
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
The strategic plan states the university will inventory opportunities for students to participate in high impact experiences (internships, co-ops, domestic/global service learning, study abroad, scholarship with faculty, learning communities, etc.)
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
By 2015, at least 80% of students will have the opportunity to participate in high impact experiences.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
Faculty and administrators, including the Provosts office
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
GVSU will continue to develop and support service learning, co-curricular activies and other experiential learning opportunities relating to sustainability including Learning & Living Center activities, peer-to-peer education programs, and transparency of on-campus intiatives
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
By 2011, a baseline of financial resources was established including the Sustainable Reinvestment Fund. By 2012, data collection and analysis was implemented to identify needs and outcomes.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
Office of Student Life, Sustainable Community Development Initiative
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
One strategy includes GVSU providing space and resources for other organizations to use for sustainability-related workshops, forums, events and conferences. GVSU will also continue to connect graduates to positions in the business, nonprofit, political and civic leadership field in West Michigan, the country and the world.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
GVSU's formal strategic plan states that the university will educate students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies. One objective states that by fall 2010, all community engagement efforts on campus were well documented and coordinated. Another objective states that by 2015, service learning, co-curricular activities and other experiential learning opportunities will be fully developed and supported by administrators, faculty and students as a pedagogy that links community service to academic coursework. By 2011, a baseline of financial resources was established to develop and coordinate service learning institution wide. By 2012, consistent collection and analysis of data was implemented to identify service learning needs and outcomes institution wide, as well as an inventory of opportunities for students to participate in high impact experiences across the university in general education or majors and minors. By 2015, at least 80% of students will have the opportunity to participate in these high impact experiences.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
Office for Community Engagement
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
GVSU's President has signed the ACUPCC agreement as well as the Talloires Declaration. The University updated its climate and institutional data, and its climate inventory and GHG emissions for the FY 2012-13.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
GVSU seeks to achieve climate neutrality by 2043. To date, 200+ energy efficiency projects have been successfully completed over the past 14 years generated ~$1.8 million in annual cost savings.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
Facilities Planning, Facilities Services, Operations, Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
The University will construct additional academic space, which will be LEED certified
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
By 2015, an additional 500,000-750,000 net sq. ft. will be constructed based on LEED standards
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
Facilities Planning
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
Campus Dining is currently working with Grand Valley's chemistry department and facilities services on developing a biodiesel processing program. The program, if approved, would entail the use of campus dining's fryer oil in producing biofuel in an on-campus lab, providing students with a hands-on learning opportunity to produce alternative fuel sources for the university. Due to the success of the Zero-Waste initiative for football games, campus dining will be working with facilities services, athletics and the Sustainable Community Development Initiative on expanding zero-waste efforts to encompass additional sporting events. Produce from the university's student-run Sustainable Agriculture Project into campus dining will be served at Engrained.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
GVSU seeks to reach Sustainable Seafood certification by 2018 and purchase only cage-free eggs by 2014.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Campus Dining
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
The University will continue to look for ways of reducing energy consumption and promote energy conservation and efficiency through education, procedures, new building designs, projects, recommissioning, equipment retrofits, system modifications and technological advances
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
At the moment the University is continuing to partake in the ACUPCC and AASHE reporting mechanisms which cover some of the objectives and timeframes. The University monitors energy usage on a daily basis and compares yearly consumption for benchmarking purposes.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
Facilities Services
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
GVSU has committed to preserving a well-established reputation as a leader in sustainability efforts and model for best practices by establishing a process to evaluate campus sustainability efforts and establishing aggressive goals to promote social responsibility, encourage environmental stewardship, and create efficiencies and value for the work we perform
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
By 2015, this reputation will be well established through annual environmental assessments
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
Facilities Services, Sustainable Community Development Initiative
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
Continue to work on our surplus store, community partnerships and sustainable purchasing.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
Procurement Services
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
The University is working with the Rapid and location communities to create Bus Rapid Transit between Allendale and Grand Rapids.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
6-10 year timeline
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
The Rapid
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
New and remodeled buildings are being designed with upgraded collection containers and recycling centers.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
50% waste diversion rate by spring 2015.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
Facilities Services, Campus Dining, and Sustainable Community Development Initiative
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
The University monitors the consumption of water by separately tracking usage in housing buildings, academic buildings, and irrigation. The University looks at new building designs, reuse of water, water capture, technological advances in irrigation, system designs and the use of services to support sustainabilty in water.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
The University monitors water usage on a daily basis and compares yearly consumption for benchmarking purposes. The University does not target a specific goal of reduction but strives to reduce water consumption in housing buildings, academic buildings, and irrigation through design, procedures, system modifications and education.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
Facilities Services
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
Objective 2.1 states that undergraduate students will have the opportunity for achieving intercultural competence training that is official certified. Objective 2.2 states that 100% of faculty and staff will have had the opportunity to participate in graduate levels of intercultural competence training. Other objectives state that the diversity of faculty, staff and students will expand.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Objective 2.1 had a goal of completion by 2012. Objective 2.2 has a goal of completion by 2015. Diversity expansion objectives have a goal of completion by 2015 and will be partly demostrated by the annual Workforce Utilization Analysis: Affirmative Action Plan document.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Office of Inclusion, and admissions and recruitment offices
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
GVSU has assembled a Wellness Taskforce composed of staff and faculty from various departments. Our mission is to increase collaboration and awareness among campus partners to identify wellness opportunities for GVSU students, faculty and staff, and act upon those opportunities to develop a campus culture that supports good health and well-being.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Our annual goals include identify current wellness initiatives and projects for awareness and decrease redundancy where possible, identify health and wellness needs for the campus community that are not being met, provide health and wellness recommendations for the 2015 GVSU strategic plan, and promote collective health and wellness efforts to students, faculty and staff.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Human Resources acts as the coordinator for the Wellness Taskforce, which is composed of staff and faculty from various departments including Sustainability, Movement Sciences, Campus Recreation, and Operations.
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
GVSU will continue to monitor its practices to reduce overall investment risk; effectively communicate its strategic budgeting priorities to students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders; and keep tuition rates in the middle of the range; increase financial aid awards relative to room and board costs
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
Many of these commitments are already established but have reinvigorated goals of completion by 2015. The University aims for 75% of faculty to be familiar with budgeting priorities. The University will assess tuition costs based on the price to attend other public, four-year universities in Michigan.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
Financial Aid, Finance & Administration Office
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
GVSU values the guiding principles of sustainability in helping to meet the current needs of our faculty, staff, and students without compromising the needs and resources of future generations. We are committed to working with our community partners to create a sustainable future for our university, our community, and our region. We will model applied sustainability best practices in our campus operations and administration, education for sustainable development, student involvement, and community engagement by promoting social responsibility, encouraging environmental stewardship, and creating efficiencies and value for the work we perform. We will provide our students with excellence in education for sustainable development by imbedding theory, systems-oriented thinking, and service learning into our curricular and extracurricular programs.
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.