James Madison University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The OESS organizes stakeholder committees, which are collectively called the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World (ISNW) Committees. The OESS is advised by an Executive Council, and council members chair the ISNW committees. Faculty, staff, students and local government staff representatives may serve on the committees. The committees make policy and practice recommendations, conduct projects related to their expertise, and serve as peer educators. The committees' approach to environmental stewardship is inclusive of the three dimensions of sustainability. The Awareness and Programming Committee increased awareness of issues of sustainability and environmental stewardship through planning, marketing and supporting programs that shared information which challenges all members of the JMU community to think critically about their role in achieving the long-term stewardship of the Earth. The Campus Accessibility Committee supported the transportation demand coordination efforts on campus by assisting with analyzing progress and identifying transportation opportunities. The Education and Scholarship Committee promoted and celebrated teaching and learning across disciplines and general education, as well as scholarly and creative activities that engage faculty, staff, students and other members of the community in improving our environment. The East Campus Hillside Committee provided recommendations, conducted scholarly studies and conducted outreach about the naturalized area. The Conservation Committee work is reported under EN-7.

Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World Executive Council Members Ms. Virginia Cook, Director of Real Property and Space Management Ms. Maggie Evans, Executive Assistant to the President Ms. Marsha Mays-Bernard, Associate Vice President, Wellness, Orientation, and Multicultural Engagement Dr. Jim McConnel, Associate Vice President, Student Life and Involvement Mr. Mack Moore, Risk Management Coordinator Ms. Towana Moore, Associate Vice President of Business Services Mr. Craig Short, Director of Facilities Management Dr. Jeffrey Tang, Interim Unit Head, ISAT, College of Integrated Science and Engineering ISNW Campus Accessibility Committee Dr. Elise Barrella, Department of Engineering (academics), employee Dr. Georgia Polacek, Department of Health Sciences, employee Dr. Stephanie Baller, Department of Health Sciences, employee Mr. Abe Kaufman, Facilities Management, employee Mr. Steve Bobbitt, University Recreation, employee Mr. Lee Eshelman, Public Safety, employee Mr. Avery Daugherty, Transit Superintendent, City of Harrisonburg employee ISNW Awareness and Programming Committee Ms. Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Center for Instructional Technology, employee Mr. Steven Cox, Financial Aid & Scholarships, employee Mr. Drew Davis, Information Technology, employee Mr. Eric J Gorton, University Marketing, employee Ms. Kathleen Campbell, Office of Residence Life, employee Ms. Natalie LaRoe, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, student ISNW Education and Scholarship Committee Dr. Rob Alexander, Department of Political Science, employee Dr. Debbie Sturm, Department of Graduate Psychology, employee Dr. Christine DeMars, Center for Assessment and Research Studies, employee Dr. Harold Butner, Department of Physics and Astronomy, employee Dr. Heather Griscom, Department of Biology, employee Dr. Mary Handley, Dept of Integrated Science and Technology, employee Dr. Jennifer Coffman, Dept of Integrated Science and Technology, employee Dr. Tim Thomas, Department of Education, employee Dr. Carole Nash, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, employee Dr. Bayo Ogundipe, Department of Engineering, employee Dr. Wayne Teel, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, employee East Campus Hillside Committee Dr. Wayne Teel, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, employee Mr. Abe Kaufman, Facilities Management, employee Mr. Robert Whitescarver, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, employee Mr. Michael Renfroe, Department of Biology, employee

The Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (OESS) is a department in the Division of Access and Enrollment Management at James Madison University. The mission of the OESS is to facilitate sustainability by advocating for environmental stewardship priorities, coordinating reporting and recognition of the sustainability-related efforts of the JMU community, and encouraging engagement of all members of the JMU community in sustainability education and environmental stewardship. The responsibility for sustainability efforts (including environmental stewardship) is not housed in one university unit, but is shared across all divisions. JMU’s achievements can be attributed to the efforts of staff, faculty and students in many areas, commonly in collaboration. For more information about sustainability at JMU, visit www.jmu.edu/stewardship

The OESS is tasked with university-wide coordination. Highlights of JMU's environmental stewardship and sustainability accomplishments can be found at http://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/. As just one example, students, faculty, and staff from across divisions of the university collaborated to develop an online environmental stewardship tour of campus. The project was partially funded by several grants.

Highlights of responsibilities include: 1. Develop and oversee short and long term plans for campus environmental stewardship and sustainability. 2. Provide administration and coordination for the campus-wide stewardship committees (called the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World). 3. Coordinate the documentation of campus environmental stewardship and sustainability progress including requesting, synthesizing, and reporting information from all divisions of the university. 4. Manage and implement institutional special projects. Provide support to university departments, programs, and groups implementing projects related to environmental stewardship and sustainability. 5. Advocate for best practices for individual and institutional sustainability and environmental stewardship at JMU.

Highlights of responsibilities include: 1. Articulate the work of the OESS, ISNW, Division of Access and Enrollment Management and campus sustainability efforts to the JMU and external communities. Facilitate engagement of stakeholders in environmental stewardship and sustainability. 2. Coordinate with the Office of Sponsored Programs, University Development, and Research and Public Service. Effectively implement university policies related to grants, contracts, and sponsored programs, and coordinate efforts with prospective donors, foundations, and community partners. 3. Actively seek new resources (e.g., funding, collaborations, data) for education, scholarly, and service projects related to sustainability. 4. Develop collaborative faculty and staff teams to pursue internal and external proposals and execute all aspects of proposal submission. Lead faculty and staff in the development and writing of seed projects, pre-proposals, proposals, donations, and sponsored program work. 5. Direct and manage sponsored programs (internal and external) that are obtained and seed projects that are initiated.

The two part-time positions in the OESS support a variety of office functions, but are not considered officer positions. Cindy Wilson, part-time assistant Cindy Bradburn, part-time policy/planner The OESS also has a graduate assistant position. Facilities Management has two positions that work with many others at the university: Abram Kaufman, Energy Conservation & Sustainability Manager Michael Dalmolin, Sustainability Coordinator