Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.72
Liaison Christie-Joy Hartman
Submission Date May 12, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

James Madison University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.50 / 4.00 Christie-Joy Hartman
Executive Director
ISNW
"---" 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:

University Strategic Plan 2016-2020

-Core Quality - Academic Quality: Outstanding Programs

We believe in the relevance and importance of the liberal arts and sciences and are committed to maintaining strong student/faculty interaction. Through our distinguished faculty and staff, we offer academically challenging programs, providing an exemplary undergraduate education and distinctive graduate studies while maintaining high accountability for learning through effective assessment.

University Goals

Goal 1A: The university will foster student success by providing a holistic learning environment focused on furthering intellectual development as well as education in areas such as teamwork, leadership, collaboration, interpersonal skills, entrepreneurship, ethics, citizenship, SUSTAINABILITY and service.

-Core Quality: Engagement

We challenge and support students, faculty and staff through meaningful engagement with the campus, academics, alumni, the community and the world. Engagement enhances their academic, civic, personal and professional learning while reinforcing ethical decision-making and meeting the needs of others through service.

University Goals

Goal 5A: The university will develop new programs for students to foster the learning of engagement, its concepts, value and practices.

Goal 5B: The university will foster connections that engage constituents to be part of a global network aimed at achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Goal 5C: The university will expand its service provided to the local community, region, and beyond.

Goal 5D: The university will foster an environment of collaboration across colleges, schools, and departments.

-Core Quality: Access, Inclusion and Diversity

We promote access, inclusion, and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission.

University Goals

Goal 3A: The university will determine the composition of the student body that is both appropriate and adaptable to the changing needs of the university and the Commonwealth.

Goal 3B: The university will expand access, building new bridges to cross existing socioeconomic, geographic, learning and/or physical barriers to participation in academic pursuits and campus activities.

Goal 3C: The university will show evidence of a continuously improving environment that is welcoming and inclusive; such that events, messages, symbols, and services express mutual respect.

Goal 3D: The university will continue personal and professional development related to enhancing understanding of diversity while leveraging increased diversity through university/community partnerships.

Goal 3E: The university will increase merit and need-based scholarship offerings.

-Core Quality: Fiscal and Facility Resources

We have the financial, facility, and technology resources to achieve our goals; developing diversified revenues, building and maintaining useful and attractive facilities, and harnessing technology for the most effective accomplishment of our objectives.

University Goal

Goal 7B: The university will incorporate best practices - state-of-the-art classroom spaces, sustainability (e.g. LEED Certification), effective use of technology, accessibility, etc.- in the renovation and construction of facilities.


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)? :
No

A copy of the sustainability plan:
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The website URL where the sustainability plan is publicly available:
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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):

The Comprehensive Master Plan includes outcomes of pedestrian orientation and green space:
http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/_docs/jmu-master-plan.pdf
An updated/new master plan is in progress.

There is a Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:
https://www.jmu.edu/facmgt/sustainability/sustainability-plan.shtml

There is an MS4 Program Plan:
http://www.jmu.edu/facmgt/sustainability/Stormwater/ms4.shtml

There is a Nutrient Management Plan:
http://www.jmu.edu/facmgt/sustainability/land-use.shtml

There is an Environmental Stewardship Action Plan:
http://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/action_plan.shtml


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:

The Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability will increase promotion of environmental stewardship learning opportunities. In FY 2016, the OESS/ISNW will inventory and will post JMU's sustainability-related courses on the campus sustainability website.

The Center for Assessment and Research Studies will annually track student attainment of the environmental stewardship learning outcomes.

These are included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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

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

In FY 2016, in collaboration with the Office of Research and Scholarship, the OESS/ISNW will identify faculty who conduct sustainability research and will post the information on the campus sustainability website.

This is included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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

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

In FY 2016, an ISNW Committee will pilot and analyze a campus culture of sustainability instrument for employees.

This is included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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

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

Major Initiatives

Expand Engagement

Engaged Learning.
-Increase the number of opportunities for students to participate in engaged-learning experiences.
-Increase the percentage of students who Study Abroad from 25 to 33 by academic year 2017-18
-Ensure that all majors have an integrating Capstone Experience by academic year 2016-17.
-Expand experiential Learning/Mentoring/Networking opportunities.
-Establish a Student Research Center and a Research Mini-Grant program to encourage more Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishments beginning in academic year 2014-15
-Expand Career and Academic Planning Internship services by academic year 2015-16.
-Expand co-curricular Leadership Activities opportunities.

Community Engagement. JMU already is recognized as a national leader by the Carnegie Foundation. We will increase community engagement experiences for students, including Service Learning and Alternative Break, by 40 percent by academic year 2019-2020.

Civic Engagement. Coordinate all curricular and co-curricular activities aimed at elevating civic knowledge and action; plan and implement hallmark civic engagement academic activities on campus and with James Madison’s Montpelier starting in academic year 2015-16.

Thoughts about this Core Quality

One term that was repeatedly noted as various research sources were coded was “engagement.” In fact, it may have been the most repeated idea concerning the future of JMU. It was mentioned repeatedly in President Alger’s listening tour events, in the faculty and staff town hall meetings, as well as in the research provided by the Environmental Scan Team of the Madison Future Commission. The president and senior leadership team identified engagement as the center of the university’s new vision statement: “To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.” Further, the Student Life & Success Committee proposed a core quality that read: “To enhance their academic, career, civic and personal learning and development, JMU will challenge and support our students through meaningful engagement with the campus, alumni, the community, and beyond.” These ideas were combined and the result was this core quality on engagement.

These are included in the Strategic Plan and Measures of Performance.


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:

Policy 1703: Sustainable Construction

All new building construction or new renovation to existing buildings shall utilize materials and methods which provide quantifiable conformity to sustainable construction as defined by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Per Commonwealth of Virginia requirements, buildings and renovations shall be designed and built to obtain LEED Silver certification.
https://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/policies/1703.shtml


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:

Compared to a 2015 baseline, Facilities Management has set the following objectives addressing energy in the Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:

1) Install utility submeters in all campus buildings by 2020 to better track energy consumption and identify inefficiencies.
2) Develop a systematic process by 2019 to prioritize the replacement of inefficient equipment (boilers, chillers, lighting, etc) based on the criteria of improved efficiency and economic payback.
3) Implement an asset-based energy management accounting module for tracking, analyzing, managing and reporting on energy consumption by 2020 so that utility costs can be allocated to all departments on campus based on their actual energy consumption.


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

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

Dining Services will reduce food waste in production by 15% in the 2016 - 2017 academic year and 5% in each consecutive year 2017-2020.

This is included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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

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

Compared to a 2015 baseline, Facilities Management has set the following objectives addressing grounds in the Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:

1) Complete the installation of riparian buffers and naturalized areas along all streams (100%) on campus by 2020.
2) Reduce annual planting areas by 25% by 2017.


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

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

University Events will pursue sustainable options for centerpieces, graduation letters, and gowns.

This is included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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

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

Compared to a 2015 baseline, Facilities Management has set the following objectives addressing transportation in the Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:

1) Provide mechanisms to support increased carsharing amongst departments on campus by 2018.
2) Increase the percentage of alternative fueled vehicles in the University Motor Pool by 2018.
3) Grow propane fuel program by increasing the number of vehicles converted to propane and by growing the use of propane fueled equipment by 2020.
4) Streamline the conversion of fleet vehicles to use propane by providing training to all staff mechanics on how to convert current vehicles by 2017.
5) Add infrastructure to support non-motorized travel in support of the University's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan completed in 2014. James Madison University’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan has been developed to promote multimodal transportation through the implementation of a variety of facility improvement and program development recommendations. The Plan includes short-term, mid-term, and long-term specific projects that have been detailed and prioritized. The Plan will be used by multiple campus organizations working together to improve JMU’s transportation system and to achieve the University’s commitment to sustainability.The Plan will also expand upon recent facility improvements, and address the “5E’s” of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation to help enhance JMU’s status as a Bicycle Friendly University, a designation received from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).


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

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

Compared to a 2015 baseline, Facilities Management has set the following objectives addressing waste in the Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:

1) Implement a plan to recycle 100% of landscape organic waste materials by 2017.
2) Expand an electronic waste program by providing e-waste bins in all residence halls by 2018.
3) Increase the number of waste audits given to university departments as a way to increase recycling rates among faculty and staff by 2019.
4) Implement policy on purchases to ensure an increase in the percent of materials purchased with recycled content by 2019.


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

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

Compared to a 2015 baseline, Facilities Management has set the following objectives addressing water in the Facilities Management Sustainability Plan:

1) Increase the number of gallons of non-potable water harvested for use by 2019 from Newman Lake and other sources such as rainwater harvesting systems.


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:

Expand Access to JMU:
-Increase need-based scholarships by meeting 50 percent of need.
-Establish Valley Scholars, a new program targeting first-generation students, in academic year 2014-15.
-Increase the Preparing Future Faculty program and partnerships with two additional historically black colleges and universities by academic year 2016-17.

Measures of Access, Opportunity and People Development:
The targets by 2020 for the following are to increase annually.
20a. Percentage of full-time instructional faculty who are non-white by federal definitions.
20b. Percentage of full-time Administrative & Professional (A&P) faculty who are non-white by federal definitions.
20c. Percentage of full-time classified who are non-white by federal definitions.
21a. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native student and Multi-race proportion of total JMU students.
21b. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander,
American Indian/Alaska Native student and Multi-race
proportion of new freshmen and undergraduate transfers.
21c. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander,
American Indian/Alaska Native student and Multi-race
proportion of new graduate students.
21d. Undergraduate, in-state students from a locality as determined
by SCHEV to be in the lowest quintile of participation rates at
Virginia public four-year institutions.

The target by 2020 is <Virginia 4yr. Bachelor's Degree Student Debt for
22. Average per-borrower cumulative undergraduate indebtedness of the prior year graduating class who borrowed

This is included in the university Strategic Plan or Strategic Plan Measures of Performance.


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:
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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:

JMU will monitor answers to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges” Survey, the percentage of respondents who respond positively to the statement from current item #60: “All things considered, this is a great place to work.”

This is in the campus Strategic Plan Measures of Performance.


Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas (e.g. arts and culture or technology)?:
Yes

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

Student performance on ethical reasoning rubric. 2 out of 4 by 2020.

This is included in the campus Strategic Plan Measures of Performance.

University Advancement will cultivate support for environmental stewardship.

This is included in the Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.


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)? :
No

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) Yes
UN Global Compact ---
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:

Signatory of Campus Compact Campus Compact 30th Anniversary Action Statement http://compact.org/actionstatement/

Excerpt:
"...To advance the public purposes of higher education, we affirm the following statements, which characterize our current commitments and name the ideals toward which we will work with renewed dedication, focus, and vigor.

We empower our students, faculty, staff, and community partners to co-create mutually respectful partnerships in pursuit of a just, equitable, and sustainable future for communities beyond the campus—nearby and around the world.

We prepare our students for lives of engaged citizenship, with the motivation and capacity to deliberate, act, and lead in pursuit of the public good.

We embrace our responsibilities as place based institutions, contributing to the health and strength of our communities—economically, socially, environmentally, educationally, and politically.

We harness the capacity of our institutions—through research, teaching, partnerships, and institutional practice—to challenge the prevailing social and economic inequalities that threaten our democratic future.

We foster an environment that consistently affirms the centrality of the public purposes of higher education by setting high expectations for members of the campus community to contribute to their achievement."


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Responsible party for Facilities Management related information: Abe Kaufman, Energy Conservation & Sustainability Manager.

Information entered by Melissa Altman.

JMU has many programs that are not listed in this credit because they do not meet the criteria of having measurable objectives in a formal published plan. However, JMU has a planning tool, the Strategic Accountability and Reporting Tool, where objectives of all levels are entered annually for internal use. Some programs that are in the tool are reported in other credits, such as under Diversity and Affordability.


Responsible party for Facilities Management related information: Abe Kaufman, Energy Conservation & Sustainability Manager.

Information entered by Melissa Altman.

JMU has many programs that are not listed in this credit because they do not meet the criteria of having measurable objectives in a formal published plan. However, JMU has a planning tool, the Strategic Accountability and Reporting Tool, where objectives of all levels are entered annually for internal use. Some programs that are in the tool are reported in other credits, such as under Diversity and Affordability.

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.