Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.71
Liaison Christie-Joy Hartman
Submission Date Sept. 13, 2024

STARS v2.2

James Madison University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Amanda Bodle
Program Manager
ISNW
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Measurable sustainability objectives 

Academics

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Core Qualities and University Goals of JMU's Strategic Plan for 2020-2026 (Summer 2024 Update August 8, 2024)

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. Our distinguished faculty and staff offer academically challenging programs, providing an exemplary undergraduate education and distinctive graduate programs while maintaining accountability for learning through effective assessment. 
 
Goal 3A: The university will foster student success by providing a holistic learning environment focused on intellectual and educational development in strategic areas such as but not limited to sustainability, ethics, leadership, service, and citizenship. http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/corequalities/ 
 

Strategic Priorities & President's Key Goals 2023-2024

Rising above the day-to-day operations of many units, the strategic priorities are aligned with emerging trends, governmental mandates, and JMU's Board of Visitors insights. Often spanning one to three years, the President’s Key Goals are the operational goals developed and revised annually that align with the strategic priorities. As part of the annual review and planning process with the Board of Visitors, the President, in concert with his executive leadership team and the Board of Visitors, develops a set of Key Goals to make progress on the Strategic Priorities.

Strategic Priority #1 – Being the Change at Work and in the World. We will be an innovative engine powering student lifelong learning and providing the skill sets and solutions that education, business, government, healthcare, design industries and other constituents have come to expect from JMU.

Corresponding President's Key Goals related to sustainability for 2023-24: The university will be an environmentally literate community whose members, individually and collectively, advance environmental sustainability. Measures of progress: Increase the number of students who perceive that our institution offers opportunities for students to develop awareness, knowledge, and understanding of environmental sustainability.

Corresponding President's Key Goals related to sustainability for 2024-25: Improve JMU’s environmental sustainability performance. Measures of progress: Improve the University's STARS score. Note that this goal extends beyond academics to other areas.

https://www.jmu.edu/pair/strategic-planning/advancing-current-objectives/strategic-priorities.shtml  

JMU Environmental Stewardship Action Plan

Sample objective under Academic Quality: Increase the number of students who perceive that our institution offers opportunities for students to develop awareness, knowledge, and understanding of environmental concepts. https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/ESAP.shtml


Engagement 

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Core Qualities and University Goals of JMU's Strategic Plan for 2020-2026 (Summer 2024 Update August 8, 2024)
 
Engagement. We build and expand engaged learning, civic engagement and community engagement so that we are more effective at creating meaning and helping to solve real-world problems.
 
Goal 7A: The university will address community priorities by being deeply embedded in local, regional and global communities through mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships to create student learning opportunities and align institutional practices.
 
Goal 7B: The university builds capacity to institutionalize voter education and engagement as a year-round endeavor, supports integration of civic learning in courses and academic programs, and advances civic learning and democratic engagement opportunities across Virginia and the nation.
Goal 7C: The university supports students’ skill development through engaged learning.
 
Goal 7D: The university will advance learning by reflecting the complete life and work of James Madison throughout its culture, courses, and programs. http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/corequalities/ 

Environmental Stewardship Action Plan

Sample objective under Engagement (subcategory: engaged learning): Increase the number of students the ISNW supports participating in a high impact practice related to the environment such as global learning, e-portfolios, first-year seminars, internships, learning communities, service projects, undergraduate research, conference presentations, or writing-intensive courses.  https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/ESAP.shtml


Operations

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Core Qualities and University Goals of JMU's Strategic Plan for 2020-2026 (Summer 2024 Update August 8, 2024)

Fiscal and Facility Stewardship. We develop diversified revenues, build and maintain useful and attractive facilities and leverage innovative technologies to achieve our goals.

Goal 10B: 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. http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/corequalities/ 

 

Facilities Management Sustainability Plan for 2024-2026

Samples:

Goal 1: Improve building technology and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Objective 3: Revise JMU Construction Guidelines to establish guidelines requiring that new capital projects demonstrate a greater than 10% improvement in the proposed building energy performance compared to minimum code requirements.

Goal 4: Support the use of alternative fuels in the University’s Fleet and multimodal transportation options available to faculty, staff, and students.

Objective 1: Expand the use and support of alternative transportation to reduce emissions from student commuting.

https://www.jmu.edu/facmgt/sustainability/sustainability-plan.shtml 


Administration

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Core Qualities and University Goals of JMU's Strategic Plan for 2020-2026 (Summer 2024 Update August 8, 2024)

Access, Inclusivity and Diversity. We embrace access, inclusivity and diversity because they are the foundational cornerstones of equitable experiences leading to an outstanding education and environment for students, faculty and staff.

Goal 2A: The university will cultivate a campus climate of inclusive excellence and belonging.

Goal 2B: The university will implement policies, programs and practices to increase the inclusive excellence of students, faculty and staff.

Goal 2C: The university will expand access and build bridges to cross existing socioeconomic, geographic, learning and/or other barriers to participation in academic pursuits and campus activities.

Goal 2D: The university will strengthen its ability to compete for students and expand access by annually increasing scholarship offerings and reducing average student debt.

Goal 2E: The university will value a culture of inclusivity and sense of belonging in teaching, research and service.

Goal 2F: The university’s approach to recruitment and retention will be strategic and visionary, resulting in a student body that reflects the priorities of the Commonwealth, students and the university.

Goal 2G: The university will develop new initiatives and continue to expand support for the success of non-traditional students.

Health and Well-Being. We provide programs and services to help the JMU community develop their health and well-being so they thrive now and in the future.
 
Goal 5A: The university will provide high quality programs and services that challenge and support students in dimensions of wellness necessary to thrive.
 
Goal 5B: The university will provide high quality services to develop and maintain the physical health of our students, including fitness and exercise, medical care, and wellness practices.
 
Goal 5C: The university will create a campus environment that encourages students to have strong personal relationships, a healthy identity, and accountability for their choices.
 
Goal 5D: To foster health and wellbeing, the university will identify and provide tools and resources to assist staff as well as faculty who are drawn to JMU’s commitment to teaching and research.
 
Faculty & Staff Success. We foster a culture that supports healthy work-life integration as well as personal and professional growth for all faculty and staff. 
 
Goal 8A: The university will continue its commitment to the investment of resources to support a wide array of professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
 
 
Goal 8B: The university will support meaningful workplace involvement by providing faculty and staff with resources and opportunities to contribute to decision-making processes that impact their work.
 
 
Goal 8C: The university will be known as a preferred employer for higher education, attracting and retaining highly qualified faculty and staff.

https://www.jmu.edu/pair/strategic-planning/sustained-excellence/core-qualities-goals.shtml 


Part 2. Sustainability in institution’s highest guiding document

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

The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/jmu-strategic-plan/index.shtml

Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
Major theme

Optional Fields

The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
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Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
https://www.jmu.edu/facmgt/sustainability/sustainability-plan.shtml

Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
Yes

The formal statement in support of sustainability:
---

The institution’s definition of sustainability:

See https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/what-is-environmental-stewardship.shtml


Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) No
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter No
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability No
SDG Accord No
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment No
The Talloires Declaration (TD) Yes
UN Global Compact No
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's "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."

 

Signatory of University Global Coalition Agreement https://universityglobalcoalition.org/declaration/

 

 


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/corequalities/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

A Strategic Plan Performance Measures Dashboard is available at https://www.jmu.edu/pair/strategic-planning/performance-measures/sp_performance_measures.shtml 

The Summer 2024 version of the Strategic Plan is referenced.

There is a section (page 62) on sustainability in JMU's Campus Master Plan.  In that plan, under Planning Goals, one of the primary objectives surrounding the plan is "Emphasize sustainability as an integral aspect of campus planning, design and operations." https://www.jmu.edu/pair/strategic-planning/supporting-plans/jmu-master-plan-update-2017.pdf?jmu_redir=r_jmuplans 

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

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 at various levels are entered annually for internal use. Also, some programs that are in the tool are reported in other credits, such as under Diversity and Affordability.

JMU President's Key Goals for sustainability were adopted for 23-24 and 24-25 strategic planning, which elevated sustainability to a major theme.

Amanda Bodle, ISNW, verified and updated this credit on August 12, 2024.  


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.