| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 47.06 |
| Liaison | Daniela Shebitz |
| Submission Date | Dec. 11, 2023 |
Kean University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Daniela
Shebitz Professor Environmental and Sustainability Sciences |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
New College Campaign
https://www.kean.edu/news/architecture-students-helping-redesign-florida-college?utm_source=Publicate&utm_medium=email&utm_content=...&utm_campaign=Kean+News+2-22-23
AASHE - Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
NJHEPS - New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability - https://www.ramapo.edu/njheps/
Sustainable Jersey - A Kean Senior VP is on the Board of Trustees https://www.sustainablejersey.com/about/board-of-trustees/
Engage NJ - https://www.engagenj.org/
NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative https://nj-crc.org/
Other Sustainability Partners are listed here: https://www.kean.edu/our-partners-and-affiliations
NJ Sustainable Business Council
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Sustainable NJ
Garden State Agrihood Project
Capital City Farm Initiative
Lead in Drinking Water Taskforce, Jersey Water Works (NJ Futures)
Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs Steering Committee. (NJ Futures)
Housing Community Development of Network of NJ (HCDNNJ) - Rent Coalition
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
• Two faculty members and four students presented a paper that integrated sustainable agriculture (hydroponics) and education at the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education, AASHE 2022 Conference.
Authors: Mu, D., O. Despaigne*, E. Bustamante*, J. Cruz*, D. Vargas, D. Shebitz. 2022. Title of Paper: An Educational Program on Organic Waste Composting and Compost End Use at Kean University.
• Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Conference (7/8-7/12/2023) Title of Paper: Rethinking belonging in multi-risk communities of the green and climate-resilient city. Author: Galia Shokry
A postdoctoral fellow presented a paper that examined adaptation planning and place- and GRI-making in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood facing mounting climate risks. The paper asks: How are collective senses of belonging shaped and (re)configured through green climate-resilient infrastructure? What do those pathways of belonging mean for urban climate justice? The analysis uncovers three ways climate urbanism shapes belonging into various alienated, subordinated, assimilated and emancipated forms.
• American Center for Life Cycle Assessment 2022 Conference (Nov 7-11). Dr. Dongyan Mu presented an NSF-funded project: Establishing Life Cycle Inventory for Vegetables Produced in Hydroponics Farms in New Jersey.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
Title of the report: An institutional-wide educational campaign and research to promote food waste recycling and composting at Kean University
Submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection after awarded grant period.
Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Dr. Michael Salvatore, Senior Vice President of Administration, Kean University, is on the Board of Trustees of Sustainable Jersey. The Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees oversees the work of the non-profit organization Sustainable Jersey which includes the municipal Sustainable Jersey certification program and the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program.
Dr. Daniela Shebitz, Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Science Department is a Vice President of the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS), a statewide consortium of colleges and universities that is dedicated to integrating sustainability into academics and operations across the state. She is also the President of the Society of Ethnobiology, which relates to human interactions with their environment (https://ethnobiology.org/).
Dr. Galia Shokry is appointed to the Academia sector of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council (EJAC) which serves as an advisory body to the Commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. She participates in the Land and Environmental Education and Communications working groups. "EJAC is committed to the basic tenet set forth by the Environmental Justice Movement that all communities, regardless of their racial, ethnic, or economic composition, are entitled to equal protection from the consequences of environmental hazards. Accordingly, EJAC provides a valuable forum for discussions about integrating Environmental Justice into DEP’s programs, policies, and activities. EJAC members represent broad-based constituents and geography. This statewide, diverse representation provides guidance, builds DEP’s capacity and improves its support of the state’s Environmental Justice constituents and stakeholders. Through the established working groups: Environmental Education and Communications (EEC), Air, Land, and Water, each member of EJAC focuses directly and primarily on the issue(s) for which his/her working group was created."
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?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
Dr. Daniela Shebitz, Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Science Department is the external evaluator for sustainability programs including Stockton University, Raritan Valley Community College, and Kutztown University. Through these evaluations, she works with the colleges on enhancing their sustainability bachelor's degree programs.
Dr. Karen Woodruff (College of Education) helps K-12 educators develop climate change curricula through the New Jersey Science Educators Leadership Association.
Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.