Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.46
Liaison Audrey McSain
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Lehigh University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Katharine Targett Gross
Sustainability Officer
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:

The Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group (LEAG) was formed in 2008 by President Alice Gast to advise the university leadership on ways to improve sustainability on campus.

With the signing of Lehigh’s Climate Commitment in 2009, LEAG took the lead on articulating the goals. In that vein, LEAG has worked with many groups and offices on campus to support the implementation of single-stream recycling; recycling of used engine oil, antifreeze and vehicle tires; the compilation of a Greenhouse Gas inventory; the use of recycled papers and soy-based inks; and increasing the number of "green" office supply purchases. Other initiatives include the creation of the Lehigh Community Garden at the Goodman campus, and the creation of the Green Fund, which provides small grants to students, faculty and staff to fund sustainability projects.

Website URL: http://sustainability.lehigh.edu/lehigh-environmental-advisory-group


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):

Alec Bodzin - faculty
Shamell Brandon - Counseling Center, staff
Jason Gall - Athletic Facilities & Events Representative
Ozzie Breiner - Residential Services, staff
Delicia Nahman - Sustainability Officer, Staff
Jessica DeSantis-Berg - Admission, Staff
Barbara Malt - Faculty
Mark Ironside - LEAG Co-Chair, Director of Business Services, staff
Daisy Dai - Faculty Representative
Patricia A. Johnson - VP of Finance and Administration, staff
Jane Le - Undergraduate Representative, student
Andrew Januszak - LTS Representative, staff
Lauren Stralo - Communications, staff


Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:

Lehigh University is focused on advancing the intellectual footprint of the university while treading lightly environmentally and advocating equitably. With a distinctive position to make significant contributions in social equity environmental stewardship and economic prosperity, Lehigh's Office of Sustainability is committed to integrating sustainability throughout the university.

The Office of Sustainability was created to centralize sustainability initiatives and reduce Lehigh's environmental footprint. The Office of Sustainability encourages and facilitates sustainability efforts of students, faculty, and staff and initiates programs that contribute to a sustainable Lehigh.

Website URL: https://sustainability.lehigh.edu/


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
2

Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Delicia Nahman, Sustainability Officer; Katharine Targett Sustainability Program Coordinator

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:

Lehigh established an environmental advisory committee in 2008. Since then, a Sustainability Office was started and two full time staff were hired.

Sustainability efforts have occurred on this campus for decades, but have solidified more recently. Initiatives include President Gast's Climate Commitment, the formation of the Environmental Initiative and a presidential advisory group - the Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group (LEAG) -- as well as the university's Strategic Plan, which includes a focus on addressing issues related to energy, environment and infrastructure.

In Spring 2011, a series of workshops were hosted by the university's first Sustainability Coordinator and the Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group (LEAG), which asked participants to envision a sustainable campus, share current practices, define sustainability metrics and create ambitious and measurable goals for the campus. In Spring 2012, Lehigh University adopted its first Campus Sustainability Plan. In May 2016, Lehigh adopted its Campus Sustainability Plan 2020 to advance the integration of environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic responsibility into our intellectual footprint. Below you will find additional achievements over the years:

2016

2nd Campus Sustainability Plan adopted
Website URL: https://sustainability.lehigh.edu/node/85

2013
Participated in RecycleMania competition

Sustainability Program Coordinator hired

2012

1st Campus Sustainability Plan adopted
2011
Alpha Phi composter installed
Campus Master Plan with Sustainable Design standards specifically mentioned
Sustainability Plan workshops throughout the university
2010
Green Fund formed
Sigma Epsilon composter installed
Lehigh Community Garden started
Eco-Rep Program started
Sustainability requirement added to Greek accreditation
Green Purchasing Guidelines created
Sustainability Coordinator hired
LVAIC Director of Sustainability Initiatives hired
2009
Climate Commitment signed
Recycling converted to Single Stream Recycling
Strategic Plan written which acknowledges Community Engagement, Energy, Infrastructure and the Environment as areas of particular interest
2008
LEAG formed
2007
Green House, a sustainability-themed student residential community, started


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Sustainability Officer

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Sustainability Program Coordinator

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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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:
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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.