| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.25 |
| Liaison | Audrey McSain |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Lehigh University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Katharine
Targett Gross Sustainability Officer Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
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. LEAG changed it's name to Lehigh Sustainability Council (LSC) in 2017
With the signing of Lehigh’s Climate Commitment in 2009, LSC took the lead on articulating the goals. LSC advocated for sustainability staff and in 2010, Lehigh hired it's first sustainability staff person. In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, LSC 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 Sustainable Initiative Grant, which provides small grants to students, faculty and staff to fund sustainability projects.
Website URL: https://sustainability.lehigh.edu/LSC
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):
Alec Bodzin, Environmental Initiative Representative (faculty)
Alex Radus, Office of the General Counsel Representative (staff)
Alyssa Milrod, Undergraduate Student Representative (student)
Andrew Januszak, Library Technology Services Representative (staff)
Audrey McSain, Ad-Hoc Office of Sustainability Representative (staff)
Barbara Malt, College of Arts and Sciences Representative (faculty)
Benjamin Davis, Graduate Student Representative (student)
Bill Hunter, Office of International Affairs Representative (staff)
Brent Stringellow, Facilities Services Campus Planning Consulting Member (staff)
Doug Spengel, Facilities Services Representative (staff)
Dr. Rudy Shankar, At Large Faculty/Energy Systems Institute (faculty)
Erin Karahuta, Research Integrity Office (staff)
Esther Linstrom, College of Education Representative (faculty)
Jason Gall, Athletic Facilities and Events Representative (staff)
Jessica DeSantis-Berg, Admissions (staff)
John Fox, College of Engineering and Applied Science Representative (faculty)
Karen Pooley, Co-Chair, At Large Staff (faculty)
Kate Cassidy, Communication/Consulting Member (staff)
Katharine Targett Gross, Co-Chair (staff)
Lawrence ‘Ozzie” Breiner, Student Auxiliary Services (staff)
Mark Ironside, Co-Chair/Consulting member (staff)
Miki Sankary, Development and Alumni Relations (staff)
Nicole McCallum, Graduate Student Representative (student)
Patricia A. Johnson, Senior Officer Representative/Consulting Member (staff)
Shamell Brandon, Student Affairs Representative (staff)
Wasti Kahn, Undergraduate Student Representative (student)
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
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):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
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)?:
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:
2018
Installation of an electric vehicle charging station (with two ports) on level one of the Alumni Memorial parking garage
Established partnership with LANTA on a joint agreement so that Lehigh students, faculty and staff can ride on LANTA buses for free
Installation of 27 sets of Big Belly solar compacting trash and recycling bins throughout campus
Sixth year participation in Recyclemania
2017
Campus Sustainability Plan 2020 released and officially communicated to campus
Transportation & Parking Services acquired an electric vehicle for parking enforcement and an electric bus
Completed Comprehensive Waste Management Plan for campus
President Simon signed the Real Food Campus Commitment
Fifth year participation in RecycleMania
2016
Campus Sustainability Plan 2020 adopted
Rathbone achieved Green Restaurant Certification
Eco-Rep program expanded with specific coordinator roles
Sustainability Program Manager hired
Fourth year participation in RecycleMania
2015
Achieved 10% Real Food (local, ecological, fairtrade, humane)
Lehigh partnered with the community on planting fruit trees along the Greenway and launched the Ambassadors program
Themed semesters were adopted in the Eco-Reps Program
Third year participation in RecycleMania
2014
First water bottle refilling stations installed on campus: Taylor Gym, University Center, Rauch Business Center, E.W. Fairchild-Martindale Library
Joined Pennsylvania Collegiate Green Sports Consortium
Alumni Memorial Building received 8 new waste stations
Second year participation in RecycleMania
2013
Sustainability Plan Progress Report Published
First Game Day Challenge held on October 19th
Sustainability Program Coordinator hired
First RecycleMania competition participation
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:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.