Missouri State University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Sustainability Advisory Committee meets once a month through the academic year, (August to May). In the past three years, the Sustainability Advisory Committee has accomplished numerous goals. These accomplishments include hiring a full-time sustainability coordinator, implementing Green Teams, participating in Campus Conservation Nationals 2014 to achieve a 9.1% reduction in energy over 3 weeks, earning Tree Campus USA, hiring a sustainability graduate assistant, authoring and circulating a sustainability newsletter, creating Energy Star and EPA Water Sense purchasing policies, conducting a sustainability literacy assessment, adopting native plant and wildlife policies, completing energy efficiency upgrades like LED lighting and expanding the chilled water loop, creating a Facilities revolving loan fund up to $200,000, developing an energy program policy, and adopting formal short- and long-term goals.

Sustainability Advisory Committee Charge: Develop recommendations for new sustainability initiatives and for improving current sustainability initiatives. Develop realistic strategies to increase our use of renewable energy so that the University becomes less dependent on coal over time, keeping in mind that recommendations for increasing the use of renewable energy must come with an estimated funding cost. Develop strategies to promote sustainability initiatives across our state and region. Research what our peer universities and sister universities in Missouri are doing related to sustainability initiatives. The Sustainability Advisory Committee has three subcommittees to help carry out this mission: Energy, Benchmark, and Goal Watching. Energy Subcommittee: Promotes campus energy conservation through efficiencies and education. Educates campus and surrounding community on energy conservation. Analyzes trends and develops proposals for energy projects for review by Facilities Management. Develops energy saving projects for implementation as funded by a revolving loan fund, student Sustainability Fund monies, and other sources. Explores new technologies including renewable energy both on campus and from our energy providers. Promotes energy initiatives statewide and researches best practices from our peer institutions and other in-state universities. Reports to Sustainability Advisory Committee regularly. Benchmark Subcommittee: Prepares a summary of which agreements have been signed by our benchmark institutions and sister institutions in the state of Missouri. Prepares a summary of accomplishments from each institution noted above related to the agreements signed (President's Climate Commitment and the Beyond Coal Commitment). Prepare a summary of AASHE membership and AASHE STARS ratings for all benchmark institutions and sister institutions in the state of Missouri. Summary will be updated annually. Goal Watching Subcommittee: Committee will monitor the Sustainability Advisory Committee’s list of goals and prepare a quarterly summary of accomplishments. Committee will present annual report summary to Sustainability Advisory Committee by September each year for approval at the October meeting.

Ken McClure, Vice President for Administrative and Information Services, committee Co-Chair Tammy Jahnke, Dean, College of Natural and Applied Science, committee Co-Chair Jordan Schanda, Sustainability Coordinator Bill Cheek, Faculty Emeritus Jennifer Cox, Associate Director, Facilities Management Nicki Donnelson, Public Relations Specialist, University Communications Anson Elliott, Department Head, Agriculture Teresa Frederick, Assistant Director Residence Life Housing and Dining Services Max Wagner, Chief Sustainability Commissioner, Student Government Association Terrel Gallaway, Professor, Economics Janice Greene, Professor, Biology Tony Hein, Director of Operations, Dining Services Jordan McGee, Student Government Association President Emma Donovan, Students for a Sustainable Future President Brad Kielhofner, University Engineer, Associate Director of Planning, Design & Construction Timothy Hogenkamp, Director of Sustainability, Student Government Association Mike Kromrey, Executive Director, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks Barbara Lucks, Sustainability Officer for Department of Environmental Services, City of Springfield Tina McManus, Controller, Financial Services Matt Morris, Associate Vice President for Administrative and Information Services Joe Pitts, Executive Director for James River Basin Partnership Jordan McGee, President, Student Government Association Cara Shaefer, Director, Energy Management and Conservation, City Utilities David Vaughan, Director, Environmental Management, Environmental Health and Safety

The sustainability office works collaboratively with all units of campus to implement and communicate sustainability initiatives. Employees include a full-time Sustainability Coordinator, full-time Environmental Management Technician / Recycling Coordinator, part-time Graduate Assistant (2013-2014), and three part-time student recycling workers. The sustainability office is within Environmental Management, under Administrative and Information Services.

The Sustainability Coordinator works collaboratively with administration, faculty, staff, and students to develop, coordinate, and promote effective sustainability initiatives to reduce the University’s impact on the environment. Responsibilities include educating the University community about sustainability and coordinating campus programming and activities related to sustainability, performing research about sustainability, and annual reporting. The Recycling Coordinator works collaboratively with administration, faculty, staff and students to assist in developing, coordinating, and promoting recycling in academic buildings on the Springfield campus to reduce the University’s impact on the environment. Responsibilities include helping to educate the University community and coordinating recycling activities, programs, related research, and annual reporting.

For more detail about specific duties and outcomes of the sustainability office, refer to the following job descriptions: Job Description for Sustainability Coordinator http://www.missouristate.edu/human/jobdescriptions/167884.htm Job Description for Recycling Coordinator http://www.missouristate.edu/human/jobdescriptions/52088.htm