Overall Rating Bronze
Overall Score 40.09
Liaison Allison Jenks
Submission Date March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

New Mexico State University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Allison Jenks
Facilities Sustainability Manager
Facilities and Services
"---" 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 NMSU Sustainability Policy and Oversight Council will seek to address the Global Challenge of Sustainability. The Council will work to identify emerging the growing opportunities for collaboration among academic and administrative units, as well as with the city and state, while offering the campus as a learning lab for students and faculty to work with administration on increased operational sustainability.

The Council will ensure regular progress is made to achieve NMSU's 2050 Climate Neutrality Goal and will seek advice from the University Administrative Council (UAC) and related groups (e.g. Energy Cabinet, Faculty Senate, ASNMSU and Employee Council). The metrics collected will be reported bother internally and externally e.g STARS.

The council will meet at five times per academic year and the meetings are open to non-members.


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:

- Co-Chair - Rolando Flores (ACES)
- Co-Chair - Lakshmi Reddi (ENG)

- Melina Burnside (ASNMSU)
- Steve Bettner (Auxiliary Services)
- Reed Burgette (Geological Sciences)
- Carol Campbell (Geography)
- David Dubois (Plant, Env. Sciences)
- Jack Kirby (Safety Risk Mgmt.)
- Norma Grijalva (ICT)
- Gaurav Jha (Student, ACES)
- Ruth Johnston (Vice Chancellor)
- Lisa LaRocque (Sustainability Officer, Las Cruces)
- Alton Looney (Facilities & Services)
- Jalal Rastegary (ENG)
- Kim Rumford (Budget)
- Wayne Savage (Arrowhead Center)
- Angelica Swanson (Student, ACES)
- Mary Beth Worley (DACC)
- Alexander Warner-Garrett (Student)
- Heather Watenpaugh (Architect)

- Staff Support - Lauren Goldstein (Chancellor’s Office)
- Staff Support - Allison Jenks (Facilities & Services)


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

A brief description of each sustainability office:

The Office of Sustainability develops policies and guidelines for protecting natural resources, reducing the university's ecological footprint and ensuring accountability for green building and low impact development.

The role of the Office of Sustainability is to:

- Develop policies and guidelines for protecting natural resources, reduce the University’s ecological footprint, and ensure accountability for green building and low-impact development in NMSU’s ongoing capital improvement program
- Coordinate environmental sustainability initiatives on issues ranging from climate change to recycling and water conservation
- Work with faculty, staff, and students to enhance NMSU’s environmental literacy and awareness through academic programs and educational outreach activities
- Identify and steward sustainability initiatives that maximize the environmental and financial performance of the university
- Infuse sustainability principles into new construction, renovations, standards, plans, and studies
- Integrate sustainability into energy management, operations, maintenance, grounds-keeping, solid waste removal, and cleaning practices
- Develop and maintain tools, metrics, and indicators for assessing progress toward sustainability goals
- Coordinate, support, and lead utility conservation and recycling initiatives
- Assist administrators with the development of policies related to sustainability
- Serve as an adviser to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Services, the University Architect, and the Campus Planning Committee on issues of sustainability
- Integrate sustainability into curricula and building operations and support student environmental projects and initiatives
- Support and work with sustainability issues that use the campus as a laboratory for learning about sustainability
- Advise and be a resource for individual students and student groups engaging in sustainability issues and projects


Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
1

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Allison Jenks - Facilities Sustainability Manager

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
Yes

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

Charter: The NMSU Sustainability Policy and Oversight Council will seek to address the Global Challenge of Sustainability. The Council will work to identify emerging and growing opportunities for collaboration among academic and administrative units, as well as with the city and state, while offering the campus as a learning lab for students and faculty to work with administration on increased operational sustainability.
Purpose: Comprised of individuals from administrative departments, academic units, student groups, as well as members from the community college campuses the Council will coordinate with faculty, students, and staff—as individuals, in groups and committees—across the university system to gather information about ongoing sustainability activities and measures and communicate progress. The metrics collected will be reported both internally and externally, e.g. STARS.
The Council will ensure regular progress is made to achieve NMSU’s 2050 Climate Neutrality Goal and will seek advice from University Administrative Council (UAC) and related groups (e.g. Energy Cabinet, Faculty Senate, ASNMSU and Employee Council.)
The Council reports to the chancellor, and as necessary, the Board of Regents and will meet five times per academic year (September/October, November, January/February, March, April/May). The meetings are open to non-members.


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Facilities Sustainability Manager

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:

The Office of Sustainability (OoS) is responsible for developing policies and guidelines for protecting natural resources, reducing the university's ecological footprint and ensuring accountability for green building and low impact development.

The role of the Office of Sustainability is to:

- Develop policies and guidelines for protecting natural resources, reduce the University’s ecological footprint, and ensure accountability for green building and low-impact development in NMSU’s ongoing capital improvement program
- Coordinate environmental sustainability initiatives on issues ranging from climate change to recycling and water conservation
- Work with faculty, staff, and students to enhance NMSU’s environmental literacy and awareness through academic programs and educational outreach activities
- Identify and steward sustainability initiatives that maximize the environmental and financial performance of the university
- Infuse sustainability principles into new construction, renovations, standards, plans, and studies
- Integrate sustainability into energy management, operations, maintenance, grounds-keeping, solid waste removal, and cleaning practices
- Develop and maintain tools, metrics, and indicators for assessing progress toward sustainability goals
- Coordinate, support, and lead utility conservation and recycling initiatives
- Assist administrators with the development of policies related to sustainability
- Serve as an adviser to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Services, the University Architect, and the Campus Planning Committee on issues of sustainability
- Integrate sustainability into curricula and building operations and support student environmental projects and initiatives
- Support and work with sustainability issues that use the campus as a laboratory for learning about sustainability
- Advise and be a resource for individual students and student groups engaging in sustainability issues and projects


Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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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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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.