| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.71 |
| Liaison | Greg Kozak |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
Northwestern University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Sarah
Tulga Sustainability Program Coordinator Facilities |
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 governance structure of the sustainability program at Northwestern is as follows.
Executive Steering Committee > Sustainability Council > Working Groups
The Executive Steering Committee is made up of members of the University’s senior leadership and administration. The executive steering committee provides high-level oversight and ensures sustainability initiatives are directly aligned with the University’s goals.
Under the guidance of the Office of the President, Northwestern convened the Sustainability Council, it is charged with leading implementation and overseeing progress on this Strategic Sustainability Plan. The Council is co-chaired by the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and sustainNU. Membership is comprised of the Associated Student Government Sustainability Vice President, the Faculty Senate and co-chairs from each of sustainNU's working groups. This group will ensure that the efforts of the various working groups are coordinated, on track, and aligned with the goals outlined in this Strategic Sustainability Plan.
The Working Groups are made up of students, faculty, and staff members across schools and administrative units. Each working group is focused on planning and implementing initiatives aimed at achieving the goals outlined in the Strategic Sustainability Plan. Each working group has two co-chairs who sit on the Sustainability Council. There are five working groups for each program area identified in the Strategic Sustainability Plan.
The working groups are:
• Built Environment (energy, renewable energy, infrastructure, water and greenhouse gas emissions);
• Transportation (commuting and campus travel, cycling, and electric vehicles);
• Resource Conservation (waste, purchasing, and food programs);
• Experiential Learning (the cultivation of a living-learning laboratory environment) and Communications and Engagement (faculty and staff, student, and community engagement).
The working groups will tackle the implementation actions and strategies stated in the Implementation Roadmap over the next five years and will report progress to the Sustainability Council on a quarterly basis. The working groups will meet monthly to assess the status of these initiatives to ensure bi-annual communication to the Executive Steering Committee and the campus community.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Sustainability Steering Committee:
-University President
-Executive Vice Presidents
-Provost
-Deans of all schools
-Associated Student Government President
-Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern Director
- Director of Sustainability
Sustainability Council:
-Director of Sustainability
-Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern
-Associated Student Government Vice President for Sustainability
-Working Group co-chairs
Working Groups:
-Mix of staff, faculty, and students from diverse backgrounds within the University
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Northwestern Office of Sustainability was created in 2011 to serve the needs of students, faculty and staff in both operations and curriculum and is now referred to as sustainNU. See description above for more detail.
Full-time equivalent 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?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Sustainability Council, with support of the Working Groups, developed the Strategic Sustainability Plan, published in fall of 2017. The Council and Working Groups meet to assess progress on the objectives in the SSP and to consider next steps. Accomplishments are outlined in our Year in Review Sustainability Reports.
https://www.northwestern.edu/sustainability/program-areas/annual-report/index.html
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
The Director of Sustainability is tasked with developing and implementing the Strategic Sustainability Plan, facilitating the Sustainability Council and leading the Office of Sustainability.
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):
The Associate Director of Sustainability supports the development and implementation of Northwestern's Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP), managing sustainability programs and resource management operations.
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):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.