| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Richard Manton |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2024 |
Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Richard
Manton Director of Sustainability Sustainability Office |
Sustainability committee(s)
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The Community and University Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) was established in 2015 under the direction of the Deputy President and Registrar to showcase how a university can become a role model for the transition to a sustainable future.
CUSP is a multi-disciplinary, voluntary team of students and staff from across the campus and community partners all working together with the common aim of establishing the university as a leading institutional model for sustainability.
CUSP comprises a General Board, Executive Board, Working Groups and an Advisory Board. This governance structure is built around the implementation of the University of Galway Sustainability Strategy 2021-2025 and is outlined in the CUSP terms of reference. CUSP is supported by the staff of the Sustainability Office.
The CUSP General Board plays a leading role in the development and implementation of the Sustainability Strategy, aligning all our major efforts with the SDGs, including education, research, leadership, operational and engagement activities. CUSP has four working groups: Research & Learning, Nature & Ecosystems, Sustainable Living, and Governance & Leadership.
The University Sustainability Advisory Board provides strategic oversight of the University’s commitment to sustainability, demonstrates leadership and recommends for approval and drives forward sustainability-related policies, procedures and action plans. The University Sustainability Advisory Board is chaired by the Deputy President & Registrar.
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability/aboutus/thecuspteam/
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
The CUSP General Board member constituency is intended to broadly represent all campus constituencies; and provide expertise in operations, teaching & learning, research, student life, health and wellbeing, nature and ecosystems, marketing, communication, engagement and community.
For a new member to join the CUSP General Board, a proposal is presented to the Chair and the proposal is raised as an agenda item at the next CUSP meeting for approval among members.
The CUSP General Board consists of the following members:
o Chairperson
o Secretary (Sustainability Officer)
o Representative from the Community Knowledge Initiative
o Up to 2 Representatives from Local Community Groups
o Student Union President and nominated Vice-President
o 3 Representatives from Student Societies (to be nominated by Students Union Societies Chairperson)
o Director of Financial Accounting
o Director of Student Services
o Senior Marketing Officer
o Innovation and Engagement Officer
o Representative from Information Services
o Manager of Commercial Services
o Environmental Health & Safety Officer
o Head of Facilities Management & Services
o Head of Business Support Services
o Head of Buildings Services, Utilities and Energy
o Assistant Director, Estates Operation
o Representative(s) from each of the Schools
o Representative from each Research Institute
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability/aboutus/thecuspteam/
Sustainability office(s)
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Sustainability Office leads and promotes sustainability in all aspects of University learning and research, culture, operations and governance structures, and empowers our diverse communities of staff, students and partners to co-create tomorrow's sustainable campus and deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. The Office reports to the Deputy President & Registrar.
The Sustainability Office comprises:
- Director of Sustainability
- Community & University Sustainability Officer
- Sustainability Accountant
- Sustainability Administrator
- 2 x Lecturers in Sustainability & ESD
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability/aboutus/sustainabilityoffice/
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Sustainability officer(s)
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Institution-wide coordination
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
University of Galway is the number one university in Ireland and top 50 in the world for sustainable development for the third year in a row. The accolade has been awarded by Times Higher Education Impact rankings in recognition of the University’s progress in responding to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The University is also very proud to have the most biodiverse campus in Ireland, the Green Campus flag, a STARS Gold Rating, Excellence in Sustainability Award, and to be the first university in Ireland to be an SDG Ambassador.
Optional Fields
Job description (1st position)
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
• Lead the Sustainability Office including its principal staff members, the CUSP
General and Executive Boards and the input from its dedicated Sustainability
Champions.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and campus committees
to advance NUI Galway leadership in sustainability on campus and beyond.
• In conjunction with the Climate Officer, oversee preparation of annual greenhouse
gas emissions inventory and carbon footprint report.
• Responsible for the university’s Sustainability Risk Register and the development
of the sustainability risk assessment procedure. Work with units across the
university to include sustainability risks within unit risk registers.
• Lead the development of an annual sustainability implementation plan, annual
sustainability report and operational and implementation plans for colleges and
units.
• Play a leading role in providing baseline reports on current efforts, articulating
goals and strategies for improvement, and publishing online annual operational
plans, targets and impacts with a view to promoting NUI Galway’s ambition to lead
on sustainability.
• Disseminate results and analysis of progress toward carbon neutrality, and overall
campus sustainability to UMT via the Deputy President and Registrar and Údarás
na hOllscoile via the Standing & Strategic Planning Committee.
• Lead the effort to develop and update NUI Galway’s sustainability strategy and
sustainability implementation plan in order to include all aspects of the campus’s
sustainability efforts.
• Prepare NUI Galway’s Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System
(STARS) submission; update the submission annually to keep its information
current; disseminate and communicate its results; identify means and methods for
continuous improvement.
• Providing leading supports to other sustainability related external rating
programmes, for example, Sustainability Tracking Assessing and Rating Systems
(STARS); Times Higher Education Societal Impact Ranking in conjunction with
Institutional Planning and Research office and; An Taisce Green Campus in
conjunction with Buildings and Estates office.
• Direct and facilitate sustainability initiatives in teaching and learning, research
operations and engagement by providing information and assistance to Colleges
and operating units.
• Be a leader in the sustainability related academic mission of the University. Act as
the liaison between academics and operations at NUI Galway in order to create a
living laboratory environment for students around sustainability topics.
• Aid in the implementation and development of educational materials by providing
support to students, faculty, and staff for the development of course content,
academic projects, presentations, and experiential opportunities related to
sustainability.
• Be a leader in supporting and facilitating opportunities for student engagement in
sustainability including orientation, clubs societies, collaboration with the Dean of
Students and Students Union.
• Work with the Communications and Press Office to promote coverage of
sustainability at NUI Galway and serve as the primary contact for media and wider
community on sustainability issues. Oversee the production of internal and
external sustainability communications.
• Oversee the office of sustainability budget, including forecasting, tracking, and
verification.
• Provide supervisory guidance to staffing levels, training programs, and in planning
the use of resources to ensure that the college achieves sustainability goals.
• Oversee supervision of student interns and research assistants.
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability/aboutus/
Job description (2nd position)
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
• Take a lead role in the implementation of the NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy 2021-
2025 and subsequent strategies thereafter.
• Build relationships with key staff whose responsibility is that the 25 prioritised areas
will be embedded, by the end of the Sustainability Strategy 2025.
• Create and implement the NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy beyond 2025 with
support from the Sustainability Office and the wider university and local communities.
• Working in conjunction with Colleges, Schools and operating units, play a lead role in
developing the NUI Galway Annual Sustainability Report and reporting NUI Galway
progress on the implementation of the SDG framework.
• The Community and University Sustainability Officer shall be Secretary to the
University Sustainability Advisory Board, the Executive Board and the CUSP
General Board with responsibility for maintaining records and minutes of meetings.
• Develop sustainability activities with local external actors, especially Saolta University
Healthcare Group and Galway City Council, whose activities impact on NUI Galway,
and local industry and communities interested in practical sustainability solutions.
• Drive the external communication of NUI Galway’s sustainability strategy and align the
brand of the university with the concept of sustainability.
• Represent NUI Galway in the developing network of universities and local national and
international organisations promoting and advancing sustainability and the UN SDG
framework.
• Act as an Ambassador for sustainability at the University.
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability/aboutus/
Job description (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.