Portland State University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Resiliency Task Force: Second Nature has created the Climate Resilient Urban Campuses and Communities as an extension of its Climate Leadership Network (formerly American Colleges and Universities’ Climate Commitment) to 1). Create a campus/community task force or introduce the resilience planning framework into an existing campus/community structure, and 2). Complete a resilience capacity assessment including preliminary progress indicators. The framework recommends focusing on what our campuses and communities do well and where we want our future communities to be before addressing vulnerabilities in order to develop a strong, positive, capable, and inclusive identity. The Portland cluster currently has PSU, MHCC, the City of Portland, and PSU’s Portland Climate Action Collaborative on board and are solidifying contacts with the Downtown Neighborhood Association and the City of Gresham. Community engagement through outreach and events over the course of the two-year grant will broaden the scope of the assessment, and ensure inclusion and equity as main tenets throughout the process. Over the next two years, CRUX Portland will be piloting Second Nature’s Resilience Planning Framework to determine campus and community resilience capacity through knowledge sharing and community collaboration.

Resiliency Task Force: Thea Kindschuh, CRUX Portland Project Coordinator Jenny McNamara, PSU Sustainability Manager Jason Franklin, PSU Director for Planning Beth Gilden, PSU Program Manager Institute for Sustainable Solutions Charles George, MHCC Director of Facilities Management Troy Builta, MHCC Sustainability Coordinator Michele Crim, City of Portland BPS Sustainability Manager Anne O'Neil, Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association

The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) is housed within Finance and Administration and aligns operations, policies, and planning with university conservation and sustainability goals. Core Functions of CSO: -Lead planning efforts to ensure continuous improvement in resource conservation -Benchmark PSU's sustainability performance -Facilitate collaboration and build capacity to implement sustainability projects -Support students, faculty & staff in becoming conservation leaders Institute for Sustainable Solutions:The Institute for Sustainable Solutions (ISS) is a hub for sustainability at Portland State, supporting interdisciplinary research, curriculum development, student leadership, and meaningful community partnerships. ISS matches the passion and expertise of Portland State University faculty and students with the experience and needs of community groups, government agencies, and businesses to develop practical solutions for more equitable, livable, sustainable cities and regions. Focus areas include: -Climate Resilient Cities -Healthy Neighborhoods -Sustainable Housings & Transportation Student Sustainability Center:The Student Sustainability Center (SSC) offers transformational hands-on learning experience on campus and in the community. Their mission is to connect sustainability and student life at PSU, and programs are open to any student enrolled at PSU. The SSC is managed by one full-time staff, a graduate assistant and student staff.

Committees: Living Lab Team, Dining Services Task Force, Promotional items task force, Green Revolving Fund Task Force, Waste Reduction Task force. Offices: Campus Sustainability Office, Student Sustainability Center, Institute for Sustainable Solutions Officer: Campus Sustainability Director, Director of ISS, and Student Sustainability Coordinator Accomplishments of various offices: -Energy Conservation guidelines -Approval and budgeting to seek LEED O+M certification for at least one campus building (one certified already) -Development of a carbon offset for air travel -Tree care plan, IPM plan, Tree Campus USA certification -Living lab project selection and development -Sustainable Procurement and Life-Cycle Consideration Policy -Involvement with all new capital building projects -Involvement with hiring of high level officers in other departments -Environmental stewardship statement on all job postings -Revision of dining services contract for sustainable food procurement -Revision of custodial contract for green cleaners and other sustainability features -All Gender Restroom Standards - Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative -Student fellowship program - Social Sustainability Month, Cultural Sustainability Tour - Development of Sustainability Scholars program - Graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems -Graduate certificate in Energy Policy & Management

The Campus Sustainability Director provides campus leadership for institutionalizing sustainable practices in campus operations, policies, and contracts. This position also oversees efforts to benchmark sustainability performance, facilitate collaboration, and provide resources for campus conservation. The Sustainability Director works in conjunction with the Institute of Sustainable Solutions and the Sustainability Leadership Center to connect academic and operational efforts to spur innovative approaches to campus sustainability. In addition, the Sustainability Manager focuses efforts on achieving the goals and objectives the Climate Action Plan.

Robert works with the ISS staff and PSU faculty, students, and community partners to advance the Institute’s research, academic, and community service agendas and to attract the resources needed to increase the impact of ISS

Coordinator, Student Sustainability Center - Coordinates student leadership and engagement activities with emphasis on Enrollment Management and Student Affairs division. Manages student staff, leadership fellows and volunteers. Facilitates progress toward Center's strategic plan, learning outcomes, assessment, and programmatic improvements. Manages initiatives including campus garden education programming, apiary, events, and leadership fellows program. Supports student-related data gathering for sustainability assessments and certifications. Partners with Student Affairs departments to offer opportunities for students and departments to connect with sustainability opportunities.