| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.49 |
| Liaison | Angela Oberg |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2023 |
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Katie
Parrish Program Coordinator Office of Climate Action |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
To supplement and reduce demand on the bus system and reliance on single occupancy vehicles, Rutgers University Institutional Planning and Operations has been developing a network of Bicycle lanes and paths to connect the parts of the campus, which also intentionally link to surrounding paths and trails maintained by the area municipalities, the county and the state. This work by Rutgers supports the sustainability and transportation plans of surrounding communities. Of note, the university worked to develop bike lanes and paths through the Livingston district of the campus, which have become part of the East Coast Greenway, a walking and biking route that stretches 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. https://www.greenway.org/ Rutgers continues to work on expanding its bike path network, which requires advocacy to external public agencies and municipal governments which own right of way not controlled by the university.
Current bike maps- https://ipo.rutgers.edu/dots/biking-maps
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
Department of State Government Affairs (https://externalaffairs.rutgers.edu/state-government-affairs)
The Rutgers Department of State Government Affairs is the primary point of contact between Rutgers University and elected and other officials in the New Jersey Legislature, the executive branch, and others in Trenton. State Government Affairs supports Rutgers’ missions by advocating in person, by coordinating the sharing of Rutgers expertise in various important forums, and by providing awareness to internal stakeholders regarding developments in the state government.
State Government Affairs advocates for robust, on-going state investments for the Rutgers community, and the higher education community more broadly, primarily in: - Advocating for increased student aid, including Tuition Aid Grant (TAG), Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), Garden State Guarantee(https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-commits-greater-degree-accessibility-and-affordability-garden-state-guarantee).
- University-based research supported by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Commission on Cancer Research, among other state-based grantors.
- Service contract opportunities with various State departments, including Corrections, Environmental Protection, Health, Transportation and Human Services.
- Creation of the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center through a line item in the state budget https://njclimateresourcecenter.rutgers.edu/
State Government Affairs often brings Rutgers experts in front of elected officials and other state policymaking officials to discuss Rutgers priorities and perspectives by:
- Sharing expertise on issue-specific matters
- Coordinating testimony in numerous legislative committees
- Connecting policymakers with Rutgers experts to advise on legislation
- Facilitating visits to campus by elected and other state officials
- Hosting State news events, conferences and other convenings
- Representatives of Rutgers University New Brunswick sit on statewide committees and boards to provide the university’s perspective and expertise to developing key policy recommendations and reports.
Office of Climate Action Co-Director Kevin Lyons represents Rutgers on the Governor’s Council on the Green Economy and contributed to a recent report, green Jobs for a Sustainable Future, which presented pathways to expanding access to green jobs, increasing workforce development, and growing New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem. https://nj.gov/governor/climateaction/council/greenreport/
On behalf of Rutgers, Lyons also serves on the state’s Recycling Market Development Council, which recently released its 2022 report with recommendations including the need for a statewide recycling education campaign, new financial incentive programs to promote recycling, legislation that would require recycled content in new products and the creation of a New Jersey Recycling Markets Center.
Mike Kornitas, the Rutgers Energy and Buildings Climate Action Group Chair and Director of Sustainability and Energy was appointed to the NJ Clean Buildings Working Group by Governor Murphy. The Working Group will help guide the State’s strategic roadmap to clean buildings, laying out recommendations for policy, legislative, workforce, and funding strategies to create greener buildings that support and benefit New Jersey families and workers. https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/20221003b.shtml
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Rutgers is a signatory of We are Still In/America Is All In- https://www.wearestillin.com/signatories?title=rutgers&field_sector_target_id=All&field_public_value=All&field_address_administrative_area=All&field_location_proximity=&field_location_proximity-lat=&field_location_proximity-lng=&geolocation_geocoder_google_geocoding_api=&geolocation_geocoder_google_geocoding_api_state=1
The Rutgers Office of Federal Relations (https://externalaffairs.rutgers.edu/federal-relations)
OFR works closely with the New Jersey congressional delegation and the national associations of higher education—especially the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities—to represent the university's federal policy and funding interests to national policymakers.
OFR advocates for federal funding for Student aid, including Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Graduate student support.
OFR provides input on federal policy and regulatory matters of interest to the university on a wide range of subjects, such as:
- The Higher Education Act
- Research and innovation
- Immigration and protections for undocumented students, staff, and faculty
- Agriculture and environmental research
- Transportation and infrastructure
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
COP27 delegation
Rutgers sent a delegation of faculty and students to COP27 in Egypt. The delegation included Katherine Cann, a PhD student in the department of Geography, Robin Leichenko, Professor of Geography and Co-Director of the Rutgers Climate Institute; Danielle Falzon, Assistant Professor of Sociology; Isatis Cintrón-Rodriguez, PhD Candidate in Atmospheric Chemistry; Shimbi Rhode, a Mandela Washington Fellow at Rutgers; and Rokiatou Traore, Mandela Washington Fellow at Rutgers and Executive Manager of the Herou Alliance.
Dr. Robin Leichenko presented to delegates on her work with the New York Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) and on strategies for urban climate planning around the world. Dr. Falzon moderated a panel highlighting the importance of coordinated global action on addressing loss and damage, bringing together panelists with perspectives from Bangladesh, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. https://global.rutgers.edu/rutgers-delegation-attends-cop27-egypt
Rutgers Global–International Student and Scholars Services (ISSS) supports international students with advice and counsel on U.S. immigration regulations and compliance, immigration application processing, the international student orientation program, advocacy, and outreach. https://success.rutgers.edu/resource/international-student-services
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts 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.