| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.64 |
| Liaison | Beth Klein |
| Submission Date | April 23, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
State University of New York at Cortland
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Nasrin
Parvizi Associate VP for Facilities Management Facilities Management |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee, office, and/or officer that focuses on sustainability broadly and covers the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the committee(s), office(s), and/or officer(s) during the previous three years:
Climate Action Planning Committee Highlights since 2012:
• Developed initial Campus Climate Action Plan; currently updating Action Plan (http://www2.cortland.edu/about/sustainability/)
• Planned and executed annual “Cortland Green Days”—a series of sustainability events open to the campus community and the public (see sustainability website)
• Collaborated with City of Cortland to develop a Climate Action Plan for the City
• SUNY Cortland staff/member sustainability presentations locally and at SUNY System Administration, as well as professional sustainability conferences
• Developed Green Residence Hall on West Campus
• Achieved LEED Platinum rank for Residence Hall—Dragon Hall
• STARS and ACUPCC tracking periodic reporting
• Ongoing inventory of all emissions on campus, with periodic submissions to ACUPCC
• Recycling initiatives implemented on campus
• Campus “No Mow” zones implemented
• Campus Dining Services using environmental safe tableware; recycling
• Became institutional member of Tree Campus USA
• Established Climate Plan Financial Tracking and Coordination Subcommittee—tracking of funding for sustainability within a five-year period; provide updates to the Climate Action Plan; submit recommendations regarding campus-wide sustainability initiatives to President’s Cabinet
• Established Sustainability Curriculum Coordination Subcommittee—compiled ongoing list of courses campus-wide that infuse sustainability into the curriculum; March 2014—“Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum”—day-long workshop for faculty and staff; develop 5-year strategic plan for increased sustainability curriculum development on the SUNY Cortland campus
• Establishment of Garden Advisory Subcommittee—planted and tended to Campus Community Garden—annual project
• Charges to Subcommittees
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:
Sustainability Curriculum Coordination Subcommittee
Charge
1. Consulting with departments, centers, and student groups on campus to assemble what the College is planning to do for the coming five years to continue or expand educational offerings concerning sustainability as well as to continue or expand faculty and student research efforts and creative activities that relate to the sustainability or other environmental issues. They will also collect information concerning efforts by the campus to seek external funding for sustainability initiatives that relate to curricular or co-curricular activities.
2. Using the information about campus plans for the coming five years, draft a strategic plan for curriculum development drawing together the campus plans within the context of the President’s Climate Commitment’s goal of making “climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experience for all students.” This strategic plan will identify the progress that is expected to be made on integrating sustainability across the curriculum and making it a part of the educational experience of all students and will seek to provide information exchange on best practices and to find opportunities for synergistic interactions between campus initiatives. It will also identify the areas of greatest need where there are opportunities for reaching the largest number of students not currently being served by the campus efforts. This strategic plan should be submitted to the Faculty Senate and to the President’s Cabinet for comment and discussion upon completion. Its major findings should be presented at the first Joint Chairs Council meeting in the semester after its completion.
3. Assessing the success of efforts undertaken over the last year to continue or increase access to sustainability education including the number of students served as well as an assessment of student learning outcomes where possible. As part of the this effort, the committee will consider what measures of assessment would be most valuable in gauging the success of curricular and co-curricular initiatives as well as the success of student and faculty research or other creative activities. As such, the committee will work with the office of Institutional Research and Assessment to ensure that the needed data is gathered to allow these assessments to be conducted. In addition, drawing on its assessment efforts, the committee will also make itself available to provide comments and suggestions on proposed sustainability curriculum initiatives upon request of the proposing faculty.
4. Preparing an annual report including a review of the past year’s efforts, an assessment of their successes and areas for potential improvement, and a discussion of the major efforts envisioned for the coming year. This will be used both as a stand-alone document and in preparing the annual report from the Climate Action Strategic Planning Committee. Annual reports in years two and four of each five year strategic plan should include any recommended changes, additions, or subtractions to the curriculum strategic plan that arise as conditions change.
Climate Action Planning Committee's Climate Plan Financial Tracking and Coordination Subcommittee:
Charge:
1. Consulting with departments and divisions on campus to assemble what the College is planning to do for the coming five years to fund actions related to climate plan including how much money they are budgeting, from what sources, and how much external support they plan/hope to seek (NYSERDA grants, New York Power Authority, etc.).
2. Using the information about campus plans for the coming five years, draft a strategic plan for finance outlining basis and philosophy of current strategy and their assessment of likely surpluses or shortfalls based on the projected needs from the most recent version of the Climate Action Plan. If likely shortfalls are identified for the coming five years, the strategic plan should include recommendations for how the shortfall could be filled and who should be approached internally to begin looking for the extra monies needed. This strategic plan would be submitted to President’s Cabinet for approval and presented to the campus at a public meeting.
3. Tracking of what monies are actually being spent on the sustainability initiatives outlined in the economic analysis of the most current climate action plan each year including collecting the internal reporting forms recommended in the current action plan. This will require working with Facilities and the Physical Plant to design a strategy to split out costs from facilities projects that support sustainability in a way that is reasonably quick and reproducible from job to job.
4. Preparing the annual financial report including monies spent comparison to projections in the most recent financial strategic plan, and comment on the likely implications of deficits or surpluses to funding targets over the remainder of the five-year plan. This will be used both as a stand-alone document and in preparing the annual report from the Climate Action Strategic Planning Committee. Annual reports in years two and four of each five year strategic plan should include any recommended changes, additions, or subtractions to the strategic plan that arise as conditions change.
Garden Advisory Group Charge:
Responsibilities
• Create and help maintain gardens and edible landscaping in consultation with Facilities Management.
• Integrate garden and edible landscaping planning into the college’s Sustainability, Climate Action, and Facilities Master Plans in consultation with Facilities Management.
• Coordinate educational programs around the topics of gardens and edible landscaping.
• Facilitate educational use of college gardens in classroom activities, service learning, and interactions with the larger Cortland community.
• Organize faculty, staff, students, and community members to assist with gardening.
Composition of Committee
The Committee should be made up of approximately seven members and have at least one individual from the student population, faculty, Student Affairs, Facilities Management, and ASC. We propose the Committee report to the Climate Action Committee.
Annual Dedicated Expenditures
The Committee will largely rely on grant funding and existing facilities management funding dedicated to creating and maintaining gardens and landscaping. However, we are requesting an annual budget of approximately $2500 to fund the paid internship ($2000) and provide for a small amount of money for publicity materials, signage, garden supplies, and tools each year.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):
Climate Action Planning Committee members
Virginia Levine - Convener - Executive Assistant to the President of SUNY Cortland
Mathew Brubaker - Campus Energy Manager
Pierre Gagnon - Director of Auxiliary Services Corp.
Katherine Ingraham; Assistance Director of Residential Services
Beth Klein - Faculty of Education of Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Nasrin Parvizi - Associate Vice President of Facilities Management
Frederic Pierce -Director of Public Relations
Zachary Newswanger_ Director of Facilities Operation and Services
Brice Smith: Faculty of Physic Department
Jeremy Zhe-Heimerman; Coordinator assistive Technology and Test Admi.
Robin Shutts- Interim Director of Facilities Planning and Construction
Ralph Carrasquillo: Director of Residential Services
Sustainability Curriculum Coordination Subcommittee
Members
Beth Klein--Chair, Sustainability Coordinator
Brice Smith; faculty of Physics
Sharon Todd; faculty of Recreation Parks and leisure Studies
Lauren Stern: faculty
Matthew Brubaker; Energy manager
Steven Broyles; faculty , Biology
Scott Moranda; Faculty
Climate Action Planning Committee's Climate Plan Financial Tracking and Coordination Subcommittee:
Members:
Matt Brubaker: Convener
Zachary Newswanger_ Director of Facilities Operation and Services
Jody Maroney; Budget officer
JonElle Baskin-Kelley,
Juanita Larrabee: Contract Administrator and AD of FPD&C
Lisi Krall: Faculty, Economics
Garden Advisory Group:
Membership:
Steven Broyles: faculty
Beth Klein; Sustainably Coordinator
Sarah Beshers; AD, Residential Services
David Horrocks; AD of Building and Ground Services
William McNamara; Director of Dining Services
Jeremy Zhe-Heimerman, Convene
Tree Campus USA Committee
Membership:
Steven Broyles; Faculty of biology, Chair
Nasrin Parvizi; AVP of FM
David Horrocks; AD of Building and Ground Services
Adam Levine; System Admin. FO&S
The website URL where information about the sustainability committee(s) is available:
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
The website URL where information about the sustainability office(s) is available:
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
A brief description of each sustainability officer position:
To work directly with the campus community and Climate Action Committee as well as Campus Energy Manger.
The website URL where information about the sustainability officer(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Office of Facilities Management has also employed an Energy Manager.
The Office of Facilities Management has also employed an Energy Manager.
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.