Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.57
Liaison Rebecca Collins
Submission Date Dec. 14, 2023

STARS v2.2

Temple University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Caroline Burkholder
Senior Sustainability Manager
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Climate Leadership Commitment (New ACUPCC)
AASHE
USGBC

Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
Green Building United (Formerly Delaware Valley Green Building Council)
City of Philadelphia's Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Council
Greater Philadelphia Climate Coalition
Circular Philadelphia
Sustainable Business Network
Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development - Sustainability Working Group
Safe People Committee - City of Philadelphia (Office of Transportation Infrastructure and Sustainability)

Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
Staff members of Temple’s Education Aboard and Overseas Campuses sustainability committee, Associate Director Suzanne Willever and Institutional Relations Manager Sarah Short, helped to develop and co-present with peers in the field on various climate and environmental justice topics. Dr. Willever co-presented as part of the Climate Action Network on International Education (CANIE)’s Climate Justice Working Group. The session, entitled Climate Change and International Education: Are Carbon Offsets the Answer?, provided an overview of offsetting terminology, some of the potential pitfalls of offsetting, and ideas for implementing local projects with more of a social impact. Ms. Short collaborated and co-presented with peers from Penn State during the NAFSA annual Region II conference in Flagstaff, Arizona in October 2022; while Dr. Willever co-presented at the Region VIII annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA in November 2022. At these NAFSA sessions, entitled Sustainability and Education Abroad: Sharing Ideas—Taking Action!, the presenters shared examples of strategies and actions taken and guided participants in brainstorming and sharing ideas to implement the UN SDGs at their home institutions.

Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
Temple's Sustainability Coordinator submitted and case study to Campus Race to Zero Waste food waste reduction category. The case study focused on circularity of urban food systems and produce waste diversion.

Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Sustainability Director, Rebecca Collins, has served on Second Nature Offset Advisory Council.

Senior Sustainability Manager, Caroline Burkholder, has served on Safe People Committee - City of Philadelphia (Office of Transportation Infrastructure and Sustainability).

Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
Yes

A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
Sustainability Director, Rebecca Collins, chairs the Southeastern PA Sustainability Group, a coalition of university sustainability officers throughout the region that meets three times a year to share information and best practices. As chair, Rebecca is responsible for organizing events and educational opportunities for members. In February, a session about electric vehicles and how PECO, a regional utility could help support fleet electrification. In September, West Chester University hosted the group for a tour of their geothermal system.

Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
No

A brief description of the peer review activities:
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Optional Fields 

A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
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Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.