Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 53.94
Liaison DeLayne Miller
Submission Date Dec. 15, 2022

STARS v2.2

Tennessee Technological University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies

Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
Yes

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
In the TN Tech Procurement Manual, the intent to support disadvantaged businesses such as minority-,small-,woman,and service-disabled-owned businesses is shown. Life-Cycle Costing for Purchases of Major Energy-Consuming Products is shown in this policy as well.

From TN Procurement Manual(Page 18):
"Minority-, Small-, Woman-, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses
The Purchasing and Contracts Office shall follow the requirements of the Tennessee Minority-
Owned, Woman-Owned and Small Business Procurement and Contracting Act, T.C.A. § 12-3-1101
et seq."

Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis 

Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
Institution employs LCCA less comprehensively, e.g. for certain types of systems or projects and not others

A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
The Life-Cycle Costing for Purchases of Major Energy-Consuming Products is stated in the TN Tech Procurement Manual (Page 17):

"The Purchasing and Contracts Office may use life-cycle costing to evaluate purchases of major energy-consuming products, taking into consideration the acquisition cost of the product, the energy consumption and the projected energy cost of energy over the useful life of the product, and the anticipated resale or salvage value of the product to determine life cycle costs."

Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria

To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above. 

Chemically intensive products and services

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
---

Consumable office products

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
---

Furniture and furnishings

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
The Tennessee High Performance Building Requirements Manual (HPBr) is a mandatory design, construction, and operations tools for all TN State Building Commission projects, which is all projects on the TN Tech campus, including: new construction, additions, and renovation/maintenance.
The link provided directs you to the Designer's Manual for Capital Projects and planning. There is a tab labeled "HPBr" which directs you to Office of the State Architect which shows manuals, requirements, and contractor specifications that every project must abide by.
https://www.tntech.edu/capital-projects/sbc-capital/manual.php
https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/osa/capital---real-estate/capital-projects/high-performance-building-requirements--hpbr-.html

Information Technology (IT) and equipment

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
---

Food service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
The current services contract between TN Tech & Chartwells dining services includes:
-Provide maximum customer satisfaction through quality performance, efficient and effective operations, and an attitude which demonstrates an appreciation of its clientele;
-Offer a variety of appetizing, appealing and nutritionally sound food selections;
-Maintain attractive and modern facilities that are conducive to social interaction and that adhere to strict sanitation standards;
-Promote nutritional awareness, and to broaden students' eating experiences through a variety of food offerings and styles of cuisine;
-Provide for the special dietary needs of individuals, as appropriate;
-Practice environmental sustainability and energy conservation and responsibility;
-Contractor will comply with sustainability initiatives as adopted by the University. The Contractor shall actively attempt to reduce the environmental impact of all Dining Services facilities by seeking out green dining options such as the reduced use of disposable products, use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, etc.

Garments and linens 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
The Professional Clothes Closet is fully stocked to help students dress for success. The closet serves students by providing clothing for presentations, interviews, and other professional business events. Through a one-on-one consultation with our staff, students can browse our suits, shirts, skirts, and accessories for FREE. Guidelines for donation are interview-appropriate clothing, dry cleaned and/or clean suits/clothing.
https://cobstudentsuccess.com/professional-closet/

TN Tech purchases all graduation caps and gowns from Oak Hall, a member of the AASHE community. All caps and gowns are made from recycled material, and after use all unwanted gowns can be recycled. For every gown purchased a percentage of that money goes back into funding other sustainable projects on campus. Partnering with Oak Hall reduces carbon emissions, petroleum use, and the amount of water bottles in our landfills.
https://oakhalli.com/product/greenweaver-college-cap-gown/https://reports.aashe.org/media/secure/903/7/720/6022/SustainableCapGown2.jpeg

Professional service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
In the TN Tech Procurement Manual, the intent to support disadvantaged businesses such as minority-,small-,woman,and service-disabled-owned businesses is shown.
From TN Procurement Manual(Page 18):

"Minority-, Small-, Woman-, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses
The Purchasing and Contracts Office shall follow the requirements of the Tennessee Minority-
Owned, Woman-Owned and Small Business Procurement and Contracting Act, T.C.A. § 12-3-1101
et seq."

Transportation and fuels

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives 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.