| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.66 |
| Liaison | Eric Boles |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Arkansas
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Eric
Boles Director Office for Sustainability |
Does the institution have written policies, guidelines or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across commodity categories institution-wide?:
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
The public-facing policy is "The University is committed to sustainability in procurement by conducting business with integrity and a strong core value of being a good steward of the environment to ensure a better quality of life, both now and for generations to come. We will purchase equipment and supplies that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly whenever they are available and practicable."
Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
The UofA has a formal policy of requiring Life Cycle Cost Analysis during construction, renovations, and major utility system upgrades.
It states an expectation to "provide a life-cycle economic analysis of the sustainable strategies and features of the building, as well as an energy cost model that addresses all building system costs, such as building envelope, HVAC, and electrical systems. This analysis must be prepared by the designers of each project and submitted to the UA for review of design intent."
The full policy can be found here: https://planning.uark.edu/campus_planning/content/sustainablepractices.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services (e.g. building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, landscaping and grounds maintenance)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
The UofA has specific Green cleaning and purchasing guidelines. Cleaning products and materials, including hard-floor and carpet-care products, used at the UofA shall, when possible, meet the requirements of IEQc3.4–3.6: Green Cleaning, Purchase of Sustainable Cleaning Products and Materials. Product types subject to these requirements include, but are not limited to, bio-enzymatic cleaners, hard-floor cleaners, carpet cleaners, general-purpose cleaners, specialty cleaners, odor control, disinfectants, disposable janitorial paper products and trash bags, and hand soaps.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
When the UofA has construction or renovations, we hire a third-party commissioning agent to be a part of the project team. The agent works alongside the team which is also responsible for design, installation, and operations. All new construction and renovations must reduce the life-cycle cost of facilities by incorporating sustainable design principles in the planning, programming, design, construction, operation, maintenance, restoration, and renovation of all facilities and infrastructure projects, consistent with budget and University requirements. Strategies may include proper siting, building form, glass properties and location, material selection, and incorporating natural heating, cooling, ventilation, and day-lighting techniques. New construction and renovations must also use the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system as a tool in applying sustainable design principles, and as a measure of the sustainability achieved through the planning, design, and construction process. A LEED rating of silver is the standard to which University projects are held.
The full policy can be found here: https://planning.uark.edu/campus_planning/content/sustainablepractices.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) products and services (e.g. computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers and cloud services)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for IT products and services:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
The University has a broad set of criteria that reinforce sustainable habits and practices for each food service, franchises, vending service, concession, or convenience store. Depending on the company and the contract, the University incentives the provider to help the UofA reach its sustainability goals. Sustainability is a selection criteria in the competitive bidding process for food services.
For example, Pepsi is providing $10,000 annually to campus sustainability initiatives. which is allocated directly to sustainability programs.
As another example is Chartwells, our food service provider, agrees to be an active participant in sustainability efforts that are aligned with the objectives of UofA's Office of Sustainability, including but not limited to recycling, local sourcing, wellness, food recovery, and environmental initiatives. They have a robust sustainability plan that can be found here: http://chartwellshighered.com/sustainability/
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional services:
Within the Universities Sustainable Policy, it states that depending on each professional service, each party has to meet the UofA sustainable criteria. Architectural services have to meet Green Building Project initiatives, Engineers and Architects have to submit a document design intent which gets submitted to LEED certification.
https://planning.uark.edu/campus_planning/content/sustainablepractices.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels (e.g. travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
The UofA is working on a plan for creating a policy with the fleet manager to double check the purchasing decision behind every department and make sure the fueling type is optimal.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products:
The University is required by law to give preference to recycled paper whenever purchasing paper products of any kind and to report paper purchases to the Office of State Procurement on a monthly basis.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating products and services in other commodity categories that the institution has determined to have significant sustainability impacts?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
Other commodities that the University of Arkansas is constantly improving the purchasing criteria behind are furniture, office supplies, paper, toner and ink.
The published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories can be found here:
https://sustainability.uark.edu/zero-waste/aversion.php
The website URL where information about the programs 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.