University of British Columbia
PAE-1: Sustainability Coordination

The main responsibilities of the UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI) Steering Committee are as follows:
• Review and approve strategic goals for the USI
• Connect with the President’s Office and external advisory bodies
• Provide overall direction to the USI Executive Director and his team
• Approve major USI initiatives
• Approve recommendations brought forward by the Executive Director and his team
• Approve USI funding and major budget allocations
• Monitor the overall campus-wide impact of USI projects and initiatives

The USI Steering Committee is made up of seven members: three senior University administrators, two Deans, the Principal of CfIS, and one student representative as shown below:

• Dr. David Farrar, Provost and Vice President Academic (Chair of the USI Steering Committee)
• Pierre Ouillet, Vice President Finance and Operations
• Dr. John Hepburn, Vice President Research and International
• Dr. Tyseer Aboulnasr, Dean of Applied Science
• Dr. Simon Peacock, Dean of Science
• Dr. Mike Burgess, Principal of the College for Interdisciplinary Studies (CfIS)
• Elin Tayyar , Student Representative

The USI Steering Committee reports directly to UBC’s President and Vice Chancellor. The USI Steering Committee meets once a month with the USI Executive Director.

UBC SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE MAIN OFFICE
http://sustain.ubc.ca/about-us/usi

The UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI) main office coordinates efforts across teaching and learning, research and campus operations.

The USI office aims to expand on UBC’s position as a leader in campus sustainability, and reinforce the University’s goal of providing an exceptional learning and research-rich environment that advances global citizenship and a civil and sustainable society.

With a focus on enhancing existing academic and operational sustainability activities and generating new opportunities, the USI office relies on partnerships and collaboration within and outside the UBC campus, and across all disciplines, to fulfill its mission.
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CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE
http://sustain.ubc.ca/about-us/campus-sustainability-office

The UBC Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) coordinates the University’s numerous operational sustainability initiatives and provides a central hub on the Vancouver campus to engage with the campus community and facilitate operational sustainability learning and practice.

The CSO’s activities support the University’s Place and Promise sustainability goals of developing UBC as a living laboratory for environmental and social sustainability, and embedding sustainability as a central component of its operations.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING OFFICE
http://sustain.ubc.ca/about-us/teaching-learning-office

The USI’s Teaching and Learning Office coordinates, supports and enhances undergraduate and graduate sustainability education at UBC’s Vancouver campus.

Our office coordinates sustainability education initiatives at UBC by maintaining a robust inventory of online resources, including an in-depth list of undergraduate and graduate sustainability courses and programs. We also partner with units and groups on campus to support co-curricular sustainability education through provision of engagement and outreach programs.

The Teaching and Learning Office works to enhance curricular sustainability education at UBC via a number of programs. The Fellowship Program brings together an annual cohort of faculty members to create new sustainability courses and other innovative learning opportunities, while the Spotlight Program supports faculty to revise existing courses to increase their relevance to sustainability issues.

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RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE
http://sustain.ubc.ca/about-us/research-partnerships

The Research and Partnerships office supports UBC’s expansive sustainability-focused research initiatives. The office aims to foster an interdisciplinary spirit that cuts across the traditional boundaries between academic disciplines and enhances learning opportunities for students.

The Research and Partnership office also works with the private, public and non-governmental organization sectors to accelerate sustainability at UBC.

To expand UBC’s sustainability research avenues, the office is creating Sustainability Research Fellows positions and enhancing its existing interdisciplinary research projects. The Research and Partnerships office is also developing opportunities for networking, partnership building, and shared learning through sustainability research-related events and symposia.

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EMPLOYEES:

• The USI Central Office has 6 full-time employees.
• The Campus Sustainability Office has 8 full-time employees, 3 part-time employees, and 5 part-time student staff.
• The Research and Partnerships Office has 2 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees.
• The Teaching and Learning Office has 1 full-time employee and 2 part-time employees.

As USI’s Executive Director, John Robinson is responsible for integrating academic and operational sustainability on UBC’s Vancouver campus. He is a professor in UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability and the University’s Department of Geography. John’s research focuses on the intersection of sustainability, social and technological change, behaviour change, and community engagement processes.

John is a Fellow of the Trudeau Foundation, a member of numerous sustainability-related boards, and has been a lead author in the last three reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.