| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.39 |
| Liaison | Marianne Martin |
| Submission Date | Sept. 22, 2021 |
University of Colorado Boulder
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Heid
VanGenderen Chief Sustainability Officer University of Colorado Boulder |
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:
The Chancellor announced the formation of a campus-wide Sustainability Council in April 2021. That body, supported by a number of sector specific working groups in energy/water, transportation, materials/zero waste, the built environment and food and grounds will begin its work in September 2021 (see PA-2).
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
15 voting members: Amelia Hogstad, PhD, History (student); James Brasseur, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering (faculty); Jennifer Cha, Associate Professor, chemical and Biological Engineering (faculty); Alexandra Chamberlin, Undergrad, Environmental Studies (student); Alex Hoots, Events and Sustainability Coordinator, CU Athletic Department (staff); Havya Kannan, Tri-Exec, CU Student Government (student); Shaun LaBarre, Deputy Director, Getches-Wilkinson Center, CU Law School (staff); Rob Lenahan, Assistnat Director, Environmental Services (staff); Claudius Mundoma, Director of Core Facilities, Research and Innovation Office (staff); Anila Narayana, Board Chair, Enviornmental Center (student); Tehresa Ortega, Library Technician, University Libararies (staff); Linda Park, Program Manager, Jewish Studies (staff); Phaedra Pezzullo, Associate Professor, College of Media, Communication and Information (faculty); Stacey Schulte, Senior Instructor, Environmental Design (faculty); Tehya Stockman, PhD, Environmental Engineering (student). Five ex officio members: Vice Chancellor for Research and Information; Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation; Director, Environmental Center; Chief Sustainability Office; Director, Strategic Projects, Research and Innovation.
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
Sustainability is embedded in many parts of the CU Boulder campus in the academic/research, operations, and student affairs arenas. The Chief Sustainability Officer resides in the office of the Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Sustainability and is charged with coordinating effective connections between the academic/research, operations and student affairs arenas. The CSO and her team also work with external partners in the development and deployment of sustainability endeavors. The now 51 year old student-based Environmental Center is a central hub for students, but also for effective cross-fertilization with internal and external partners. Housing, Dining Services, Transportation Services, Conference Services, the Distribution Center, the Green Labs program, Environmental Services (including Recycling and Waste Reduction) Real Estate Services, Facilities, Planning Design and Construction, and Environmental Health and Safety, and Real Estate Services also have staff dedicated to sustainable practices and operations. Monthly coordinating meetings are held amongst sustainability staff across campus.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Chancellor announced the formation of a campus-wide Sustainability Council in April 2021. That body, supported by a number of sector specific working groups in energy/water, transportation, materials/zero waste, the built environment and food and grounds will begin its work in August 2021 (see PA-2).
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
This is a senior-level administrative position reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Safety. The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is responsible for building, driving, and leading all sustainability efforts to support the University’s goal of becoming a national model for sustainability excellence. The CSO directs implementation of the University’s comprehensive strategic planning, implementation, and tracking of all sustainability goals. The CSO will partner across the university to align sustainability efforts and leverage the knowledge and research capacity of the university to help solve policy issues; develop technological solutions to advance sustainability goals; and drive innovative business solutions and financing models that enhance sustainability and resiliency on campus through cost effective investments and process improvements. The Chief Sustainability Officer will be responsible for these areas of focus:
• Manage a coherent, campus-wide sustainability program by coordinating operations, planning, academic, research, and student sustainability activities. Foster a culture of sustainability among students, faculty and staff; collaborate with
University leaders to identify and prioritize areas for campus sustainability efforts; plan and develop short and long range programs; and engage with institutional leaders to foster sustainability broadly across campus units.
• Lead the University in sustainable efforts including development of innovative ideas to increase efficiency in the operations of facilities, reduction in energy consumption, integration of renewable and smart energy technologies,
transportation services, supply chain management, recycling, composting, and waste reduction.
• Serve as a liaison to develop collaborative relationships with the city of Boulder and other local, state and federal Agencies, academia, national labs, and industry to identify key sustainability initiatives that need to be solved through a
collaborative effort involving innovation, research, with potential policy and legislative impacts centering on a firm foundation of business and metrics driven analytics.
• Create a “Living Sustainability Laboratory” – Integrate administrative, faculty, student, and athletic efforts around sustainability to build synergy across the campus and set the example for the world on sustainability research and initiatives. Provide an immersive learning experience through implementation of sustainability initiatives and demonstrate the value of collaboration across disciplines and organizations.
• Integrate sustainability values and practices into the Institute’s strategic planning processes, the management of its resources and operations, facilities planning and design, its research activities, the curriculum, and the extra-curricular
life of the University.
• Provide visibility to environmental performance by tracking and reporting against key environmental and sustainability objectives.
• Develop, refine and implement environmental and sustainability assessment and/or rating systems.
• Develop and execute communications and marketing strategies aimed at raising internal and external awareness of and support for campus sustainability programs and activities.
• Develop a framework for a “Sustainability Council” – the council will lead the creation of the universities strategic sustainability vision and develop sustainability policies that are aligned with that vision and drive collaborative,
synergistic, sustainability initiatives across the campus.
• Pursue funding opportunities for sustainable initiatives through grants, gifts, and funding opportunity announcements from various state, federal, and non-governmental organizations and agencies.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.