University of Colorado Colorado Springs
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030

Core Strategy 3: Cultivate excellence in research and teaching related to sustainability, climate change, energy, environmental justice, and equity.

Core Strategy 3a- Teaching:
Support faculty in integrating principles of sustainability, climate change, energy, and environmental justice into new and existing courses.

Core Strategy 3a Outcomes:
1. Increased the number of students who participate in applied, experiential, and community-engaged learning and research broadly related to sustainability
2. Increased opportunities for visible, high-impact educational experiences that prepare students to utilize sustainability as a decision-making lens and integrate practices into their professional and personal lives.
3. Increased the number of approved courses for the Compass Curriculum Sustainability Requirement
4. Increased the number of students pursuing the Sustainability Minor, as well as the number of majors and Colleges represented by students in the Minor

Core Strategy 3a Objectives:
1. Integrate sustainability into the Faculty Resource Center’s supported topics and suggested resources and achieve consistent representation in the UCCS Teaching and Learning Conference.
2. Implement consistent evaluation and assessment of sustainability literacy for the entire student body.
3. Foster relationships with Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak Region businesses and organizations to provide consistent internship opportunities in partnership with UCCS departments and colleges.
4. Strengthen and/or develop partnerships with community and junior colleges to provide direct pathways for transfer students into the interdisciplinary Sustainability Minor and other sustainability-related degree programs.
5. Implement awareness campaigns for various target audiences.
6. Conduct training for academic advisors and admissions staff to communicate these opportunities to students.
7. Explore integrating teaching affiliates through the Office of Sustainability.

Core Strategy 3b- Research:
This core strategy will “Foster and showcase research and creative works that address issues related to sustainability, climate change, energy, and environmental justice.”

Core Strategy 3b Outcomes:
1. Increase the number of faculty involved in sustainability-related research; set metrics through a number of publications, grants, etc.
2. Increase the number of faculty and students presenting sustainability-related research at Mountain Lion Research Day, the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum (CSURF), and other regional, national, or international conferences.

Core Strategy 3b Objectives:
1. Develop new platforms, events, workshops, or working groups around the nexus of sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
2. Explore annual incentive opportunities to award faculty conducting sustainability-related research.
3. Explore integrating research affiliates through the Office of Sustainability.
4. Work closely with the Office of Research to develop a panel to showcase sustainability-related research.

Source: https://sustain.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1306/files/inline-files/UCCS%202030%20Sustainability%20Strategic%20Plan_Final_0.pdf

UCCS 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan

Core Strategy 4a- Campus Community: Engage UCCS students, faculty, staff, and members of the Colorado Springs community with events and programming related to sustainability and justice.

Core Strategy 4a Goals:
1. Provide students with co-curricular sustainability learning experiences outside the formal curriculum allowing students to deepen and apply their understanding of sustainability and justice principles.
2. Support employee engagement, training, and development programs to model sustainable behavior for the campus community.

Core Strategy 4a Outcomes:
1. Increased student and employee educators' programs.
2. Increased professional development and training opportunities.
3. Consistent representation at orientations and campus programming

Core Strategy 4a Objectives:
1. Continue inclusion of sustainability in new student orientations and employee orientations, and increase involvement in new student employment orientations.
2. Increase student, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteer opportunities both on and off campus through partnerships that include context to historical significance, sense of place, and learning outcomes.
3. Create and become known as a hub of sustainability internships, jobs, volunteer opportunities, and research – on and off campus.
4. Create a culture of collaboration among diverse clubs, committees, and organizations to institute impactful, sustainable projects.
5. Highlight programs/projects that are influencing sustainability initiatives.
6. Identify departmental champions and how they engage with populations and provide tools and content for outreach to create an institutionalized process for communication and marketing.
7. Institutionalize continued training opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to expand on sustainability and justice topics.
8. Increase consistent awareness campaigns to educate and enhance knowledge on all topics of sustainability, including climate change, social and environmental justice, energy, conservation, best practices, etc.

Core Strategy 4b- Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Region, & Southern Colorado

Core Strategy 4b Goals:
1. Provide our community with sustainability learning experiences to deepen and apply their understanding of sustainability and justice principles.
2. Strengthen community relationships as a known resource for sustainability best practices and as a preferred partner for exceptional interns and volunteers.

Core Strategy 4b Outcomes:
1. Increased formal internship and volunteer opportunities with community organizations and businesses.
2. Increased participation from community members in campus sustainability and justice programming.

Core Strategy 4b Objectives:
1. Partner with local institutions of higher education to strengthen and increase awareness in the broader community.
2. Encourage campus departments to engage with community events, organizations, businesses, etc.
2. Increase alumni involvement.
3. Be recognized as a resource, leader, and role model in sustainability and justice for the Colorado Springs community and Pikes Peak Region.
4. Encourage commuter student engagement and create UCCS-affiliated pockets of community engagement.
5. Increase engagement with the City of Colorado Springs Sustainability & Innovation Office, Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado College, United States Air Force Academy, and K-12 schools.
6. Identify community-facing communication channels (KRCC, CPR, Gazette, Independent, etc.) to share sustainability-related news and announcements.

Source: https://sustain.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1306/files/inline-files/UCCS%202030%20Sustainability%20Strategic%20Plan_Final_0.pdf

UCCS 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan

Core Strategy 2: Model sustainability, efficiency, and innovation in our campus operations, infrastructure, and facilities management.

Core Strategy 2a- Buildings Goal
1. Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, Energy Use Intensity (EUI), and Water Use Intensity (WUI)

Core Strategy 2a Outcome:
1. Designed, build, and maintained buildings that provide a healthy indoor environment and mitigate the building’s impact on the outdoor environment.

Core Strategy 2a Objectives:
1. Continue utilizing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold as the minimum standard for all new-builds.
2. Explore opportunities to complete large, entire-building retrofit projects to LEED standards.
3. Explore opportunities to maintain buildings to LEED standards. Ensure new campus infrastructure supports inclusivity, diversity, and well-being, including access to gender-neutral bathrooms and accessibility for disabled individuals.
3. Conduct building occupant meetings to train and communicate best practices to create a comfortable working environment utilizing the integrated technology.

Core Strategy 2b- Grounds Goal
1. Plan and maintain our campus grounds through integrated sustainable practices.

Core Strategy 2b Outcomes
1. Minimize toxic chemical use.
2. Increase the protection of wildlife habitat and conserve resources.
3. An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program

Core Strategy 2b Objectives
1. Improve effectiveness of irrigation systems through upgrading existing infrastructure overtime by investing in emerging water efficiency technologies and investing in water-conserving irrigation systems for future infrastructure.
2. In accordance with campus design guidelines and where appropriate, use native vegetation and plants and implement plans to retrofit areas of campus with low-water plantings.
3. Increase total acres that are managed organically and through integrated pest management practices.
4. Continue implementation of sustainable development goals for staff (including, EVs, electric equipment, reduce impacts of ice/snow removal, Tree Campus USA application, on-site mulching, organic soils management, etc.)
5. Explore hiring position within Outdoor Services to manage all aspects of stormwater management.

Core Strategy 4c- Energy
Core Strategy 4d- Water
Core Strategy 4e- Transportation
Core Strategy 4f- Food & Dining
Core Strategy 4g- Purchasing
Core Strategy 4h- Waste Minimization and Diversion

Source: https://sustain.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1306/files/inline-files/UCCS%202030%20Sustainability%20Strategic%20Plan_Final_0.pdf

UCCS Strategic Plan
We value dynamic, responsible growth while continuing to be financially responsible, academically sound, and environmentally sustainable.

Source: https://strategicplan.uccs.edu/

UCCS 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan

Core Strategy 1: Foster a culture of sustainability at UCCS and beyond.”

Core Strategy 1 Goal:
1. Encourage the use of a sustainability, justice, and resiliency lens - ecological, equitable, and economic impacts - in all decision-making.

Core Strategy 1 Outcomes:
1. Consistent increase in scores on the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS).
2. Develop and implement a new campus Climate Justice Plan.
3. Fund sustainability projects and programs that support the University and System Mission and increase efficient use of resources.
- Chancellor appointed Sustainability Council to manage the implementation of the 2030 UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan with no term end. Council to include representatives from administration, faculty, staff and students

Core Strategy 1 Objectives:
1. Institutionalize data collection to conduct triennial submission of STARS with a published progress, produce a comparative analysis update and present to administration and campus.
2. Create a Cabinet and Chancellor appointed, formal committee that will identify key areas for improvement and develop strategies to address and achieve.
3. Create a Cabinet and Chancellor-led awareness campaign to educate and train our campus community on sustainability, climate change, energy, environmental justice and equity.
4. Increase collaboration with System and CU campuses to achieve system sustainability goals through planning efforts to identify sustainability goals beyond operational and identifying opportunities for collaboration, leveraging of size, and sharing of information to achieve goals.
5. Expand our sustainability leadership expertise and partnerships to Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado that is mutually beneficial through the establishment of the Southern Colorado Center for Sustainability, Wellness, and Justice at UCCS.
6. Explore adding sustainability goals in employee and student employee performance goals and review along with sustainability-related understanding to all job descriptions as a preferred and/or interview questions.”

Source: https://sustain.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1306/files/inline-files/UCCS%202030%20Sustainability%20Strategic%20Plan_Final_0.pdf

UCCS Strategic Plan: Core Strategy 1: Foster a Community of Learning, Engagement and Inclusive Belonging
Source: https://strategicplan.uccs.edu/

UCCS Inclusive Excellence and Belonging Action Plan: UCCS's strategic mission-driven approach to engaging the entire campus community in greater efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and advance a culture where all belong and can thrive.
Source: https://dei.uccs.edu/inclusive-excellence-and-belonging-action-plan-cloned.

Creating a Culturally Engaging Campus Environment: UCCS Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan 2019
Source: https://diversity.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1411/files/2020-04/2019EDIStrategicrevisedformatdec2019.pdf

CU Board of Regents Sustainability Resolution 2009
The CU Board of Regents encourages sustainability efforts on a university-wide basis to include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for buildings, comprehensive plans to achieve climate neutrality, and participation in Greening of State Government.

Source: https://sustain.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj1306/files/inline-files/sustainablility_resolution_with_amendments.pdf

Sustainability Strategic Plan
Sustainability as defined in the UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan is
...meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Brundtland, 1987),
...improving the quality and equity of human life while living within the carrying capacity of support eco-systems,
...acting with respect for nature, universal human rights, and economic justice.


Vision
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will be a recognized leader in sustainability, integrating social justice, economic, and ecological values into institutional policies, programs and practices.

Mission
Recognizing that institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to exercise leadership and create the future, UCCS actively pursues sustainability as a way to address the University’s focus on increased student recruitment and retention through courses which address contemporary and global issues, effective and efficient resource usage, and fiscal responsibility. UCCS seeks to be a campus where: Committed campus administrators, in partnership with a dedicated faculty, staff, and student body, provide leadership and expertise to local, regional, and global sustainability efforts; We recognize our obligation to educate the University community about the importance of individual and institutional environmental and social responsibility, and prepare our students by integrating sustainability literacy into academic learning and research across the curriculum and between the colleges; Sustainability is integrated into all aspects of University functioning, including buildings, operations, planning, and purchasing, in a way that we minimize the impact of our growing, dynamic campus upon the earth.
In accomplishing this vision and mission, we will foster a culture of sustainability throughout our campus and also our extended community.

UCCS is a Signatory to the ACUPCC (see attached document)

A Message from the Chancellor
“…As an original signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, UCCS continues to decrease greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy implementation, retrofit projects, and conservation. I am committed to a sustainability vision that builds on our early successes and utilizes all of our talents to create a legacy for future generations…”

Dr. Venkat Reddy, Former UCCS Chancellor
https://sustain.uccs.edu/overview/chancellors-message