| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.22 |
| Liaison | Olivia Wiebe |
| Submission Date | Jan. 28, 2022 |
University of Idaho
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Olivia
Wiebe Sustainability Manager Office of the President |
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:
1.) Presidential Sustainability Work Group
President Scott Green has asked this working group to finalize a white paper for the creation of an entity capable of executing on the university’s strategic desire to be known for sustainability. This may include identifying certificates, degrees and courses we offer, the research that we pursue under this umbrella and how the entity will organize and interface with other university stakeholders. The white paper should answer the question of what separates the University of Idaho from competitors offering similar degrees, certificates and research focus areas. The audit of current offerings would result in recommendations for the early opportunities to market existing degrees and research focused on sustainability, as well as include recommendations for future focus areas in sustainability.
https://www.uidaho.edu/president/university-working-groups/sustainability
2.) STARS Committee
Fifteen university faculty and staff meet semi-regularly to organize and facilitate the university's response to STARS. The Sustainability Coordinator selects and leads the committee towards the assignment and completion of each credit. Basic training is provided to each committee member by the Sustainability Coordinator. The end result of this committee is a completed STARS report and a summary of areas for improvement.
3.) Sustainability Center Advisory Board, advises the Sustainability Center on its mission and awards up to $10,000 in annual student grants.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
1.) Presidential Sustainability Working Group Members
Co-Chairs
Dennis Becker, Dean – CNR
Lee Espey, Division Operations Officer, DFA
Executive Sponsor
Chandra Zenner Ford, President’s Office
External
Victor Borque Castillo, Vice President, Business Development for N. America, Sacyr
Todd Combs, Associate Lab Director, Energy & Environment, INL
Heather Druffel, Policy & Engagement Specialist, Hancock Natural Resource Group
Brett Dumas, Director, Environmental Affairs, Idaho Power
Byron Flynn, College of Engineering Advisory Board & retired GE Executive
Chris Meyer, Director of Education, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Internal
John Barnhart, Sr. Director, Marketing & Creative Services
Patricia Colberg, Associate Dean, College of Engineering
Matthew Doumit, Associate Dean, Student Affairs, CALS
Erik Elordi, Director of Campus Services, Auxiliary Services
Jerry Fairley, Department Head, Geological Sciences, COS
Jennifer Ladino, Professor, English, CLASS
Tim Link, Professor, Hydrology, CNR
Ben McLuen, Associate Vice President, Development - Advancement
Amin Mirkouei, Assistant Professor, COE, Idaho Falls Campus
Jeremy Mutart, Surplus & Solid Waste Supervisor, Division of Infrastructure
Dylan Hedden Nicely, Associate Professor, Law
Brad Ritts, Sr. Associate Vice President, ORED
Cathy Roheim, Senior Associate Dean, CALS
Yvonne Sertich, Executive Director, Energy Executive Course, CBE
Scott Slovic, Distinguished Professor, Enviro Studies, CLASS
Olivia Wiebe, Sustainability Coordinator, Sustainability Center
Damon Woods, Interim Director, CAA Integrated Design Lab, U of I Boise
Students
Clara Abplanalp, Recycling Event Coordinator, Environmental Science
Ian Glasgow, Mechanical Engineering
Kyle Nagy, Superintendent & Sandpoint Orchard Operations Manager, CALS
Olivia Niemi, Director of Sustainability, ASUI
2.) STARS Committee
Lexi Arritt, Program Coordinator; Strategic Enrollment Management
Yolanda Bisbee, Chief Diversity Officer & Executive Director of Tribal Relations; Office of Equity and Diversity
Rebecca Couch, Director; Parking & Transportation Services
Erik Elordi, Director; Campus Services
Lee Espey, Division Operations Officer; Vice President for Finance
Ben Hunter, Dean; University Libraries
Trina Mahoney, Assistant VP of University Budget & Planning; Budget Office
Sara Mahuron, Associate Director of Accreditation and Assessment; Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives
Wes McClintick, IR Director; Institutional Research
Julia McIlroy, Director; Contracts and Purchasing Services
Bradley Ritts, Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Samir Shahat, University Safety Officer & Executive Director; Environmental Health and Safety
Brandi Terwilliger, Director; Human Resources
Rusty Vineyard, Director; Facilities Operations
Olivia Wiebe, Sustainability Coordinator; Sustainability Center-Department of Student Involvement
3.) Sustainability Center Advisory Board
The members of this advisory board often change each year. In 2021, the board members were:
Grace McGreevy, Projects/Grants Coordinator; University of Idaho Sustainability Center
Ian Glasgow, Graduate Student; Mechanical Engineering
Lynsie Clott, Assistant Director; Department of Student Involvement
Olivia Niemi, ASUI Director of Sustainability; Department of Student Involvement
Olivia Wiebe, Sustainability Coordinator; Department of Student Involvement
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:
The Sustainability Center (UISC) was established as the first student-led Sustainability Center west of the Mississippi in 2006 as part of campus-wide student movement with support from staff, faculty, all three student governments (undergraduate ASUI, graduate student GPSA, and law student SBA), residence hall presidents and many clubs. This effort culminated in the passing of a $5 per semester student fee that continues to support UI Sustainability Center activities.
Our Mission: A student-led and student-funded organization, the Sustainability Center supports efforts to create an active culture of sustainability, and we are committed to developing and maintaining healthful, educational living environments while fully integrating sustainable practices at the University of Idaho and in the communities where we operate. Sustainability involves reorganizing our life support systems; climate, energy, biodiversity, food, consumerism and consumption, waste, transportation and built environment. We do this through projects that reduce our environmental footprint and increase participation and collaboration among students, faculty, staff and community members in addressing sustainability-related issues.
Student Leadership: The Sustainability Center has four student staff positions responsible for coordinating events, volunteers, recycling, marketing, grant projects, and social media accounts. Students receive training, support and guidance from the Sustainability Coordinator, a temporary help position.
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 Sustainability Center uses the campus as a living laboratory to engage students in addressing real-world problems through service learning. Recent projects include revitalizing the campus pollinator garden, replacing water intensive grasses with drought resistant varieties, and the installation of a B100 biodiesel fueling station to serve the Biodiesel Education Program and university steam plant vehicles.
In addition, four student leaders host 50-70 activities annually, most notably: partnering with 47 key constituents including 5 student leadership organizations (ASUI, GPSA, Student Orientation Leaders, clubs), 7 living groups (Greek, Dorms), 12 U of I (colleges, departments), and 23 community (non-profit’s, businesses).
Other contributions:
• Allocating, up to $10,000 annually, for student-led campus sustainability projects through the Sustainability Grants program.
• Working to restructure and reinstate interior and exterior recycling with campus partners
• Hosting 12-18 experiential volunteer programs annually which give students the opportunity to plant trees, grow organic produce, protect water quality, maintain mountain trails, pick-up litter, and support composting.
• Improving campus environmental literacy through instructional events, programming, and marketing materials.
• Hosting events such as Climate Action Simulation Games, Interfaith Climate Discussion, Busy Bee House Building, Upcycle It, Eco-Conscious Art Exhibit, and the Dam Removal Webinars
The Sustainability Center serves thousands of students across campus. For example, Spruce the Palouse engages students in their campus and community through service opportunities that enhance our natural environment. Students get to contribute to the sustainability of the Palouse while meeting community partners and finding new areas to appreciate.
FY21 data*:
-Events and volunteer activities: 23
-Participants attending events and volunteer activities: 635
-Volunteer hours: 49
-Trees, shrubs, and groundcovers planted: 625
-Student-led mini-grants awarded: 3
*The pandemic effected programming significantly in FY2021
Accomplishments:
-Coordinating the university's response to a campus sustainability survey 2022, gathering and interpreting data for environmental literacy, employee and student commuter, and cultural indicators.
-Coordinating the university's response to STARS, Princeton Review, and Sierra Cool Schools.
-Contributing to the greenhouse gas inventory and Climate Action Plan updates (in progress)
-Leading energy efficiency initiatives such as the installation of the university's first solar array
-Supporting a multitude of integrated seminars, professors, and student projects
-Serve as a key partner in reinstating campus recycling collection (in progress)
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
This is currently a .75, temporary help position due to the pandemic's effects on hiring
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
-Supervise and support Sustainability Center student staff
-Advise other Department of Student Involvement areas on integrating sustainability efforts into programming
-Mentor and educate students on sustainable practices on local and global scales
-Support and advocate for sustainability projects across departments on campus
-Supervise student grant projects and internship credit students
-Support other Department of Student Involvement areas and programming
-Lead STARS effort
-Serve on interdisciplinary sustainability committees and workgroups within the university and the city of Moscow
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):
This position is new and as of the time of reporting, the job description is a work in progress.
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:
A fourth sustainability committee has been proposed and is in the process of formulating in 2022:
Sustainability Committee (P3)
The Sustainability Committee assists the University of Idaho and P3 partners in developing data driven policies to meet the university’s carbon neutrality goals. The Committee oversees the collection and reporting of sustainability metrics, maintains U of I relationships with 3rd party sustainability groups, and leverages the campus departments, colleges, and student body to promote the conservation of natural resources.
Information about this proposed committee was provided by Marc Compton, Project Engineer; McKinstry
A fourth sustainability committee has been proposed and is in the process of formulating in 2022:
Sustainability Committee (P3)
The Sustainability Committee assists the University of Idaho and P3 partners in developing data driven policies to meet the university’s carbon neutrality goals. The Committee oversees the collection and reporting of sustainability metrics, maintains U of I relationships with 3rd party sustainability groups, and leverages the campus departments, colleges, and student body to promote the conservation of natural resources.
Information about this proposed committee was provided by Marc Compton, Project Engineer; McKinstry
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.