University of Massachusetts Amherst
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Ezra
Small Sustainability Manager Physical Plant |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
A. Curriculum objectives within the Sustainability Integration Plan (SIP) from 2017:
The SIP process from 2017-2018 identified 6 top sustainability priorities for the campus to advance and focus on over the next 5 years. These priorities have been endorsed by the Chancellor and the Chancellor's Leadership Council (All VC's and Deans) and are published online on the Chancellor's Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) web page here: http://www.umass.edu/sustainability/about/chancellors-sustainability-advisory-committee-csac). One of the 6 priorities is "Hand's On Learning" which states in the above linked presentation to the CLC:
"Expand ‘Hands-on Learning’ opportunities:
– Becomes a hallmark of a UMass sustainability degree (and our messaging and brand)
– Student career success focus: e.g., professional development workshops, internships
– Sustainability majors in SES take 3-4 classes involving real world projects"
B. Curriculum objectives within the System-Wide Sustainability Policy from 2016:
The policy document has 10 Principles, each with stated Goals. Principle #10 of this document states: "Academic and Research Programming and Community Engagement – Ensuring Sustainability is part of Academic and Research programming and part of community engagement efforts.
1. Goal - The UMass Sustainability Council will work with their respective campus curriculum governance units to identify where Academic and Research Programming and Community Engagement involving Sustainability already exists, and to explore more formal incorporation into core curriculum and identified learning outcomes."
See page 5 (905.5) in policy document here: https://www.umassp.edu/sites/default/files/board-policies/T16-055-Sustainability%20Policy_rf012021.pdf.
See page 905.22 for a metric and other text for this principle and goal.
C. Curriculum objectives within the Climate Action Plan (v2.0) from 2012:
Pg. 6-7
"1. EDUCATION/ENGAGEMENT: Continue integrating and expanding sustainability across the
curriculum and campus life
• Extend sustainability learning outcome requirements5 to a majority of majors and degrees.
• Offer more sustainability focused and related academic courses.
• Increase student engagement in residence halls and student organization activities and increase faculty and staff engagement in classroom and administrative offices.
• Conduct a bi-annual assessment of sustainability literacy of all students, focusing the assessment on knowledge of topics, and not merely on values or beliefs.
• Renew the ACUPCC: Reaffirm leadership and recommit the University to the goals within the commitment text.
• Restructure and grow EPAC to include members from University Relations, Budget office, Student Affairs and Residence Life, Diversity Office, Alumni & Development, and Athletics.
• Place a spotlight on research that is contributing to a just and sustainable future; begin tracking the financial commitment to sustainability related research to highlight how it can potentially offset campus emissions."
Pg.35
"Increase number of sustainability-related courses and learning outcomes:
Identifying courses is important to draw student interest, but it’s equally important to work with faculty to develop more sustainability courses and learning outcomes. In the STARS Report, UMass Amherst did not excel in the percentage of sustainability-related courses offered (Credit ER-7), receiving 0.71 out of 10 possible credits. UMass has over 4,650 courses and about 100 courses (~2%) were considered sustainability-related. The committee will work to increase this number to 7.5% to 15% of all courses in order to receive 2.5 to 5 points for this credit by 2013. It is important that the institution’s students graduate from programs that include sustainability as a required learning outcome or include multiple learning outcomes during some point in their academic experience. UMass Amherst scored very low in this area of the STARS report (Credit ER-9)24, receiving 1.48 points out of 10. Twenty eight degree programs have these learning outcomes, covering 1,000 of more than 6,400 total UMass graduates in 2011. It will be crucial to expand the involvement of faculty in the programs not yet identified in order to have sustainable learning outcomes to score higher on the STARS Report and more importantly the guarantee of reaching more students before they graduate."
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
A. Stakeholder engagement objectives within the Sustainability Integration Plan (SIP) from 2017:
The SIP process itself was a stakeholder engagement process (it involved interviewing stakeholders across campus and surveying students and interviewing student focus groups).
The SIP process from 2017-2018 identified 6 top sustainability priorities for the campus to advance and focus on over the next 5 years. These priorities have been endorsed by the Chancellor and the Chancellor's Leadership Council (All VC's and Deans) and are published online on the Chancellor's Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) web page here: http://www.umass.edu/sustainability/about/chancellors-sustainability-advisory-committee-csac. In the planning of two of the priorities, producing a Carbon Reduction Plan and producing a Resiliency Plan, include the requirement to, “…design [a] stakeholder engagement plan process…”. These processes are planned to be rolled out by the end of 2020.
B. Curriculum objectives within the Climate Action Plan (v2.0) from 2012:
Pg. 6-7
"1. EDUCATION/ENGAGEMENT:
• Increase student engagement in residence halls and student organization activities and increase faculty and staff engagement in classroom and administrative offices.
• Conduct a bi-annual assessment of sustainability literacy of all students, focusing the assessment on knowledge of topics, and not merely on values or beliefs.
• Restructure and grow EPAC to include members from University Relations, Budget office, Student Affairs and Residence Life, Diversity Office, Alumni & Development, and Athletics.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The following objectives were generated as part of the Carbon Mitigation Plan:
https://www.umass.edu/carbon-neutrality/report
Transition Away from Steam by installing a LTHW distribution system.
Stop Burning Fossil Fuels which is enabled by the transition to LTHW which doesn’t require combustion.
Accelerate Energy Efficiency starting with “go-fast” thermal opportunities, like air-sealing, insulation and building heat-recovery projects.
Expand the Use of Renewable Energy by doubling onsite solar, massively expanding renewable thermal technologies like ground-source heating and solar thermal and procuring 100% of grid purchases from renewable sources.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
WELLNESS:
Goal 2 of the UMass Strategic Plan is to "Establish UMass Amherst as a destination of choice where academically accomplished, socially responsible seekers of a world-class education succeed in a research-rich, inclusive learning community." The "Support Student Success 4 Action Steps" has one action step under this goal that address wellness:
"Incorporate students’ goals, expectations, and holistic understanding beyond academic performance (e.g., wellness, sense of belonging) into pathways and advising; taking advantage of innovations in curriculum and pedagogy in the discipline."
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:
Goal 3 of the UMass Strategic Plan is to "Establish UMass Amherst as a community of choice for students, staff, and faculty that exemplifies the power of diverse perspectives and mutual respect". The "Organize for Success 4 Action Steps" under this goal that address diversity, equity and inclusion:
1. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of resources, services, and administrative processes in fostering a climate of inclusion.
2. Provide incentives and seed funding to catalyze diversity and equity initiatives.
3. Make diversity outcomes part of the regular responsibility and accountability of administrators.
4. Ensure the inclusion of underserved communities in the university’s outreach and engagement efforts.
Goal 3 Metrics are being tracked for these actions and can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/strategicplan/goals.
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | --- |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | --- |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | --- |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | --- |
| SDG Accord | --- |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | Yes |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | --- |
| UN Global Compact | --- |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
We answered "yes" to the Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment because the institution signed the Carbon Commitment during the 2018-2019 academic and fiscal year.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Sustainability is a key "Value" (1 of 6) in the UMass Strategic Plan.
"Integrity and Stewardship. As a community, we set high standards for personal responsibility and institutional integrity, and hold ourselves accountable in managing institutional resources and for advancing sustainability of our planet."
Sustainability is a key "Value" (1 of 6) in the UMass Strategic Plan.
"Integrity and Stewardship. As a community, we set high standards for personal responsibility and institutional integrity, and hold ourselves accountable in managing institutional resources and for advancing sustainability of our planet."
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.