| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.14 |
| Liaison | Teddy Lhoutellier |
| Submission Date | Jan. 26, 2022 |
University of Miami
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Teddy
Lhoutellier Sustainability Manager Environmental Health and Safety |
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:
Mission Statement of the Sustainability Committee at UM:
The Sustainability Committee is composed of a panel of diverse stakeholders and community members of our campus. It strives to promote a culture of environmental awareness through the university community, making sustainability one of the core value of our institution; we want to engage our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community as whole in improving our ecological footprint.
We want to diffuse sustainable practices that acknowledge the necessary balance between humans and their surrounding environment, and that minimize the impacts on our natural resources;
At the U, we transform lives through teaching, research and service. The mission of this committee is to develop an operational model that guarantees commitment to sustainability.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Teddy Lhoutellier- Sustainability Director;
Jose Varona- Ex. Director Energy and Building Systems;
John Tallon - Executive Director, Facilities & Operations, Facilities Management
Heather Stevens-Associate Director, Divisional Initiatives & Student Advocacy, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Nora Villegas-Associate Dir. Housing residence life Facilities
Jennifer Laine - Ex Dir. EHS
Prof. Julia Wester - Director of Graduate Studies Ecosystem Science and Policy;
Prof. Esber Andiroglu - College of Engineering, Director of MS in Construction management
Prof. John Van Leer - RSMAS
Prof. Robin Bachin -Ex. Dir. Office of Civic and Community Engagement
Prof. David Kelly, Director of the MS in Sustainable Business
Pilar Illueca - AVP Design & Construction
Son Vo -Senior Facilities manager
Ignacio Calle -Director Purchasing
Ana Alvarez - Ex. Dir. Auxiliary Services
Lluvia Resendiz - Parking and transportation manager
Gustavo Tovar - Student Government ECO Agency Chair.
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:
Green U - Office of Sustainability is located on the main campus. Its mission is to promote sustainability initiatives, and to monitor and report on the institution's progress on our sustainability action plan goals.
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:
Our Sustainability Director coordinates the planning for the main campus and the Marine and Atmospheric Science campus. He also advises stakeholders on planning efforts at the Miller School of Medicine campus.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Sustainability Director will facilitate the University of Miami’s design and implementation of sustainability initiatives by working with staff, students, faculty, and administrators. The Sustainability Director’s mission is to provide the knowledge, skills, and motivation to integrate sustainable values, best practices and innovation into the University’s Strategic planning processes, into the management of its resources and operations, facilities planning and design, into its research, academic activities and its community outreach.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Facilities, Operations and Planning
• Collaborate with the Sustainability Steering Committee to develop and implement the University’s Climate and Sustainable Operation Plan goals.
• Track those efforts by submitting sustainability reports, such as the 2nd Nature Green House Gas inventory, and the AASHE STARS report.
• Actively engage and coordinate the development and implementation of best practices, policies, and procedures that promote those sustainability goals.
• Identify, initiate, support and institutionalize resource conservation methods, waste diversion, energy and water conservation, ‘green’ purchasing, alternative mobility, sustainable food, green building, sustainable maintenance and landscape practices.
Performance Standards:
Build collaborative relationships with University’s divisions to develop and implement relevant and effective programs. Demonstrate effective project management and overview of initiatives through completion. Consistent collection of key data.
Campus Engagement
• Provide information about sustainability to the campus community.
• Develop an efficient Communication strategy in coordination with the relevant departments.
• Serve a liaison for all sustainability issues.
• Serve as special adviser for various student groups, and especially for the Student Government ECO Agency.
• Educate the University faculty and staff through programs and workshops on sustainability in the workplace.
• Facilitate events like Earth Day, Water Day, or Arbor Day.
• Develop sustainable information packets and online modules for incoming freshmen.
• Facilitate sustainable living programs for student residents.
• Develop pilot project concepts for new initiatives
Public Engagement
• Network with local, regional, and international sustainability focused organizations
• Work closely with local government offices of resilience and sustainability (sit on the Coral Gables Sustainability Advisory Board)
• Benchmark and collaborate with other universities’ office of sustainability leadership (AASHE, Listening Post / Ivy + Sustainability Consortium, ACC Collegiate Sport Sustainability Initiative, Hemispheric University Consortium Sustainability Initiative)
Academics
• Research sustainable grant opportunities with faculty and departments.
• Work with faculty members to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the Sustainability in the Curriculum Initiative.
• Help schools create Living Lab projects focused on Sustainability
• Reach out to faculty to include presentations, programs and events from the Office of Sustainability in the classroom.
Performance Standards:
Provide clear and up to date information to faculty, staff and students. Maintain all Communication outlets accurate and up to date. Actively participate and add value to the existing programs and initiatives lead by the University’s Departments and Schools. Demonstrates effective collaborative skills in all activities related to outreach and engagement.
Administration
• Report regularly and clearly on progress to Facility Operation and Maintenance leadership and Sustainability Steering Committee stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the HR liaison the recruitment of employees, student employees and interns.
• Supervise employees, student employees and interns in their tasks with good leadership practices.
• Monitor budget and other financial activities of the office.
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION/LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
Master's Degree in a relevant field (Environmental science, Sustainability, Ecology, Environmental Engineering).
LEED Green Associate certification, Project Management Professional certification.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Ability to develop, analyze and present reports.
Must have excellent written and verbal (especially teaching and public speaking) communication skills.
Proficiency in MS Office, basic graphic design software, basic photo and video editing programs (e-mail newsletter, and social media).
Knowledge of generally accepted greenhouse gas accounting principles and practices.
High organizational skills.
Must be independent and take charge of projects.
Good leadership and supervising skills.
Two or three years in sustainability or environmental field, in a managerial role.
QUALIFICATIONS PREFERRED
Experience working in a Higher Education setting.
Teaching experience and working with students.
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):
Communication and Outreach coordinator
The Office of Sustainability’s mission is to educate staff, faculty, students, alumni and the community at large about the benefits of adopting sustainable practices and behaviors across the institution. The Office of Sustainability created a part time Communication and Outreach Coordinator position. Candidates are typically graduate students from the School of Communication or the Master in Culture, Environment and Media.
Job Description:
The Coordinator will
• Monitor, promote and enhance the programs offered by the Office of Sustainability.
• Design innovative strategies to achieve awareness and behavioral change for sustainability performance
• Film, edit, and promote short videos to highlight sustainable practices on campus
• Interview students, faculty, and staff who are sustainability role models at UM
• Post pictures on Green U’s social media accounts to engage and inform the university community
• Review the OS website and Newsletter, and offer the Sustainability manager a series of recommendations aligning with OS goals.
• Get training in CMS to update web platforms as needed
• Coordinate and document Green U events on campus (Earth Day, World Water Day, Arbor Day, etc.)
• Engage students, faculty and staff to increase the monthly newsletter listserv, and followers on social media accounts.
• Manage a team of student interns to coordinate specific outreach programs and communication campaigns.
“This job has not only allowed me to practice and improve my environmental communication skills, but has given me the opportunity to make valuable connections within the UM community and beyond.” Adam Roberti
Job Requirements
Education:
• Graduate Student in Communication
• Specializing in Social Media Strategy, Filming, Public Relations preferred
Knowledge, Skills:
• Utilize Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Suite and Adobe Premiere
• Good organizational skills, detail oriented, multi-tasker, flexible schedule, dependable
• Good communication skills both oral and written.
• Ability to work independently and/or in a collaborative environment
• Ability to lead a small team of interns
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):
Sustainability Data Analyst
This is a paid internship opportunity in which you will have a chance to apply what you learn in class. The UM office of sustainability is looking for a graduate student from the MS in sustainable business to participate in the creation and the coordination of two programs. The first program is the elaboration, assessment and monitoring of a sustainable operation and maintenance rating system for buildings and schools on the Coral Gables campus. The second one is the publication and implementation of a sustainable supply chain strategy for the Coral Gables campus. The position requires understanding of basic green building concepts as well as good notions of sustainable supply chain. The SOM coordinator will be supervised jointly by the MH Business School and the Office of Sustainability.
Specific Job Duties:
1. Help the Office of Sustainability create a rating system for sustainable operation and maintenance for the Coral Gables campus building portfolio. The coordinator will work in close partnership with our Director of Energy and Building Systems, and professors from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
2. Finalize the current draft of the rating system with appropriate data normalization.
3. Test the resilience and efficiency of the system with real data.
4. Help UM’s consultant find, gather and analyze data for our Sustainable Operations Plan 2025 >>
Research, benchmark and publish the first draft of a sustainable supply chain and Life Cycle Analysis strategy for the Coral Gables campus. Test and update the strategy by implementing it in a pilot”
5. Assist the UM Sustainability Manager with data collection, analysis and rendering of our Green House Gases Inventory and our 2022 STARS application. The Food and Beverages Purchasing credit and the Commuting emissions will require special attention.
7. Carbon Offset community project: estimate the eCO2 sequestration of a Million Tree project (check Gabi Lopez 8.04.21 + in view of the latest IPCC report (UM Article), should we look into International Carbon Offsets too? > Go back to Victoria Vega’s research )
Required skills and knowledge:
1. Be very proficient with MS Excel
2. Basic knowledge of Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
2. Have solid organizational, writing and communication skills.
3. LEED Green Associate is a plus.
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.