Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.09
Liaison Shane Stennes
Submission Date Jan. 11, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Carley Rice
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

1st Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
University District Alliance

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
University District Alliance:
The Alliance is a partnership of communities, learning institutions, and the City of Minneapolis that works to make the area surrounding the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis one that:

capitalizes on its exceptional resources;
is vibrant, safe, healthy, and sustainable;
is a preferred place for people of all ages to live, work, learn, do business, and visit.
Goals for Achieving the Purpose of the University District Alliance
Goal 1: Create a unique identity for the University District as a positive, welcoming, and forward-looking place to live, work, invest, and vist.

Goal 2: Develop the University District Alliance into a professionally run partnership of strong and supportive member organizations.

Goal 3: Increase the number of long-term residents and broaden the socioeconomic and demographic make-up of the population.

Goal 4: Improve the quality and diversity of the housing stock.

Goal 5: Attract and retain enterprises that capitalize on the assets of the District.

Goal 6: Demonstate quality urban design and sustainable urban development.

Goal 7: Facilitate communication and cooperation among the residents, businesses, institutions, and public sector entities.

Goal 8: Cultivate a healthy living and learning environment by bringing together the academic, research, artistic, and municipal resources of the University and the partners.

Member Organizations
Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association
Prospect Park Association
South East Como Improvement Association
West Bank Community Coalition
West Bank Business Association
Dinkytown Business Alliance
Stadium Village Commerical Association
Southeast Business Association
University of Minnesota
Augsburg College
City of Minneapolis
Minneapolis Student Association
Council of Graduate Students
Professional Student Government

https://university-district.umn.edu/about-alliance

2nd Partnership

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP)

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
RSDP:
The Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) bring together community and University knowledge and resources to drive sustainability in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, clean energy, natural resources and resilient communities. RSDP supports local projects through five regional boards made up of community members and University faculty and staff. The work of each regional board is supported by community-University work groups in the four sustainability focus areas which work with community partners to identify and develop local project ideas. In 2021 alone, RSDP partnered with 332 community partners and 146 University partners on 158 community-driven sustainability projects across Minnesota. RSDP also supports multi-region food systems work across Greater Minnesota and provides energy programming through the Clean Energy Resource Teams.

3rd Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
Hennepin University Partnership

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
The Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP) is a nationally recognized, jointly funded collaboration between Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota. HUP catalyzes and supports mutually beneficial partnerships that create positive community change. We do this by promoting evaluation and policy analysis work, data analytics, exchanges of academic and practitioner expertise, internship opportunities for UMN students, and learning opportunities for county staff. HUP is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota.

Our Mission: To improve the well-being of our community by fostering innovative county-university collaborations in the areas of community-based research, information-sharing, and student engagement.

Our Vision: Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota leverage each others’ strengths to improve the quality of life within our community.

Our Work
Hennepin County and the UMN engage in a wide, ever-evolving array of work. This work takes place within each organization's unique context and culture. HUP uses our knowledge of both institutions to effectively engage leadership, managers, staff, faculty, and students to build sustainable connections.

https://hup.umn.edu/about-hup

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
The University of Minnesota has extensive partnerships related to sustainability. Other projects can be found via the Public Engagement Footprint where users can filter partnership information by Sustainable Development Goal areas: https://system.umn.edu/your-community

Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Community and Local Government Relations

With over 67,000 students and 26,000 employees across the U of M system, the impact of the University of Minnesota is felt in every local economy and every community. U of M excellence attracts students from across the world. It grows our local economies. It makes our communities more vibrant. Results require partnership. In carrying out our mission of education, research, and public engagement, we not only produce innovative ideas and a skilled workforce: we partner with communities and local units of government. We are committed to working closely with our many partners for the good of all our communities.

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.