| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.93 |
| Liaison | Srinivasan Raghavan |
| Submission Date | Feb. 24, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Missouri
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.33 / 4.00 |
Hannah
Peterson Graduate Research Assistant Human Dimensions of Natural Resources |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
| Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) | Measurable Objectives (Yes or No) | |
| Curriculum | Yes |
Yes
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
|
| Research (or other scholarship) | Yes | No |
| Campus Engagement |
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
|
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
|
| Public Engagement | No | No |
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes | Yes |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes | No |
| Purchasing | No | No |
| Transportation |
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
|
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
|
| Waste | Yes | Yes |
| Water | Yes | Yes |
| Diversity and Affordability | Yes | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work | Yes | Yes |
| Investment | No | No |
| Other | No | No |
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A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
In the Strategic Plan of the University of Missouri called One Mizzou: 2020 Vision for Excellence, one educational goal is to introduce creative new combinations of curricula that meet modern needs, such as combined BA/BS-Master’s programs, post-baccalaureate certificate programs, summer intensive workshops and others. This includes new sustainability programs, such as Energy Efficiency as a graduate program and an emphasis in sustainable energy in an engineering program.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
In order to meet the goals from the strategic plan listed above, here are some actions identified to be completed by year 2020 in regards to sustainability.
• Create a database that will track interdisciplinary networks within each initiative and across initiatives.
• Utilize postdoctoral fellows to develop and teach interdisciplinary courses related to Mizzou Advantage areas.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
Graduate School Dean, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
In the Strategic Plan of the University of Missouri called One Mizzou: 2020 Vision for Excellence, one research goal is to increase the number of large-scale proposal submissions in Mizzou Advantage focus areas. This goal includes sustainable research projects, for example, Mizzou received funding from the Department of Energy for the biomass proposal US-India Consortium for Development of Sustainable Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuel Systems.
Mizzou Advantage fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, staff, students and external partners to address and solve real-world needs and problems in four areas of strength identified at the University of Missouri: Food for the Future, Media of the Future, One Health/One Medicine, and Sustainable Energy. There are many projects that are working towards sustainable solutions for a variety of real-world problems. It is also a goal to continue to offer new research opportunities, and resources for professional development, visiting scholars, and student travel.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
n/a
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
Provost, Mizzou Advantage Facilitators
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
---
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
---
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
MU has developed a Climate Action Plan as part of the dedication to achieving carbon neutrality by year 2050. A greenhouse gas inventory was also developed, giving us a baseline from which to start. The Climate Action Plan includes our projections for reducing greenhouse gasses from the Power Plant as well as commuting. This report also projects local food production, waste reduction and recycling metrics.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
MU is projecting a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2019. The greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 were 384,908 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is the baseline. The goal by 2019 is to reduce the emissions to 198,668 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or a 50% reduction. There has already been a 32% carbon emissions reduction as of the fiscal year 2014 from the 2008 base year.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
The Climate Action Plan is created and updated by the department of Campus Facilities and the Sustainability Office.
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
In 2011 MU created Sustainable Building Design Guidelines that are implemented on all building projects. The campus standards result in at minimum LEED equivalent projects. The University evaluates individual projects to determine if it is appropriate for a building to earn LEED certification. The University has taken a campus wide approach to sustainable buildings by developing standards and systems that are applied across projects. In 2014 the University hired a full time Sustainable Buildings Program Manager to further increase the level of sustainability of the university’s building portfolio.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
The overall plan calls for an increase in the level of sustainability of the university’s building portfolio. The university is looking for all new construction and major renovation of buildings to have at minimum 50% diversion of waste from landfill, 30% reduction of domestic water use from the baseline, at minimum 50% reduction in irrigation water use, at minimum 25% reduction in energy use from baseline, and use only low emitting paints, sealants, and coatings.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
Chris Wilson, Sustainable Building Program Manager - Planning, Design and Construction under Campus Facilities.
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
Within the 2014-2016 Campus Dining Services Strategic Plan, there are areas of focus for the coming year in accomplishing their organizational goals. One of these goals is purposeful growth, which includes evaluation of sustainability initiatives. Earthright is one of those sustainability initiatives within Campus Dining Services which is committed to make environmentally thoughtful decisions and actions, and they plan to select an internal sustainability coordinator that will lead a team of Earthright Ambassadors.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Campus Dining is reviewing and revising its standards for purchasing reusable beverage containers and take-out packaging with the goal of reducing or eliminating the use of non-recyclable or non-reusable materials by 2016.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Campus Dining Services, Eric Cartwright
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
Renewable Energy: Biomass, solar, and wind energy technologies in MU’s energy portfolio are helping achieve campus sustainability goals and will result in over 30% of MU’s energy coming from renewable energy resources. We have also joined the EPA Green Power Partnership and are listed as the 16th top university using green power, demonstrating our leadership in renewable energy. Our goal is to continue to purchase wind power and increase our renewable energy portfolio. We have recently installed a solar thermal system and hope to find more opportunities to implement renewable energy sources in the near future.
Energy Conservation: While campus education and general space has grown by 42% since 1990, energy use has been reduced by 19% and greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 57% on a square foot basis. The Energy Conservation Program has reduced its energy costs by $6 million a year by implementing proven conservation technologies with a payback of five years or less. Past energy conservation projects include the conversion of heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls from pneumatic to the campus electronic building automatic system. Future goals include the conversion of more heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls to the automatic system. Other goals include measurable energy cost reductions in existing spaces.
Outreach: The Energy Strategies Student Advisory Group (ESSAG) has a mission of advising MU in advancing its leadership in the production and usage of environmentally, fiscally and socially responsible energy. They work on internal education as well as outreach to campus as a whole. Future plans and goals include creating and presenting a comprehensive energy presentation to show to the MU community, and they also plan to give input to the climate action plan.
MU's facility energy management team along with the MU's Energy Strategy Student Advisory Group (ESSAG) are working with an outside consultant to develop a utility masterplan. The utility masterplan focuses on reducing coal use and increasing renewable energy resources.
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
Energy Conservation: The ultimate goal of the Energy Conservation Program is to reduce energy costs in existing space by 1 percent annually. (The actual average annual reduction to date has been 1.5 percent).
Other goals include: targeting a 75% reduction of coal use and increasing the use of biomass and natural gas by 2019, and continuing to purchase wind power and increasing the renewable energy portfolio also by 2019.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
The department of Energy Management in Campus Facilities is responsible for these energy initiatives.
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
The University is currently creating a landscape masterplan with an emphasis on sustainability. They are also developing a landscape management plan that incorporates sustainability.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
n/a
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
Campus Facilities Landscape Services
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
n/a
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
n/a
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
n/a
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
The current waste minimization plan is the transition to a campus-wide Low Waste Program. The program has been implemented in several campus buildings which proved to be successful, so the plan is to extend the program to the rest of the campus buildings.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
The Low Waste Program is in its early stages of implementation, and further implementation somewhat relies on the completion of the renovation of Jesse Hall, the main administration building. Jesse Hall is our most recognizable structure on campus and is the location of the office of the Chancellor. When this renovation is complete, which will happen in the spring of 2015, this hall will be our major starting point. We are also conducting a low waste inventory of all the old buildings on campus (that have not been renovated within the past few years) in order to analyze the possibility of a Low Waste program in those buildings.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
The Sustainability Office is in charge of implementing the Low Waste Program.
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
Mizzou sustains water resource stewardship and has begun implementing its Stormwater Master Plan, providing an adaptable framework that enables the campus community to improve stormwater quality and maintain regulatory compliance. The overall goal is energized by Mizzou's leading research and innovation engine, a key asset in developing solutions to evolving stormwater challenges. Stormwater planners have implemented many management practices that decrease flooding, eroding and harmful runoff, and are continuously looking for other opportunities to implement best management practices. These practices include things like cisterns, swales, pervious pavers and bioretention basins.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
An initial BMP-sizing (Best Management Practices) goal is to capture or treat 80 percent of post-construction runoff. For sites not constrained by existing infrastructure or environmental conditions, a 10 percent reduction in runoff volume serves as a guideline for new and redevelopment projects.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
Campus Facilities, and research faculty from forestry and engineering
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
In the Strategic Plan of the University of Missouri called One Mizzou: 2020 Vision for Excellence, it is stated that in order to expand and strengthen programs that improve the lives of the citizens of Missouri, the nation and the world, Mizzou plans to continue to increase the diversity of the campus community to reflect the changing demographics of the state, region and nation. It is also stated that Mizzou plans to strengthen MU’s collaborations with Missouri’s community colleges and K-12 programs to serve the varied and changing educational and training needs of citizens and to address the rapidly shifting, more diverse demographics in the state and the nation. These plans include working with appropriate individuals to develop a community of scholars and to increase curricular choices to attract students in underrepresented areas.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
The goal of the Admissions Office at MU is to have the freshman class mirror Missouri's ethnicity populace in the future. Currently the freshman ethnicity on campus is: 79% White, 8.5% African-American, 3.6% Hispanic, 2.5% Asian, 3.1% Multi-Race/Ethnicity, 2.7% Nonresident International, 0.1% American Indian/Alaska Native & 0.3% Unreported. Each year Admissions would like to see an increase in all underrepresented ethnicities, especially African-Americans and Hispanic peoples.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
The Office of the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
The University of Missouri is continuously working to implement new and exciting wellness initiatives as well as reinforce and improve existing programs. The Total Rewards packages that the university offers to employees aims to recruit and retain faculty and staff who are engaged, energized and innovative, and who contribute to moving Missouri forward.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
One of the main goals in the Strategic Plan of the University of Missouri called One Mizzou: 2020 Vision for Excellence aims to ensure that MU has the infrastructure and human and financial resources necessary to support innovation and excellence in teaching, research, outreach and economic development. Several other goals are included in this section, including working with Faculty Council, deans and department chairs to plan for faculty and graduate students compensation packages that will place MU near the median of AAU public universities and update the employee benefit programs in ways which will ensure the attraction and retention of the best faculty and graduate students. MU also aims to work with Staff Advisory Council, Human Resource Services and campus administrators to strive to make MU an exceptional employer for staff by providing competitive compensation packages including equitable salaries, updated benefit packages and enhanced opportunities for staff training, mentoring and leadership development.
Date Revised: April 1, 2015
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Total Rewards Operations, Human Resources Department, Wellness Department of UMSystem
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
n/a
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
n/a
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
n/a
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
n/a
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
n/a
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
n/a
None
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
According to the Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Committee at the University of Missouri, sustainability is achieved when human activities consider social equity, political stability, and economic development while balancing the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbance without diminishing ecosystem structure, function, and viability. There are three interrelated aspects:
1. Ecological Sustainability: Interactions of Earth’s physical and biological processes, including the relationship and interactions of humans and ecosystems.
2. Economic Sustainability: Systems of production and consumption, and economic viability
3. Social Sustainability: Process and institutions, governance, values, ethics and enhancement of human well-being
None
Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
Yes
None
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
MU's Strategic Plan, "One Mizzou: 2020 for Excellence," focuses on three interlocking goals.
-Expand and strengthen programs that improve the lives of the citizens of Missouri, the nation and the world.
-Build the Mizzou Advantage, a set of focused, interdisciplinary initiatives that capitalize on existing strengths and bring new international distinction to MU
-Ensure that MU has the infrastructure and human and financial resources necessary to support innovation and excellence in teaching, research, outreach and economic development
Each of these goals and their associated plans relates directly to the triple bottom line of sustainability.
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Curriculum and Research Plans: MU Strategic Plan: One Mizzou, 2020 Vision for Excellence; http://strategicplan.missouri.edu/index-plan.php
Air and Climate/Buildings/Energy Plans: Campus Master Plan/Climate Action Plan; http://www.cf.missouri.edu/masterplan/masterplan.html
Water section from: Stormwater Master Plan 2013; http://masterplan.missouri.edu/Old/stormwater/
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.