University of New Hampshire
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The Future of UNH: Four Strategic Priorities include following:
• Enhance Student Success and Well-Being: including that UNH will ensure that all students are engaged and ethical global citizens;
• Expand Academic and Research Excellence: including that the university will be known and respected for the high caliber of teaching, research and advising in its academic programs. Its distinguished research, scholarship and doctoral education will be recognized worldwide, including its contributions to global sustainability challenges.
• Embrace New Hampshire: including that UNH will build collaborations that support New Hampshire’s economy and quality of life, sustainability and resilience and will be a trusted, valuable and consistent partner.
• Build Financial Strength: including UNH will be a national leader in long-term cost management, sustainable investing and aligning its budget and resources with its strategic priorities.

Specifically, we have a published goal to be in top 25 of US universities as it pertains to the following research and academic goals and metrics, and we track and publish our standing in regards to each annually here.

• Sustainability (based on UNH’s most up-to-date STARS numeric score relative to other STARS participants)
• Students participating in high-impact educational practices
• Research funding per faculty member (within stated initiative to grow our national sustainability position)

The Future of UNH Four Strategic Priorities include the following commitments

• Embrace New Hampshire: including that UNH will build collaborations that support New Hampshire’s economy and quality of life, sustainability and resilience and will be a trusted, valuable, and consistent partner including partnering with the state and other statewide organization to promote diversity, equity and inclusion across New Hampshire.
• Enhance Student Success and Well-Being: including growing the Changemaker Fellowship, which engages high school seniors as soon as they are accepted and engages them for four years with a focus on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals in support of a goal to increase retention to above 90 percent across all demographic groups.
• Expand Academic and Research Excellence: including a commitment to renew STARS Platinum designation, including continuation of a UNH-wide sustainability survey and the design and implementation of a professional development module to all faculty, staff, and students.

In addition, the UNH Climate Action Plan (WildCAP) outlines goals and strategies for a campus-wide effort to rapidly cut emissions and also includes university-wide engagement objectives:

• Ensure modules in student and employee orientation and UNH admissions tour about UNH’s climate and sustainability goals, achievements, efforts, and opportunities for participation are updated and offered annually;
• Recruit at least one student from each residence hall annually to serve as a Sustainability Advocates
• Institute a new campus-wide NHBSR Climate Change Challenge to be offered to/though employee peer-educators
• Develop a shared resource hub and a system for sharing information across organizations about ongoing projects, campaigns, opportunities for involvement, volunteer and resource needs and availability, and networking opportunities between groups; and
• Support faculty in students in research, and placements for Sustainability Fellows and interns that advance renewable energy technologies and policies. Lend UNH’s institutional weight to advocacy efforts for public policies that advance equitable renewable energy development.

Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As noted above The UNH Climate Action Plan (WildCAP) UNH’s climate action plan, WildCAP 2021, was developed by the Energy Task Force over more than two years. WildCAP 2021 sets ambitious new greenhouse gas reduction goals for the university and outlines goals and strategies for a campus-wide effort to rapidly cut emissions including those related to campus operations. Objectives include: 

• Specifically considering its footprint from Scopes 1 and 2 sources, UNH is committing to a 75% reduction from 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions for these sources as rapidly as possible, with a target year of no later than 2050

These objectives will be pursued through five strategies:

1. Improve building energy efficiency by 25%
2. Explore long-term renewable energy supplies
3. Accelerate electrification of the UNH fleet
4. Promote commuting, business travel and other scope 3 reductions.

Landscape Management
2021 Landscape Master Plan Update establishes a framework for sustainable and resilient design, planning, landscape management and project management practices. Additionally, it sets specific standards for land use planning as well as best management practices within the university’s footprint in terms of storm water, plant material selection and paving strategies.

To facilitate the creation and evolution of such “living plans,” the Ecosystem Task Force shall work with three Working Groups/Committees who can bring to bear the expertise of staff, faculty, and others in the UNH community:

• A Botanical Management Working Group
• A Watershed Protection Working Group
• The Committee on Woodlands and Natural Areas

Transportation
The UNH Transportation Policy Committee, recommendations to update the university's 2003 foundational transportation policies, was approved by (then) President Dean in April 2019. The update builds on our Transportation Demand Management strategy adopted in 2003 and re-affirms it’s core principles to:

• enhance policies, practices and infrastructure which support UNH sustainability goals, climate commitments and unique identity as a walking campus and town community
• leverage new technologies and operations which optimize pedestrian, transit and parking conditions
• design revenue systems which ensure proper maintenance of UNH parking and transportation infrastructure, while discouraging single-occupancy car trips when more efficient alternatives exist
• enhance visitor and outside community member access and participation in the University
• ensure system flexibility to respond to future changes in the campus plan, local development, community demographics, accessibility needs, environmental practices, and relevant technologies
• continue data-driven reviews of policy and practice to maintain a transportation system that is responsive to the needs of the community

These core principles underpin detailed recommendations and goals addressed in plan impacting infrastructure, policies, emissions, land use, and aesthetics.

The Future of UNH Strategic Priorities include

• Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Initiatives developed in 2020 to make UNH stand out for advancing DEI at every level of our institutions;
• Commitment to include DEI in UNH research, scholarship, and engagement activities and engage our entire UNH community in DEI learning experiences;
• Commitment to partner with the state and other statewide organization to promote diversity, equity and inclusion across New Hampshire.
• Commitment to increase retention to above 90 percent across all demographic groups.
• Commitment to increasing graduation rates overall and for Pell Grant Students
• Commitment to national leadership in long-term cost management, sustainable investing and aligning its budget and resources with its strategic priorities while becoming more accessible and affordable for students

Specifically, we have a goal to be in top 25 of US universities as it pertains to the following affordability and access metrics, and we track and publish our standing annually here.

• Graduation rate
• Graduation rate for Pell grant students
• Best value

Related DEI Strategic Initiatives can be found here . They include the following stated goals

• Increase the diversity of stafff and faculty
• Increase the diversity of the student body
• Create an inclusive and welcoming enviroment for all, especially people fo color
• Prepare all students to function effectivley in divese settings, at and beyond UNH
• Include issues of racism, diversity and inclusion in our research
• Ensure leadership teams proactively address diversity and inclusion
• Create structure to faciliate the above

Important aspects of this work are also carried out through institutional mechanisms including:

• University Commission on Community, Equity and Diversity that provides university-wide leadership in support of institutional diversity and a welcoming, inclusive campus. See https://www.unh.edu/inclusive/community-climate/university-commission-community-equity-and-diversity
• Inclusion Council is comprised of the chairs of Diversity and Inclusion Committees (Equity Advocates) already or recently forged in colleges, Student Affairs and units. The Council works on relevant unit-based inclusivity by exchanging information, discussing obstacles, resources, activities, best practices and creative ideas about inclusive pedagogy, recruiting, retention, and programming. See https://www.unh.edu/inclusive/community-climate/inclusion-council 

The UNH Strategic Plan in which sustainability is a major theme--by virtue of having sustainability embedded as one of nine overarching performance metrics and woven throughout the designated initiatives--is here:  https://www.unh.edu/main/future-of-unh

It is endorsed by the UNH Board of Trustees

Today, we view sustainability as a collective commitment to human dignity for all people and ecological integrity in all places. It is built upon an inter-generational, ethical obligation that holds social justice, collaboration, and inclusive prosperity to be essential to fulfill diverse human potential and preserve the health of the planet upon which we all depend. This manifests as an ethic that compels us to respond to urgent, complex challenges with trans-disciplinary approaches that involve diverse partners, on campus and beyond.

https://www.unh.edu/sustainability/about 

The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments (Charter Signatory)
http://secondnature.org/what-we-do/climate-leadership/

UNH was the first university in the nation to sign the "Agreement of Intention and Collaboration" linked to the International Slow Food Association. In May of 2006, UNH signed the International Slow Food Principles " ... for the purpose of creating a worldwide network of universities and research institutions linked to the International Slow Food Association." These principles include " ... protection of agricultural biodiversity, support of the rights of peoples to self-determination with regard to food and education of civilized society and training of workers in the food and agricultural sector.
https://www.unh.edu/dining/sustainability/sustainable-efforts