University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The Carolina Next Plan includes a measurable objective to "Facilitate learning that is experiential and collaborative, develops individual strengths, and encourages the understanding, ethical use and application of data." Additional measurable objectives are to "Lead in solving the world's most challenging problems" and "Achieve impact by providing platforms for faculty to develop solutions that address problems with critical implications for North Carolina and beyond."

A strategic opportunity to address these objectives is to implement the new General Education Curriculum, IDEAs in Action, that will apply to 100% of undergraduate students who enroll in fall 2021 or later. Several of the learning outcomes specified within the new curriculum require that students study sustainability concepts. These outcomes include: "Explain human and environmental challenges that transcend national borders." "Identify, assess, and make informed decisions about ethical issues at the intersections of the sciences and society." "Interrogate the systemic processes by which forms of inequality are sustained and how these processes have been and are resisted and transformed."

The new curriculum was approved by the Faculty Council on April 12, 2019.
https://ideasinaction.unc.edu/files/2019/04/ideas-action-curriculum-04072019-v5.0.pdf

The Carolina Next Plan includes a measurable objective to "Invest in policies, systems, and infrastructure that promote belonging, community, and transparency throughout the University community." Among the Strategic Opportunities is "Engage the Carolina community to understand what constitutes a sense of belonging on campus and develop best practices for creating such an environment. Part of this critical work includes developing and delivering a series of campus and community seminars on topics such as having difficult conversations, anti-racism and anti-Semitism."

Some of the Carolina Conversations that have already been held have included "First Amendment Protected Speech," "Implicit Bias & Our Lives", "Sexual Assault and Our Community", and "Inclusive Classrooms."

Building-related energy demand accounts for about 75% of UNC's GHG emissions and makes up the biggest piece of the campus carbon footprint, while representing a big opportunity for savings. The Energy Management department spearheads energy and water saving initiatives. Met goal of 30% reduction in energy use per square foot by 2015 relative to 2003. UNC Energy Policy: https://unc.policystat.com/policy/5127744/latest/
New goal is 40% reduction in energy use intensity by 2025.

Progress:
• 34% reduction in energy use per square foot since 2003, avoiding $425 million in cumulative energy costs. Campus square footage
increased 45% over the same period. Many of the new buildings are energy-intensive research laboratories.
The Energy Conservation Measures Program is an existing building commissioning effort utilizing in-house labor, outside contractor
support, and minimal funding to achieve low cost energy savings. Analyzing and upgrading over 10 million square feet of building space
since 2009 has resulted in major savings.

Carolina Next Innovations for Public Good lists treasured values of the University. These include
--- We are committed to operating effectively, sustainably, ethically, transparently, nimbly, with technological sophistication, at the pace of change.
--- We embrace the evolving diversity of the people of North Carolina and the broader community we serve.
--- We focus on population health and prosperity.

The Plan outlines eight strategic initiatives for UNC. Several encompass measurable objectives and strategic opportunities related to sustainability.
Strategic Initiative 1: Build Our Community Together:
--- Reimagine the role and structure of the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion - has been elevated from HR to the provost's office https://diversity.unc.edu/
--- Establish the UNC Commission on History, Race and A Way Forward - has been established and obtained approval from the Board of Trustees to rename four university buildings
--- Make strategic investments in culture and identity centers at the University - Created a $5 million Build our Community Together Fund
--- Systematically evaluate the University’s current diversity
training programs, assess best practices in diversity training,
evaluate contemporary instruments to support diversity
training, and develop a strategy to implement and execute
diversity training at UNC-Chapel Hill - Hosted exhibits and conversations around Unconscious Bias

Strategic Initiative 2: Strengthen Student Success:
--- Address student mental health issues and implement recommendations of the Mental Health Task Force - in process
--- Deploy the My Course Analytics Dashboard, an inclusive teaching tool, to all faculty who teach undergraduates - in process
--- Launch the Master's in Applied Professional Studies program
--- Create a new School of Data Science - in process
--- Implement IDEAS in Action General Education Curriculum - will apply to students entering UNC in fall 2021. Contains sustainability learning outcomes.
--- Launch the Digital Residential and Non-Residential Lifelong Learning
Initiative - assessing online program management partner

Strategic Initiative 4: Discover
--- Enable faculty-driven interdisciplinary projects such as creativity hubs and other campus and unit-based initiatives - identified six strategic research priorities - Brain; Cancer; Data Science; Environment; Opportunity, Well-being and Culture; Precision Health and Society. The 2020 Creativity Hub Award will support an interdisciplinary research team tackling vector-borne diseases including tick-borne illness

Strategic Initiative 6: Serve to Benefit Society:
--- Provide recognition through promotion and tenure policies and procedures for faculty who apply their scholarship and experience in ways that address community problems - in process of adoption by schools and units
--- Launch Provost's Initiative on Rural Engagement and Partnerships - bringing together stakeholders to encourage authentic, effective and sustainable collaborations for the public good - See Chatham Food Hub https://thewell.unc.edu/2020/08/27/connecting-communities-with-local-food/

Strategic Initiative 7: Globalize
--- Guarantee that a global education is available to all students - Launch the Global Guarantee to expand global opportunities for undergraduates - Created Vice Provost for Global Affairs and chief global officer position - now filled with a former ambassador and educator

UNC System Sustainability Policy:
“Therefore, it is the policy of The University’s Board of Governors (the “Board”) that The University, including General Administration, the constituent institutions, and affiliated entities, shall establish sustainable development and resource management, or “sustainability” as a core value of institutional operations, planning, capital construction, and purchasing practices.”