University of North Carolina, Greensboro
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The Climate Action Plan includes the following recommendations:

• Promote and support the successful existing efforts and programs.
• Create and implement a mandatory on-line course on sustainable practices at UNCG. Students would be required to watch the course and pass a follow-up exam before beginning classes.
• Incorporate at least one lecture on sustainability and its relationship to the subject matter into each General Education core course.
• Develop a Sustainability Concentration for appropriate majors. For example, a Green Business concentration or “Green” MBA could be added to Bryan School offerings.
• UNCG could offer a cross-disciplinary Sustainability Certificate or Sustainability Minor. Such a program could be modeled on the successful existing cross-disciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurship, Women’s and Gender Studies, and African American Studies (achieved - undergraduate and graduate majors created).
• Facilitate new faculty hires in relevant areas to strengthen existing academic programs (e.g. Environmental Health Ph.D.) or create new areas of proficiency in departments that have no expertise in sustainability.
• Work across departments to create an annual academic “theme,” with sustainability serving as the focus.
• Research the feasibility of a “Sustainability Fellows” program, wherein selected faculty members teach, research, and promote sustainability issues (achieved).

https://sustainability.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/UNCG-Climate-Action-Plan.pdf

The Climate Action Plan includes the following recommendations:

“Introducing first year and transfer students to the sustainability initiatives is an important step to develop the culture of sustainability at UNCG. Several methods can be used to reach these new students. Inclusion of a presentation within student orientation (“SOAR”) would emphasize the importance of sustainable practices to UNCG.” Achieved.

“Green Office Certification Program: This program educates faculty and staff on how to make the most of the sustainability resources available to their offices/departments, as well as how to make positive sustainability behavior changes.” Achieved.

“Human Resources: A presentation on sustainability at UNCG is included in New Employee Orientation."

UNCG should fund a robust EcoRep program, as peer-to-peer education is one of the most effective means of influencing behavior (achieved).

Other ideas include:
• Work with admissions to include sustainability into recruiting materials.
• Strengthen and expand the Creative Sustainability Initiative. Increase the number of participants, and seek funds to implement winning projects when possible.
• Encourage and fund attendance of UNCG student sustainability leaders at conferences for campus sustainability, including AASHE.
• Continue working with SGA to establish a position within the SGA administration that serves as a liaison to the Office of Sustainability (achieved).

https://sustainability.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/UNCG-Climate-Action-Plan.pdf

The 2020 Campus Plan recommends the following:

• Utilize existing building space efficiently before building new space, recognizing the connection between space, energy and emissions.
• Continue to improve the energy performance of existing buildings by investing in mechanical and lighting systems upgrades, and envelope improvements.
• Specify high performance and robust energy usage intensity (EUI) targets for renovation and new construction, in addition to LEED certification, to continue campus energy conservation efforts to reduce Scope 1 emissions from fossil fuels for mechanical systems.
• For new construction and additions, consider rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations to generate renewable on-site energy, and reduce Scope 2 emissions including purchased electricity.
• Integrate geothermal feasibility studies in the concept design process for new construction where feasible or appropriate.
• Develop additional on-campus housing to reduce Scope 3 emissions related to student commuting.

https://facdc.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/20201030_UNCG-The-2020-Campus-Plan_External-Report_Spreads.pdf

The university Strategic Plan includes the following goals:

• UNCG will increase enrollment of low-income (Pell grant eligible, in-state) students by 15.1% by 2021.
• UNCG will increase enrollment of rural (in-state, from a Tier 1 or 2 county) by 9.4% by 2021.
• UNCG will increase the 5 year graduation rate for first-time, full-time students to 62.4% by 2022 (instate; from any accredited 4 year institution).
• UNCG will increase the low-income completion rate by 32.5% by 2021-22.
• UNCG will increase the rural completion rate by 12.9% by 2021-22.
• UNCG will increase Undergraduate Degree Efficiency (number of credentials awarded per 100 full-time students) from 20.4 to 21.7 by 2021-22.
• UNCG will decrease the gap in Undergraduate Degree Efficiency (number of credentials awarded per 100 full-time students) for underrepresented minority students by increasing the UDE from 19.2 to 20.8 by 2021-22.

https://strategicplan.uncg.edu/goals-and-initiatives/

UNCG defines sustainability as "academics, operations, and outreach conducted with careful attention to the enduring interconnectedness of social equity, the environment, the economy, and aesthetics."