University of North Georgia
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The Presidents Committee on Sustainability has identified Academic Goals, and associated objectives, for the institution which include:
1. Identify and fill critical gaps in sustainability training and education for student, faculty, staff, and external constituents including but not limited to new student orientation, employee orientation/annual training, curriculum, and continuing education.
a. Advocate for sustainability education in the Core Curriculum.

2. Promote research in sustainability initiatives.
a. By the end of December 2020, create an annual recognition event at the Dean and Provost level, that can be used to celebrate and publicize the sustainability research of a member of the UNG community.

The Presidents Committee on Sustainability has identified engagement goals, and associated objectives, for the institution which include:

5. Increase internal and external awareness of institutional sustainability efforts through outreach, social media, and a centralized webpage. Increase sustainability output on social media outlets.

a. Starting in 2021, host an annual regional roundtable discussion of sustainability issues and objectives, involving government, business and academic leaders from across UNG’s primary footprint.
b. The Dean of each UNG college should annually propose at least one student from that college to be an active part of the UNG Student Sustainability Club.

From the Comprehensive Administrative Review (CAR):

There are opportunities to realize significant cost savings by creating, educating, and promulgating a university-wide environmental sustainability (green) program that will provide the framework for reducing utility costs and administrative waste at the individual, unit, and university levels. Reduction in energy and other operational costs will be achieved by:

• encouraging all faculty, staff, and students to turn off lights, computers, monitors, and any other electrical appliances when not in use in residence halls, parking areas, and other campus buildings;

• implementation of a managed print system for desktop and network printers; • reducing hot water consumption;

• reducing water needs;

• making waste management systems more efficient;

• installing energy-efficient lighting;

• replacing antiquated systems with modern energy-efficient systems.

UNG spends approximately $588,000 per year on computer printing and could reduce those costs by as much as $235,000 annually through implementation of a managed print system for individual desktop printers and network printers. This system would require a $30,000 ongoing annual investment with an expected return on investment in year 1.

Current utility expenses are approximately $4 million per year, and we anticipate that we could reduce utility costs by 5% to 10% through energy and water consumption awareness, building recommissioning and automated controls initiatives, and retrofits to newer energy efficient systems. We anticipate an additional 5% in energy savings through individual and unit awareness of and participation in UNG’s green program.

Total annual savings from a managed print system and reduced energy consumption is projected to be $325,000 to $525,000, after funding the managed print system and the developing the resources and oversight in the Department of Facilities required to implement and maintain a sustainability program. These savings will be re-directed to student services and/or direct academic instruction.

https://ung.edu/president/adminreview.php



The Presidents Committee on Sustainability has identified operations goals, and associated objectives, for the institution which include:

1. Establish a measurable GHG emissions baseline for UNG operations, with goals for annual improvement.

2. Have an operational solar panel system for offsetting electric costs, academic instruction, and research purpose by 2021.

3. Have all of our large buildings sub-metered by 2022 and begin establishing a baseline for energy improvements.

4. Increase the amount of waste diverted from landfills on the Dahlonega Campus by improving recycling collection.

5. Create a student worker position for data collection and campus outreach efforts.

Inclusion and Diversity is a major theme, #4 of 5, in UNG's Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.


The Presidents Committee on Sustainability has identified general administrative goals, and associated objectives, for the institution which include:
1. Secure and maintain an Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS) Gold rating.
a. Submit new STARS applications no less frequently than every two years achieving a higher rating each submission.
b. Address feedback from STARS committee within one year.
c. Show continuous improvement.

UNG's Sustainability Mission statement:

The University of North Georgia is committed to sustainable practices by sharing knowledge, educating, conducting research, and forming collaborations to maintain a healthy environment and preserve resources for future generations. We aim to engage our students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve through proactive discourse, and serve as an inclusive model for sustainable practices for other organizations to emulate.