Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.90
Liaison Steve Mital
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of Oregon
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.50 / 4.00 Steve Mital
Office of Sustainability Director
Finance & Administration
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:

NA


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:

The University of Oregon Division of Equity and Inclusion has adopted a formal plan for its activities related to student, employee, and community engagement for sustainability called the I.D.E.A.L. Framework. The Framework is comprised of five pillars: Inclusion, Diversity, Evaluation, Achievement, and Leadership. The complete framework was finalized in 2016 and is available online: https://inclusion.uoregon.edu/ideal-framework

The I.D.E.A.L. Framework includes numerous measurable objectives for engagement related to social sustainability, which include the following:

Inclusion Strategies and Initiatives
Develop and engage university departments and communities in opportunities that enhance campus climate and interpersonal communication.
Develop and/or enhance statements about diversity, equity, and inclusion in university and departmental communications.
Work to ensure accessibility for all students as it relates to classrooms, technology, and various other university services.
Incentivize university actors to make diversity and inclusion a priority.
Examine the utility of exchange and visitation programs which would enhance institutional priorities and the university’s goals relative to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Better incorporate issues of equity, implicit bias, and cultural understanding in centralized and departmental human resources initiatives such as searches, onboarding, training, and exit interviews.
Provide more educational opportunities for students, faculty, administrators, and staff across campus to learn more about inclusive behaviors and cultural competency.
Enhance existing and, where appropriate, create new physical spaces for cultural and educational activities that promote inclusion.

Diversity Strategies and Initiatives
• Put in place national best practices for the recruitment and retention of graduate and undergraduate students with an overall aim of increasing the population of diverse students at the university.
• Increase and improve pathway and bridge programs for diverse students to ensure greater awareness of the UO and its opportunities as well as engagement with the UO.
• Examine and implement strategies to retain faculty and staff from typically underrepresented and underserved populations.
• Develop a network of UO employees, students, alumni, and friends to strengthen community connectivity and support diverse students, faculty, and staff as they work toward reaching personal and professional goals.
• Develop and implement formal and experiential learning opportunities for students and employees to acquire knowledge and skills with respect to issues of diversity.
• Support academic projects (e.g. research, curriculum development) on topics that lend themselves to diverse perspectives.
• Bring to campus scholars from diverse backgrounds to enrich academic discourse and education.
• Establish and support employee resource groups to enhance professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Evaluation Strategies and Initiatives
• Require each academic and administrative unit to set goals periodically for diversity, equity, and inclusion that align with the goals of the IDEAL Framework and fit their unique circumstances.
• Develop a standard biennial assessment both centrally and the unit level through which leadership can assess successes, challenges, and opportunities in effectuating their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
• Engage campus departments and programs in evaluating existing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and efforts, and—through collaboration with the Division of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity—establish appropriate and measurable opportunities for improvement.
• Assess the use of communications tools to educate the community on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and then develop targets and tactics to improve overall outreach.
• Establish intra-university and university-community partnerships based on proven best practices, and identify measurable goals and outcomes for such partnerships.
• Create articulable goals for the Division of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, review and assess the Division’s programmatic activities, and provide a report stressing measurable outcomes.
• Align existing university resources expended on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with programs and initiatives that have a proven track record of success and impact.

Achievement Strategies and Initiatives
• Increase the number of awards for diversity-related scholarship, research, teaching, community engagement, and/or exemplary work.
• Increase undergraduate and graduate student participation in cultural and international experiences.
• Provide additional avenues for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in scholarship and fellowship programs or other avenues of recognition, especially those who are traditionally underrepresented in such areas.
• Expand opportunities for students, faculty and staff to participate in professional development.
• Create a competitive grant program to provide opportunities for units and programs to receive funding to advance impactful work on diversity and inclusion, especially where such work can be sustainable and scalable.
• Provide enrolled undergraduate and graduate students with the social, academic, and/or financial support that will enable them to succeed at the university.
• Enhance existing pathway programs and create bridge programs to strengthen the academic preparation of high school, community college, and enrolled undergraduate students for success at the UO.
• Recognize work and achievement by UO alumni in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Develop and use articulable measurements of success for various goals and initiatives to improve accountability and an understanding of progress.

Leadership Strategies and Initatives
• Include evaluations of commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of the hiring process for leadership.
• Articulate statements and goals regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Include as part of performance reviews the records of leaders in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Establish conscious recruitment strategies and hiring objectives tailored to the needs of particular units with respect to under-represented faculty, staff, and administrators.
• Engage development officers throughout the university with leadership in the Division of Equity and Inclusion to identify, pursue and realize opportunities for philanthropic support for diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities.
• Develop and promote programs that mentor and prepare members of under-represented groups for leadership opportunities at the UO.
• Share best practices for achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the university.
• Ensure that the Division of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity deploys its resources to achieve maximum effectiveness in its mission of leading efforts on campus.


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:

The Oregon Model for Sustainable Development is incorporated into the University of Oregon Campus Plan, as follows:
All development, redevelopment, and remodeling on the University of Oregon
campus shall incorporate sustainable design principles including existing and future land use, landscaping, building, and transportation plans.
https://cpfm.uoregon.edu/sites/cpfm2.uoregon.edu/files/campus_plan_principle10.pdf


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:

The University of Oregon has adopted a Diversity policy that governs activities across the University. The policy is available here:
https://policies.uoregon.edu/content/diversity

In addition, the 2016-2021 strategic framework for the University of Oregon emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout. The full text of the Strategic Framework is available here:
https://provost.uoregon.edu/files/strategic_framework_-_final_w_memo_and_app.pdf

Relevant excerpts copied from the Framework are included here:

We value our diversity and seek to foster equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe,
and respectful community.

Reflect best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of curricular and programmatic review.

Increase the number and diversity of Ph.D. students in areas of academic excellence.

Increase the number and diversity of graduate students in areas where prospects
for fulfilling professional careers are bright.

Attract and retain highly qualified, diverse students, faculty, and staff.
The UO will promote a campus culture and infrastructure within
which all students, faculty, and employees can flourish. We seek
greater diversity among the student body, faculty, and staff in
order to ensure a meaningful and successful experience for all.
The UO will ensure inclusive recruitment efforts; transparent,
equitable, and navigable hiring and admissions processes; a
welcoming environment that facilitates scholarship, creativity,
collaboration, learning, personal advancement, success and,
interdisciplinarity.

Attract students from diverse backgrounds by increasing faculty and staff
diversity.

Enhance diversity and global reach by recruiting top international students.

Instruct and train all search committees about the importance of diversity and
how to create diverse pools of candidates.

Expand faculty hiring programs (e.g. dual-career programs, inter-institutional
partnerships, the Initiative for Faculty Diversity, the Underrepresented Minority
Program, and Target of Opportunity Program).

Establish and track measurable goals for increasing diversity.

https://provost.uoregon.edu/files/strategic_framework_-_final_w_memo_and_app.pdf


Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
Yes

The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
Minor theme

The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
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Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
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Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
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The formal statement in support of sustainability:
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The institution’s definition of sustainability:

Sustainability is about meeting our current resource needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Because our economy and society are dependent on a healthy environment, sustainability requires balancing economic success with environmental conservation, and social equity, also known as the triple bottom line.


Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter ---
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) ---
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter ---
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability ---
SDG Accord ---
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment ---
The Talloires Declaration (TD) ---
UN Global Compact ---
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) ---

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:

Three of the four institutional priorities detailed in the University’s highest guiding document, the Strategic Framework, implicitly relate to sustainability. For example, one institutional priority is to “attract and retain high quality, diverse students, faculty and staff,” which is clearly an crucial aspect of social sustainability within the institution. Similarly, another priority is to “promote and enhance student access, retention and success,” which is again an important part of social sustainability, particularly as the University seeks to support students from a range of income levels and a variety ethnic backgrounds. Third, the Strategic Framework priority to “enhance the impact of research, scholarship, creative inquiry and graduate education” relates directly to the University’s ongoing exemplary academic programs that emphasize sustainability, several of which are renowned globally for their contributions to sustainability. These programs include Environmental Chemistry (https://chemistry.uoregon.edu/research/enviro/), the Environmental Law and Natural Resources program (https://law.uoregon.edu/jd/concentrations/enr/enr), the School of Architecture and Environment, in which all programs are founded on an emphasis on sustainability (https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/), and the Environmental Studies program (https://envs.uoregon.edu/).


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Another website where information about the institution's sustainability planning is available: http://cpdc.uoregon.edu/policies-and-documents


Another website where information about the institution's sustainability planning is available: http://cpdc.uoregon.edu/policies-and-documents

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.