| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.40 |
| Liaison | Austin Sutherland |
| Submission Date | Feb. 21, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Pennsylvania
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
Penn President Amy Gutmann's signed the "American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment" in 2007, the first Ivy League President to do so, and in doing so charged the development of a strategic plan outlining the University’s goals for carbon reduction. To carry out this mission, the "Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee" (ESAC), chaired by the Vice President of the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, was formed, and held its first meeting in May, 2008.
ESAC is a representative group of faculty, staff, and students who advise the President and senior leadership on environmental sustainability issues. This committee is comprised of senior administrators as at-large members, School and Center Sustainability Coordinators, the Sustainability Office, students, and representatives from seven subcommittees, School and Center: Academics, Physical Environment, Energy and Utilities, Purchasing, Waste Minimization, Transportation, and Outreach and Engagement. These subcommittees developed recommendations for short- and long-term actions that were incorporated into Penn's initial Climate Action Plan in 2009, and the second iteration, the Climate Action Plan 2.0, which was issued in 2014.
ESAC was given a new role after the launch of the University’s Climate Action Plan - and continues to meet no less than once per year, with each subcommittee meeting no less than once each semester to discuss current work, challenges, and achievements in each of the plan’s seven initiatives. In addition, the seven subcommittee co-chairs continue to meet once per semester to collaborate on initiatives and share progress. These ongoing meetings ensure effective implementation of the plan and provide an opportunity to strengthen Penn’s initiatives through regular communication and collaboration.
In addition to the campus leadership and steering function provided by ESAC, Penn has many supporting committees and organizations that support sustainability at Penn through administrative decision-making, advocacy, research, and leadership. These committees include:
* The Sustainability Coordinators, comprised of representatives from Schools and key Centers that work to align their work to the goals of Penn's CAP2.0.
* The Student Sustainability Association at Penn, Penn's student-led umbrella group for environmental and sustainability extra-curricular activities.
* The Bicycle Committee, with representatives from Penn's Divisions of Facilities and Real Estate Services, Business Services, and Public Safety, as well as other key campus stakeholder.
* The University Council's Facilities Committee, which includes campus sustainability as one of its annual charges.
* Solid Waste Management Working Group, made up as volunteers from across campus collaborating on waste minimization efforts.
* The Tree Advisory Committee, with representatives from the Morris Arboretum, the Office of the University Architect, and other key stakeholders, working to keep Penn's tree population healthy and to expand Penn's tree canopy on campus.
* Staff and Faculty Eco-Reps Steering Committee, a team of six volunteer leaders who manage and help direct the activity of Penn's Eco-Reps.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):
ESAC Committee (at large members):
Anne Papageorge, Chair and Vice President, Facilities and Real Estate Services Division (FRES)
Marie Witt, Vice President of the Business Services Division (BSD)
Faramarz Vakilizadeh, Executive Director of Operations & Maintenance, FRES
Tony Sorrentino, Assistant Vice President, Office of the Executive Vice President
Marilyn Jost, Executive Director of Administration, FRES
Beth Winkelstein, Vice Provost for Education, Office of the Provost
Matt Lane, Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Science Operations, School of Arts and Sciences
Ira Winston, Executive Director, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Edwin Datz, Executive Director of Real Estate, FRES
Bob Lundgren, University Landscape Architect, FRES
Alex Waegel, Center for Environmental Building + Design, Penn Design
Paul Meyer, Executive Director Morris Arboretum, BSD
Heidi Wunder, Assistant Director of Communications, FRES
Subcommittee Co-chairs
John Keene (Academics), Professor of City & Regional Planning, Penn Design / Environmental Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
Jane Dmochowski (Academics), Faculty, Earth & Environmental Science School of Arts & Sciences
David Hollenberg (Physical Environment), University Architect, FRES
Eric Weckel (Physical Environment), Executive Director of Space Planning & Operations, Perelman School of Medicine
Bill Braham (Utilities & Operations), Professor of Architecture / Center for Environmental Building + Design, Penn Design
Ben Suplick (Utilities & Operations), Director of Energy Operations , FRES
Brian Manthe (Transportation), Director of Transportation, BSD
Craig Roncace (Waste Minimization), Director of Urban Parks, FRES
Sara King (Waste Minimization), Associate Director, Sustainability & Project Management, School of Arts & Sciences
Mark Mills (Purchasing), Director of Purchasing, BSD
Colleen Reardon (Purchasing), Director, Strategic Sourcing and Sustainability, BSD
Jennifer Rizzi (Outreach & Engagement), Director of Communications, FRES
Barbara Lea-Kruger (Outreach & Engagement), Director of Communications & External Relations, BSD
School & Center Sustainability Coordinators:
David Mazzocco, Associate Director of Sustainability & Operations, Wharton School of Business
Kimberly Kopple, Director Planning, Design and Construction, School of Veterinary Medicine
Jake Mattera, Building Administrator, Penn Law
Lucia Dinapoli, Director of Special Projects, School of Nursing
Sara King, Director, Sustainability & Project Management, School of Arts & Sciences
Leandra Davis, Director, Sustainability Coordinator, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Jennifer Mishkin, Associate Director of Facilities, Perelman School of Medicine
Adam Roth-Saks, Associate Director, School of Social Policy & Practice
Karl Wellman, Director of Facilities, Penn Design
Karen Kronin, Business Manager, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine
Tom Wilson, Director of Facilities, Morris Arboretum, BSD
Keith Mauer, Associate Director of Facilities, Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation
Tracy Hawkins Manager, Operations & Administration, BSD
Sustainability Office
Dan Garofalo, Director of Environmental Sustainability, FRES
Julian Goresko, Sustainability Manager, FRES
Madeline Schuh, Sustainability Analyst, FRES
Elizabeth Main, Sustainability Coordinator, FRES
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The four-person Sustainability Office staff report to the University Architect as do the two-person landscape design team. An additional five-person energy team reports to the Executive Director of Operations & Maintenance. All staff is housed within the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services.
In addition, ten of Penn's 12 Schools have appointed a Sustainability Coordinator to develop and manage sustainability initiatives within each School. Several of Penn's critical administrative centers also have appointed Sustainability Coordinators, including the Department of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, the Morris Arboretum, the New Bolton Large Animal Center, the Vice Provost of University Life, the Division of Business Services, Residential Services, and the Office of Government and Community Affairs.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Sustainability Office has four main functions: setting sustainability goals, tracking & reporting sustainability metrics, educating & engaging the campus community, and supporting efforts throughout the campus to meet the "Climate Action Plan" goals.
The Sustainability Office completes quarterly metrics tracking sustainability goals for senior leadership, organizes campus-wide awareness campaigns, oversees the work of outreach organizations such as Student Eco-Reps, Staff/Faculty Eco-Reps, School and Center Sustainability Coordinators, and provides support to and coordination with allied professionals, faculty, and administrators across the University working on sustainability issues.
Some examples of recent years include:
* In the spring of 2017, Penn's main, academic campus was designated a Level 1 arboretum under ArbNet certification and has since increased to Level 2, recognizing the efforts of the University to create and maintain a diverse physical environment on campus.
* Penn was also recognized for the eighth year in a row as a "Tree Campus USA" award recipient.
* In 2017, Penn earned the Clean Air Council's 2017 "Clean Commute Award" for exemplary sustainability in commuting and transit.
* Penn's Shoemaker Green was one of the worlds first public landscapes to be awarded the Sustainable Sites designation for its exemplary landscape planning and stormwater management.
* Penn now has over 20 LEED-certified green buildings or renovations projects, and in 2017, Penn's New College House won the Delaware Valley Green Building Council's "Groundbreaker Award" for exemplary accomplishment in green building
* Penn has been named a "Bike-Friendly University" (Silver rating) since 2014. The rating is good for four years, after which point the University will reapply.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Penn’s first Sustainability Director was appointed by President Amy Gutmann in 2009, and is responsible for implementing the "Climate Action Plan 2.0", Penn’s roadmap for improved environmental performance and carbon emissions reduction. Today, the Sustainability Director supports environmental improvement in the built environment, energy and utilities, transportation, purchasing, waste reduction, communications, and academics.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
This position also serves as an adviser and manager to many groups across campus, including the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC), the Sustainability Coordinators, and the Student Sustainability Association at Penn (SSAP). The Sustainability Manager reports to Penn’s Environmental Sustainability Director and helps oversee day-to-day functions of the office while contributing to institutional planning, strategic development, campus operations, and outreach initiatives for the University's Climate Action Plan 2.0, an institutional framework for holistic sustainability.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
The Sustainability Analyst tracks and provides data analysis of campus wide sustainability metrics, works to visualize and publish sustainability data, and updates campus sustainability reporting. In addition, the Analyst contributes program support towards Penn’s "Climate Action Plan 2.0" initiatives.
The Sustainability Coordinator is responsible for coordinating programs and outreach initiatives for students, faculty, and staff in support of the University’s "Climate Action Plan 2.0". Specifically, the coordinator assists in managing the Eco-Reps programs, the "PennGreen Pre-Orientation" program, and the annual "ReThink your Footprint" waste minimization and awareness campaign.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
In addition to the sustainability officers listed above the following people are also sustainability officers:
In the Energy Team: Ben Suplick, Director; Andrew Zarynow, Energy Manager; Tom Poole, Utility Engineer; Jeff Clemmenson, Recommissioning Coordinator/ Energy Engineer
In the landscape team: Robert Lundgren, University Landscape Architect; Chloe Cerwinka, Landscape Planner
The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3,000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to reducing emissions and energy use, as stated in the 2014 "Climate Action Plan 2.0". This submission documents Penn's efforts during the FY17 year and compares them to the FY14 baseline year which corresponds with the University's "Climate Action Plan. 2.0". The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.
In addition to the sustainability officers listed above the following people are also sustainability officers:
In the Energy Team: Ben Suplick, Director; Andrew Zarynow, Energy Manager; Tom Poole, Utility Engineer; Jeff Clemmenson, Recommissioning Coordinator/ Energy Engineer
In the landscape team: Robert Lundgren, University Landscape Architect; Chloe Cerwinka, Landscape Planner
The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3,000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to reducing emissions and energy use, as stated in the 2014 "Climate Action Plan 2.0". This submission documents Penn's efforts during the FY17 year and compares them to the FY14 baseline year which corresponds with the University's "Climate Action Plan. 2.0". The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.
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.