| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.64 |
| Liaison | Rob Andrejewski |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Richmond
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Cassandra
Collins Sustainability Communications & Engagement Specialist Sustainability |
Is the institution an active member of a national or international sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) AASHE is the leading association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education. The organization serves a full range of higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students who are change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. Established in 2005, AASHE has more than 900 members across 48 U.S. states, 1 U.S. Territory, 9 Canadian provinces and 20 countries.
Is the institution an active member of a regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
VASHE Professional Network: Virginia Sustainability in Higher Education
https://sites.google.com/site/vasheconsortium/
The VASHE Professional Network (Virginia Sustainability in Higher Education) is a network of sustainability professionals working in institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Participants communicate via an email listserv, quarterly conference calls and an annual in-person day-long meeting.
SCSN: Southeast Campus Sustainability Network
The Southeast Campus Sustainability Network (SCSN) is a network for the primary sustainability managers from colleges and universities in the South/Southeastern U.S. from Maryland to Texas. The group operates under a democratic, shared governance model and holds a monthly conference call to collaborate and share best practices. The annual regional gathering (held since 2013) is an opportunity to meet in person to advance sustainability leadership in the southeast via facilitated discussions, best practice sharing, collaboration, and networking.
Has the institution presented at a sustainability conference during the previous year? :
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
AASHE 2018: Rob Andrejewski co-presented a half-day workshop titled" Rising to meet the challenge of 100% renewable energy."
SSCC 2017: Rob Andrejewski co-presented on campus renewable energy procurement
AASHE 2016: Rob Andrejewski co-presented on the Virginia Power Dialog
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to a sustainability awards program that is inclusive of multiple campuses? :
A list or brief description of the awards program(s) and submission(s):
The Office for Sustainability submitted case studies on the campus's waste reduction campaign and the annual Big Yard Sale (an event open to the community to sell items donated by students during move-out; all leftover items are donated to Goodwill) for the Virginia Recycling Awards (VRA). The University won an award for the Big Yard Sale. The VRA awards are open to organizations and campuses throughout Virginia.
Has the institution had staff, students or faculty serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years? :
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
The Director of Sustainability served as a board member and on the leadership team for the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) from 2015-2018. ISSP improves the skills of sustainability practitioners through education, knowledge sharing, research, and professional credentials.
Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
Has the institution had staff, faculty, or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data (e.g. GHG emissions or course inventory) and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
Has the institution participated in other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year, e.g. joint planning or resource sharing with other institutions? :
A brief description of other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year:
Starting in May 2017, University of Richmond Geography and Biology faculty have been conducting teaching modules at the Belle Isle rock pools in downtown Richmond every semester as part of Introductory Biology (BIOL 202) and Geography (GEOG 250) classes. This work is conducted in collaboration with a community ecologist at VCU and includes several graduate student research projects. These active learning and inquiry-driven practices include field work and laboratory exercises in addition to independent student research projects. Faculty participating in this project have developed an online learning module that can be used anywhere (https://qubeshub.org/qubesresources/publications/1056/1).
During the summer of 2017, 17 Richmond Public Schools tenth-grade students participated in the projects, along with four UR student mentors, to map the ecology of the James River rock pools using GIS technology on smartphones and tablets to collect, update, and analyze information on the aquatic insects living along the river in downtown Richmond.
University of Richmond also collaborates with Duke University and Virginia Commonwealth University to offer dual degree programs to students interested in environmental science and forestry. To earn a dual degree, students complete part of their studies at University of Richmond and part of their studies or their graduate work at Duke University or Virginia Commonwealth University.
University of Richmond (UR) faculty and students have partnered with Ecosystem Ecology faculty and students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to conduct bi-weekly water quality monitoring of a stream on University of Richmond's campus. UR provides access to campus and VCU shares collected data with UR and VCU students visit UR classes to share about the water testing process and how results are used.
https://ideastations.org/science-matters/green-kids/science-rocks
https://environmental.richmond.edu/major-minor/dual-degree.html
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:
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.