University of Richmond
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The University of Richmond Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Committee (SEAC) is an Administrative Committee and is advisory in nature. It addresses issues that pertain to sustainability at the University of Richmond. SEAC is charged with identifying strategic opportunities to integrate sustainability into the core functions of the University, including educational, operational, and co-curricular activities. The committee reports to the Provost (Executive Vice President for Academics) and the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance.

Membership
• Two faculty members from Arts & Science
• One faculty member each from Jepson School of Leadership Studies, Law, Robins School of Business, and School of Professional and Continuing Studies
• Director of Sustainability (ex officio)
• Provost (or his/her designee, ex officio)
• Vice President for Business and Finance (or appointee, ex officio)
• Two student representatives
• Associate Vice President of Facilities (or appointee)
• Associate Vice President for Campus Services (or appointee)
• Manager of Environmental Services (or appointee)
• University Engineer (ex officio)
• Two at-large staff members (appointed by the Provost and the Vice President for Business and Finance)

Members FY24

• Rob Andrejewski, Sustainability (Chair)

• Tyler Betzhold, Dining Services

• Zoe Cultrara, ‘25

• Jessica Flanigan, JLS

• Gretchen Flynn, SPCS

• Sylvia Gale, Center for Civic Engagement

• Ansleigh Gunter, ’24

• David Hale, EVP & COO

• Daniel Hart, Sustainability

• Haley Herrmann, Sustainability

• Carlos Hurtado Martilletti, RSB (abroad this year)

• Somiah Lattimore, Creativity, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship

• Maria O’Callaghan-Cassidy, Campus Operations

• Joan Saab, Provost

• David Salisbury, A&S

• Erling Sjovold, A&S

• Jennifer Stancil, Foundation, Grants, & Corporate Relations

• Danielle Stokes, Law

• Marti Tomlin, University Recreation

• Josh Wroniewicz, Campus Services

At the University of Richmond, sustainability means creating environmental, social, and economic conditions that foster health and well-being for people and the natural world in this generation and generations to come.

Building on a strong foundation of campus sustainability progress, the Office for Sustainability convenes diverse campus and community stakeholders in an effort to integrate the themes of sustainability, adaptation, and resilience into administrative, operational, and academic functions of the University. The Office for Sustainability is responsible for providing visionary leadership and support to the University of Richmond community as it charts a far-reaching course for sustainability and pursues its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the Climate Commitment.

In collaboration with campus partners, the Office for Sustainability provides leadership and guidance as the University integrates sustainability into short and long-range planning efforts.

Sustainability Leadership

• Collaborating with campus stakeholders to build and implement a cohesive sustainability vision.
• Serving as a catalyst for sustainability and facilitating integration of sustainability into the roles and responsibilities of campus stakeholders.
• Supporting meaningful progress toward the University’s strategic sustainability goals, including its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the Climate Commitment.
• Researching and maintaining a working knowledge of sustainability best practices, innovations, and lessons learned at peer and aspirant institutions.

Academic and Operational Integration, Culture Change, and Educational Outreach

• Providing support to faculty development of curricular initiatives that works to ensure that University of Richmond students are “sustainability literate.”
• Providing support to the University’s Facilities Division and other operational stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative solutions in the areas of procurement; waste management; energy and land management; building design, construction, and maintenance; dining; and transportation among others.
• Developing educational behavior change campaigns utilizing strategies such as community-based social marketing to expand sustainability awareness and grow a culture of sustainability.
• Collaborating with the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement to build a “living-learning program” that leverages the rich academic assets of the University by engaging faculty and students in research and hands-on learning rooted in issues directly affecting campus and the City of Richmond.

Initiative Management and Reporting

• Creating communication strategies to promote broad awareness of sustainability.
• Developing a University-wide process and organizational structure to support sustainability inquiry, change, and assessment.
• Developing or adopting metrics, tracking progress, and evaluating the effectiveness of all campus sustainability initiatives to ensure the University is prepared to meet its goals and shift course where needed.
• Managing the Sustainability Internship Program and implementation of the Sustainability Internship Seminar aimed at providing students a background in sustainability and support for running campus based programs; and exploring opportunities for keeping intern alumni engaged.
• Completing and submitting STARS, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate action plan reports.
• Promoting the University’s sustainability programs to both internal campus constituencies and external audiences.

The Office for Sustainability has a Director of Sustainability, Associate Director of Sustainability & Environmental Justice, Communications & Engagement Specialist, Natiral Areas Steward, and and 5-7 student employees. 

Strategy: Two-thirds of the 93 actions in the Sustainability Plan, which is aligned with the UR Strategic Plan and was led by members of the Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Committee, are either completed or in progress. 

Academics: Academic subcommittee helped revitalize the River City Project, a faculty development program; UR was recognized as a Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum by AASHE in 2023.

Waste: Rolled out campus-wide composting one year ahead of schedule in support of the Rethink Waste program, which aims to achieve 75% waste diversion by 2025; Opened the Spider Exchange (free store) to promote reuse. .

Transportation: Doubled the number of EV charging stations in 2022 and have added more chargers each year. 

Grounds: Creation of the Natural Areas Steward role to care for the Eco-Corridor and increase biodiversity on campus.

Responsibilities: In collaboration with campus sustainability stakeholders, the Director provides visionary leadership and guidance as the University integrates sustainability into short and long-range planning efforts. Core responsibilities include:

Visionary Leadership:
*  Collaborating with campus stakeholders to map the community’s assets and build and implement a cohesive new sustainability vision.
*  Serving as a catalyst for sustainability who facilitates the integration of sustainability into the roles and responsibilities of campus stakeholders.
* Supporting meaningful progress toward the University’s strategic sustainability goals, including its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
* Researching and maintaining a working knowledge of sustainability best practices, innovations, and lessons learned at peer and aspirant institutions.

Academic and Operational Integration, Cultural Change, and Educational Outreach:
* Providing support to faculty development of curricular initiatives that works to ensure that University of Richmond students are “sustainability literate.”
* Providing support to the University’s Facilities Division and other operational stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative solutions in the areas of procurement; waste management; energy and water management; building design, construction, and maintenance; dining; and transportation among others.
* Developing creative educational behavior change campaigns utilizing strategies such as community-based social marketing to expand sustainability awareness and grow a culture of sustainability.
* Collaborating with the Center for Civic Engagement to build a “living-learning program” that leverages the rich academic assets of the University by engaging faculty and students in research and hands-on learning rooted in issues directly affecting campus and the City of Richmond.
* Potentially instructing or co-instructing sustainability-focused courses and serving as the academic supervisor for sustainability internships.

Initiative Management and Reporting:
* Creating communication strategies to promote broad awareness of sustainability and develop a University-wide process and organizational structure to support sustainability inquiry, change, and assessment.
* Managing the budget and operations of the Office of Sustainability, including its existing programs and student interns.
* Developing or adopting metrics, tracking progress, and evaluating the effectiveness of all campus sustainability initiatives to ensure the University is prepared to meet its goals and shift course where needed.
* Managing the Sustainability Internship Program and implementation of the Sustainability Internship Seminar aimed at providing students a background in sustainability and support for running campus based programs; and exploring opportunities for keeping intern alumni engaged.
* Completing and submitting STARS, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate action plan reports.
* Promoting the University’s sustainability programs to both internal campus constituencies and external audiences.

Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in environmental studies, policy, planning or science; architecture; landscape architecture; engineering; land use planning; or other relevant field or commensurate experience. PhD preferred.
• At least five years of relevant experience. Seven or more years preferred. Experience in higher education sustainability administration preferred.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

 Academic Initiatives

·       Develop strategies to integrate sustainability and environmental justice competencies into the curriculum, with a focus on high impact educational practices

·       Increase opportunities for students to engage in sustainability research and support scholarship that connects to the University’s sustainability outcomes

·       Create standalone course modules on sustainability that support integration of sustainability competencies into courses across the campus

·       Coordinate faculty development workshops aimed at infusing sustainability and environmental justice into existing and new courses, in partnership with the Faculty Hub

·       Maintain and continually update the database of sustainability courses

·       Alongside partners in the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and Campus Operations, continue the development of a living laboratory for sustainability and environmental justice that facilitates sustainability problem solving, teaching, and pilot testing

·       Support the organization of sustainability data to aid in the assessment, reporting, and promotion of campus sustainability initiatives, including the Climate Action Plan, Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System, and Sustainability Plan

·       Instruct sustainability courses and guest lecture on sustainability topics

 Student Engagement and Co-Curricular Support

·       Support an immersive co-curricular learning experience through the development and management of sustainability programs and events, including orientation, campus tours, speaker series, athletics, graduation, and other high-profile opportunities

·       Collaborate with key partners and stakeholders to ensure an inclusive sustainability and environmental justice program that reaches and supports all students

·       Manage the Sustainability Internship Program and support the Sustainability Post-Baccalaureate Fellow’s coordination of student programming

·       Increase awareness and support of sustainability and environmental justice engagement and educational opportunities through presentations, demonstrations, competitions, print and digital marketing, articles in the Collegian, participation in and presence at events, and use of social media

·       Connect students to careers in sustainability and environmental justice in collaboration with the Office of Alumni & Career Services

·       Design, run, and partner on programs that increase awareness of and participation in sustainability and environmental justice practices

·       Work with partners in Facilities, Dining Services, and Residence Life to engage students, staff, faculty, and community members in programs that inform and influence sustainable living behaviors, including composting, reducing food waste, conserving water and energy, and connecting with nature.

Communications and Institutional Support

·       Alongside the Director of Sustainability, conduct STARS assessments, with a focus on tracking sustainability research and course offerings and measuring sustainability engagement

·       Help maintain and update the Office for Sustainability website, as well as all social media accounts linked to the department

·       Utilize dashboards to communicate and make accessible information on key operational sustainability metrics

·       Research opportunities for outside funding, grants, rebate programs, and other funding sources

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:

·       Requires the employee to work in an office and attend meetings in a variety of work environments (e.g., construction sites, campus dining facilities, community garden spaces).  Physical effort will range from sitting at a desk typing to climbing ladders, stooping or crawling under equipment and lifting up to 25 pounds.

QUALIFICATIONS:

·       Applied knowledge of sustainability principles and practices

·       Ability to serve as a facilitator, educator, and mentor

·       Capable of building coalitions among diverse audiences including students, faculty and staff

·       Professional communication skills, including writing and public speaking

·       Excellent time management and thorough attention to detail

·       Strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills

·       Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to supporting and collaborating with a diverse community

·       Ability to work independently and take initiative

·       Experience with university sustainability programs is preferred

Education & Experience

·       Master’s degree, PhD, or equivalent combination of education and experience in sustainability-related field

·       Experience with sustainability in higher education preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience with communications, social media and/or web content required.
• Experience with university sustainability programs is preferred.