Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 45.79
Liaison Larry Cook
Submission Date Dec. 4, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of South Carolina
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 4.00 Austin Sutherland
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Published Plans That Address Sustainability 

Strategic Plan

Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
No

A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
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A copy of the strategic plan:
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The website URL where the strategic plan is publicly available:
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Sustainability Plan 

Does the institution have a published sustainability plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
No

A copy of the sustainability plan:
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The website URL where the sustainability plan is publicly available:
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Climate Action Plan 

Does the institution have a published climate action plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
No

A copy of the climate action plan:
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The website URL where the climate action plan is publicly available:
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Other Published Plans 

Does the institution have other published plans that address sustainability or include measurable sustainability objectives (e.g. campus master plan, physical campus plan, diversity plan, human resources plan)? :
Yes

A list of other published plans that address sustainability, including public website URLs (if available):
1) The University of South Carolina’s Capital Planning Committee (CPC) and Capital Operations and Planning Subcommittee (COPS) have completed a comprehensive planning process that reflects the University’s Mission Statement and sustainable master planning goals. The Master Plan responds to these goals and addresses the University’s existing and projected facility needs. https://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/facilities/documents/sustainability.pdf ------ 2) Focus Carolina 2023, the university's strategic plan, addresses sustainability through the following areas: Leadership: • The Student Leadership Initiative, which will introduce best practices in leadership development in and out of the classroom with emphasis on civic responsibility, service, and citizenship • USC Connect, a growing program that offers extended leadership opportunities to students through internships, community service, international experiences and undergraduate research opportunities. USC puts leadership into practice and our graduates will be experienced in leading in real-world settings. • Academic leadership development for faculty, chairs and directors, including the introduction of a Visiting Executive Leadership Program. • Emphasis on civil discourse to model debate and civic behavior concerning the pressing issues of our times. Innovation • Develop a focus on aerospace science and engineering; alternative fuels; materials science, composite technology and nanotechnology; sustainability and the environment; health sciences; P–20 education; and Rule of Law. • Increase faculty engagement in interdisciplinary research. • Complete recruiting and hiring of endowed chairs through the innovative S.C. SmartState™ program. Diversity • Increasing the number of underrepresented minority faculty, staff and students to more closely reflect the diversity of our state. • Increasing the number of international faculty and students and expanding diverse thinking in our classrooms. Access • Increase access to baccalaureate degrees for place-bound students through Palmetto College and our regional campuses. • Increase distributed learning opportunities for our students, particularly in fields such as education, criminal justice and nursing that are essential to the people of the state. • Introduce the “Back to Carolina” program, designed for adult students who have already earned USC college credit but were unable to graduate with bachelor’s degrees for economic, personal and other reasons. Community Engagement • Developing service-learning opportunities and classes where students are learning to serve while serving to learn. • Developing connections with people in the community locally and world-wide. • Increasing life-long commitment and involvement of students in the community, working with people to help with their needs. • Developing educational outreach programs that engage and stimulate our various communities. • Expanding the use of university resources to advance access to creative performances, films and lectures. https://sc.edu/focuscarolina/

Measurable Sustainability Objectives 

Curriculum

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Research 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Research?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Research and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Campus Engagement 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Public Engagement 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Air & Climate 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Buildings 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Energy 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Food & Dining 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Grounds 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Purchasing 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Transportation 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Waste 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Water 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Water?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Water and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Investment & Finance 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Other Impact Areas 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas (e.g. arts and culture or technology)?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Optional Fields 

Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body (e.g. a mission statement that specifically includes sustainability and is endorsed by the Board of Trustees)? :
No

The formal statement in support of sustainability:
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The institution’s definition of sustainability (e.g. as included in a published statement or plan):
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Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) No
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter No
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment No
The Talloires Declaration (TD) No
UN Global Compact No
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) No

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.