University of South Florida (Tampa)
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

The university maintains two separate but interrelated sustainability plans—apart from the University Strategic Plan, which establishes sustainable, healthy communities as a university objective—that guide the growth and development of university infrastructure and its operations and management: the USF Climate Action Plan please see: http://acupcc.aashe.org/site_media/uploads/cap/607-cap.pdf and the Tampa Campus Master Plan please see: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/FacilitiesPlan/Campus%20Planning/Tampa%20Campus%20Master%20Plan%20Update_new.html Both plans were developed with broad involvement of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and neighborhood partners. For the Climate Action Plan (established in 2010, with annual updates), the Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee members served as chairs of subcommittees for various themes (water, waste, energy). The subcommittees consisted of 5 to 15 volunteers recruited from around the university. Drafts of the plan were shared with faculty administration and local city and county government leaders as well as an outside consultant and members of the local nonprofit community. Although called a “climate action plan,” this plan is much broader in scope and effectively provides a strategy for the university to become more sustainable, resilient, and carbon independent. The Master Plan (first established in 2002) was organized by Facilities Planning and Construction and involved individuals (faculty, staff, and students) from the broader Facilities Management community.

USF now is publishing the USF System Strategic Plan Action Steps & Metrics (PDF) http://system.usf.edu/pdfs/Task-Force-Goals-SP-Action-Steps-Metrics-7-6-11.pdf This strategic outcome document outlines specific action steps, metrics, responsible party and timetable for measurable steps toward completing all the goals. For Example: GOAL 1: Academic Excellence, Student Access and Student Success The USF System will require its institutions to provide a rich array of academic programs that are recognized regionally and nationally for their rigor, intellectual challenge, and high expectations. The USF System will enable access to these programs to qualified and diverse students and will promote student learning and success throughout the System by supporting activities that result in retention and graduation at higher than externally predicted rates, employment or admission to graduate or professional schools at specified rates, lower than average student debt loads, and higher than average satisfaction when compared to peer institutions. Action Step: Metrics I.Develop a System wide master plan for academic excellence. a. Convene a work group of representatives from member institutions to revise and/or develop System wide academic policies to ensure regular and rigorous academic program review, new academic program and program change approval processes, and System response to academic program gaps. b. Develop a system wide academic policy that identifies required academic program accreditation.

These goals are evaluated by subcommittees related to each task as often as annually.