Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.88
Liaison Jim Walker
Submission Date April 30, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Texas at Austin
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Jim Walker
Director of Sustainability, Financial, and Administrative Services
University Operations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee, office, and/or officer that focuses on sustainability broadly and covers the entire institution?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the committee(s), office(s), and/or officer(s) during the previous three years:

For the entire institution, the primary entities are the Office of Sustainability (described below), the President's Sustainability Steering Committee (described below), the Sustainability Staff Roundtable, and the Green Fee Committee.
These groups collaborate frequently from the policy to the front line implementation level. Their accomplishments include numerous annual series, academic and staff oriented, focused on sustainability efforts, both day to day and long term. The joint efforts of these entities has played a significant role in elevating the presence and importance of sustainability across campus.


Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:

The University of Texas at Austin has a President's Sustainability Steering Committee, chartered and appointed by the President of the University. The charge of the PSSC is to develop recommendations on policy and operations to reflect the University’s commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the environment, and to serve as the principal channel of communication between the campus community and the University administration on setting priorities for sustainability related activities.
The PSSC has two subcommittees, one focused on Education and Research and the other on Operations.

The Green Fee Committee is a nine-member committee of six students and three non-students that governs the distribution of approximately $460,000 per year of tuition fee funds for environmental services on campus. The Office of Sustainability serves as ex oficio for the Committee and facilitates funded projects, but all funding decisions are made by these nine members. 76 projects have been funded to date from the first three years of funding.

The Sustainability Staff Roundtable is a less formal group that meets monthly and consists of front-line staff responsible for initiatives with direct impact on the wellbeing and health of the physical campus, including students and employees.


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):

PSSC
Dr. Pat Clubb
Co-Chair - Vice-President, University Operations
Dean Fritz Steiner
Co-Chair - Dean, School of Architecture
(PSSC Members, alpha order)
Dr. David Allen
Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Dr. Jay Banner
Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences
Dr. Kelley Crews
Department of Geography and the Environment, College of Liberal Arts
Dr. David Eaton
Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs
Dr. Ofodike Ezekoye
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Dr. Larry Gilbert
Section of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Sciences
Dr. Bob Harkins
Campus Safety and Security, University Operations
Dr. Floyd Hoelting
Division of Housing and Food Services, Student Affairs
Dr. Steve Kraal
Campus Planning and Facilities Management, University Operations
Dr. Daene McKinney
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Emily Mixon
Undergrad Student (Campus Environmental Center)
Dr. Steven Moore
School of Architecture
Chris Plonsky
Associate Athletic Director, Athletics
Susan Rieff
Executive Director, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Dr. Bill Sage
School of Law
John Salsman
Environmental Health and Safety, University Operations
Melinda Taylor
School of Law
Collin Roland
Undergraduate Student (Student Government)
Jim Walker
Director of Sustainability, University Operations

GREEN FEE COMMITTEE
Collin J. Roland, Chair
Student - Environmental Studies
Leo Chen, Vice Chair
Student - Business
Evan Fleming
Graduate Student - Engineering
R. Scott Hickle
Student
S. David Comer
Student - Environmental Science
C. Dakota Stormer
Student - Undeclared
Dr. Jay Banner
Faculty
Jim Walker
Staff, University Operations
Dr. Donna Bellinghausen
Staff, Student Affairs


The website URL where information about the sustainability committee(s) is available:
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:

The Office of Sustainability was created in 2010 and collaborates across the university to advance ideas and programs that transform the physical, social and educational environments of campus for the enduring benefit of society and the planet.
The Office staff (3) collaborate year round on producing various events with both academic and operational departments, auxiliary units and student groups. Office staff have also worked within policy and procedural initiatives to promote sustainability outcomes; for example, green purchasing guidelines, green building design and construction, building efficiency and operations, and course and degree development.


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
3

The website URL where information about the sustainability office(s) is available:
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Jim Walker

A brief description of each sustainability officer position:

The Director of Sustainability has a broad strategic role at the University. While he is housed in the University Operations portfolio, he is tasked with providing support to the President's Sustainability Steering Committee and in that role, is able to build relationships and design projects with deans and academic departments. A large part of the Director's time is given over to cross-communications between and about the many disparate sustainability activities at UT-Austin.


The website URL where information about the sustainability officer(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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