| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Ginger
Cannon Active Transportation Manager Sustainability Office |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
U Health Green Team Committee, established 2021.
This committee is co-chaired by U Health sustainability officers and brings together a diverse set of health care expertise to guide sustainability goals and track metrics for the University hospital(s) and community clinics.
SEED2SOIL - multiple committee(s) per program phase, established 2021.
SEED2SOIL brings together experts and stakeholders along all operational sustainability topics to expand, prioritize, and refine known opportunities for carbon reduction and other sustainability goals.
President's Climate Commitment Task Force (CCTF), established 2019.
CCTF is responsible for fulfilling the duties required for the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. A renewed commitment was signed by President Ruth Watkins in April 2019, and confirmed again by President Taylor Randall in 2021. CCTF membership includes students, faculty, staff and members of senior leadership.
Sustainability Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), established 2011.
URL: https://sustainability.utah.edu/sustainability-education-advisory-committee/
SEAC is responsible for guiding education at the University of Utah towards the goal of sustainability literacy for every student. Specific projects of SEAC include implementing the SUSTC/L course attributes, approving courses related to this designation, faculty recognition and building the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. SEAC has representation from multiple colleges, departments, and professional schools at the University of Utah and works closely with the General Education Curriculum Council.
ASUU Sustainability Board
URL: https://www.asuu.utah.edu/sustainability/
Responsible for promoting and educating students on campus sustainability programs. The Board collaborates closely with the Sustainability Office and environmentally focused student groups. The Board is also charged with investigating the potential for expanding sustainability efforts on campus, including recycling, vending machines and promoting/increasing sustainable transportation. This board is a leader in collaborative and lobbying efforts towards clean air at the University and State level. In addition, the Board may be in charge of continuing the green athletics efforts of the Recycle Rice-Eccles program and the Recycle Huntsman program.
Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF) Allocation Committee, established 2009.
URL: https://sustainability.utah.edu/scif/
Evaluates grant applications submitted by students, faculty, or staff members and determines which projects to award funding.
Edible Campus Gardens Steering Committee, established 2010.
URL: https://sustainability.utah.edu/edible-campus-gardens/
Faculty members from Biology and Environmental & Sustainable Studies, as well as leaders in Landscape Maintenance (Facilities Management) collaborate to help the Edible Campus Gardens achieve its mission and goals.
Red Butte Creek Strategic Vision Steering Committee, established 2015.
URL: https://redbuttecreek.utah.edu/strategic-vision/
The goals and objectives for the RBC Strategic Vision are structured around the University of Utah’s core three-part mission to promote research (discovery, creation, and application of knowledge), teaching (dissemination of knowledge), and public life (community engagement). The creek presents a unique opportunity for the university to create and apply new knowledge about urban streams, to promote place-based environmental education, and to engage the local community by creating a beautiful natural amenity.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
U Health Green Team Committee
• Co-Chairs: Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability and Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability (U Health)
• 20+ members including sustainability officers, Nutrition Care services, Facilities and Engineering, EVS, Infection Control, Pharmacy, Nursing, Perioperative Services, Design & Construction, Human Resources, Aesthetics, Fleet Services, Marketing, Finance, Community Engagement, Patient Experience, Wellness & Integrative Health and U Health School of Medicine faculty members
SEED2SOIL committee(s)
• 20+ members including 3 sustainability officers and a lead Cultivator committee of the Director of Facilities and Energy Department, Director of Infrastructure and Capital Planning, SCIF Program Manager, Director Center for Ecological Planning + Design, and the Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability, U Health.
President's Climate Commitment Task Force (CCTF)
• Chairs: Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Change Sustainability Center Director (faculty)
• Members include Chief Financial Officer, Energy/Sustainability Manager, Student Body President, Department of Real Estate Administration Executive Director, Chief Facilities Officer, Active Transportation Manager, Planning Design & Construction Assoc. Director, Hospital Administration Chief Operating Officer, VP-Student Affairs, AVP-Capital Program & Space, ASUU Director of Sustainability, AVP-Administrative Services, and three faculty representatives. Senior Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and Health Sciences also serve as ex-officio members.
Sustainability Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
• Chair: Sustainability Education Director (faculty)
• Members include Chief Sustainability Officer (ex officio) and faculty members.
ASUU Sustainability Board
• Appointed by the Executive Branch of student government
Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF) Allocation Committee
• Voting members of the Allocations Committee consist of four students and four non-students, appointed by Vice Presidents, the Sustainability Office and student government. A sustainability officer and representative of the Associated Students of the University of Utah attend as non-voting members.
Edible Campus Gardens Steering Committee
• Chair: Sustainable Food Initiatives Manager (Sustainability Office)
• 10 members include 1 sustainability officer, Associate Director of Dept. of Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Facilities Landscape and Open Space Manager, Wasatch Community Gardens Program Director (community), faculty members, and students.
Red Butte Creek Strategic Vision Steering Committee
• 15 members include 3 sustainability officers, Director of Campus Planning, Executive Director of Red Butte Garden, Center for Ecological Planning + Design, and faculty members
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
Sustainability Office, established 2007
URL: https://sustainability.utah.edu/
The Sustainability Office is headed by the Chief Sustainability Officer who reports to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Sustainability Office oversees the coordination of sustainability-related teaching and training, and supports the development of new curricula, student-engagement programs, and campus-as-a-living-laboratory. The Sustainability Office facilitates inter-office coordination with Facilities Management and U Health Hospitals and Clinics. Full-time Sustainability Office staff include Campus Engagement Manager, Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Manager, Active Transportation Manager, Communications & Relationship Manager, and Sustainable Food Initiatives Manager. The office also employs a part time faculty position as the Director of Sustainability Education. It coordinates with Facilities Energy Management Office and offers positions for paid student interns and volunteers.
Also reporting to the Chief Sustainability Officer, the Global Change & Sustainability Center (GCSC) provides support for faculty and graduate students as an interdisciplinary hub to catalyze research on global change and sustainability. It coordinates the Wasatch Environmental Observatory; offers for-credit courses to support graduate certificate programs in Sustainability and Hydrology and Water Resources; and hosts a seminar series and annual student research symposium.
Facilities Sustainability & Energy Division
URL: https://facilities.utah.edu/sustainability-and-energy-management/
The Facilities Sustainability & Energy division is responsible for benchmarking performance across 278 buildings, managing utility procurement, and leading strategy to fund and execute operational initiatives that will help the University of Utah achieve its commitment to carbon neutrality and improved local air quality.
U Health - Sustainability
URL: https://pulse.utah.edu/program/sustainability/Pages/Team.aspx
This team is responsible for cross-functional environmental and social sustainability efforts for U Health, including hospitals and community clinics. The team includes a Steering Committee comprised of the U Health COO, CFO, and Associate Executive Director of Facilities.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The University employs a full time Chief Sustainability Officer to oversee and coordinate all sustainability initiatives at the institution, including U Health. This individual co-chairs the President's Climate Commitment Task Force (CCTF) and serves on multiple sustainability and university-wide committees (i.e. Master Plan Committee, Academic Leadership Team, Sustainability Education Advisory Council, U Health Green Team) to ensure a cohesive sustainability approach across the institution. The Sustainability Office also has responsibility for coordinating and supporting sustainability across academics, operations, engagement, and healthcare.
Chief sustainability officer and Sustainability Office recent accomplishments:
• Developed new Climate Change Action Plan for the university
• Transitioned SUST course attribute to align with UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Helped create and oversaw institution-wide Environmental Justice focus year
• Supported graduate student researchers across multiple disciplines
• Hosted the PAC-12 Sustainability conference
• Helped establish SEED2SOIL program, bringing together experts and stakeholders along all operational sustainability topics to expand, prioritize, and refine known opportunities for carbon reduction and other sustainability goals.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
The University of Utah conducted a nationwide search for a new Chief Sustainability Officer in 2019. A position was filled in March 2020. The job description is attached.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Oversees programs of the Global Change & Sustainability Center, a faculty-led initiative to develop multi-college, interdisciplinary research and training related to the environment and sustainability, from local to global scales. GCSC currently has 147 faculty affiliates from eleven different colleges. GCSC affiliated faculty conduct cutting-edge research focused on reconstructing the past, understanding current and complex environmental challenges, and predicting future scenarios – all with the same overall goal of sustainable solutions.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Manages a team responsible for the development and execution of a comprehensive sustainability program for U Health. The position was filled in 2021, with a dual reporting structure to Chief Sustainability Officer and Associate Executive Director of U Health Facilities. The job description is attached.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
ATTACHMENTS
--Job Description, Chief Sustainability Officer, 2019.
--Job Description, Director Environmental and Social Sustainability-U Health 2021.
--Sustainability Office Equity Commitments, 2020-2021.
SOURCES
University of Utah Sustainability Office: https://sustainability.utah.edu/
Global Change & Sustainability Center: https://environment.utah.edu/
Sustainability and Energy Management Office, Facilities: https://facilities.utah.edu/se/index.php
Wellness & Integrative Health: https://healthcare.utah.edu/wellness/
Human Resources: https://www.hr.utah.edu/hris/
U Health Sustainability: https://pulse.utah.edu/program/sustainability
LIST OF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS
--Chief Sustainability Officer
--Director, Global Change & Sustainability Center
--Director, Sustainability Education
--Sustainability & Energy Manager, Facilities
--Sustainability & Energy Manager, Planning Design & Construction
--Director, Environmental and Social Sustainability, U Health
--Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability, U Health
--Energy & Sustainability Coordinator, U Health
--Chief Wellness Officer, University of Utah Health Sciences
--Director, Environmental & Sustainability Studies Program
ATTACHMENTS
--Job Description, Chief Sustainability Officer, 2019.
--Job Description, Director Environmental and Social Sustainability-U Health 2021.
--Sustainability Office Equity Commitments, 2020-2021.
SOURCES
University of Utah Sustainability Office: https://sustainability.utah.edu/
Global Change & Sustainability Center: https://environment.utah.edu/
Sustainability and Energy Management Office, Facilities: https://facilities.utah.edu/se/index.php
Wellness & Integrative Health: https://healthcare.utah.edu/wellness/
Human Resources: https://www.hr.utah.edu/hris/
U Health Sustainability: https://pulse.utah.edu/program/sustainability
LIST OF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS
--Chief Sustainability Officer
--Director, Global Change & Sustainability Center
--Director, Sustainability Education
--Sustainability & Energy Manager, Facilities
--Sustainability & Energy Manager, Planning Design & Construction
--Director, Environmental and Social Sustainability, U Health
--Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability, U Health
--Energy & Sustainability Coordinator, U Health
--Chief Wellness Officer, University of Utah Health Sciences
--Director, Environmental & Sustainability Studies Program
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.