Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 76.71
Liaison Gioia Thompson
Submission Date Feb. 6, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Vermont
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Gioia Thompson
Sustainability Strategist
UVM Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Council (SRIAC) is a group of students, faculty, staff, and administrators that makes recommendations to the Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) on sustainability investment at the University of Vermont, including positive investments of operating cash reserves and the Sustainable Campus Fund.


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:

The Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Council consists of 12 voting members who are appointed by the Vice President of Finance (VPF) in consultation with various goverance groups and serve two-year terms which are renewable. Office of Sustainability staff support the group.

Staff and faculty appointments are made through Staff Council and Faculty Senate respectively.

SRIAC Members as of December 2022
Claire Burlingham, Chair and University Controller
Patty Dubie, Administration Representative
Eleanor Churchill, Undergraduate Representative
Emma Wardell, Undergraduate Representative
Eileen Ye, Undergraduate Representative
Meghna Satheesh Undergraduate Representative
Abby Golitz, Graduate Student Representative
Chapman Matis, Graduate Student Representative
Isabella Butzirus, Staff Representative - College of Medicine
Luce Hillman, Staff Representative - Facilities Management
Charles Schnitzlein, Faculty Representative - Grossman School of Business
Vacant Faculty Representative

Elizabeth Palchak, Director of Sustainability (non-voting member)
Caylin McCamp Sustainability Projects Manager (non-voting member)


Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:

The Office of Sustainability's role is to foster sustainable development and promote social and environmental responsibility at the university by bridging the academic activities of teaching, research and outreach with the operations of the campus.
We partner with faculty, staff and students to catalyze change; we measure and report on progress; and we engage with students and employees through peer-to-peer outreach programs.


Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
5.50

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Elizabeth Palchak, Director, Office of Sustainability

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:

Transformed the Office of Sustainability from two staff to six by hiring a new director and bringing into the office staff who manage activities and outreach related to alternative transportation, zero waste and recycling, and renewable energy.
Transformed Clean Energy Fund into the Sustainable Campus Fund, broadening the scope and reach of the fund.
Supported purchasing initiatives related to sustainable garments, vehicles, electricity, women- and minority-owned businesses.


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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