Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 80.17
Liaison Mike Wilson
Submission Date May 5, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of Victoria
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

Canadian Alliance of College and University Sustainability Professionals (CUSP)


Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS )

PICS is hosted and led by the University of Victoria in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Northern British Columbia. It is a user engaged institute that convenes solution seekers and research partners to co-design, co-develop and co-deliver impactful climate solutions for British Columbia, Canada, and potentially the world.

Higher Education Carbon Neutral Committee

UVic is a member of the provincial Higher Education Carbon Neutral Committee which is made up of representatives from all of the post-secondary institutions in the province. The committee members share information on initiatives related to carbon reduction on campuses.


Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):

Conferences attended and presentations include but are not limited to:

•Livable Cities Forum: Building Better Communities through Resilience 2019: where Professor Robert Gifford of UVic acted as a panelist in a session that allowed participants to learn more about Canada’s National Climate Change Assessment process. His topic was on “Impacts and Adaptation: Key messages for British Columbia”.

•EnVision 2019: Institute for Integrated Energy Systems Energy Vision Conference 2019: Where UVic’s Energy Manager David Adams spoke on a panel for “Innovation in the Built Environment – Decarbonizing the existing building stock”.

•Moving Trans History Forward 2018 Conference: Where UVic History MA candidate Alexi Glover gave a presentation that highlights the intricacies of cross-dressing and gender diversity in an era of American Conservatism, with particular focus on the deployment of narratives of exclusivity and respectability. UVic PhD candidate Robyn Hlatkey also gave a presentation which aimed to expand the inclusivity of gender variant folks in movement theory and practice. There were several other presenters representing UVic including but not limited to: Astri Jack, Margot Wilson, and Audrey Wolfe. The conference occurs every two years.


Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):

In 2019 UVic submitted two case studies for resources to the AASHE Campus Sustainability Hub. These submissions were:

•Going Carbon Neutral- Giving Everyone a Voice, With Students Leading the Charge: This was a conference presentation that covered the multi-step processes Gustavson School of Business employed to achieve carbon neutrality. The main focus was on a competition put out to the students of the school in which they analyzed carbon offset projects and each made a portfolio recommendation to the school.

•Campus Sustainability Fund: This submission discusses how this fund empowers members of the university community to create stakeholder-driven projects that further UVic’s Sustainability Action Plan and advance leadership in sustainability. It also discusses how the fund functions and what the criteria are for applicants to receive money from the fund.


Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):

UVic has a representative from the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability that sits on the steering committee of the Bowker Creek Initiative (BCI). BCI is a collaboration between schools, local governments, community groups, institutions and private citizens to improve the health of Bowker Creek and its watershed. The committee assists with coordinating the efforts in implementing the management plan associated with the watershed.


Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
Yes

A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:

Each year UVic attends the Public Sector Climate Action Leadership Symposium which focuses on the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting Regulation Act and how various sectors of the public, including Universities, can best work towards reducing its carbon footprint.

Specifically, there are several sessions on “Greening our School” in which universities share ways they have been able to improve operations on their campus so that other universities in attendance may learn from them. These sessions are often followed by working groups in which representatives from Universities can collaborate together and mentor each other on topics of sustainability on campus. Regular universities that attend (aside from UVic) include but are not limited to: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Northern British Columbia, Royal Roads University, Capilano University, Vancouver Island University, Langara College, and British Columbia Institute of Technology.


Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
Yes

A brief description of the peer review activities:

UVic shares and reviews energy consumption data with UBC and SFU at several research centres (Bamfield Marine Centre; TRIUMF Research Centre). This peer-reviewed data is then used towards our annual greenhouse gas emissions reporting.


A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :

UVic has collaborated directly with Camosun College (the closest other campus) on regional transit issues as many of the bus routes service both campuses from downtown Victoria. Both the administration and student representatives have collaboratively lobbied the regional transit authority for improved services.


Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Public Sector Climate Leadership Symposium: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/public-sector/resources

Information on UVic contributions to AASHE Campus Sustainability Hub
https://hub.aashe.org/browse/?search=University+of+Victoria&gallery_view=list&country=&published=2020&published=2019&published=2018&published=2017&order=

Information on Bowker Creek Initiative:
https://www.crd.bc.ca/bowker-creek-initiative

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS):
https://pics.uvic.ca/


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.