Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.44
Liaison Andrea Trimble
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of Virginia
IN-39: Sustainability Office Diversity Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Andrea Trimble
Director - Office for Sustainability
Office for Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the sustainability office have initiatives specifically designed to recruit sustainability employees from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

A brief description of the initiatives specifically designed to recruit sustainability employees from underrepresented groups:
In addition to institution-wide and FM equity and inclusion and equal opportunity employment efforts, such as ensuring that a diverse interview committee is responsible for evaluating candidates, the Office for Sustainability posts job opportunities on sites such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.

Does the sustainability office ensure that sustainability employees complete DEI training?:
Yes

A brief description of the DEI trainings for sustainability employees:
The Office for Sustainability holds annual or bi-annual retreats. In the fall 2020 retreat, UVA's Facilities Management's DEI Specialist led a training for Office for Sustainability staff about race and priviledge. In February 2021 Facilities Management (OFS reports to Facilities Management) held a training hosted by the University of Florida on implicit bias. In fall 2020 the UVA Board of Visitors approved racial equity goals for UVA that include mandatory DEI training for all staff.

Does the sustainability office regularly collaborate on events, projects, or initiatives with the institution’s DEI office/program and/or organizations that support underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of events, projects, or initiatives during the previous year developed in collaboration with the DEI office/program and/or organizations that support underrepresented groups on campus:
Every year since 2017, the Office for Sustainability has co-hosted an event at the intersection of equity and the environment in conjunction with the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion's MLK Community Celebration. Each annual event has reached between 200 and 500 individuals, and the topics have ranged from food justice, hop hop's role in climate progress, the role of art in healing and sustainability, and black youth in the climate movement. Events held to date include: Stirring Up Food Justice with Bryant Terry; Healing Through Community and Art with Candy Chang and Happy Johnson; and Voices for Change: Mixing Hip Hop and Environmental Justice with Mustafa Santiago Ali ‐ a partnership with the 9 Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Festival.

Does the sustainability office or committee include at least one individual with formal DEI and/or environmental or social justice responsibilities?:
Yes

Documentation of the formal DEI and/or environmental or social justice responsibilities:
Yes, the University Committee on Sustainabilty includes representation from UVA's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - in academic year 2020-2021 this represenative is Kristin Morgan: https://vpdiversity.virginia.edu/kristin-l-morgan

Additionally, the Civic Engagement Subcommittee, which is a subcommtitee under the University COmmtitee on Sustainability focuses on equity and collaboration with our community, with initiatves such as the Equity and Environment Fund and the MLK Community event: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/about-us/committee-sustainability/civic-engagement-subcommittee

Website URL where information about the initiatives to advance DEI within the sustainability program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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