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

STARS v2.2

University of Virginia
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Andrea Trimble
Director - Office for Sustainability
Office for 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:

There are four primary pan-University sustainability committees at UVA, plus dozens of working groups and task forces - the University Committee on Sustainability, the Environmental Stewardship Subcommittee, the Civic Engagement Subcommittee, and the Teaching and Research Subcommittee. Working Groups include groups by topic area - such as the Water and Stormwater Working Group, Green Dining Working Group, Sustainable IT Working Group, Sustainable Food Collaborative, Green Labs Working Group, etc. The University Committee on Sustainability, which is comprised of 30-40 appointed members from across the University, advises the Executive Vice Presidents on all matters related to the University’s commitment to sustainability and how those impact the future of the University including interrelated environmental, financial, teaching, research, and social aspects. In carrying out this charge, the Committee is engaged in the following:

• Fostering the development and dissemination of sustainability knowledge through research and teaching.
• Promoting the highest-standards of sustainable practice on Grounds.
• Engaging the civic and academic communities in topics associated with sustainability.
• Contributing to and reporting on progress in achieving the University’s sustainability goals.

https://sustainability.virginia.edu/about-us/committee-sustainability

The Civic Engagement Subcommittee (CES) is a subcommittee of the University Committee on Sustainability that works to expand and deepen awareness and involvement into the UVA community, both on and off Grounds. This subcommittee seeks to promote, engage, and advocate for policies and practices that build an inclusive, safe, healthy, and equitable community aligned with environmental principles to advance the well-being of this and future generations to come.

The Environmental Stewardship Subcommittee (ESS), a subcommittee of the University Committee on Sustainability, promotes and enables environmental stewardship via student, staff, and faculty engagement and direct action on Grounds. There are currently 13 working groups and five task forces within the subcommittee.

The Teaching and Research Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the University Committee on Sustainability, seeks to develop opportunities for interdisciplinary curriculum development and research. The subcommittee supports a University-wide living learning laboratory approach and serves as a resource for faculty engaged in promoting sustainability literacy through teaching and research.


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:

Christine Alencar, Staff Senate
Dirron Allen, Office of the VP for Student Affairs
Jason Bauman, Athletics
Maïté Brandt-Pearce, Office of the Provost
Kerrie Carfagno, McIntire School of Commerce
Marcia Childress, School of Medicine
Jennie Chiu, School of Education and Human Development
Andres Clarens, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Phoebe Crisma, School of Architecture
Pam DeGuzman, School of Nursing
Andrea Devine, University Advancement
Corey DiLuciano, Health System
Becky Duff, Darden School of Business
Dean Evasius, Office of the VP for Research
Kristin Floyd, Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services
Kevin Fox, Medical Center
Paul Freedman, Department of Politics
Jim Galloway, Environmental Sciences
Cydnie Golson, Undergraduate Student
Cheryl Gomez, Director of Operations
Erika Herz, Office for Sustainability
Ron Hutchins, Vice Provost of Academic Technology
Cale Jaffe, School of Law
Rollin Johnson, Madison House
Dave Koehn, Virginia Sports Properties
Deborah Lawrence, Environmental Sciences
Stephen Macko, Faculty Senate
Daniel Mietchen, School of Data Science
Molly Minturn, University Communications
Julia Monteith, Office of the Architect
Kristin Morgan, Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Terry Nahavandi, UVA Dining
Ricky Patterson, University Libraries
Nat Perkins, UVA Foundation
Jorge Piocuda, Career Center
Kate Redding, Alumni Association
Kristel Riddervold, City of Charlottesville (UVA alumna)
Katelyn Stenger, Graduate Student
Bill Shobe, Weldon Cooper Center
Wynne Stuart, Office of the Provost
Don Sundgren, Facilities Management
Leon Szeptycki, Environmental Resilience Institute
Lea Taylor, Undergraduate Student
Andrea Ruedy Trimble, Office for Sustainability
Becca White, Parking and Transportation
Timothy White, Human Resources
Andy Wilson, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Dana Schroeder (ex-officio), Office for Sustainability

Over 100 additional students, faculty, and staff participate in the subcommittees, working groups, and task forces.


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 UVA Office for Sustainability, supports University-wide collaborative governance, leadership, and implementation of sustainability across Grounds by partnering with students, faculty, administrators, and staff to infuse and develop a culture of environmental, economic, and social stewardship in alignment with the educational, research, health care and public service mission of the University.

Roles
Advocacy, Innovation, Leadership: Partner with University committees and stakeholders in collaborative sustainability strategic planning and implementation. Assist with recommendations on sustainability policy, commitments, goals, action plans, and measuring progress towards goals. Seek to promote stewardship of resources, reduce environmental footprint, and build UVA’s reputation as a leader by prioritizing cost-effective, impactful and replicable models and connecting initiatives and programs across Grounds.

Academic and Research Integration: Support the integration of sustainability into curriculum to train current and future leaders, advance sustainability research, and help build capacity to use Grounds as a living laboratory for sustainability.

Environmental Stewardship: Provide leadership for the integration of sustainability into buildings and operations to advance environmental stewardship while regularly measuring and analyzing progress towards goals.

Outreach and Engagement: Foster a culture of sustainability through close collaboration, partnership-building, training and support of student, faculty, and staff sustainability interests and initiatives to build social and operational norms around sustainability.

Technical Expertise: Act as subject matter experts and advocates for sustainability via proactive advocacy, implementation, review, and development of buildings and infrastructure.

Communication and Knowledge Management: Advance sustainability knowledge, build identity, and enhance leadership by developing and sharing timely and robust news, best practices, lessons learned, benchmarking, data, educational resources, and tools in a clear and cohesive manner.


Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
14

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Andrea Trimble - Sustainability Director; Program Manager for Outreach and Engagement (open); Jesse Warren - Program Manager for Sustainable Buildings and Operations, plus others: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/our-team

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:

The mission of the Office for Sustainability is to engage our communities, steward resources, and discover ways to improve Grounds and beyond for generations to come.

More information on UVA Sustainability Progress: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/about-us/plans-progress

Annual report: https://indd.adobe.com/view/e2dafb2b-5dca-419b-84a2-71ec8b7c1f3e
Impact report: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/sites/sustainability/files/2019-12/UVA_Sustainability_Plan_2016_2020_Impact_Report_October_2019.pdf

Established in 2013, the Office for Sustainability (OFS) supports University-wide collaborative governance, leadership, and implementation of sustainability across Grounds. By partnering with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community, OFS is able to infuse and develop a culture of environmental, economic, and social stewardship in alignment with the educational, research, health care, and public service mission of the University.

The Office for Sustainability focuses on pan-University strategic planning, program and project implementation across impact areas, engagement, and communication.

The Office for Sustainability, with a Sustainability Director and 13 additional full-time staff members, is actively engaged in developing and implementing a wide range of ongoing programs, events, projects, and campaigns across Grounds. Ongoing programs include:

PARTNERSHIPS AND FACILITATION
University Committee on Sustainability and working group support
Grounds as a living lab course support
Green Athletics

BUILDINGS AND OPERATIONS
Sustainability & energy project management analysis, project management and implementation
Delta Force and energy engineering
Alternative energy research and implementation support
Greenhouse gas and nitrogen footprint tracking
Environmental Metrics and data analysis
Green Building Standards
Owner’s sustainability representation
LEED-NC and LEED-CI certification support
Drawing and spec reviews

OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATIONS
Sustainability Student Advocate Program
Student Employees Program
Zero Waste Event Support & Training
Green Labs Program
Green Workplace Program
Sustainability Partners
Green Living Program
Sustainability Alumni Network
Sustainability Reporting
Sustainability communication - website, newsletters, social media
Sustainability Events

The University Committee on Sustainability advises the Executive Vice Presidents on Sustainability and meets monthly and maintains three active sub-committees: Teaching and Research, Environmental Stewardship, and Civic Engagement. The Environmental Stewardship Subcommittee includes 13 working groups and 5 task forces dedicated to engaging students, staff, and faculty in implementing sustainability projects on Grounds.


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Sustainability Director

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:

The Sustainability Director leads the team Office for Sustainability staff responsible for partnering and collaborating with UVA’s twelve schools, units, and departments to engage UVA's community, steward resources, and discover ways to improve Grounds and beyond for generations to come. The position includes strategic planning, program management, training and communication, and supervision of sustainability staff.


Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Sustainability Outreach and Engagement Program Manager

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):

This position manages the outreach, engagement and communications team for the Office for Sustainability and works collaboratively to foster a culture of sustainability within the UVA community. The Manager and team develop and implement sustainability engagement programs, outreach tools, embed sustainable practices in existing events, execute sustainability events and campaigns, and manage sustainability communications for the University. Major projects include the Sustainability Advocates program, zero waste athletic events, Earth Week, Dorm Energy Race, Chuck it for Charity, signage, the UVA Sustainability website, newsletter and social media.


Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Sustainable Buildings and Operations Program Manager

Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):

This position is responsible for the University’s sustainable building programs, for both new and existing positions. The program manager leads a team of energy engineers who identify and implement energy efficiency and Delta Force retro-commissioning projects across Grounds.


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:

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.