Ursinus College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
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Reporter |
1.1 Coordinating committee, officer, or office for sustainability
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s sustainability committees:
Since 2022, the Collaborative Commission on Well-being has been meeting on a bi-monthly basis to chart a course for Ursinus College to meet the Okanagan Charter Framework, which calls for higher education institutions to work towards the promotion of the well-being of people, place, and planet. This working group is composed of faculty and staff at Ursinus College and has served as a multi-faceted collaborative space in which the college discusses goals and reviews accomplishments.
Webpage for the Ursinus College Collaborative Commission on Well-being
Does the institution have one or more sustainability officers?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s sustainability officers:
The mission of the Ursinus College Office of Sustainability is to facilitate the integration of environmental stewardship at Ursinus College and within local communities, on a foundation of social equity and economic viability. To achieve that mission, the Office of Sustainability works with faculty, staff, administrators and community partners, but foremost, the Office of Sustainability provides opportunities for students to be thoughtful, responsible, creative leaders in their society. The Director of Sustainability is responsible for oversight of the Office of Sustainability and its programs which include but is not limited to:
- Working on greenhouse gas emission inventories as part of the College's carbon dioxide reduction commitment
- Partnering with faculty on curricular and co-curricular sustainability and applied learning initiatives and curricular innovations.
- Working across college divisions to engage in practices and projects that promote sustainable practices
- Offering applied learning opportunities to students to engage in the learning and work of sustainable practices at Ursinus College (example: using campus as a multifaceted learning opportunity).
Does the institution have a sustainability office that includes more than one full-time equivalent employee?:
Description of each sustainability office:
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability offices:
Is at least one of the institution’s sustainability committees, officers, or offices charged with coordinating various campus constituencies in the advancement of sustainability across the entire institution?:
Narrative outlining the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
In 2023, the Director of Sustainability partnered with faculty in the Environmental Studies department to support a curriculum that offers various concentrations in the major of environmental studies. These academic concentrations and minors are: applied sustainability, biodiversity and wildlife conservation, climate change, earth and environmental science, and environmental justice. The Director of Sustainability is the minor coordinator for the applied sustainability minor. This proposal also expands the Office of Sustainability to have another professional staff person that works with programming and advancement of food growing areas on campus as well as other green spaces on campus.
In Fall of 2024, the Office of Sustainability partnered with the Facilities Office and a faculty member in the Department of Environment and Sustainability to launch a free thrift store on campus. Students, faculty, and staff can donate items that are in good condition to the program while also taking items at no cost. This endeavor keeps items out of the waste stream and in the hands of the local campus community.
At various and continuous times from 2022-2023, the Director of Sustainability was asked to serve on various steering and working groups that spanned campus administrative divisions including but not limited to a working group for a RFP for custodial services for the college.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
Job descriptions
Copy of the job description for the institution’s sustainability officer (1st position):
Text of the job description for the institution’s sustainability officer (2nd position):
Copy of the job description for the institution’s sustainability officer (2nd position):
Text of the job description for the institution’s sustainability officer (3rd position):
Copy of the job description for the institution’s sustainability officer (3rd position):
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