Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.83
Liaison Parker Long
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Virginia Commonwealth University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Erin Stanforth
Director of Sustainability
Facilities
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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:

Sustainability is the goal of maintaining a good quality of life for those who presently experience it, while expanding that quality of life to those who lack it; understanding and respecting the needs of future generations and the limits of natural systems within which quality human lives are necessarily embedded and dependent.
Sustainability includes, but is not limited to:
* The recognition of threats to the climate system inherent within the continued introduction of carbon into the atmosphere by human activity, especially through carbon-based energy production and consumption, necessitating action to reduce human carbon footprints, both at the individual, community and institutional levels.
* The identification and reduction of negative impacts from human activity upon human health (e.g., air and water pollution, other exposures to hazardous substances — both long-term and immediate, stress impacts, etc.).
* The identification and reduction of negative impacts from human activity upon ecosystem health (e.g., lost habitat, biodiversity, ecosystem function, etc.).
* The recognition of the finite nature of our resource base; necessitating the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials, the identification and development of renewable resources, and increased efficiency in our use of all resources.
* On-going dialogue among experts, lay-people, leaders and citizens for the purpose of learning more about the nature of these challenges, both from a technical and a human value-based perspective.
Adopted by VCU Sustainability Committee, July 22, 2009


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):

Chair 1 Dr. Beverly Warren - Interim Provost & VP for Academic Affairs
Chair 2 Dr. David Hanson - VP for Finance & Administration
Ms. Barbara Judy - Degree Audit & Edit Administrator
Dr. Catherine Howard - Vice-Provost Psychology, Assoc Prof
Dr. Lynn Pelco - Dir of Service-Learning Program Education, Prof
Mr. Camden Whitehead - Interior Design, Associate Professor
Dr. Van Wood - Marketing, Professor
Dr. Jacqueline McDonnough - Teaching and Learning, Assistant Prof
Dr. Jody Davis - Social Psychology, Associate Professor
Dr. Meghan Gough - Urban Studies & Regional Planning, Assistant Prof
Dr. Jason Levy - Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness, Assoc Prof
Dr. Clifford Fox - Assistant Director of Center for Environmental Studies
Ms. Nicole Anderson Ellis - Focused Inquiry, Assistant Prof
Ms. Katharine Rosemond - Exec Dir of Health Sciences Resources & Planning
Dr. Mark Cooper - Chair of Dept of Patient Counseling
Ms. Leyla Peachy - Dept of Human & Molecular Genetics Lab/Research Spec
Mr. John Nantz - VCUHS Sustainability Manager/Stericycle
Ms. Katia Sears - Event Management Assist
Mr. Tom Diehl - Director of Recreational Sports
Mr. Paul Jez - Associate VP for Business Services and Treasurer
Ms. Diane Reynolds -Director of VCU Business Services
Ms. Tamara Highsmith - Manager of VCU Dining Sales & Services
Mr. Paul Walker - Manager of VCU Parking and Transportation
Mr. Brian Ohlinger - Associate VP for Facilities Management
Ms. Joyce Foster - Interior Design Project Manager
Mr. Carl Purdin - Assistant Director of Design Services
Mr. Russell Uzzle - University Planner
Mr. Ed Bennett - Executive Director of PPD/Deputy for FM
Mr. Carl Beckelheimer - Energy Manager
Mr. Jerry Helton - Director of Support Shop & Special Projects
Mr. Steve Heinitz - Recycling & Reuse Coordinator
Mr. Paul Thrift - Superintendent of Grounds
Mr. Jacek Ghosh - Director of Sustainability
Mr. Fayez Dajani - Green Building Services Manager
Ms. Parker Long - Sustainability Assistant
Ms. Jordan Starbuck - Sustainability Coordinator
Mr. Brantley Tyndall - Sustainability Assistant
Ms. Cynthia Andrews - Executive Director for Human Resources
Mr. Ed Gibbs - Director of Procurement & Payment
Ms. Betty Lowther (Alt) -Director of University Purchasing
Mr. Mark Willis - Chief Information Officer
Mr. Samuel Kennedy (Alt) - Assistant Director
Dr. Napoleon Peoples - Assoc Dean of Student Affairs/Dean, Student Affairs MCV
Ms. Allison Patel - Housing Manager
Ms.Leila Ungincius - Public Relations Specialist/Social Media Manager
Ms. Pamela Mason - Center for Environmental Studies, Program Support Tech
Mr. Michael Newsome - Assistant VP for Research
Mr. Benjamin Marshall Brown - Student, MCV Campus
Mr. Wyatt Carpenter - Student, MP Campus
Ms. Kaelyn Considine - Student, MP Campus
Ms. Rachel Elves - Student, MCV Campus
Mr. Mark Hill - Student, MP Campus
Ms. Melissa Lesh - Student, MP Campus
Ms. Alex Little - Student, MP Campus
Ms. Melanie Savia - Student, MP Campus


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

A brief description of each sustainability office:

The VCU Office of Sustainability is focused on reducing university greenhouse gas emissions per our climate action plan and implementing our sustainability plan as adopted in 2015. Sustainability staff members are responsible for working with sustainability subcommittees to execute different sections of our sustainability plan and for engaging with faculty, staff, and students across the university to elevate sustainability literacy, develop new programs, and support existing ones.


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
6

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Erin Stanforth (Director of Sustainability)

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
Yes

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

The sustainability committee meets at least once a semester to track progress on goals set in the campus sustainability plan with more frequent meetings of individual subcommittees. In the last three years the committee wrote and approved VCU's first campus sustainability plan, many goals of which has been successfully implemented. The sustainability office constructed a new learning garden on campus that has facilitated over 500 volunteer hours since it was built. A green wall was constructed on campus through a cross disciplinary course.


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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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