| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.40 |
| Liaison | Parker Long |
| Submission Date | Aug. 27, 2021 |
Virginia Commonwealth University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 3.00 |
Elias
Frantz Sustainability Assistant VCU Office of Sustainability |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
Second Nature
The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitment
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
The Virginia Sustainability in Higher Education Consortium (VASHE)
USGBC Virginia
RVAgreen2050 Working Groups
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
"Overcoming Obstacles When Establishing Intentional, Productive Urban Campus Green Spaces: Natural and Human-made Challenges" by Sara Barton
AASHE Conference 2018
There are inevitably challenges when working to establish well-supported, recognized, sustainable campus spaces. What are solutions to these challenges and how can you use them to plan and/or improve your campus green spaces?
"What is Old is New Again: Establishing a Campus Free Store in an Urban Environment" by Sara Barton and Sera Erickson
AASHE Conference 2019
Reuse is an important part of campus sustainability. Universities can not only reduce waste from student moveout but can also encourage reuse on campus by diverting usable items during moveout to a free campus thrift store program, like the one that VCU recently established. Promoting reuse supports sustainable consumption and financial sustainability of the students, faculty, and staff who utilize the free store.
"The VCU Pocket Park: Creating a sustainability-oriented green space on a dynamic university campus" by Sara Barton and Sera Erickson
AASHE Conference 2019
Partnering with instructors to weave sustainability into student projects benefits both students and the university's sustainability efforts. VCU staff partnered with a course called "Park Planning" to support students to design a campus pocket park with sustainability in mind.
"Earth Hacks: Why and How hackathons should save the planet" by Jake Holweger and Nicholas Hattrup
MLH Hackcon VII, 2019
The climate crisis needs actionable solutions now, and those solutions cannot be incremental. As useful as the product-by-product development of solutions to point issues is at hackathons, the greater conversation needs to address the traditional model of production, development, and profit that drives the climate crisis today.
"Healthier Communities, Healthier Students" Co-presenter: Sara Barton
Gulf South Summit 2021 Conference
Students can benefits greatly from coursework that centers on mindfulness, reflection, and experiential learning. Partnering with sustainability programs is one way to support students in this way."
"Mapping the VCU Campus Food Environment" by Heather N. King, John C. Jones, Dan J. Albrecht-Mallinger
Graduate Research Posters, 2021
Preliminary research from a related VCU faculty team indicated that roughly ⅓ of all VCU students experience some level of food insecurity. Inventions to remedy this dire situation will require a more complete picture of the campus food environment. This project documented aspects of that environment.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
All staff members of the Office of Sustainability serve on the Virginia Sustainability in Higher Education Consortium (VASHE), a network of sustainability professionals working in institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
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?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.