Weber State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The following goals and objectives are included in Weber State University's sustainability plan:

Goal 1: Increase the number of students who understand the importance of sustainability, and how to incorporate sustainable practices in their careers, at home and across their communities.

- Have 350 or more sections utilizing the SUS attribute, and/or directly addressing SDGs challenges.
- Sustainability is included in General Education through an optional SUS Gen Ed “path”
- A SUS course or learning outcome is included in General Education requirements.
- Sustainability-related learning outcomes are present at the degree program level, covering 12.5% of graduating students.

Goal 2: Promote and support sustainability teaching and research.

- 100% of campus departments are offering one or more SUS attribute sections.
- Fund the Sustainability, Teaching, Application and Research (STAR) grants for faculty/students.
- Offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused, major, degree program, minor, concentration or certificate.
- Facilitate open access publishing.

Goal 3: Provide high-impact educational experiences for students

- Provide two or more immersive sustainability-focused experiences every year (e.g., net zero house, service-oriented spring break/study abroad, R.E.A.L. projects, internships, etc.).
- Continue to engage students/faculty/staff with campus as a living laboratory in ten or more various impact areas (as defined by STARS).

The following goals and objectives are included in Weber State University's sustainability plan:

Goal 1: Increase the number of students annually engaging in sustainability programs, events, clubs and/or initiatives.

- Include sustainability prominently in new student orientation activities and programming.
- Create a student sustainability educators program, hiring one (or more) student(s) per college to facilitate peer-to-peer engagement and support the department’s sustainability efforts.
- Continue to host at least one outreach campaign per academic year that yields measurable, positive results (e.g. Clear the Air Challenge).
- Facilitate sustainability-focused high impact educational experiences (curricular and co-curricular) ; including, the Intermountain Sustainability Summit, Sustainability Perspectives Series, Solve Climate, internships, alternative spring breaks, student clubs, etc.

Goal 2: Increase the number of faculty and staff annually engaging in sustainability programs, events, or initiatives.

- Include sustainability prominently in new faculty and new employee orientation activities and programming.
- Have 75% of all faculty and staff participating in the Green Department Certification Program.
- Engage 50% of all non-academic staff in one or more sustainability-related professional development/training opportunities per year.

Goal 3: Increase engagement and collaboration with diverse populations on campus.

- Elevate voices of diverse populations in sustainability through building inclusive relationships across campus.
- Participate in and support events, programs and initiatives hosted by diverse populations.
- Engage under-represented groups in sustainability through campus sustainability initiatives, programs, events and opportunities.

Goal 4: Measure campus sustainability literacy and culture every three years.

- Increase student/faculty/staff awareness and knowledge of, and engagement with sustainability , as measured by the WSU sustainability survey.

Goal 5: Create a new community sustainability solutions center to provide a one-stop-shop to our region, including governments, businesses and individuals, to obtain information on how they can reduce their carbon footprints and implement sustainability practices.

- Secure funding, staff, and interns to support the sustainability center.
- Secure a physical location for the center.
- Create and assemble resources to provide information on and facilitate sustainable living and planning, green business practices, climate action planning, climate resiliency, energy conservation and efficiency, electrification, renewable energy, green construction, rebates, and financing.

Goal 6: Partner with municipalities in implementing sustainability and climate action-oriented practices.

- Help implement the Ogden City Energy Wise Plan.
- Serve on or assist the Ogden Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Committee.
- Help municipalities identify the means and methods for procuring renewable energy.
- Assist with initial greenhouse gas emissions reports and climate action plans for municipalities.

Goal 7: Partner with organizations in implementing sustainability and climate action-oriented practices.

- Host the Intermountain Sustainability Summit.
- Collaborate with Utah Climate Action Network in hosting events and assisting with initiatives
- Share scalable WSU model/strategy for emissions reduction and engagement strategies.

Goal 8: Inform and support individuals and households in understanding sustainability, its importance, and becoming more sustainable.

- Host Empower Northern Utah program each year.
- Include community in sustainability events.

WSU's Energy and Sustainability Investment Plan's primary objective is to provide the road map for converting all of the University's buildings over to all electric buildings powered by renewable energy. Therefore it is WSU's detailed carbon neutral plan for buildings specifically.

This plan discusses how technologies like VRF, ERV, ground source, and solar will be deployed to achieve carbon neutrality. Steps to create and maintain a university building commissioning program are also outlined in the plan.

The ESIP plan is available at: https://www.weber.edu/sustainability/esip-plan.html

Weber State University also has a published Water Action Plan that provides goals and objectives to reduce culinary and secondary water consumption and properly manage stormwater. That plan can be found at: https://www.weber.edu/wsuimages/sustainability/Fall%202020/FinalWSUWaterActionPlan.docx.pdf

WSU's recently adopted Strategic Plan, located here - https://www.weber.edu/strategic-plan, contains diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and strategies. These goals and strategies can be found here - https://weber.edu/strategic-plan/goals-outcomes-strategies.html

WSU's strategic plan contains six major goals and Goal Four - Community Anchor Mission, is where sustainability is located as a major theme. Goal Four aspires to: "Intentionally apply our intellectual assets, economic influence, and financial and human resources in partnership with regional communities to seek a sustainable economic, social, cultural and environmental system that ensures opportunity, equity and inclusion." The specific sustainability-related outcomes within this goal include the following:
- WSU achieves Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Gold by fall 2025
- WSU achieves carbon neutrality by 2040
- WSU assists the Northern Utah region as it strives for carbon neutrality by 2050

These goals and outcomes can be found here - https://weber.edu/strategic-plan/goals-outcomes-strategies.html#mission