| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.78 |
| Liaison | Troy Goodnough |
| Submission Date | Feb. 10, 2022 |
University of Minnesota, Morris
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Troy
Goodnough Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
UMN Morris provided support for the new Stevens County-wide composting program. The Morris campus provided support for installation of a new water treatment plant in the city of Morris. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency set new guidelines to restrict the amount of chloride discharge into the local river.
This work is supported by top administration at UMN Morris and is largely supported via our Morris Model initiative (www.morrismodel.org).
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
UMN Morris provided support for a regional composting system that began operations in 2021. This regional project received considerable support from UMN Morris leadership. This advocacy included meeting with the Stevens County Board of Commissioners and staff. UMN Morris also provided support for a new renewable natural gas project, which included advocacy by UMN Morris senior leadership with the Stevens County Board of Commissioners.
https://popedouglasrecycle.com/composting-facility-breaks-ground/
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
UMN Morris has signed on to several of Second Nature's climate initiatives.
https://secondnature.org/wp-content/uploads/NDC-Sign-On-Letter_-Higher-Ed_FINAL2021.pdf
UMN Morris has supported legislation that maintains support of the local USDA ARS Soils Laboratory in Morris, MN. This included sending a letter with a local delegation traveling to D.C. to solicit support for the lab.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
UMN Morris is a lead organizer of the Morris Model partnership. This is a partnership between the city of Morris and campus. The city of Morris -- supported by the campus -- signed a climate protection agreement with the city of Saerbeck, Germany. Together, we have a sister-city relationship and technical partnership with Saerbeck. This climate protection agreement is actively supported by the top leadership at UMN Morris. This includes UMN Morris leadership working with the Mayor of Saerbeck to support our climate protection work.
UMN Morris signed the We Are Still In initiative, in partnership with Second Nature. This is an open letter to the international community and is consistent with the goal of international advocacy.
https://www.wearestillin.com/organization/university-minnesota-morris
https://www.wearestillin.com/we-are-still-declaration
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts 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.