Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.78
Liaison Amber Saxton
Submission Date Sept. 1, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

George Mason University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Margaret Lo
University Sustainability Director
Sustainability
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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:

George Mason University (Mason) has the Sustainable Studies Advisory Council and the Energy Policy Task Force.

The Sustainable Studies Advisory Council (SSAC) consists of faculty committed to the pursuit of sustainability in their pedagogy, scholarship and/or community service activities. Membership is open to all Mason faculty. The SSAC provides insights and guidance to the Provost office's Sustainability Coordinator for organizing activities and initiatives to promote sustainability studies across the curriculum and sustainability-related interdisciplinary scholarship. Members are also invited to participate with other faculty and students in an electronic discussion list focused on sustainability studies.


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

-Andrew Wingfield, Associate Professor, School of Integrative Studies
-Brenda Wiggins, Associate Professor, College of Education and Human Development
-Colin J Reagle, Assistant Professor, Volgenau School of Engineering
-Mark Cooley, Assistant Professor, School of Art
-Peter Balint, Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government
-Younsung Kim, Assistant Professor, Environmental Science & Policy
-Hun Lee, Associate Professor, Management, School of Business
-Margaret Lo, Director, Office of Sustainability
-Bethany M Usher, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education


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 mission of the sustainability office is to use the strengths of George Mason University - innovation, responsiveness, flexibility, and community strength - to provide leadership in environmental, social, and economic stewardship on our campuses and throughout the local and global communities of which we are a part.

The responsibilities of the Sustainability Office include:
--Provide a strategic direction for the evolution of sustainability on Mason's campuses.
--Provide policy recommendations to the administration that improve our operational efficiency and contribute to our long-term economic and environmental sustainability.
--Assist in the creation of processes and standards across campus that promote the sustainability of Mason.
--Collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to create a central hub for communicating sustainability initiatives.
--Participate in the coordination of campus-wide awareness and engagement campaigns, such as Earth Month and others.
--Work with the Provost's Office to encourage the integration of sustainability principles into curricula across the university.
--Interface with local, regional, and national organizations and working groups that can further the sustainability interests of George Mason University.
--Implementing a climate action plan that will lead Mason to climate neutrality.


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
5

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Ms. Margaret Lo

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:

George Mason University's (Mason) commitment to sustainability is real and backed by public commitments and action. In the past three years, Mason has reached STARS Gold level, the first to achieve that in the Commonwealth of Virginia; achieved its first zero-waste basketball game; opened its innovative hydroponic greenhouse which will provide an estimated 2,000 pounds of fresh produce to Mason's dining halls; co-hosted a talk by US Congressman Connolly on climate change; and was ranked number 18th Greenest Universities on BestColleges.com.


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
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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:

Data is for FY17


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.