Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.02
Liaison James Speer
Submission Date June 30, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Indiana State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 4.00 James Speer
Professor
Earth and Environmental Sciences
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) Measurable Objectives (Yes or No)
Curriculum No No
Research (or other scholarship) No No
Campus Engagement Yes Yes
Public Engagement No No
Air and Climate Yes No
Buildings Yes Yes
Dining Services/Food No No
Energy No No
Grounds Yes Yes
Purchasing No No
Transportation Yes No
Waste No No
Water Yes No
Diversity and Affordability Yes Yes
Health, Wellbeing and Work Yes No
Investment No No
Other No No

A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):

Debra Isreal
Jim Speer
Sue Berta
Robert English
Rusty Gonser
Eric Hampton
Jennifer Latimer
John Reposa
Yasenka Peterson
Tom Sauer
Virgil Sheets
Elaina Tuttle


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):

Debra Isreal
Jim Speer
Sue Berta
Robert English
Rusty Gonser
Eric Hampton
Jennifer Latimer
John Reposa
Yasenka Peterson
Tom Sauer
Virgil Sheets
Elaina Tuttle


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:

Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan is focused on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning. Many of the outreach areas are focused sustainability activities such as work with Catholic Charities, our Institute for Community Sustainability, White Violet Center for EcoJustice, TREES Inc., and Vigo County Parks Department. Regular activities for our multiple days of services such as Fall and Spring Donaghy Day and Martin Luther King Day of Services are mainly focused on trash clean-up, planting flowers and trees, and community assistance.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:

ISU has been ranked number 1 in community service through Washington Weekly Magazine based on having over 1 million service hours each year with our faculty, staff, and students.


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):

Vice President Nancy Rogers
Heather Miklozek


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
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A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:

Our Climate Action Plan deals with air and climate issues. We currently have nine buildings on campus that are built to LEED standards or are LEED certified and we follow indoor and outdoor air quality guidelines for those buildings.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):

Jim Jensen
Bryan Duncan
Set Porter
Dave Ellis
Lori Vancza


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:

In 2009, we advanced to a commitment for all new construction to be completed under LEED silver certification. Plans to raise the old College of Education and College of Business towers on the north side of campus. This will lower the overall skyline of ISU and save approximately $1 million in utilities and maintenance costs. University Hall, the Recreation Center, Pickerl Hall, Erickson Hall, and Burford Hall were all built to LEED standards but not certified. Federal Hall and Mills Hall were LEED certified. Reeve Hall, Bloomberg Hall, and the Arena are all in the process of being LEED certified. Cromwell and Rhoads Hall will be renovated in the coming two years and are slated to pursue LEED Silver certification.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):

The 12-story tall Statesman Towers were demolished in the summer of 2015. All of the rebar from the building was recycled and the concrete was crushed and used as fill on site. The removal of these two inefficient buildings should be a large reduction in our carbon footprint. All of the buildings listed above have LEED score cards (even the buildings that were built to LEED standards but were not certified).


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):

Bryan Duncan
Seth Porter
Lee Ellingson
Andrew Conner
Stephanie Krull
John Reposa
Kevin Runion
Virgil Sheets
Jim Speer
Mary Sterling
Pat Teeters


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):

Dana Babel
Barbara Degrandchamp
Bob Jefferson
Eliezer Bermudez
Andrew Conner
Frederica Kramer
Stephanie Krull
Mary Ellen Linn
Cindy McClain
Al Perone
Donald Richards
Tony Askins
Marah Butler
Andrew Pyle
Brady Werne
Mitchell White


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):

Jeff Jacso
Pat Teeters
Kevin Barr
Andrew Conner
Brendan Corcoran
Steven Flowers
Mark Green
Jim Speer
Jeff Williamson


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:

ISU has developed a Indiana Wildlife Federation Plan which was ranked at the Gold Level. We have grounds plans in the ISU Master Plan, the ISU Strategic Plan, the Climate Action Plan, the Sustainable Campus Plan, and the Indiana Wildlife Federation Plan.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):

The Strategic Plan and the Indiana Wildlife Federation plan have measurable objectives to increase the number of native plants in our grounds cover and to increase the biodiversity of campus plants for wildlife habitat.


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):

Steph Krull - Grounds Manager


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):

Kevin Barr
Tom Kellett


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:

The Climate Action Plan, ISu Master Plan, and ISU Strategic Plan have included sections on sustainable transportation including increasing bus ridership, increasing bicycling, and increasing walking access in and around town.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):

Jim Jensen
Bryan Duncan


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):

Paul Reed
Elizabeth Atterbery


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:

The ISU Master Plan, Climate Action Plan, and the Indiana Wildlife Federation set forth plans to capture more of our rainwater, decrease combined sewer overflow, make good use of our deep wells for watering campus, and to work with the city to capture runoff from our buildings and parking lots and allow the water to infiltrate into the ground rather than run into the sewer system.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):

Steph Krull
Jim Jensen
Bryan Duncan


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:

The ISU Strategic Plan has specific guidelines and benchmarks to increase Diversity and Affordability on campus.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):

The ISU Strategic Plan has developed a series of benchmarks to increase the percentage African American faculty on campus to better match our student population.


Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):

Elonda Ervin
Nolan Davis


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:

ISU has developed a healthy living initiative and promote health care screening, exercise, and preventative care.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):

Wil Downs


A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
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The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
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A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:

We recently completed a Sustainable Campus Plan for a section to the east of campus where we hope to enhance the existing community garden, move the recycling center, and develop an EcoVillage.


The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
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Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):

Caroline Savage
Jim Speer


The institution’s definition of sustainability:

Sustainability includes environmental, economic, and social concerns. We care about creating green jobs, communities that are enjoyable for all people, and being good stewards of the environmental resources that make our lives, and the lives of other sentient beings, possible. Sustainability means taking pride in our community, taking responsibility for its welfare, and taking action to help sustain the quality of life right here in our own backyard.


Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:

Statements related to sustainability in the ISU Strategic Plan and the ISU Master Plan

The ISU Strategic Plan includes aspects of sustainability but it is not incorporated in its entirety at a high level.
• make progress in recruiting more minorities and women in executive and professional staff positions, so that the gap in composition of these employee groups and the diversity of our student body is narrowed by 50 percent;
•The following are statements from the ISU Strategic Plan dealing with sustainability. make progress in hiring African American faculty, so that the gap between this group and the percentage of African Americans in our student body is narrowed by 50 percent;
• increase amount of direct and indirect financial support provided by the University to community, social, cultural, and economic development groups;
• increase student participation in outreach activities each year, until, by fall 2014, 100 percent of ISU students have at least one community engagement experience before graduation;
• Energize downtown to create a great college town;
• Develop the neighborhoods around ISU;
• Create a gateway to ISU and a bridge to the Riverscape.

The ISU Master Plan states the following things related to sustainability. Out of eight master tenants of the plan, four of them deal with sustainability.
4. Maintain and improve the compact campus form building upon the valued pedestrian friendly aspect of the existing environs. ISU has evolved into a cohesive, moderately scaled, pedestrian-oriented campus where buildings and open space form a reasonably tight and pleasing weave of urban fabric. Future improvements should seek to limit the geographic growth of the academic, administration and housing land uses in favor of a pedestrian-oriented compact built form.
5. Improve the campus in a manner that supports the redevelopment of the riverfront in downtown Terre Haute.
7. Improve the campus in a manner that supports the continued development of downtown Terre Haute with the intent of realizing a vital college town atmosphere. A successful and urbane mixed use central business district will enhance the perceptions of the ISU campus. The new uses should include additional housing, offices and retail.
8. Improve the campus in a manner that responds to contemporary and practical sustainable design practices. ISU embraces an increasingly sustainable existence. This may impact nearly every aspect of operations and may include intense scrutiny on energy consumption, but may also reflect the importance of water resources, fauna and flora, air quality and more. Projecting a progressive posture on these issues will enhance ISU. As society becomes increasingly sensitive to sustainability, institutions
of higher learning are expected to provide a leadership role to lead the general populace in these matters. It has become common for universities to expend effort to project an environmentally friendly image.

The following provides some more detail about the thoughts in the ISU Master Plan.
As society becomes increasingly sensitive to sustainability, institutions of higher learning are expected to provide a leadership role to lead the general populace in these matters. It has become common for universities to expend effort to project an environmentally friendly image. ISU has already started this process as evidenced by the recycling center amongst other successes. Extending this momentum to a discussion about the landscape leads to conversations about the naturalized landscapes that require less embodied energy and are more completely capable of supporting native fauna. Developing a more sustainable landscape is one of the most visible ways to impact an institution’s image. This master plan seeks to start a few important changes:
• A reduction in the use of cultivated lawns. The intent would be to lean toward limiting the use of cultivated lawns to areas where people will use a lawn (Frisbee throwing, etc.)
• With the reduction of cultivated lawns comes the opportunity to substitute plant materials that are more capable of thriving without irrigation.
• Greater reliance upon native plant materials. Native fauna has evolved with a reliance upon a native plant food source. Displacing native plants with exotic species reduces the stability of the native fauna and is considered a contributor to the reduction in biodiversity.

Lighting
ISU has recently selected new campus lighting standards that will be used throughout campus.
The standards should be evaluated as it relates to sustainable design issues such as dark sky and
migratory bird impacts and the evolving LED lamp technology. The LED lamps offer large energy
savings and the public is more aware of the impact of unrestrained light.

Rankin Hall Plaza Renovation
The plaza west of Rankin Hall is in need of major renovation. The plaza serves as a roof over the
campus computing center and the roof is a permanent leak threat with potential for significant
water intrusion. ISU installed a green roof at this location in 2013.

riverSCAPE
The City of Terre Haute and County of Vigo have been engaged in riverfront redevelopment planning
activities. The intent is to create mixed use/park areas on the east bank of the Wabash. The
efforts include large tracts of underutilized land and will require decades to realize. The proposed
improvements include the area west of the ISU campus.

Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area (Wetland)
A wetland reserve is being planned for large areas of the Wabash River flood plain including areas
immediately west of the ISU campus. This will provide high-quality natural areas for ISU students,
faculty and staff to enjoy and utilize for teaching purposes.

Terre Haute Central Business District Planning
The City of Terre Haute has been working with Downtown Terre Haute, Inc. in an effort to realize
a more vital central business district. The groups are interested in preserving the historic fabric,
while employing good urban design practices to achieve a more active and pedestrian friendly
core.

Alternative Transportation
A number of public agencies within Vigo County have been involved with the planning and
construction of an alternative transportation system. Included within the system is the:
• National Road Heritage Trail
• riverSCAPE
• Future bike lanes to the Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area (Wetland)

Landscape Character
The character of the ISU landscape has continuously evolved since its inception, largely responding to the influences of fashion trends and building programs. In many instances, the planting design reinforces the structure of the campus improvements through the ordered placement of trees consistent with the layout of the adjacent architecture and hardscape, both of which typically respond to the former urban grid. Many of the informal green spaces break from the geometric patterns and offer a more casual respite.
The planted understory is typically loosely defined, often times a mix of woody and perennial plant material, and used to direct pedestrian traffic patterns. More often than not, the ground plane is an irrigated lawn. The plant materials are a mix of exotic and native species and a mix of evergreen and deciduous.
As society trends further toward sustainable design practices, the use of exotic species and unrestrained cultivated lawns will be more challenging to continue. There are numerous reasons why ISU will feel the need to alter planting design practices including:
Water resources • will become more highly valued and will likely cause many midwestern institutions to use more efficient irrigation systems and to limit irrigation to premium green spaces.
• Cultivated lawns require the application of problematic chemicals in order to acquire and retain the desired lush green appearance.
• Cultivated lawns require frequent mowing resulting in the consumption of fossil fuels.
• Native species offer a much more complete food source for the native fauna, helping to increase bio-diversity.
• The use of native plant associations is an easy way for institutions to project an environmentally progressive image.
• The use of native and adapted plant associations can result in lower maintenance costs.
It should be noted that native plant associations, particularly the alternatives to cultivated lawns, result in a different aesthetic for the landscape. Some individuals may find the alternative look less attractive though acceptance often results from an awareness of the environmental benefits.

Campus Density & capacity
The ISU students, faculty, staff and visitors are able to enjoy and benefit from a compact campus form. The moderate density of the existing environment facilitates convenient pedestrian and bicyclist commutes across the entire breadth of the main campus and the central business district. In addition to the sustainable forms of transportation, the current density levels foster the development of a vibrant and character filled physical environment in which buildings shape outdoor green respites.

Alternative Transportation & Mass Transit
Indiana State University has developed components of an alternative transportation system and has been involved with building momentum in the greater Terre Haute community for such facilities. Bike lanes have been established along the north edge of campus linking the campus to a planned rail-trail project serving the east side of Terre Haute.

The recently provided bike lanes link to a bike trail located on 4th Street. The bike lanes effectively link the campus to the near south side of Terre Haute and to the University Apartments. Planned additions to the trail system offer the opportunity to link to the planned riverfront parks on the east and west banks of the Wabash adjacent to downtown Terre Haute.

Terre Haute’s new multi-modal facility transportation is located on the ISU campus at the corner of 7th Street and US 40 (Cherry Street, National Road). Bus service is available at the multi-modal facility and a shuttle serving the ISU campus operates out of the facility.

Rainwater Management
The recent evolution of the Clean Water Act and trends in sustainable design have led to substantial changes in the way large institutions, like ISU, are managing rain water. No longer are we seeking to discharge rain water as quickly as possible. Good practices in the early 21st century include efforts to minimize runoff and to cleanse the rain water before we do discharge it to our neighbors downstream. ISU has been utilizing infiltration basins the past couple of decades for the purpose of returning rain water to the aquifer, an environmentally sound practice that has effectively taken large tracts of land off the City’s combined sewer system as well as saved meaningful amounts of money for ISU. This practice should continue to be used.

The northern limits of the campus lie within a wellfield protection district. Special care will need to be taken when working in these areas as direct discharges of polluted rain water into the aquifer cannot be allowed to happen. In many cases, the answer may be as simple as pushing the rain water through a vegetated area with a deep bed of pervious soil. Functioning much like a septic system, the soil microbes will consume the pollutants.


The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The ISU Strategic Plan with its measurable benchmarks is available at the following website.
http://irt2.indstate.edu/cms/sp/

Facilities Management Planning page can be found at the following link.
https://www2.indstate.edu/facilities/capital.html


The ISU Strategic Plan with its measurable benchmarks is available at the following website.
http://irt2.indstate.edu/cms/sp/

Facilities Management Planning page can be found at the following link.
https://www2.indstate.edu/facilities/capital.html

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.