| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.01 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Walker |
| Submission Date | April 13, 2022 |
Southern Oregon University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Rebecca
Walker Sustainability Manager Facilities, Management, Sustainability and Planning |
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):
Southern Oregon University is a member of several national/international sustainability networks including AASHE, Second Nature, and STARS.
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):
Southern Oregon University participates in regular calls, meetings, and networking opportunities with other higher education institutions within Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
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):
Staff and faculty from Southern Oregon University presented the following sessions at the Washington-Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference:
2022 - Becs Walker, Sustainability and Recycling Manager, "Sustainability at SOU"
2021 - Jill Smedstad, Equity Coordinator for Sustainability and Basic Needs Resourcing, "Meeting Students' Basic Needs through Sustainability Programming"
2021 - Pavlina McGrady, Assistant Professor, and E. Jamie Trammell Associate Professor "Southern Oregon University Sustainability Curriculum Initiative"
2020 - Vincent Smith, Professor, "Renewable Energy Options for Higher Education"
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):
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities recognized Southern Oregon University today as this year’s recipient of the organization’s Excellence and Innovation Award for comprehensive sustainability and sustainable development.
The AASCU program, now in its sixth year, honored member institutions for excellence and innovation in 2019 by announcing award recipients in each of eight categories. SOU and the other winning colleges and universities will receive their awards this month at AASCU’s annual meeting.
AASCU recognized SOU for developing “a comprehensive and impactful sustainability program by collaborating across operations, academics and engagement.” The higher education organization noted that SOU has achieved energy savings of 121,000-kilowatt-hours annually, an increase in campus solar electricity generation of 319 percent in the past five years, and reductions in drive-alone trips of 24 percent for students and 15 percent for employees. SOU is the nation’s first university to offset 100 percent of its water use with Water Restoration Certificates purchased by the student government.
https://news.sou.edu/2019/10/sou-receives-national-excellence-innovation-award-sustainability/
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):
SOU staff served on the proposal review committee for the 2020 Washington-Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference in Eugene, Oregon
SOU staff serve on committee for the 1st annual Climate Justice Conference that will be in October 2022
SOU staff member served on the panel for the AASHE Sustainability Awards for the Planning and Administration Category in 2020.
SOU staff member serves on the Second Nature Acceleration Fund Review Committee.
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:
Southern Oregon University staff and faculty regularly communicate with staff, faculty, and students from Rogue Community College and Oregon Tech to provide support, advice, and assistance in the development and expansion of those campuses' sustainability programs and initiatives.
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 :
For Earth Day 2021, SOU worked closely with six other Oregon universities and colleges to host a virtual event "Inclusive and Intersectional Environmentalism" which was marketed to higher ed students across the state
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.