Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 74.63
Liaison Sam Lubow
Submission Date July 30, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Stanford University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Moira Hafer
Sustainability Specialist
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee, office, and/or officer that focuses on sustainability broadly and covers the entire institution?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the committee(s), office(s), and/or officer(s) during the previous three years:

For details on the governance model for Sustainability at Stanford, please review the subsequent portions of this credit and/or visit the following website:
http://sustainable.stanford.edu/governance

There have been numerous activities and substantive accomplishments from Stanford's various sustainability committees. A sample of major achievements is provided below, but a record of SWG meeting agendas can be found online (http://sustainable.stanford.edu/swg_agendas).

SUSTAINABILITY 3.0 STRATEGIC PLANNING
A group of faculty, staff, and student leaders initiated Sustainability 3.0 in June 2011 with the plan to deliver a strategic blueprint for the future of sustainability at Stanford. The Sustainability 3.0 process seeks to identify and map a shared and actionable vision for sustainability at Stanford over the next five to ten years, building on the Initiative on Environment and Sustainability that launched in October 2003 and the formalization of Sustainable Stanford that began in 2007.

Major goals stemming from the Sustainability 3.0 effort include leading sustainability by example through on- and off-campus actions, and maintaining a global influence through sustainability in research, education, and operations. To achieve these goals, the planning committee has unveiled four key strategies:

(1) Ensure that sustainability is a top and lasting priority for Stanford University in research, teaching, and action.
(2) Establish clear policies for implementing sustainability in every part of campus: implement, monitor, and achieve.
(3) Educate and train the Stanford community to work towards sustainability goals and build a fully committed and engaged community.
(4) Reach beyond Stanford. Influence sustainability research, education, and action beyond the university.

CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability 3.0 planning outcomes were unveiled to the university community at the Celebrating Sustainability event held on May 7, 2012 at Paul Brest Hall. Members of the planning committee unveiled the common goals, strategies, and actions that will guide sustainability at Stanford in future years. Celebrating Sustainability is now an annual event.

For more information, please visit the following websites:
http://sustainable.stanford.edu/sites/sustainable.stanford.edu/files/documents/Sustainability3.0_Summary_2012.pdf
http://sustainable.stanford.edu/vision
http://sustainable.stanford.edu/celebrate


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:

Administrators, faculty, staff, and students throughout the university are working to research and implement sustainability. Following are the key dimensions of the collaborative governance model for sustainability at Stanford.

PROVOST'S COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY (2012)
An executive committee of deans, institute leads and senior campus leadership, the Provost's Committee on Sustainability began formally convening starting in the 2012-13 academic year. The committee facilitates collaboration across schools, institutes, the Office of Sustainability, and students; exerts leadership across campus; brings campus-wide sustainability issues to the attention of the Provost and the President; and implements leadership recommendations. Formation of the Provost's Committee is the outcome of one of the many key recommendations derived from the year-long strategic exercise, Sustainability 3.0, unveiled in May 2012.

SUSTAINABILITY WORKING GROUP (2006)
The Sustainability Working Group (SWG) prepares policy and program recommendations to advance and implement sustainability practices on campus. Goals include:

(1) Continuously improve Stanford’s leadership in demonstrating environmental sustainability in campus operations.
(2) Use faculty, staff and student expertise in the evolving field of sustainability.
(3) Advance opportunities for hands-on sustainability-related learning and service in the campus community.

SWG, chaired by the director of the Office of Sustainability, meets the first Thursday of every month and involves representatives from all parts of the university.

The Office of Sustainability connects campus organizations and entities and works collaboratively with them to steer sustainability initiatives to fulfill President Hennessy’s vision that sustainability will "become a core value in everything we do." The Office works on long-range sustainability analysis and planning, evaluations and reporting, communication and outreach, academic integration, conservation behavior and training, and sustainability governance strategy.

SUSTAINABILITY WORKING TEAMS (2008)
The Sustainability Working Teams, assembled in 2008, develop program recommendations, assess progress, and help implement policy recommendations in major operational areas related to sustainability. The teams are composed of campus subject matter experts, representatives from key Stanford community groups, and individuals with authority to take action in the relevant operational areas. Each team activates when a specific initiative is underway and may be dormant when a given project has been implemented.


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

The membership of Stanford's Sustainability Working group and Sustainability Working Teams are too numerous to list here, but include faculty, staff, students, and key senior administrators. Contact information for the chairs of each committee can be found on the Sustainable Stanford website (http://sustainable.stanford.edu/governance).


The website URL where information about the sustainability committee(s) is available:
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:

Sustainability and Energy Management (SEM), a department within Land, Buildings & Real Estate (LBRE), leads initiatives in campus infrastructure and programs in energy and climate, water, transportation, green buildings, and sustainable information technology, as well as various special initiatives. All of SEM's projects are centered around the long-term sustainability of the campus, and many of the employees within each of SEM's various groups focus exclusively on sustainability as part of their daily work. For example, the Office of Sustainability is housed in SEM and connects campus organizations and entities, and works collaboratively with them to steer sustainability initiatives and reach milestones. The office works on long-range sustainability analysis and planning, assessment and reporting, sustainability governance strategy, conservation behavior and training, communication and outreach, and academic integration. Complementing operational efficiency measures undertaken by campus facilities managers, distinct and education-oriented programmatic initiatives spearheaded by the Office of Sustainability make sustainability more actionable and visible throughout the campus community.

Please note, SEM employs 95 staff members, including 5 who work in the Office of Sustainability and 21 who work directly on sustainability initiatives within other SEM groups. However, there are hundreds of other professionals throughout the Stanford community involved with sustainability projects in their daily work, some of whom are listed on the staff page of the Sustainable Stanford website. (http://sustainable.stanford.edu/program_staff)


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
95

The website URL where information about the sustainability office(s) is available:
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Joseph Stagner

A brief description of each sustainability officer position:

Joe leads the Sustainability and Energy Management Department, which includes 90 staff members in Utilities, Parking & Transportation, Business Services, and the Office of Sustainability. He leads the university’s long-range sustainability infrastructure planning and implementation.


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