| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.78 |
| Liaison | Kelly Wellman |
| Submission Date | Dec. 20, 2023 |
Texas A&M University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Kelly
Wellman Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
We have two sustainability-related groups.
First, the Sustainability Advisory Council (SAC) and the Sustainability Environmental Management Committee (SEMC). The website is https://sustainabilitycouncil.tamu.edu/.
The SAC is charged with fostering and promoting sustainability throughout the university community by formulating a sustainability strategy for the university. The SAC will annually report recommendations directly to President Young.
The (SEMC) serves as an advisory committee to the Executive Vice President and Provost (the President’s designee) and Environmental Health & Safety. The SEMC reviews environmental policy and programs and recommends methods of improving compliance, pollution prevention, and education.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Sustainability Environmental Management Committee (SEMC) Membership:
Casey DuPont - Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
Stuart Denner - Texas Transportation Institute
Gordon Evans - Texas A&M System
Byron Prestridge - Transportation Services
Yadira Hernandez-Plascencia, Chartwells, Aggie Dining
Cherise Toler - Strategic Sourcing
Diana Freas-Lutz - Environmental Health & Safety
Taylor Cooleen - Utilities & Energy Services, Water & Environmental Services
Zofia Rybkowski- Faculty
Rebekah Parkhill - Athletics
Carol Binzer - Residence Life
Monica Hartman - Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
Tassie Hermann - Environmental Health & Safety Staff
Ben Kalscheur - Office of Sustainability
Student Government Representative
Graduate Student Council Representative
Staff Members:
Jeff Truss - Environmental Health & Safety
Kyla Hall - Environmental Health & Safety
Kelly Wellman - Office of Sustainability
Jason West - Environmental Health & Safety
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
From its inception as a land-grant institution in 1876 to the additional sea-grant and space-grant designations, Texas A&M University has been a leader in research and education for how we interact with - and impact - our environment. In March 2008, The Office of Sustainability was founded to enhance these efforts by creating a culture of sustainability in Aggieland.
We work to respect, protect, and preserve the financial, environmental, and people resources that make Texas A&M and our community so great, not only for today, but also for future generations of Aggies. When Aggies commit to a sustainable lifestyle, we bring Texas A&M's core values to life.
The Office of Sustainability provides vision and leadership for campus sustainability, implements programs and planning to encourage sustainable practices, coordinates an annual institutional sustainability assessment, and collaborates with other institutions of higher education through regional and national engagement.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Office of Sustainability (OS) provides oversight for the Aggie Green Fund (AGF) which, awards grants for on-campus environmental improvements. From 2013-2023, the AGF has awarded $2.6+M for a variety of projects such as exterior and interior recycling infrastructure, an irrigation pilot program, and water bottle filling stations (now over 300 on campus).
The Office of Sustainability provides 8 internship positions for Outreach Specialists during Fall and Spring semesters. Outreach Specialists are responsible for participating in New Student Conferences, tabling events, canvassing campus and initiating dialogue about sustainability, and hosting formal educational presentations.
The Office of Sustainability is actively engaged in the academic institutional assessment via AEFIS. Our analysis looks at our education and outreach targets, survey analysis of events our office hosts, and increasing participation in the Sustainable Office Certification that was updated and rebranded as the Aggie Sustainability Alliance (ASA). The ASA now has individual as well as office certification components. More information about ASA can be found at https://sustainability.tamu.edu/programs/asa.html.
In 2023, the Office released 2022 Sustainability Highlight report which provides an overview of campus achievements in the 2022 STARS submission. The report can be found at https://sustainability.tamu.edu/_media/documents/pdfs/highlight-reports/2022sustainabilityhighlightsreport.pdf.
Each year, the Sustainability Environmental Management Committee (SEMC) establishes committee goals. Examples of previous goals include recycling, procurement, and energy reduction. Goals are advanced through working groups which contain SEMC members as well as campus experts. The recycling and waste diversion group is developing and initiating beta programs to increase waste diversion programs on campus. Examples of these include a program to capture plastic film from dining facilities and transport it to a chemical processing facility for chemical recycling to virgin grade polymers. The procurement team is evaluating ways to enhance sustainability in the procurement process across the institution. With respect to energy goals, the SEMC has endorsed the Energy Action Plan (EAP) 2025, which includes 11 initiatives that can be found at https://utilities.tamu.edu/eap2025/.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.