| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.82 |
| Liaison | Eric Boles |
| Submission Date | Feb. 12, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Arkansas
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 4.00 |
Carlos
Ochoa Director Office for Sustainability |
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
Date Revised: April 14, 2015
|
Yes |
| Research (or other scholarship) |
No
Date Revised: April 14, 2015
|
No |
| Campus Engagement |
No
Date Revised: April 14, 2015
|
Yes |
| Public Engagement | No | No |
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | No | No |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes | Yes |
| Purchasing |
No
Date Revised: April 14, 2015
|
Yes |
| Transportation |
Yes
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
|
Yes
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
|
| Waste | Yes | Yes |
| Water | No | No |
| Diversity and Affordability | No | No |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work | No | No |
| Investment | No | No |
| Other | No | No |
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
Curriculum is covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf).
Enrollment in the sustainability minor has grown steadily since its inception, and the list of elective courses has also grown, reflecting an increasing level of engagement from both students and faculty campus-wide. Students involved in the minor are being given the tools to become informed and motivated agents for furthering the university’s sustainability goals.
The university has also implemented a graduate certificate in sustainability program, which is targeted at graduate students in other programs who would like to add sustainability competencies to their program as well as professionals within the workforce who wish to obtain a sustainability credential. The certificate consists of 15 credit hours, met through one required course, WCOB 5023 Sustainability in Business, and four elective courses identified by the Sustainability Curriculum Steering Committee.
In 2013 a proposal was submitted for the launch of an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Sustainability program. The proposed major is built upon the minor, most notably with the addition of a strong emphasis on sustainability metrics and research methods. Similarly there is a goal of developing a master’s sustainability program in the future based upon the graduate certificate.
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
Proposal has been fully submitted to university administration.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
The Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
Requirements for the minor include a gateway course, SUST 1103 Foundations of Sustainability, a follow-up course, SUST 2103 Applications of Sustainability, three electives, and finally a capstone experience. Students are ultimately expected to incorporate knowledge gained from coursework into a capstone experience, which is an open-ended requirement that can be satisfied through an internship, research project, or service project. Students spend a semester planning and executing their projects under the supervision of faculty mentors, after which they articulate their experience and its connections to sustainability principles in the form of a written report and poster presentation.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
The Office for Sustainability is continually seeking to engage departments, greek houses, and student organizations in sustainability related events and projects.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
The OFS will continue planning for future school years, with more events being planned every year.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
The Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
The University of Arkansas Sustainability Council actively solicits the input of community stakeholders and plans to continue doing so in the future.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
Air & Climate is covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf). The next milestone is to mitigate emissions to 1990 levels of 125,000 MTCDE or less by 2021.
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
The University plans to install a combined heat and power system to reduce carbon emissions by 30-35,000 MTCDE per year.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
The Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
Buildings are covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf).
New campus buildings and full-building renovations will observe the following sustainability criteria. All projects with a construction cost greater than $1 million must meet these standards, while projects with a construction cost less than $1 million should incorporate sustainable design principles to the fullest extent possible.
Reduce the life-cycle cost of facilities by incorporating sustainable design principles in the planning, programming, design, construction, operation, maintenance, restoration, and renovation of all facilities and infrastructure projects, consistent with budget and University requirements. Strategies may include proper siting, building form, glass properties and location, material selection, and incorporating natural heating, cooling, ventilation, and day-lighting techniques.
Use the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating system OR the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes rating system as a tool in applying sustainable design principles, and as a measure of the sustainability achieved through the planning, design, and construction process. A LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations rating of SILVER (33-38 of 69 possible points) or the Green Globes equivalent rating of TWO GLOBES (55-69% of 1000 total points) is the standard to which University projects will be held.
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
At this time, the University is not requiring formal certification of most its projects, though some projects may. However, the design and construction team will be required to submit a checklist and narrative to substantiate the measures taken to achieve the equivalent of the certification levels desired.
Provide a life-cycle economic analysis of the sustainable strategies and features of the building, as well as an energy cost model that addresses all building system costs, such as building envelope, HVAC, and electrical systems. This analysis must be prepared by the designers of each project and submitted to the University for review of design intent.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
Facilities Management
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
Reduce energy usage through plug load management campaigns and green computing programs.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
Implement virtual desktops instead of physical desktops for 4,000 terminals. Power-down for winter break campaign to reduce daily power consumption from 5 megawatts to 4 megawatts of energy.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
The Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
The University of Arkansas implemented an Integrated Pest Management Plan. This IPM Plan will be implemented on the UA campus in two unique sectors: University Housing and Facilities Management. This plan should be used to analyze current pest monitoring, treatment(s), and evaluation practices on the UA campus and offer suggestions (if need be) to effectively minimalize pest occurrences while reducing negative effects on the campus and surrounding environment, and improving the health and safety of visitors, students, faculty, and staff, as well as raise the educational awareness of IPM for the community and on the UA flagship campus in Fayetteville.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
The plan was approved for implementation.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
Facilities Management
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
Purchasing is covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf).
The Office for Sustainability plans to create training modules to encourage staff and faculty to prioritize recycled materials and energy star products while making purchases.
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
Training modules will be developed and implemented in the Spring of 2015.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
The Office for Sustainability
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
Sustainable transportation is covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf) and the Transportation Master Plan (http://planning.uark.edu/campus_planning/content/transportationplansummary.pdf).
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
Increase ridership on campus through tracking bikers and providing incentives to bike. (Page 18 of 2014 Climate Action Plan)
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
Office for Sustainability, Facilities Management
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
Waste is covered in University of Arkansas' Climate Action Plan (https://sustainability.uark.edu/_resources/publication-series/major-reports/2014-11-cap-v2.pdf).
The Office for Sustainability is planning waste audits in several buildings on campus to help identify ways to reduce waste.
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
University goals to divert 90 percent of all waste from the landfill by 2021.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
Office for Sustainability, Facilities Management,
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
Date Revised: July 27, 2015
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.