University of Connecticut
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

EPAC meets twice every year (once a semester) in order to review the progress made in the area of sustainability and to determine and advise the University administration how to further enhance sustainability at UConn. Most recently the members of EPAC involved with academics or with facilities and operations on campus discussed progress in sustainability, brainstormed ways in which our University was lacking as far as sustainability initiatives were concerned, and considered how to address these issues. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) Committee was established from EPAC members in 2009 to help draft the CAP and the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force was created by the EPAC members in 2012 in order to add the Adaptation section to the CAP. The members of EPAC continue to ensure that the objectives set forth in the Climate Action Plan are being carried out as planned.

The staff at the Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) also aided in the drafting of the CAP and continues to aid in the enforcement of the Climate Action Plan. The OEP is also in charge of improving and maintaining environmental awareness on campus through outreach activities that address everything from recycling to water resources and sustainable food to energy usage. For three consecutive years OEP hosted a Climate Impact Mitigation and Adaptation event to raise awareness about climate change, how it is already impacting our society, possible long-term solutions to climate change, and ways in which we must adapt in order to deal with the inevitable effects of climate change. Since 2007 the OEP has also organized the annual EcoMadness competition between dorms to see which dorm areas can reduce their water and energy consumption the most in a month and to raise awareness about energy savings and water shortage issues. The OEP also recruits a number of volunteers to promote and teach fans about proper recycling methods at several sporting events throughout the year. In addition to campus outreach the OEP also promotes sustainability in academics and in facilities and operations. A new Bachelors of Science program in Environmental Studies has been instituted in recent years through the efforts of the OEP as an objective listed in the CAP. Among other initiatives across campus, the OEP has also helped in the re-lamping and retro-commissioning projects around campus as a way of reducing energy demand via high efficiency fixtures and energy-reducing retro-commissioning strategies.

Rich Miller, the director of the OEP and the primary sustainability officer on campus, is in charge of both environmental compliance and sustainability initiatives on campus. Some of the many areas Rich is involved with include the campus ecological footprint, the use of natural resources, recycling initiatives, and the inclusion of sustainability in academics. Over the past three years Rich has taken a trip to Freiburg, Germany in order to learn about sustainable initiatives abroad, improved upon the E-waste recycling programs on campus, and saw to the opening of a water reclamation facility aimed at recycling wastewater.

Charter/Mission:

Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC) is advisory to the President, Provost and other senior administrators about strategies for enhancing the University's environmental performance in:
• Fostering environmentally sustainable development and mitigating the environmental impacts of our construction activities
• Improving environmental compliance in our operations
• Distinguishing our academic, operational and community outreach reputation by promoting environmental leadership initiatives.
• Better integrating environmental principles into the University's governance by ensuring coordination with administrative advisory committees and task forces.

Functions:

The EPAC meets once per semester, or as needed, and may appoint committees and task forces in order to:
• Develop and revise UConn’s environmental policy statement.
• Identify environmental risks and recommend goals, policies and procedures to address risks and improve environmental performance.
• Identify opportunities and sponsor initiatives designed to advance and achieve environmental sustainability.
• Develop strategies for building environmental awareness and engaging students, staff and faculty in environmental initiatives.
• Advise the University about conservation and development plans and activities.
• Formulate strategies for dealing with stakeholder groups on environmental issues.
• Monitor the University’s environmental performance and sponsor periodic environmental reports.
• Help organize and promote outreach events and partnerships that showcase the University’s environmental leadership.

Additionally, workgroups associated with EPAC have over 250 members of the University and surrounding community involved in individual incentives and targeted goals.

The list of members is found here: http://ecohusky.uconn.edu/about/members.html

http://www.ecohusky.uconn.edu/about/members.html#ten

The sustainability office is one half of the Office of Environmental Policy's responsibilities. The OEP director devotes more than half of his time to sustainability, as does one administrative assistant. There are also three compliance staff members who devote approximately 15% of their time to the Sustainability office.

The University’s Office of Environmental Policy is dedicated to two goals, one of which is the sustainability office. The director and the administrative assistant are both full time employees who dedicate 70% and 50% of their time, respectively, to the sustainability office. Additionally there are three full-time compliance staff members who devote approximately 15% of their time to the office. In addition there are two graduate students acting as sustainability coordinators who work a combined 30 hours per week and 9 undergraduate student interns employed in the sustainability office each working about 10 hours per week.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Jointly reporting to and under the joint guidance of the student’s home academic Department Head and the Director of the Office of Environmental Policy (OEP), this graduate assistant develops, plans and administers UConn's sustainability initiatives and programs that reduce the environmental impacts and costs of the University's operations, increase environmental awareness, provide students with experiential and co-curricular learning opportunities, and demonstrate research into sustainable technologies and practices.

POSITION DUTIES
1. Will be the main liaison for the OEP for initiatives related to sustainability in food, beverages, recycling, composting, social responsibility and environmental literacy. For these aspects of the program, the GA performs the following duties:
a. Develops, plans, and administers programs, initiatives and events related to sustainability in coordination with multiple UConn, colleges, divisions, departments and student organizations. Carries out background research necessary to establish baseline indicators for sustainability and related program monitoring and implementation.
b. Works with departments in Student Affairs, such as ResLife, Dining Services, Student Health Services, Community Outreach and Student Activities, as well as operational staff in Facilities, Architectural & Engineering Services, Farm Services and Athletics, among others, on departmental sustainability assessments and goals. May represent the OEP's Sustainability Office by organizing or participating in periodic meetings with these departments to help them develop and achieve these goals.
c. Chairs the EPAC Recycling Workgroup and is a point-of-contact for all waste reduction and recycling-related outreach materials and programs, such as Give-and-Go, Sneaker Recycling, Green Game Days and Recyclemania.
d. Is a lead OEP staff for coordinating the EPAC Environmental Literacy Workgroup, and promotes the activities of the program through various electronic media, announcements, and outreach events.
e. Represents the OEP's Sustainability Office to the public, by participating in events, conferences and meetings hosted by the town, environmental groups, regulatory agencies, community stakeholders and professional associations, including some activities on weekends and evenings, in order to cultivate partnerships, promote the University's leadership, and advance the principles of UConn's Environmental Policy statement.
f. Assists the Director in defining goals, performance metrics and a long-term plan for sustainability at UConn. This entails conducting interdisciplinary research on sustainability metrics and performance at peer institutions and across varying industry sectors and related organizational analyses.
g. Monitors and evaluates program effectiveness, documents performance trends, including assisting in completing and submitting AASHE STARS and other surveys, and recommends and implements programmatic changes and improvements. Prepares grant applications and assists the Director and Administrative Coordinator in developing budgets for the OEP's Sustainability Office. Monitors and reconciles expenditure of budgeted funds.
2. Assists the Director as advisor to EcoHusky and works with its members, as well as EcoHouse residents, and other environmental clubs and student organizations, as a liaison to the OEP and appropriate faculty and staff members, in order to ensure effective communication and collaboration on sustainability programs and activities. These duties may require meeting outside of regular business hours. This may also entail representation at academic conferences and symposia.
3. Assists with activities related to maintaining, developing, editing and publishing the OEP's Sustainability Office (EcoHusky) website, a periodic newsletter and other informational materials with updated campus sustainability progress reports and accomplishments. Helps manage OEP's sustainability-related filing system and shared drive.
4. Supports efforts by the Director of OEP to mainstream sustainability issues within the work of President's Committee on Corporate Responsibility (PCCSR), including serving as an alternate to the director on the committee.
5. Performs related duties as required.