| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.78 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | Jan. 3, 2024 |
University of Houston
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
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:
The Campus Sustainability Committee is charged with developing and implementing policies and practices that create a campus culture of sustainability. This committee collaborates with the Office of Sustainability to advise campus leadership on sustainability initiatives, develop sustainability policies, and assist with the collection and reporting of sustainability data.
Current Campus Sustainability MAPP:
https://uh.edu/policies/_docs/mapp/14/140101.pdf
The mission of the CSC is to foster a culture of sustainability that guides scholarship and operations, advances social and environmental excellence and positions University of Houston as a Top 50 public university.
Responsibilities:
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The CSC will collectively establish university sustainability goals across the five major sustainability categories established in STARS:
1. Academics, which includes 11 metrics in Curriculum and Research;
2. Engagement, which includes 15 metrics that reflect Campus and Public Engagement;
3. Operations, which incorporates 22 metrics across Air & Climate, Buildings, Energy, Food & Dining, Grounds, Purchasing, Transportation, Waste and Water;
4. Planning & Administration, which uses 15 metrics to assess Sustainability Coordination & Planning, Diversity and Affordability, Investment & Finance, and Well-being & Work;
5. Innovation & Leadership, which recognizes innovative or exemplary performance in a broad range of areas, including Dining, Green Cleaning, Green Labs and many other programs.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
SVC/SVP Facilities David Oliver
AVC/AVP Facilities Planning Christa Rieck, Chair
AVP Facilities Services Mike Ostereicher
University Architect Jim Taylor
Advancement Laura Babka
Athletics TJ Meagher
Auxiliary Services Chaundra Smith-Adams
Division of Research Ken Jones
Human Resources Vivian LoDuca
Office of the Provost Hanlong Fu
Division of Student Affairs Eve Esch
UH Energy Alan Rossiter
Marketing/Communications Mike Emery
Faculty Senate Mili Kyropoulou
Staff Council Marti Trummer-Cabrera
Student Government Association Taylor Nix
Sustainability Coordinator Liz Clark
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:
The University of Houston has an office of sustainability but only with one FTE. Office of Sustainability serves as the hub for campus sustainability efforts. Engaging the campus and community, the office fosters collaboration and educates individuals about social, economic and environmental factors that impact today’s society and generations to come.
Initiatives led by the Office of Sustainability include:
- Fostering collaboration on campus and in the community
- Facilitating educational and outreach programs
- Collecting institutional sustainability data
- Communicating about sustainability topics
- Recommending campus sustainability improvements
- Supporting sustainability governing bodies
- Driving institutional sustainability progress
- Encouraging sustainable actions in individuals’ daily lives
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:
Accomplishments for FY23 include:
- redesigning the uh.edu/sustainability website
- coordinating sustainability events, communications, outreach and programming
- collaborating with campus partners to host the first campus-wide Earth Week celebration since before the Covid-19 pandemic
- working with UH Facilities Services to promote sustainability in operations and improve recycling across campus, including the dining halls
- collaborating with other Texas sustainability programs through the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability
- leading the STARS reporting effort
Ongoing efforts include:
- leading the Campus Sustainability Committee
- drafting new campus sustainability strategies
- communicating via social media
- improving sustainable operations
- connecting departments and organizations across campus to integrate sustainable goals
- working to implement Green Labs program
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.