University of Illinois Chicago
IN-3: Innovation 3

Under Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, Lon Kaufman and Mark Donovan, Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, UIC has begun the Sustainable Strategic Thinking (SST) process to define sustainability for UIC and how it connects with the long-term strategic goals of the campus. As such, the Sustainability Strategic Thinking Advisory Committee and Sustainability Strategic Thinking Steering Committee have been charged with overseeing this process. The goals of the SST process are to view the sustainability of UIC in areas beyond ecology and the environment, such as economics, resources, and social equity. The SST process was approached by created a two-phase approach to Sustainability Strategic Thinking, one of which being the assets-based approach. The assets-based approach was adapted from the Field Museum’s work engaging Chicago communities in sustainability and climate action, which adapted asset-based community development methodologies. This method for developing a tailored sustainability integration strategy takes UIC’s particular strengths in sustainability for crafting a plan for sustainability. Assets in the areas of research, operations, curriculum, and community were identified and analyzed by the Office of Sustainability and the Working Groups to define a set of asset matrices. The end result of assets-based approach to Sustainability Strategic Planning revealed a wide assortment of individuals, programs, centers, courses, research, activities and projects that contribute to sustainability across campus. Because campus sustainability needs broad innovation and continuous improvement, the university must become a learning organization with nearly everyone publicly engaging and learning. By increasing pride in what we are doing now, we increase excitement and engagement in sustainability because people begin to see what of their work and what they care about is connected to sustainability.

Currently, SST Committee members are identifying campus stakeholders in the following classifications: Research, Teaching & Learning, Economic Development, Community Engagement, and Campus Climate. Campus stakeholders will provide their input during the month of March. After analyzing the feedback gained from campus stakeholders, it's anticipated that the final report on SST will be published in July of 2014.