| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.37 |
| Liaison | Jay Price |
| Submission Date | April 3, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Preston
Jacobsen Sustainability Manager Facilities Services |
Is the institution an active member of a national or international sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
-The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
-National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology program
-University Leaders for a Sustainable Future
-Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electricity Energy Transmission Network (CURENT)
-The China-US Joint Research Center for Ecosystem and Environmental Change (JRCEEC)
-Second Nature Climate Action Plan Liaison Committee
-STARS Technical Adviser Committee - Grounds
Is the institution an active member of a regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
-The Tennessee Higher Education Sustainability Association (THESA)
-Southeast Sustainability Directors Network
-Tennessee Green Star Partnership (TGSP under TDEC)
Has the institution presented at a sustainability conference during the previous year? :
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
UT undergraduate student Anagha Uppal gave a presentation on the University of Tennessee's Food Recovery Network at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2015 Conference. Her presentation focused on the process of starting the program at the university as well as the struggles that she she and her partners faced when pushing the campus toward zero waste. Senior, Julianna Burchett, presented her poster, entitled: “Environmental Literacy and its Implications for Effective Public Policy Formation,” at the AASHE 2015 conference. The poster focused on environmental literacy and how important it is to educate the public on environmental issues (especially with regards to human impact on the environment) when creating public policy. Also, UT’s Sustainability Manager, Preston Jacobsen, helped to lead a round table discussion on campus Climate Action Plans at the AASHE 2015 Conference. His portion of the presentation focused on how our CAP works at our university and how it emphasizes energy conservation campaigns like Switch Your Thinking and the POWER Challenge to encourage behavior changes that lead to measurable reductions in greenhouse gas.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to a sustainability awards program that is inclusive of multiple campuses? :
A list or brief description of the awards program(s) and submission(s):
Erica Davis of the University of Tennessee submitted a case study to the 2016 AASHE Sustainability Awards. Erica spearheaded a food recovery project called Smokey's Pantry, which provides groceries recovered from various sources and distributes them to families and individuals who are food insecure. She was awarded the AASHE Student Sustainability Leadership Award.
Additionally, Erica Davis submitted a separate case study to the 2016 Brower Youth Awards. "Since 2000, the Brower Youth Award has recognized outstanding youth leaders who are making strides in the environmental movement. Under the umbrella of the New Leaders Initiative, the Brower Youth Awards provides an elevated platform to showcase and honor the accomplishments of young environmental leaders. Each year, six young people based in North America are awarded the prize, joining a growing and diverse cadre of green leaders who are publicly recognized for their sustainable projects, innovative ideas, and informed analyses." (http://www.broweryouthawards.org/about/). Erica's case study concentrated on the issues resulting from oil and gas extraction in Appalachia, with a focus on amending the severance tax system so that affected communities receive increased revenues to deal with the harmful effects of extraction. Her research culminated in a bill, SB 1944/HB 1881, co-sponsored by Senator Ken Yager and Representative Dennis Powers, which will be revived in the 2016-2017 legislative session. Erica was one of six recipients of the 17th Annual Brower Youth Awards. http://www.broweryouthawards.org/winner/erica-davis/
Has the institution had staff, students or faculty serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years? :
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
UT Sustainability Manager Preston Jacobson served on the 2015 AASHE STARS Steering Committee.
Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
The UT Office of Sustainability works with several neighboring institutions, such as Ball State University, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), and Pellissippi State Community College, to help with the formation or management of student green fees and green revolving funds. The Office of Sustainability is also a part of the Southeast Sustainability Director Network, which meets once monthly via phone conference and twice annually in person to discuss sustainability initiatives at the participating schools.
Has the institution had staff, faculty, or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data (e.g. GHG emissions or course inventory) and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
Has the institution participated in other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year, e.g. joint planning or resource sharing with other institutions? :
A brief description of other collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year:
Yes, as a member of the Tennessee chapter of APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities (TNAPPA), the university provides best practices to the APPA Best Practice List.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.