The University of Texas at Dallas
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Gary
Cocke Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) Leadership in Educational Facilities
UT Dallas membership: UTD representatives attend and participate in conferences in addition to presenting UT Dallas achievements and efforts toward innovative facilities.
I. Mission and purpose: “To support educational excellence with quality leadership and professional management through education, research and recognition.”
Objectives:
-To excel in an educational environment revolved around routinely trained employees aimed toward adapting, enhancing, and transforming the facilities of the future.
-To transform facilities professionals into higher performers and leaders.
-To recognize educational facilities and their impact on the recruitment and retention of students, faculty and staff.
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Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
Member Since April 2013
I. Mission and purpose: STARS® is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of higher education institutions, from community colleges to research universities. It encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions, as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.
STARS is designed to:
-Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
-Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the international campus sustainability community.
-Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
-Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
-Build a stronger, more diverse, sustainable campus and community.
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Tree Campus USA
Member Since 2016
I. Mission and purpose: "Help colleges and universities around the country establish and sustain healthy community forests".
Tree Campus USA recognition is met by five standards. Two and four-year accredited universities meeting the following standards will receive recognition materials to showcase their dedication to the environment.
UT Dallas Membership Commitments/Standards:
1: Campus Tree Advisory Committee
-Comprised of students, staff, faculty and facilities management.
2: Campus Tree Care Plan
-This tree care plan created for the Facilities Management Department details the current tree management based policies, procedures, guidelines and practices that the grounds department adheres to at this institution.
3: Expenditures Calculation
-Campus Tree planting, care, management, volunteer time, etc.
4: Arbor Day Observance
-UTD celebrates Texas Arbor Day during the annual Viva Volunteer Service Event by planting trees.
5: Service Learning Project
-Viva Volunteer students routinely participate in service learning projects at UT Dallas and the surrounding community. Students can serve in the form of planting and caring for campus trees.
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Bee Campus USA
I. Mission and purpose: "The Bee Campus USA program endorses a set of commitments for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, which are vital to feeding the planet".
UT Dallas Membership Commitments:
1. Establish/maintain a Bee Campus USA Committee comprised of the landscape director, administrators, faculty and students charged with overseeing pollinator conservation and education efforts.
2. Develop a Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan to include a locally native, pollinator-friendly plant list with regional sources and an eco-friendly toxic integrated pest management (IPM) plan. The plant list and IPM plan should be publicized and available on the web to offer a valuable landscape-management model applicable to other local landscapes.
3. Host an annual campus event(s) to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and to acknowledge the institution’s certification as a Bee Campus USA institution.
4. Annually sponsor and track student service-learning and/or service projects to enhance pollinator habitats on-and off-campus.
5. At least biennially offer a pollinator protection course and/or workshop and/or incorporate pollinator protection topics into the curriculum. Workshops may provide continuing education credits for professional pesticide applicators and/or landscape designers.
6. Post signage regarding pollinators to educate the campus and broader community about pollinator-friendly landscaping principles. For example, signage next to plantings might explain how beneficial insects provide a natural process for pest management and pollination.
7. Maintain a web page on the institution’s website to share Bee Campus USA news.
8. Annually apply for renewal of certification and submit a brief report of the previous years' Bee Campus USA achievements each January and complete the update and metrics forms.
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
North Texas Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development
I. Mission and purpose: "To connect organizations in North Texas to create healthier communities, shared value and sustainable development through education, collaboration and capacity-building."
Objectives:
-RCEs are networks of professionals from multiple sectors that facilitate sustainable development in local communities through education, training, and public awareness.
-North Texas Regional Center of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development was recognized on February 2019 by United Nations University Institute for Advanced Studies in Sustainability.
-The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for RCE North Texas (12 counties) provide the framework for UTD partnerships.
UT Dallas RCE Membership: Commitment to developing RCE North Texas goals with leadership stake in the RCE Youth Network.
-Review and coordinate committees and initiatives.
-Coordinate work between committees so work is concerted and complementary.
-Prepare quarterly report for Advisory Board.
-Assess campus events and groups with RCE priorities.
-Incorporate RCE Survey feedback into practice.
-RCE Coordinators act as liaison between Advisory Board, Steering Committee, and RCE Member Organizations.
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Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS)
I. Mission and purpose: The mission of TRACS is to provide resources, expertise, education, peer to peer support, and training to advance sustainability in Texas higher education through an annual statewide summit and diverse member-driven networks.
UT Dallas membership and participation: UT Dallas serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the Communications Committee for TRACS. Representatives attend and present UTD news at the annual summit.
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Texas Association of Physical Plant Administrators (TAPPA)
I. Mission and purpose: Texas Association of Physical Plant Administrators (TAPPA) represents over 175 Texas education organizations including universities, junior and community colleges, and 4-year colleges with over 400 members who are actively involved in the administration and operation of facilities.
UT Dallas membership and participation:
1. Carry out sustainable planning, development, administration, maintenance and operations of campus facilities.
2. Foster professional development and standards, share best practices, and better meet sustainable goals.
3. Promote interest, proficiency, and leadership in the administration and physical plant operations.
4. As a state chapter of APPA (Leadership in Educational Facilities), aid and supplement the mission and work of the association in addition to the regional chapter CAPPA and the Texas Association of State Senior College and University Business Officers (TASSCUBO).
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US Green Building Commission (USGBC) Texas Chapter
I. Mission and purpose: The Mission of USGBC Texas is to transform the way that buildings, homes and communities are designed, built, maintained and operated through outreach, education, and partnerships that foster environmental and social responsibility and improve the quality of life in Texas.
UT Dallas membership and participation: UT Dallas has undergone tremendous growth over the past 10 years. To support the campus’ increasing enrollment and infrastructure, Facilities Management has taken steps to build more efficient buildings, receiving LEED Certification on 8 campus buildings.
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
Dallas College Sustainability Summit (November 6, 2020)
-Presentation by UT Dallas Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation Gary Cocke.
Ann and Jack Graves Foundation Conference Series (April 15-16, 2021)
-UTD Sustainability Director Gary Cocke presented on the role of higher education in sustainable development.
Sustainable U Presentation (May 31, 2022)
-Director Gary Cocke presented an overview of UTD's Waste Management including the programs on campus that help advance the United Nations SDGs.
Tree Campus Higher Ed Conference (March 2020)
-Presentation by Gary Cocke.
Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) Student Summit 2022-
Presentation title: Eco-Bricks
Presenter: Karen Cortes Guzman
Description: The Chemistry Graduate Student Association helps gather people with a scientific background and can think of problems from a different perspective. We help bring this community of graduate students close with sustainability practices on campus, as well as creating new projects that can help make our daily lives more sustainable. The Eco-brick rally we are proposing will help sequester plastics from getting into the environment and polluting the biosphere, as well as building different benches or community garden improvements to serve the community.
Presentation title: Comets for Better Transit
Presenter: Daniel Yahalom
Description: The Comets for Better Transit are a student organization primarily focused on advocating for better pedestrian, bike and public transit on the UTD campus and in our general area. We are currently working on three major projects. 1. We are collaborating with the UTD Police Department to help improve bike security on campus. 2. We are collaborating with parts of the UTD administration and other clubs to help improve knowledge of the public transit benefits that UTD students receive. 3. We are in fairly advanced stages of getting the university to install sidewalks on several streets on which students have demanded better pedestrian access for years.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
UT Dallas Office of Sustainability has participated in Campus Race to Zero Waste, a nationwide waste reduction competition, since 2013. In 2022, UTD eco-rep Anastasia Whittemore submitted a case study to Campus Race to Zero Waste about our success with our event "Mount Trashmore," a visual demonstration of the amount of trash UTD produces in a day.
https://campusracetozerowaste.org/participate/categories/casestudycomp/
Has the institution had employees or students 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):
North Texas Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) in Education for Sustainable Development
-Board of Directors, Gary Cocke
-Youth Network Co-Chair, Avery McKitrick
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Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability
-Executive Committee Member and Communications Chair, Gary Cocke
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:
UT Dallas serves as a mentor for UT Southwestern in developing its sustainability program. Sustainability staff meet as needed to discuss topics, and both participate on regional sustainability networks; Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability and North Texas Regional Centre for Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.
Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
UT Dallas serves on the STARS Independent review subcommittee of the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainabiltiy (TRACS). This subcommittee is actively developing a framework to offer peer review to TRACS institutions and has assisted in peer review for institutions.
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
In 2021, UT Dallas was awarded a Level I Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens.
https://sustainability.utdallas.edu/operations/habitat/
Sustainability-focused Alternative Spring Break 2022 options for students-
Environmental Conservation project in Galveston, TX through the Galveston Bay Foundation.
Environmental Conservation and Park Maintenance project In Orcas Island, WA with the American Hiking Society.
Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations 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.