| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 3.00 |
Kara
Freedman Engagement & Events Coordinator Sustainability Office |
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):
University Climate Change Coalition (UC3)
A core program of Second Nature that connects 23 of the world's leading research universities and university systems committed to accelerating climate action on campus, in communities, and at a global scale.
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education AASHE)
Institutional membership. AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information: https://customer2597942ba.portal.membersuite.com/directory/SearchDirectory_ViewDetails.aspx?contextID=6faf90e4-0007-c66f-af60-0b3cac9d1e93
EPA Green Power Partnership (2005-)
In 2001, EPA launched the Green Power Partnership to increase the use of renewable electricity in the United States. The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. In return for technical assistance and recognition, Partners commit to use green power for all, or a portion, of their annual electricity consumption. EPA defines green power as a subset of renewable resources that represent those resources that offer the highest environmental benefit. The University of Utah reports using 50% green power of total energy use.
URL: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower
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):
Consortium for Dark Sky Studies
URL: https://buster1290.wordpress.com/
Based at the University of Utah but affiliated with a number of colleges and universities, The Consortium for Dark Sky Studies (CDSS) is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge across a wide range of disciplines and professional fields pertaining to the quality of night skies, growing light pollution and the varied human, animal, and environmental responses to the “disappearing dark.”
PAC-12 Team Green
URL: https://pac-12.com/team-green
Pac-12 Team Green, a first-of-its-kind in collegiate athletics, promotes all of the greening and sustainability efforts taking place on and around the Pac-12 Conference and all 12 of its member universities. Elements include the annual Pac-12 Sustainability Conference, the Pac-12 Zero Waste Competition and the Pac-12 Sustainability Working Group. In 2022, the University of Utah hosted the Pac-12 Sustainability Conference which promoted equity as a principle pillar of sustainability in athletics and in general.
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):
2022 Pac-12 Sustainability Conference (at the University of Utah):
Multiple University of Utah staff members presented at the 2022 Pac-12 Sustainability Conference hosted at the U, including President Taylor Randall, Chief Sustainability Officer Kerry Case, Associate Director of Sustainability and Energy Chris Benson, and alumna Abby Ghent. See more here: https://pac-12sustainabilityconference.com/speakers/
2022 University Climate Change Coalition (at the University of British Columbia):
The four climate justice fellows from the University of Utah made a presentation during the 2022 UC3 summit held in Vancouver, BC.
2023 Intermountain Sustainability Summit (at Weber State University):
Multiple representatives from the U presented at the 2023 ISS event - "Centering Equity and Engaging Communities in Climate Change Action Planning" and "What Goes Around Comes Around: Implementing Circular Economy Principles in Your Programming." See more here: https://www.weber.edu/issummit
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):
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):
Utah Climate Action Network
Chief sustainability officer serves on steering committee for statewide climate action network.
Pac-12 Sustainability Conference, 2022
• Program Committee, PAC-12 Sustainability Working Group, Kara Freedman Engagement and Events Coordinator University of Utah Sustainability Office
URL: https://pac-12sustainabilityconference.com/speakers/
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:
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:
The University of Utah has a peer review network set up with Weber State University and Utah State University. In 2022, we reviewed each other's submission to provide feedback and learn from other institutions' sustainability actions.
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
Intermountain Sustainability Summit, Annual conference, Weber State University, Ogden Utah
The Intermountain Sustainability Summit is an regional sustainability conference where sustainability professionals from business, non-profits, government, and education come together, along with the next generation of leaders, to learn, share, network and build momentum as we work to improve our communities, environment and economy.For example, joint planning or resource sharing with other institutions. While this conference is not limited to higher education, it offers significant opportunity for higher education networking. Faculty, staff and students from the University of Utah attend each year.
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.