| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.17 |
| Liaison | Mark Klapatch-Mathias |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jarod
Blades Professor Plant and Earth Science |
Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
| Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) | Measurable Objectives (Yes or No) | |
| Curriculum | Yes | Yes |
| Research (or other scholarship) | Yes | Yes |
| Campus Engagement | Yes | Yes |
| Public Engagement | Yes | Yes |
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes | Yes |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes | Yes |
| Purchasing | Yes | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes | Yes |
| Waste | Yes | Yes |
| Water | Yes | Yes |
| Diversity and Affordability | Yes | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work | Yes | Yes |
| Investment | No | No |
| Other | --- | --- |
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
Building off of the formally adopted Definition of Sustainability for the UWRF campus, Beyond Sustainability Learning Outcomes Project (B-SLOP), is the fundamental effort for establishing the academic foundation for student and stakeholder learning outcomes. The Sustainability Faculty Fellows is using this effort to bring consensus among themselves, as well as to pursue initiatives, consensus, and formal adoption among faculty campus wide in formalizing criteria for sustainability-based courses, curriculum, and degree programs (including General Education) at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and eventually outreach programming.
A multi-authored B-SLOP book proposal is now under development
In addition, the campus continues to pursue the Sustainability Across the Curriculum / Kinnickinnic Project Workshop, now in its fourth year, which is the entry point for faculty joining the Faculty Fellows group, which currently has 35 members.
Bringing the Sustainable Community Development Masters program back into formal existence is still considered to be viable and a priority. The UWRF Strategic Plan initiatives included this as a priority in the previous year for proposal to Faculty Senate and the UW System Board of Regents, but the faculty member responsible for such was not able to complete the proposal for a wide variety of reasons.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
Measurable Objectives currently includes trending metrics for
- Goal of 10 new faculty in each annual Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop
- Sustainability Faculty Fellows membership numbers
- Undergraduate Research & Falcon Scholar projects w a sustainability-based focus
- New & redesigned sustainability-based courses
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
Faculty Fellows Chair (Dr. Mary Wright), and the Office of Sustainability (Mike Stifter-Facilities Management, with new Coordinator to be hired in early 2015)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
Sustainable Faculty Fellows and Office of Sustainability collaborate to formalize relationship with the UWRF Office for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (URSCA), as well as the Falcon Scholars program, in the pursuit of sustainability-focused research.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
- Formal documentation articulating collaboration and achievement of sustainability-based projects as part of URSCA and Falcon Scholars.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
Sustainability Faculty Fellows Chair (Dr. Mary Wright), Office of Sustainability (Mike Stifter-Facilities Management, with new Coordinator to be hired in early 2015), and URSCA Director (Dr. Lissa Schneider-Rebozo)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
Campus engagement happens in a wide variety of formal and informal ways through both direct and indirect contact and media sources. Besides on-going staff and funding for the Office of Sustainability, the Sustainability Working Group (SWG) is the primary shared governance group and mechanism for directing this engagement. Most notably is the bi-weekly column on sustainability written this past year by Molly Breitmun (Undergraduate Research Fellow at SCISCD), for the UWRF Student Voice weekly newspaper.
Proposed for the coming year is a ¼ time release for the Chair of the Sustainability Faculty Fellows, and oversight of the on-going Kinni Project (Sustainability Across the Curriculum) annual workshop.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
- On-going funding of the Office of Sustainability
- On-going bi-weekly sustainability column in the Student Voice newspaper
- New funding for 1/4 time release for Chair of Faculty Fellows
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (Mike Stifter-Facilities Management, with new Coordinator to be hired in early 2015), and Sustainability Faculty Fellows (Dr. Mary Wright)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
Consistent with the Sustainable Campus Community Plan (SCCPlan), there are a wide variety of initiatives. Most critical to subsequent years is:
- On-going partnership with SCISCD and St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity for completion of the Eco-Village and 18 families moved into LEED Platinum - Carbon Negative homes by the end of 2015;
- On-going partnership with SCISCD for advancement of the What We Need Is Here regional sustainability and the arts program moving into its eighth year;
- On-going partnership in the continuation of Sustainability & Environmental Education Committee (SEEC) strategic initiative at the River Falls School District
- On-going partnership and representation on the Powerful Choices Steering Committee, sponsored by the River Falls Municipal Utilities and WPPI Energy.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
Quite simply, on-going status in each of the above.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (search underway)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
UWRF has the only known Carbon Negative Climate Action Plan of any ACUPCC signatory school and one of only three schools currently reporting at least Scope 1 & 2 annually from 1990 through current.
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/CAP2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
- Annual GHG footprint completion using the Clean Air Cool Planet calculator;
- Annual reporting on carbon footprint reduction since benchmark of 2006 (currently at ~20% reduction);
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (search underway), and Facilities Management & Administrative Services (Mike Stifter, Director)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
Facilities Management is committed to building retrofits that maximize energy and water efficiency whenever possible.
- preparing rooftops for solar PV and/or hot water whenever re-roofing projects take place;
- maximizing energy and water performance planning and design in the new Falcon Center - Health & Human Performance Building project;
- finishing graphics feed to public monitor for Regional Development Institute (RDI)-PV system completed in 2013;
Adding discreet water metering to individual buildings for better tracking (MacMillan Hall slated for Summer of 2014); and
- Prioritized list of energy and water efficiency projects as maintained by Facilities Management and operationalized through the Energy Project Committee which meets monthly.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
Measurable objectives are identified and tracked through the prioritized list of energy and water efficiency projects as maintained by Facilities Management and operationalized through the Energy Project Committee which meets monthly.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
Facilities Management (Brittany Thill, CAD Specialist)/Campus Planning (Dale Braun, Director)/
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
Energy efficiency in kitchen and related dining service facilities. Moving to all LEDs in dining area. High efficiency food prep equipment.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Primarily, tracking of energy and water utility bills and annual GHG footprint accounting.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Dining Services Director / Assistant Director of University Center (Nick Anders), and Facilities Management (Director, Mike Stifter)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
UWRF has the only known Carbon Negative Climate Action Plan of any ACUPCC signatory school and one of only three schools currently reporting at least Scope 1 & 2 annually from 1990 through current.
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/CAP2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
Measurable objectives are identified and tracked through the prioritized list of energy efficiency projects as maintained by Facilities Management and operationalized through the Energy Project Committee which meets monthly. As per above in Air & Climate, and in Buildings:
- Annual GHG footprint completion using the Clean Air Cool Planet calculator;
- Annual reporting on carbon footprint reduction since benchmark of 2006 (currently at ~20% reduction); and
- Energy efficiency savings reimbursement from UW System, last year totaling approximately $100,000.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
Facilities Management (Facilities Engineers, Tim Thum and Alan Symicek)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
Sustainable Campus Community Plan
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/SCCPFinal2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
Primarily:
- Reduction in synthetic chemical applications;
- Increase in storm water management effectiveness; and
- Utilization of native species vegetation whenever practical.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
Grounds Maintenance (Joseph MacIntosh)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
Sustainable Campus Community Plan
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/SCCPFinal2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
Case by case 'green purchasing' of product and service whenever practical and achievable under state purchasing and contract guidelines. More emphasis is going to be put on purchasing and tracking green cleaning products. We need to still purchase off of mandatory state contract for paper, so the increase of post-consumer recycled paper content choice would have to come up from a State level. We will continue to work on developing a vendor code of conduct policy that sets expectations about social and environmental responsibility for our vendor database.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
UWRF Purchasing (Gail Anderson), Facilities Management Purchasing (Roxanne Schneberger) and Office of Sustainability (search underway)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
Sustainable Campus Community Plan
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/SCCPFinal2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
On-going support and utilization of the car pooling / ride share board in the University Center, maintained by Student Life;
- On-going support, funding, and utilization of the Enterprise CarShare (formerly WeCar), program on campus, especially for International Student use;
- On-going support, funding, and participation in the We Bike River Falls campus and community organization for which we have received two annual grants from New Belgium Brewery; and
- On-going planning, design, and implementation of pedestrian and bicycle corridors and pathways as part of the new Campus Master Plan.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (search underway), and Facilities Management (Pam Rudesill)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
Sustainable Campus Community Plan
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/SCCPFinal2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
- On-going participation in annual Recyclemania contest
- On-going planning and design for campus waste recovery and recycling center for maximizing economic return on segregated waste streams.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (search underway), Facilities Management (Mike Stifter), and Waste & Recycling Coordinator (Mark Klapatch).
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
Sustainable Campus Community Plan
http://www.uwrf.edu/SCISCD/upload/SCCPFinal2012.pdf
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
- On-going completion of segregated water metering for individual buildings as water supply interruption and academic schedules allow;
- On-going tracking of campus wide water use and utility bills as primary trend data; and
- On-going retrofit and new building installation of water efficiency technologies (e.g. campus wide program for water bottle fill stations).
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
Office of Sustainability (search underway), and Facilities Management (Mike Stifter)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
UWRF maintains a very strong campus climate initiative across the entire institution, as indicated across multiple website and formalized documents and practice.
http://www.uwrf.edu/EquityDiversityInclusion/
http://www.uwrf.edu/diversity/
Most specifically is the effort through admissions and focus on freshman level diversity support, success and affordability.
http://www.uwrf.edu/Admissions/Freshmen/multicultural.cfm
Most notably is initiation of the Pathway to Distinction Strategic Plan and fundraising initiative for minimizing student cost, and maximizing student scholarships. The $20 million campaign is now approaching $15 million in commitments.
https://www.uwrf.edu/PathwayToDistinction/
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
- Funding and re-hiring of the Chief Diversity Officer, and Multicultural Coordinator positions (recently vacated);
- Fulfillment of the $20 million campaign for scholarships and student support; and
- On-going breadth and depth of initiative from the newly formed Cabinet and administrative position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Student Success.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Student Success (Dr. Kristina Anderson), and Office of Sustainability (search underway)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
Work-Life Balance as a part of student, faculty, and staff health & well-being is a critical issue for any organization, especially those committed to walking-the-talk on sustainability. Our commitment to such is exercised in various ways, but especially through the following:
UWRF Heath & Safety - http://www.uwrf.edu/HumanResources/Classified/Handbook/HealthSafety.cfm
Student Health & Counseling Services -http://www.uwrf.edu/StudentHealthandCounseling/index.cfm
UWRF Health & Wellness Management Degree Program -
https://www.uwrf.edu/Catalog/DegreeRequirements/HealthAndWellnessManagement.cfmcompanion animals, stress reduction
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
- On-going utilization of companion animal / therapy dog presence in campus settings for student, faculty, and staff stress reduction;
- On-going enforcement of recently enacted 'tobacco free campus' policy, among other well-intended policies;
- On-going success in risk management and safety of all stakeholders on campus; and
- Health & Wellness Management Program utilization of the campus as a living-learning laboratory to the benefit of all.
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Risk Management Office (Connie Smith), Student Health & Counseling Services (Alice Reilly-Myklebust), and Office of Sustainability (search underway)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
The 'plan' is to continue on-going discussions with the UWRF Foundation Executive Director in regards to socially responsible investing and other sustainability-based investing contexts.
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
- UWRF Board of Directors formal decisions to address all criteria recommended under STARS Credits PA-13, 14, & 15
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
President of UWRF Foundation & Assistant Chancellor for University Advancement (Chris Mueller), and Office of Sustainability (search underway)
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
UWRF ‘Sustainability Definition’
“UWRF defines sustainability as our local and global responsibility to meet the needs of present and future generations, as demonstrated by an integrated set of ecologic, social, and economic values, principles, and practices that frame how we think, choose, and act in personal, professional, and community life.”
Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
Pathway to Distinction designates Sustainability as a 'Foundational Element' to any strategic plan initiative.
https://www.uwrf.edu/PathwayToDistinction/PlanningProcess/TheProcessForProposingInitiatives.cfm
The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
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.