| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.18 |
| Liaison | Phil Valko |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Washington University in St. Louis
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Phil
Valko Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The Sustainability Advisory Council acts as a guiding body for the Office of Sustainability and includes faculty, staff, and students. Meetings take place quarterly and include updates and high-level steering decisions. At the School of Medicine, the Sustainability Action Team (SAT) meets quarterly to learn about university sustainability initiatives and research as well as to share best practices to disseminate throughout the university community. The SAT team produces a monthly newsletter featuring sustainability news and events, as well.
There are committees and working groups that come together regularly to meet on specific priorities including:
* Dining
* Energy and Emissions
* Campus Mobility
* Green Labs
* Environmental Justice
* Climate Change
* Green Building
* Waste Diversion and Minimization
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):
The Council includes upwards of forty members. The following list represents a few of the guiding members.
Chair: Henry S. Webber, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration
-Melissa Hopkins, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Medical School Facilities
-Jim Stueber, Senior Director, Medical School Physical Plant
-J.D Long, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Planning and Management, Danforth Campus
-Ed Barry, Utilities Director, Danforth Campus
-Jamie Kolker, Campus Architect and Planner
The Sustainability Action Team leaders include the following:
-Phil Valko, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability, Danforth Campus
-Cassandra Hage, Sustainability Manager, Danforth Campus
-Melanie Strowmatt, Communications Coordinator, Facilities, School of Medicine Campus
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Office of Sustainability (OOS) leads Washington University in St. Louis’ efforts to transform our campuses into living laboratories that connect teaching and research directly to sustainable campus operations. OOS leads institutional sustainability goal-setting and works closely with departments throughout the institution to achieve the goals. OOS serves as a clearinghouse for new and innovative ideas and a guiding force for sustainability-related initiatives on campus.
The Office currently consists of five full-time staff members. The 2015-2020 Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations guides the work of the office. The Plan contains specific goals, strategies, and metrics for each of the eight areas outlined in the plan (Energy & Emissions, Buildings, Community, Food, Landscape, Transportation, Waste, and Water). Progress against these goals is tracked on an ongoing basis.
Additionally, 23 student interns are employed by the office and handle specific projects and programs. The interns are also focused on the goals in the Plan, and are grouped into teams related to the eight strategic areas. The intern program has grown by 7 students over the last year and is a robust part of the sustainability office workforce.
In addition to the five OOS staff, the School of Medicine's Operations and Facilities Management Department hosts a Sustainability Coordinator who closely coordinates with the OOS.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
Accomplishments include:
* Completion and campus roll out of the updated 5 year Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations
* 2017 update to the University's greenhouse gas reduction strategy, including a number of new carbon reduction initiatives
* A peer to peer education program, The Green Ambassador program launched in 2013 with 33 students. Since then they have introduced 1,700 incoming freshmen to campus sustainability
* The office developed a student intern program including 23 student workers during the academic year and 3-5 over the summer
* Staff have championed a broad range of efforts, including creating zero-waste events, promoting Green Office program, and driving progress throughout the 8 areas of the strategic plan.
*The office works closely with campus dining partners to increase the overall percentage of locally sourced food options.
*In 2014 the Green Monday education program was launched encouraging the community to go meatless one day each week. The office produces a Green Monday newsletter to educate the community about their food choices.
* Continue to aggressively pursue waste reduction and diversion
* Reduce irrigation water use by pursuing landscape projects that utilize native and drought tolerant plantings, efficient irrigation systems, and rainwater harvesting.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
As Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability, Phil works with senior administrators, faculty, staff and students to incorporate and implement sustainable practices into the university’s strategic planning, operations, and resource management.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
This position manages the implementation of key components of the University’s Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations in close coordination with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability and numerous campus partners. In addition, the position manages the Office of Sustainability’s student intern program, consisting of 15-20 student workers.
- Facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations in collaboration with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability; convene campus partners to develop and implement action plans; collect data to evaluate success of efforts; and develop reports that communicate progress.
- Manage a team of approximately 15-20 student interns working on key sustainability initiatives across campus.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with campus stakeholders and students to increase literacy of sustainability and participation in university programs.
- Provide leadership in developing and managing a variety of outreach programs and initiatives on campus including campaigns, events, and conferences; collaborate with students, campus, and community partners to implement programs and analyze impact.
- Manage an ongoing communications/ marketing program to increase awareness of and institutionalize sustainability across the university.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
* Coordinate elements of the University’s alternative transportation programs in close partnership with the Department of Parking and Transportation, including bi-annual Active Transportation Month, campus outreach, bicycle and pedestrian education and trainings, data collection, and reporting.
* Coordinate elements of the University’s sustainable dining programs in close partnership with Dining Services and dining contractors, including ongoing planning and implementation of outreach and education initiatives; sourcing local and environmentally preferable food; waste and energy reduction/diversion; and data collection and reporting. Facilitate quarterly planning meetings with Dining Services partners. Develop and promote food-related events and activities throughout the year. Partner with Human Resources to promote and expand Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and School of Medicine farmers’ market.
* Supervise intern teams working in the areas of alternative transportation, food, and marketing/communications. Assign and guide weekly responsibilities, provide professional development opportunities, and conduct semester reviews.
* Manage Office of Sustainability marketing and communications. Develop marketing/communications materials with Office of Sustainability staff and other campus partners, including newsletters, social media posts, website, marketing materials for events, year-end report, and others. Attend tabling events and coordinate presentations to further promote programs and events.
* Expand existing and develop new outreach programs and initiatives, including the Green Office program, Less is More campaign, Green Cup, Share Our Stuff, community donation efforts, and others. Provide planning and execution support for special events, conferences, and programs hosted by Office of Sustainability and campus partners. *Attending quarterly STL-HESC meetings to foster regional higher education partnerships.
*Serve as an Office of Sustainability representative to student groups; establish meeting schedules, support agenda development; attend meetings, provide guidance and direction, and enlist student support for university sustainability initiatives. Develop new partnerships with students that will increase student participation in and understanding of sustainability programs. Help align and expand peer-to-peer education efforts, including WashU Green Ambassadors (WUGA) and Eco Reps residential programs.
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.