Sustainability Initiatives

The All-University Committee on Sustainability will assist the University in monitoring its relationship with the environment and in establishing sustainability as a fundamental consideration in meeting the varied and complex needs of our growing campus.  The committee will encourage campus improvements in sustainability by identifying and promoting, as appropriate, private sector and higher education institutional best practices and new sustainability technologies. The committee will work with University administrative, academic and academic support units as well as faculty, students, staff, and administrators to stimulate discussion and ideas to facilitate the adoption of practices, policies and projects designed to improve the future environmental, social and economic sustainability of the campus community.

The committee shall develop a sustainability vision statement for the University.  This vision should be broadly applicable to both the University’s infrastructure and its operational services.  This vision should underscore the role of sustainability as a critical University value in reducing the environmental impact and maximizing efficiency of its operational services, facilities and grounds keeping, as wells as its classroom and academic support activities.  Further, the vision statement should provide a framework for University community members to personally understand the importance of adopting sustainable activities such as recycled materials use, water conservation, energy efficiencies, or commitment to public transportation.  

The committee shall review existing University administrative, academic and academic support policies and practices related to issues of sustainability.  This review should assess campus compliance with CSU, state, and federal sustainability laws, regulations, and codes and evaluate the current state of sustainability best practices in higher education and private sectors. This review could include a “sustainability audit” assessing campus facilities, utilities use, infrastructure development, operations and curricula. A product of this review would be the development of a sustainability plan for the campus to educate and involve faculty, staff and students on sustainability actions they can take at the University and elsewhere.  The plan would lead to initiation of a set of clearly articulated campus sustainability goals that are measurable and with timelines to achieve those goals.

Sustainability concerns as set out in the newly adopted Campus Master Plan should be considered as a basic foundation of these goals.  The committee should elicit ideas and suggestions from the campus community of faculty, students, staff, and administrators.

The committee will assist the campus community to develop and implement strategies to achieve the campus sustainability goals.   Such strategies might include the encouragement of departmental level reviews leading to modification or initiation of new practices, processes, services, policies, and/or the adoption of new sustainability technologies or products.  Other strategies might include soliciting, evaluating and recommending campus sustainability policies and practices that might best be implemented administratively or by local mandate.  The committee will seek in this way to encourage active campus cooperation at all levels to achieve sustainability goals and reduce the University’s environmental impact.

Membership:

1. The committee shall consist of:

• the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Administration and Finance who will co-chair the Committee;
• three representatives appointed by the President ;
• two student representatives: one appointed by the President of ASI; one appointed by the Student Center Governing Board.
• four faculty members  appointed by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate;
• two staff members appointed by the President; and
• the Associate Vice President of Facilities & Service Enterprises

2. Appointed members shall serve two-year terms, except for students who shall serve one-year terms. During the first year, the pairs of faculty and staff representatives shall determine by lot who shall serve a one-year term and who shall serve a two-year term.