University Sustainability Council
In Fall 2009, the University convened a new 16-member council to advise the President, the Office of Sustainability, and the campus community about issues related to the integration of sustainability into campus operations. Campus operations include the physical campus as well as the University’s core missions of teaching, research, and service. To assist the University in implementing its Climate Action Plan, the Council will consider the costs and benefit of various carbon reducing expenditures as well as policy activities that support carbon neutrality and sustainability.
Membership
Membership in the Council includes faculty, students and staff some of whom are permanent members while others have fixed terms. Members holding fixed terms are eligible for reappointed for one additional term.
Permanent Members
- Chair – Ann Wylie, Vice President for Administrative Affairs
- Sally Koblinsky, Assistant President and Chief of Staff
- Linda Clement, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Mahlon Straszheim, Associate Provost, Academic Affairs
- Mary Ann Ottinger, Professor and Associate Vice President for Research
- John Farley, Assistant Vice President for Administrative Affairs
- Chris Arkell, Associate Director, OIT
- Scott Lupin, Associate Director, Environmental Safety and Office of Sustainability
- Joan Kowal, Energy Manager, Facilities Management
- Monette Bailey, Senior Writer/Editor, University Relations
At-Large Appointment
- Matthias Ruth, Professor, Public Policy, and Director, Center for Integrative Environmental Research
Faculty (2-year terms)
- Allen Davis, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Bruce James, Professor and Director, Environmental Science and Policy
- Karen Lips, Associate Professor, Biology
Students (1-year terms)
- Joanna Calabrese, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Science and Policy
- Ramy Serour, Graduate Student, Marine-Estuarine Environmental Sciences
Mission
The Council was established to advise the President, the Office of Sustainability, and the campus community about issues related to the integration of sustainability into the operations, the costs and benefits of various carbon reducing expenditures, and policy activities that support carbon neutrality and sustainability. The Council will oversee the University’s mission, as stated in the Strategic Plan, to be "widely recognized as a national model for a Green University" (p. 36) and to be "a university that seeks solutions to the world’s most challenging and vexing problems" (p.3) by recommending long-term sustainability goals and policies for the University and identifying the most cost effective means to achieve them.
The University Sustainability Council will meet quarterly or more frequently, as necessary, to:
- Monitor implementation of the campus Climate Action Plan, review progress under the plan, and update the plan as needed
- Develop, review, and recommend draft campus policies and guidelines that further or affect campus sustainability to the President through the Administrative Council
- Provide cost benefit analysis of energy projects across the university and make recommendations to the Finance Committee
- Recommend and review campus sustainability goals and program metrics
- Recommend sustainability projects and initiatives for consideration by the Finance Committee, the Provost’s Office, the V.P. of Research, and other campus units, as appropriate
- Review proposals and recommend projects to the Finance Committee and Facilities Council, if appropriate, that are to be financed by funds generated from student fees for sustainability considering the counsel of the Student Advisory Subcommittee
- Recommend standards, policies and practices for sustainability to the Facilities Council for University financed construction and development projects
- Advise the Office of Sustainability
Student Involvement
As part of the Council, a Student Advisory Subcommittee will be appointed by the Council Chair from nominations provided by the Senate, the Student Government Association president, the Vice President for Student Affairs, and, in the event that the Graduate Students pay a sustainability fee in the future, the Graduate Student Government president and the Dean of the Graduate School. Initially, the Student Advisory Subcommittee will be composed of at least three undergraduate students and two nonstudent members of the Council. Additional members may be added by the Council. The chair of the subcommittee will be a student member of the Sustainability Council. The Student Advisory Subcommittee will review proposals for funding by the sustainability student fee and make recommendations for funding to the Council.