Office of Sustainability

The University of Maryland Office of Sustainability supports and advances campus environmental performance and literacy, engagement, financial stewardship, and social well-being. The office facilitates the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and programs for the campus community.

Vision

Empower the university community to imagine and co-create a vibrant future for people, ecosystems and the planet.

Mission

Through technical expertise and partnerships, the UMD Office of Sustainability works to align the university’s culture with sustainability principles. We strive to integrate these principles into all areas of education, research, and operations. In this process, we seek to continuously improve environmental conditions, well-being, health, safety and community for all life on Earth today and into the future.

Values

Leadership – Guiding, empowering and mentoring key partners across the university to imagine and implement necessary change to create a more vibrant world.

Diversity – Valuing different perspectives, ideas, ways of understanding, and approaches to solving challenges.

Collaboration –Supporting and relying on the collective strength of people and teams for greater gain.

Dignity – Offering respect to all. 

Resilience – Recognizing uncertainty, encouraging adaptability, and providing flexibility in solutions.

Experiential Learning – Learning by doing and valuing experimental pilots as part of the learning process.

The Office relies on these Values to carry out its Mission by:

• Educating the campus community about the evolving concepts of sustainability
• Developing sustainability programming that affects student education and campus operations
• Fostering collaboration between units of the university 
• Consulting with campus departments (administrative and academic) 
• Coordinating efforts to meet the goals of the Carbon Commitment and Climate Action Plan
• Measuring and reporting on campus performance through the SustainableUMD Progress Hub and the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System 
• Responding to inquiries from individuals and organizations both internal and external to the university
• Supporting the University Sustainability Council

The Office of Sustainability is part of the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk and reports to the Vice President for Administration.