UNIVERSITY of HOUSTON
MANUAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
U N I V E R S I T Y of H O U S T O N
MANUAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SECTION:
AREA:
Campus Sustainability
Sustainability - General
Number: 14.01.01
SUBJECT: Campus Sustainability
I.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Universities are charged with educating the next generation of decision makers and, through
research, finding solutions to tomorrow’s problemscomplex issues through research. The
University of Houston commits to defining sustainability, measuring sustainability performance,
and what it means for our campus, measuring our efforts, and translating these measurements
into a comprehensive strategy for university sustainability improvements. This document outlines
the framework, roles, responsibilities, and priorities for sustainability at the University of Houston.
As such, the university administration and Campus Sustainability Task Force recognize the need
for a central, collaborative structure for the development of the university’s sustainability strategy
and policy development. Consequently the Executive Vice President for Administration and
Finance has convened the Campus Sustainability Task Force (CSTF).
This document outlines the framework and roles and responsibilities for the university’s
sustainability activities and initiatives.
II.
POLICY
The University of Houston educates tomorrow’s decision makers and consequently has a
responsibility to ensure that all of its students are imbued with a sound understanding of what
sustainability means in practical terms. The CSTF, acting with the support of the President and
the Board of Regents, is charged with developing and implementing policies and practices that
create a campus culture of sustainability.is committed to providing a campus that proactively and
effectively manages its impact on natural resources and fosters an inclusive and equitable
environment while considering long-term cost reduction. Acting with the support of the President
and the Board of Regents, the Campus Sustainability Committee and Office of Sustainability will
develop and implement policies and practices to create a sustainability culture that is integrated
campus-wide.
III.
DEFINITIONS
A.
Sustainability: The United Nations defines sSustainability is the capacityas the ability to
meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. The CSTF
will work to establish a definition applicable to the University of Houstoninterconnected
social, environmental, and economic challenges of the present and enable future
generations to thrive.
B.
Office of Sustainability: The University of Houston Office of Sustainability serves as the
hub for campus sustainability efforts. Engaging the campus and community, the office
fosters collaboration and educates individuals about social, economic, and environmental
factors that impact today’s society and generations to come. The office is composed of
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Campus Sustainability
MAPP 14.01.01
full-time employees and part-time student staff and housed in the Auxiliary Services
department of the Division of Administration and Finance.Sustainability Tracking
Assessment and Reporting System (STARS): STARS is a collaborative project under the
auspices of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(AASHE). It is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward
sustainability for colleges and universities and is designed to:
1.
Provide a guide for advancing sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
2.
Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions by establishing a
common standard of measurement for sustainability in higher education.
3.
Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
4.
Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and
performance.
Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.
C.
Campus Sustainability Committee: The Campus Sustainability Committee is a
permanent University of Houston governing body that addresses campus sustainability
challenges and represents University of Houston’s faculty, staff, and students.
D.
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE):
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
provides administrators, faculty, staff, and students, as well as the businesses that serve
them, with thought leadership and essential knowledge resources; opportunities for
professional development; and a unique framework for demonstrating the value and
competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives in higher education.
E.
Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS): The
Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, selfreporting framework administered by AASHE for colleges and universities to measure
their sustainability performance.
5.
IV.
F.
Princeton Review Green Guide: The Princeton Review’s Green Guide to Green
Colleges profiles colleges and universities with the most exceptional commitments to
sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students,
campus policies, initiatives, and activities. The profiles in the guide give college
applicants information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial
aid, and student body facts and stats.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESRESPONSIBILITIES
A.
Roles and responsibilities of the Office of Sustainability include, but are not limited to:
1.
Facilitating collaboration between faculty, staff, students, and community
organizations to advance sustainability on campus and in the region.
2.
Collecting institutional sustainability data through recognized campus
sustainability reporting tools, like STARS and the Princeton Review Green Guide.
3.
Leading sustainability communications, outreach, and events.
4.
Directing the student sustainability team.
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Campus Sustainability
B.
C.
MAPP 14.01.01
5.
Serving as the point of contact for UH sustainability to campus and community
members.
6.
Supporting campus sustainability governing bodies, including but not limited to
the Campus Sustainability Committee, Bike Working Group, and Campus Tree
Committee.
7.
Proposing sustainability initiatives proposed by campus and community members
to the sustainability governing bodies.
8.
Serving as an authoritative body to advise campus departments on sustainability
issues.
Roles and responsibilities of the Campus Sustainability Committee include, but are not
limited to:
1.
Advising the Office of Sustainability staff on their projects and initiatives.
2.
Serving as a vehicle for sustainability collaboration on campus and in the
community.
3.
Developing institutional sustainability policies for the Manual of Administrative
Policies and Procedures (MAPPs).
4.
Partnering with campus members to integrate sustainability priorities within
departmental policies and procedures.
Roles and responsibilities shared between the Office of Sustainability and the Campus
Sustainability Committee include, but are not limited to:
1.
Establishing campus sustainability priorities based on assessments of
institutional sustainability performance.
2.
Managing priority programs and projects to improve campus sustainability
performance.
3.
Recommending campus-wide strategies that will improve sustainability
performance to university administration and leadership.
4.
Advising campus staff, faculty, and leadership about sustainability projects that
will improve sustainability performance in their departments.
A.
To guide the campus in developing sustainable strategies, the university commits to
using AASHE principles, including STARS.
B.
The Campus Sustainability Task Force is charged with the following:
1.
Developing and implementing the campus sustainability strategies and policies.
2.
Instituting monitoring mechanisms for sustainable campus activities and
practices, including:
a.
Completing a vision document and establishing annual goals for the
Task Force.
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Campus Sustainability
MAPP 14.01.01
b.
Completing, presenting, and publishing the university’s carbon footprint
calculation annually.
c.
Completing, presenting, and publishing the STARS and other
benchmarks of university sustainability annually.
d.
Measuring cost savings or cost recovery for each sustainable initiative
annually.
e.
3.
4.
V.
Establishing reporting mechanisms for each sustainable strategy or
policy.
Implementing campus sustainability recommendations utilizing campus
resources.
Coordinating and promoting campus-wide sustainability events, policies and
actions.
TASK FORCE COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT TERMSREPORTING AND PRIORITIES
The Task Force will be composed of the following:
A.
The Assistant Vice President for University Services serving in a facilitation and
coordination roleThe University, through the guidance of the Office of Sustainability and
the Campus Sustainability Committee, commits to assessing institutional performance
through sustainability priorities. These priorities are determined through indicators
included in the current industry standard for higher education sustainability assessments.
Office of Sustainability staff and the Campus Sustainability Committee members will
determine the mandatory reporting mechanism for the University based on standards in
the campus sustainability community. Current industry standards used by the University
include AASHE STARS and the Princeton Review Green Guide.
B.
Four faculty members: two appointed by the Faculty Senate and two at-large members
appointed by the Assistant Vice President for University Services through an application
processMembers of the campus community who work in the following sustainability
priority areas are expected to work with the Office of Sustainability and the Campus
Sustainability Committee to report accurate information for institutional sustainability
assessments and reports.
C.
Four students: two appointed by the Student Government Association, one appointed by
the Environmental Club at the university, and one appointed by the Assistant Vice
President for University Services through an application processThe University, through
the guidance of the Office of Sustainability and the Campus Sustainability Committee,
commits to improving sustainability performance for the institution based on the
sustainability assessment results. Members of the campus community who work in the
following sustainability priority areas are expected to make improvements to their
practices once the campus sustainability assessment is complete and the Office of
Sustainability and Campus Sustainability Committee have identified areas of
improvement.
D.
Four staff members: two appointed by the Staff Council, one appointed through the
college/division administrators, and one appointed by the Assistant Vice President for
University Services through an application processSustainability priorities based on the
current reporting mechanisms, include but are not limited to:
1.
Academics and curriculum;
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Campus Sustainability
VI.
VII.
MAPP 14.01.01
2.
Research;
3.
Campus engagement;
4.
Public engagement;
5.
Air and climate;
6.
Buildings;
7.
Energy;
8.
Food and dining;
9.
Grounds;
10.
Purchasing;
11.
Transportation;
12.
Waste;
13.
Water;
14.
Sustainability coordination and planning;
15.
Diversity and affordability;
16.
Investment;
17.
Wellbeing and work; and
18.
Innovation and Leadership..
E.
Additional resources may be appointed in an ex-officio capacity to serve as a resource to
the Task Force members.
F.
Rules relating to guests – not including invited subject matter experts - will be posted on
the Campus Sustainability Task Force web site.
G.
The term appointments of the members will be two-year appointments, except for student
appointments, which will be for one year. Members can be re-appointed to serve
additional terms.
REVIEW AND RESPONSIBILITY
Responsible Party:
Assistant Vice President for University Services
Review:
Every three years, on or before June 1
APPROVAL
Associate Vice President for Administration
Carl P. Carlucci
Executive Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance
Renu Khator
President
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Campus Sustainability
MAPP 14.01.01
Date of President’s Approval:
January 13, 2010
REVISION LOG
Revision
Number
Approved
Date
1
01/13/2010
2
TBD
Description of Changes
Initial edition
Applied revised MAPP template and added new Revision Log
to meet current documentation standards. Rewrote entire
procedure to reflect current operating practices. Added
Associate Vice President for Administration to approval cycle
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