Regional Alliances for Sustainability:
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Maria Boccalandro, Dallas County Community College District
Alice Gerhart, The University of Texas at Austin
Richard Johnson, Rice University
Kelly Wellman, Texas A&M University
Intro & Overview
• History & Timeline
• Mission & Governance Structure
• Strengths
• Challenges
• Questions for & from the audience
Strength in Numbers and Networking
History
• 2008 AASHE in Raleigh, NC
• 2009 gathering hosted by ESI – SECO grant
• 2009 National Wildlife Federation’s
Campus Ecology Program
• Monthly conference calls
• Periodic informal meetings to share
information
• 2013 TRACS Summit – UT Austin
• 2013 AASHE Conference Lunch for
TRACS
• 2014 TRACS Summit – Texas A&M
• 2015 TRACS Summit – Texas Tech
• 2012 AASHE Conference
• Other regional alliances
• Texas schools wanting to connect as more
coordinators emerge
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strength in Numbers and Networking
2014 TRACS Summit
140 participants
34 institutions
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Gathering Input
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Proposed Committee Structure
Executive
Committee
Communications
Committee
Summit
Committee
Student
Committee
Visioning &
Recognition
Committee
Statewide
Programming
Committee
Immediate Committee
Future Committee
Strength in Numbers and Networking
What is Next?
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strengths
• Summits (Austin: 2009, 2013, College Station: 2014, Lubbock: 2015).
It is affordable and accessible for students, faculty and employees of
colleges and universities.
Number of Participants & Institutions that
Attended the TRACS Annual Summit
Number
200
100
2015 (estimated)
2014
2013
0
#Participants # Institutions
2013
2014
2015 (estimated)
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strengths continuation
• Realistic of what TRACS can commit to and we are deliberately keeping a
limited-scope of action
Curricula
Energy
 At the 2013 TRACS Annual Summit we committed to focusing on Water
Conservation, 28 colleges and universities filled in the water conservation
survey
Water
 At the 2014 TRACS Annual Summit we decided to work with the collected
data of the visioning sessions in proposing a strategy for strengthening
our organization and making it sustainable.
2013 Summit: Water Conservation
2014 Summit: Strengthening TRACS
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strengths continuation
TRACS Water Conservation Survey
Austin Community College District
Baylor College of Medicine
Cedar Valley College
Lone Star College
Lone Star College - Montgomery
Lone Star College Tomball
Lone Star College-Kingwood
Midwestern State University
Mountain View College
North Lake College
Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Tarrant County College District
Texas A&M College Station
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Texas State University
Texas Tech University
Trinity University
University of Houston
University of North Texas Health Science Ctr
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Texas Pan American
University of Texas San Antonio
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Ctr
University of Texas Tyler
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strengths continuation
• Texas Pride and common sustainability issues / culture unite us to
work together in solving our problems in co-opetition
2013
2014
2015
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Strengths continuation
Diversity of institution size/type &
audience-type (faculty, staff, students).
Open dynamics makes everyone feel
welcome!
o Lone Star
o Houston
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Challenges: Size of State
The E-W distance across Texas is about the same as NYC to Atlanta
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Challenges:
• What is our niche as an organization?
• How do we serve, communicate, and provide value to the 455 higher
education institutions and 2.15 M college students in Texas?
• Who is “we” and where will “we” find the time?
• How do we not overextend ourselves?
• How will we sustain TRACS?
Strength in Numbers and Networking
Questions?
PROPOSED:
• Vision: The Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS)
fosters a statewide network that embodies inter-campus collaboration and
aspires to lead the world into a sustainable future committed to
environmental preservation, economic development, and social equity.
• Mission: The mission of TRACS is to provide resources, expertise,
education, peer to peer support, and training to advance sustainability in
Texas higher education through an annual statewide summit and diverse
member-driven network of students, faculty, and staff.
Strength in Numbers and Networking