Auburn University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Office of Sustainability advocates for sustainability programs, policies, practices and initiatives across campus, and conducts ongoing educational campaigns to generate understanding of sustainability and its relevance to every individual and unit on campus. Accomplishments include a recently completed sustainability report/story using Prezi as the delivery mechanism; redesigned and enhanced website; establishment of a Sustainability Coalition of student groups that collaborate and support each other's activities; participation in revised campus master plan and landscape master plan efforts, resulting in sustainability being included as a core consideration in both plans; conducted the first ever Sustainability in Business Summit with the College of Business to more comprehensively introduce the importance of sustainability to business faculty and students; contributed to revised building design standards by crafting a sustainability appendix that serves as an umbrella set of requirements for all building projects; initiated a Spirit of Sustainability Awards program in 2013 to recognized faculty, staff, students, and alumni who have made significant contributions toward sustainability. In 2015 Auburn became the first college or university in Alabama to be achieve Bicycle Friendly University designation from the League of American Bicyclists. We received a Silver rating.

The Sustainability Operations Advisory Council partners with the Office of Sustainability to facilitate Auburn University’s movement toward sustainability. The Advisory Council is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and is organized and facilitated by the Office of Sustainability. The Advisory Council promotes sustainability across campus and collaborates with the Office of Sustainability to identify opportunities for progress, to assess sustainability performance, and prioritize, develop and implement new initiatives.

Christopher Anderson, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Bliss Bailey, Executive Director, Office of Information Technology Paul Brown, Associate Director, Cooperative Extension System Nanette Chadwick, Director, Academic Sustainability Programs Jeffrey Dumars, Campus Planning Christine Eick, Executive Director, Risk Management & Safety Kathryn Flynn, Assoc. Professor, School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences; Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Dan King, Assistant VP, Facilities Charlene LeBleu, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Bob Ritenbaugh, Asst. VP, Auxiliary Services Jeff Steele, Associate Athletic Director for Facilities Chandana Mitra, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Geosciences Mignon Denton, Student;

Mission The Office of Sustainability exists to develop an ethic, practice, and culture of sustainability at Auburn University, and as a sustainability education and training resource for individuals and organizations within the university and in local, regional, national, and international communities. What we do The Office of Sustainability is a catalyst, facilitator, and resource for administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni to develop shared commitment, shared responsibility, collaboration, transparency, and accountability to fulfill Auburn's sustainability commitments. The Office fosters a culture and practice of sustainability on campus that is expressed in the University's instructional, research, outreach, and operational activities. The Office also offers sustainability-related education and training, as well as planning and decision-making workshops and seminars for business, government, civic, and other groups. Our approach Sustainability is about creating a better future. As a result, our work is aspirational and focused on articulating and creating the future we want. We are committed to a servant leadership approach in working for the common good. Hope and expectation of progress are essential to our work. Our primary focus is not problem solving. Problems are solved in the context of creating a positive, productive future. Our fundamental values reflect faith in people and acknowledge the universal human desire to contribute to something larger than ourselves, to do and create something meaningful and lasting. We work to enable others to realize their agency, their ability and power to be co-creators of the future. We engage people in specific, relevant efforts that make a difference in achieving a more sustainable society.

The Director is responsible for campus sustainability operations via oversight of Office of Sustainability interactions and initiatives with individuals, groups, and campus units: individual students and student groups, Facilities, Auxiliary Services, Student Affairs, Residence Life, Administration, Human Resources, Purchasing, Business Office, Colleges, Schools, Departments, individual faculty members, community members, and so on. The Director collaborates with the Academic Sustainability Program Director. The Office Director is responsible for Office of Sustainability strategic planning, staff supervision, and office leadership. Communications & Outreach Manager is responsible for publications, communications, newsletters and other social media content; website development and content; programming with residence life; engagement with student groups; collaboration with Office of Communications and Marketing and campus communicators network; and oversight of monthly Campus Conversation events, etc. Program Manager is responsible for Climate Action Plan, greenhouse gas inventory, recently completed sustainability report and ongoing updates; collaborating on website development and content; campus bike-friendly initiative and other transportation issues; liaison with Energy Management Team, and other operational aspects of university life. Director of Academic Sustainability Programs oversees an interdisciplinary sustainability minor; conducts sustainability workshops for faculty; facilitates efforts toward sustainability-related interdisciplinary research projects; and enhancing sustainability in the curriculum.