Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 79.37
Liaison Jillian Leach
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

California State University, Chico
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Jennifer Rotnem
Director of Energy and Sustainability
FMS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Sustainability committee(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
Executive Memorandum 19-033 adopted on December 19, 2019 by Gayle E. Hutchinson, President, for the Campus Sustainability Committee.

As a 2007 founding signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, Chico State has long been dedicated to promoting a sustainable campus culture and creating interdisciplinary approaches to learning and research. University and student leadership has charted a path toward a sustainable campus by embracing ambitious goals: adherence to the CSU Sustainability Policy; achieve climate neutrality by 2030; 80% waste reduction by 2020; remain responsive to additional sustainability needs; accelerate research and educational efforts to equip students, faculty, staff, and community members for a sustainable and resilient future; and adherence to all local, state, and federal regulations.

These commitments necessitate the establishment of an institutional structure to provide leadership, support, and resources to the development and implementation of programs to realize these goals. The Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC) will serve to fully integrate sustainability practices and principles across all facets of our campus.

The role of the CSC is to facilitate the achievement of CSU, Chico’s sustainability goals. It is important that the composition of the CSC reflects the ability of the committee to facilitate accountability for attaining these goals. The CSC will provide leadership in identifying mechanisms, resources and structure to integrate sustainability concepts into all core functions of the university. The CSC will provide support and leadership for implementing sustainability across the campus via subcommittees covering focus areas targeted at meeting campus sustainability goals. Subcommittees will be led by a member of the CSC and will include additional members from the CSC, faculty, staff, students, and community members as appropriate for meeting subcommittee goals.

Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Membership: The CSC will be composed of 21 members as identified below.

Vice President of Academic Affairs (or designee)
Vice President of Business and Finance (or designee)

Voting Ex Officio Members:
Associate VP Facilities and Capital Projects (or designee)
Executive Director of the Associated Students (or designee)
Housing Facilities Director (or designee)
Director of Energy and Sustainability (or designee)
Associated Students Sustainability Coordinator (or designee)
Associated Students Sustainability Affairs Commissioner (or designee)
Associated Students Recycling Coordinator (or designee)
General Education Sustainability Pathway and Climate Change Coordinator (or designee)
Rawlins Endowed Professor (or designee)

Voting Appointments:
Representative appointed by the President
Representative appointed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs
Representative appointed by the Vice President of University Advancement
Representative appointed by the Vice President of Student Affairs
Representative appointed by the Vice President of Business and Finance
Staff member appointed by Staff Council
Staff member appointed by Information Resources
Student appointed by the AS Sustainability Coordinator
Student appointed by Director of Energy and Sustainability
Faculty member appointed by Academic Senate
All appointed faculty and staff members of the CSC will serve two-year appointments with the option for renewal; student representatives will serve one-year appointments.

Sustainability office(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:
Office of Energy and Sustainability: The Office of Energy and Sustainability leads the implementation of the University's strategic priorities and commitments to climate and sustainability, including:
-Oversees campus sustainability programs in Climate Action & Resilience, Sustainability Academics and Research, Campus Operations, Zero Waste, Alternative Transportation
-Coordinates and participates in the Campus Sustainability Committee
-Leads Green Campus team
-Maintains library for campus sustainability documents, recognition and accolades
-Meets reporting requirements for University
https://www.csuchico.edu/sustainability/

The Associated Students (AS) Sustainability Center exists to ignite a passion in the campus community to be active in protecting and restoring the earth. We do this by researching, imagining, and creating solutions that address environmental and cultural problems. AS Sustainability Program:
--Offers internships, paid staff positions, and volunteer opportunities!
--Promotes eco-awareness on campus and in the community through education and outreach on sustainability-related issues
--Implements sustainable practices in the AS departments
--Provides funding opportunities for student-driven sustainability projects
--Offers a supportive and fun social environment where peers actively engage in each other’s knowledge and participate in educational outings in the local community
--Creates a sustainability hub on campus for students in the Wildcat Leadership Center (BMU 220) and utilize the:
----DIY area to fix or create that offers a sewing machine, non-toxic ingredients to make your own cleaning supplies, seedling pot making kit…
----Loaning library that includes garden tools, hardware tools, bike fix-it-kit and pump, paper-making kits, and of course books and videos.
----Free Store offers used school supplies, water bottles, and a variety of office supplies for students.
----Up-cycling Area to re-purpose old items into art.
----Recycling center that accepts the usual as well as batteries, bulbs, and granola bar wrappers.
https://as.csuchico.edu/sustainability

Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
2.50

Sustainability officer(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Jennifer Rotnem, Director of Energy and Sustainability

Institution-wide coordination 

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Campus Sustainability Committee, the Office for Energy and Sustainability, and the A.S. Sustainability Program discussed above coordinate sustainability broadly across the entire institution. Many of the recent substantive activities and accomplishments of this committee, office and officers are discussed and reflected throughout this STARS report.

Optional Fields 

Job description (1st position)

Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Director of Energy and Sustainability

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Under the general direction of the Associate VP of Facilities and Capital Projects, the Director of Energy & Sustainability works to manage and execute sustainable projects across the campus and establish CSU, Chico as a leader in the field of sustainability within the CSU system and at the state, regional, and national levels. The Director is responsible for leadership, innovation, and management necessary to coordinate and implement the university's comprehensive sustainability program, maintenance of the Campus Climate Action plan, and the campus Recycling Program. The Director serves as the campuses primary point of contact and leader in reduction of energy, waste, and water conservation . She facilitates the coordination necessary to achieve operational efficiencies and evaluate policies, practices, and procedures, while meeting the goals and objectives of the campus' sustainability plans and initiatives, and complying with regulatory requirements . In addition, the Director assists with managing the daily requirements of various energy efficiency programs and initiatives, and coordinates implementation of the campus sustainability plan and American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) agreement and responsible for reporting on sustainability metrics.

Job description (2nd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Associated Students Sustainability Coordinator

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
The Associated Students Sustainability Coordinator leads the Associated Students sustainability commitments and programs, and oversees the AS Sustainability Center (described above).

Job description (3rd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
---

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
EM for Campus Sustainability Committee: https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/2019/19-033.shtml
Office of Energy and Sustainability: https://www.csuchico.edu/sustainability/index.shtml
A.S. Sustainability Program: https://as.csuchico.edu/sustainability

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.