Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.84
Liaison Stephanie Del Rosario
Submission Date May 26, 2022

STARS v2.2

California State University, Fullerton
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Michael Lotito
Associate Director of Plant Operations
Physical Plant
"---" 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:
The Center for Sustainability is the University’s prime mover for green initiatives around a sustainable approach to economic and social development, and environmental protection. The Center works with student groups and other campus entities to coordinate efforts to raise awareness about sustainability and to increase the level of sustainability in campus operations and activities. The Center promotes inclusion of sustainability-centered topics in the curriculum, assists with external grant-seeking by faculty and other members of the University community, conducts public education programs and facilitates faculty collaboration across academic disciplines

Leadership of the Center is based on collegial interaction and responsibilities of shared governance. The Director oversees regular operations of the Center for Sustainability, and serves as the Chair of the Center for Sustainability's Campus Advisory Board.

The Center's Campus Advisory Board consists of no more than two, tenure-track faculty member from each college as well as representatives from the other divisions.

Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Jon Bruschke, Human Communications, Professor, COMM
April Bullock, Liberal Studies, Professor
Amir Dabirian, Information Technology, Vice President
Greg Dyment, Arboretum, Director
Scott Hewitt, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Professor, NSM
Danny Kim, Health Sciences, Associate Professor, HHD
Jeff Kuo, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor, ECS
Michael Lotito, Associate Director of Plant Operations/Chief Engineer, PE, CEM
John Q. Patton, Academic Senate/Anthropology, Vice Chair/Professor
Prasada Rao, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor, ECS
Darren Sandquist, Biological Science, Professor
Denise Stanley, Economics, Professor, MCBE
Chris Street, Secondary Education, Professor
Jeanne Tran, Government Relations, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy
Sean Walker, Biological Science, Professor

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:
Capital Programs and Facilities Management, Plant Operations:
This Office serves the university in a variety of critical functions. First, we provide engineering expertise regarding new construction, renovation projects, utility systems and energy projects. In addition, the department establishes the campus Strategic Energy Plan (SEP). This plan develops the long term goals and objectives for overall energy reduction on campus thereby saving tens of millions of dollars over time. Elements of this group are responsible for the efficient operation of the Central Plant, including distributed energy resources (Trigeneration system, hot and chilled TES, PV) and all campus HVAC.

Secondly, the department provides sustainability expertise for the campus. This includes Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) development for new and existing buildings, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) assessments and developing the very critical Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP is the strategic mechanism that establishes the systematic approach toward campus climate neutrality. In addition, the department is responsible for the development and expansion of the campus recycling program.

The Facilities Operations Sustainability group identifies, tracks, documents, and promotes campus sustainability initiatives and accomplishments. Through ongoing benchmarking, we provide information needed to set goals and make timely, effective choices that minimize our cost of doing business, meet regulatory requirements, enhance student, staff, and faculty experience, and maximize campus resilience.

The Center for Sustainability:
The Center was established at CSUF in 2009 and is a campus focal point for sustainability-centered activities. These include facilitating the development and inclusion of sustainability-centered topics in the university's curriculum, supporting external grant-getting by faculty members and other members of the university community, encouraging interaction among faculty members from different disciplines, reaching out to members of the greater community interested in sustainability, providing leadership in efforts to make the campus more sustainable, and coordinating sustainability-related activities on campus.

The Center has seven interrelated main functions:

-Raising awareness and building capacity regarding sustainability on campus through the Center web portal, organizing town halls and other interactive events;

-Supporting sustainability-related educational activities by faculty and students through developing curriculum and providing a base for student organizations;

-Enhancing faculty capacity by promoting collegial interaction through symposia, workshops, webinars, and a virtual community;

-Providing educational resources to the community regarding sustainability through a community advisory board, and interface with area businesses, policy agencies, and community organizations;

-Acting as a resource center for developing research related to sustainability, including logistic support; and facilitating extramural grant acquisition;

-Coordinating sustainability-related activities across campus; and

-Leading efforts to make the campus environment more sustainable.

In addition to these core functions, the Center of Sustainability is a key element in a transdisciplinary sustainability-centered virtual community of practice with in-person and virtual (online) components, focused on the recruitment, retention, and success of students in the Environmental Studies graduate program. Studying, identifying, and solving problems related to sustainability is, by definition, transdisciplinary and lends itself to a community of practice (Kleef and deMoor 2004). This community of practice requires a local focal point for research, curriculum development and collegial interaction surrounding the topic of sustainability. CSU Fullerton by virtue of its Environmental Studies graduate program, its transdisciplinary approach to sustainability and active student body is a prime location for a local center to meet this need.

Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
6

Sustainability officer(s) 

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

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
John Bock, Director of Center for Sustainability; Michael Lotito, Associate Director of Plant Operations/Chief Engineer; Stephanie Del Rosario, Sustainability Analyst; Danny Miranda Jr., Sustainable Waste Management Specialist

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 Center for Sustainability in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and other campus departments have coordinated events and activities around Campus Sustainability Month and Earth Week. During Covid-19, all programming transitioned to a virtual format over Zoom.

In 2019, CSUF added seven dual bin Bigbelly solar waste compactors to help reduce greenhouse gases. In August 2019, the campus rolled out the Public Surplus program for the sale and purchase of campus surplus items (i.e. vehicles, furniture, office supplies, etc). In November 2019, two new DC fast charging electric vehicle stations were installed to replace outdated EV chargers.

In spring 2020, CSUF added two e-ride electric vehicles to the campus fleet. In fall 2020, Club Car delivered a customized sustainability vehicle funded by its grant program. 500kW of solar PV was installed on the Eastside Parking Structure 2. CSUF also continued to improve outdoor areas with several landscaping beautification projects outside of the Humanities and Social Sciences and Education Classroom buildings, Clayes Performing Arts Center, Titan Stadium, Student Health Center, and Kinesiology and Health Science gym. The campus has added additional water bottle refill stations for a total of 80 stations.

In fall 2020, CSUF in partnership with the City of Fullerton planted ten oak trees around campus to support the City's Urban Forest Improvement Project funded by CalFire. In spring 2021, CSUF in cooperation with the City of Fullerton celebrated Arbor Day with the planting of additional ten trees.

Optional Fields 

Job description (1st position)

Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Sustainability Analyst

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
---

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
The Sustainability Analyst works to establish Cal State Fullerton as a leader in the field of sustainability at the state, regional, national, and international level by promoting broader awareness of Cal State Fullerton's environmental successes and accomplishments, The analyst effectively works with all elements of the campus community to communicate and further the goals and initiatives of the campus sustainability goals and establish and maintain an effective communication strategy, developing and coordinating education and outreach programs in support of Cal State Fullerton's sustainability, energy management, and resource conservation programs.

This position provides expertise and advice in the coordination of on - and off - campus resources to successfully implement reduction of Cal State Fullerton's resources and consumption as well as develop, implement and evaluate sustainability events and supervise pilot projects to expand sustainability on campus. The Sustainability Analyst provides support to the Physical Plant in designing, developing and promoting campus sustainability initiatives. The Sustainability Analyst represents Cal State Fullerton's sustainability programs to the public by attending professional meetings and interfacing with external organizations. The incumbent promotes Cal State Fullerton's sustainability program by utilizing campus expertise, peer institution best practices, sustainability literature, and conferences. The Analyst works with Cal State Fullerton departments to evaluate current practices against accepted sustainability evaluations and facilitate the development of sustainability goals. This position coordinates departmental communications with the Communications Specialist for Capital Planning and Facilities Management.

Job description (2nd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Utility & Energy Analyst

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

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Under the general supervision of the Associate Director of Plant Operations, the Utility & Energy Analyst shall be responsible for planning, developing, integrating, and coordinating the campus wide energy efficiency program. Duties shall include management support, project leadership, policy and regulatory compliance, assessments and reporting, financial tracking, coordination with utility companies, auditing and billing.

In addition, the position requires investigation and continuous research into new energy efficiency building system technologies, creation of energy dashboards, development of automated utility billing systems, information technology integration as well as identifying and submitting for rebate and grant funding. Additional duties require coordination with various consultants, student workers and interns as well as training and educational outreach programs. Position requires the integration of all functions with the campus Strategic Energy Plan including oversight of the energy efficiency budget.

Job description (3rd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Associate Director of Plant Operations

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

Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Under the general direction of the Associate Vice President of Capital Programs and Facilities Management, the Assistant Director of Plant Operations/Chief Engineer provides leadership and oversight for Central Plant and Utilities Operations, Energy Management, Sustainability, Mechanical and Electrical Systems. The position has full oversight and responsibility for the central plant operations which include the campuses Tri-generation plant and all associated mechanical and electrical operations on campus.

Incumbent will oversee performance of staff in plant work units, conduct performance evaluations, provide guidance, and assist operations. The Assistant Director will be responsible to oversee and develop budgets for operation and utility needs as well as recommend and prioritize work responsibilities and projects. The position provides leadership for and instigates a variety of sustainable methods as they relate to solid waste and recycling, energy use and management, water conservation, wastewater, building construction, irrigation, vehicles, and fuels. The Assistant Director will oversee and develop methods and means to fund sustainable projects via state funds, grants, loans, and utility incentives. Incumbent will engage with the campus community at a variety of levels to promote and encourage sustainable practices and procedures.

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:
Office of Sustainability Staff
https://facilities.fullerton.edu/sustainability/contactus/

Bigbelly Solar
https://facilities.fullerton.edu/Projects.php

Public Surplus
https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/browse/home

New Fast-Charging Electric Vehicle Stations at Mihaylo Hall
https://news.fullerton.edu/2019/11/fast-charging-electric-stations-at-mihaylo-hall/

CSUF Wins the Club Car Sustainability Grant Program
https://www.clubcar.com/en-us/resources/brochures-and-videos/club-car-sustainability-grant-winner-2019

Eastside Parking Structure 2
https://www.ipd-global.com/portfolio/csu-fullerton-eastside-parking-structure-2/

CSUF Celebrates Arbor Day With Tree-Planting Ceremony
https://news.fullerton.edu/2021/04/csuf-celebrates-arbor-day-with-tree-planting-ceremony/#:~:text=On%20Wednesday%2C%20April%2021%2C%20Cal,planting%20several%20trees%20throughout%20campus.

9 Projects Transforming the Campus
https://titanmag.fullerton.edu/fall-winter-2021/9-projects-transforming-the-campus/

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.