Miami University
PAE-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Sustainability Committee is charged with promoting environmentally and economically sustainable practices at Miami University through collaboration between students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. The Committee seeks to enhance understanding of sustainability-related issues and opportunities at Miami University by working with the Sustainability Coordinator to identify and prioritize ways to make Miami more efficient, environmentally sustainable, and competitive. The Committee solicits sustainability-related inquiries and proposals, links student research and operational challenges, collaborates in institutional research on existing practices and benchmarking, and promotes implementation of academic and operational innovations. The Committee includes students, faculty, staff, and administrators from across university divisions and will report regularly to the University Senate, the Provost, and the Vice President of Business and Finance Services.

Faculty Tom Crist, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (co-chair) Rod Northcutt, Assistant Professor Art David Prytherch, Associate Professor of Geography, Sustainability Coordinator (co-chair) Judith Rogers, Associate Dean, School of Education, Health, and Society Ann Rypstra, Professor of Zoology, Director of the Ecology Research Center Operational Staff Rob Abowitz, Associate Director of Residence Life, Student Affairs Michael Jacquemin, Senior Building and Grounds Manager, HDRBS Yvette Kline, Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation, Physical Facilities Lt. Benjamin Spilman, Director of Parking and Transportation Services Brian Woodruff, Director of Housing Contracts and Meal Plans, HDRBS Student Membership Undergraduate student: Ashleigh Achor, Green Oxford Student Organization Undergraduate student: Brittany Murphy (Associated Student Government) Undergraduate student: Jennifer Conley, Beta Alpha Psi/Global Reporting Initiative, FSB Graduate Student: Allison Becknell, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, CAS Ex-Officio Members: Cody Powell, Interim Associate Vice President of Facility Planning and Operations Ray Gorman, Professor and Associate Provost Susan Meikle, Communications Consultant, University Communications

Miami has a distributed sustainability office comprised of a full-time Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation (in the Physical Facilities Department), a part-time Miami University Sustainability Coordinator (in Academic Affairs), a graduate Recycling and Sustainability Coordinator (in Physical Facilities), and a "Green Team" of part-time undergraduate student employees. Totals 2 FTEs.

The Sustainability Coordinator's role is to * provide leadership in promoting sustainability-related goals within and across university units, promoting communication between students, faculty, and staff; * raise the profile and promote understanding of sustainability-related issues and opportunities at Miami University; * work with a Sustainability Committee to identify and prioritize policy changes, including implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Sustainability; * provide a point of contact for sustainability-related inquiries and ideas at Miami, particularly to connect student researchers with operational challenges and personnel, but also to forward inquiries or suggestions to appropriate personnel; * collaborate in institutional research on existing sustainability-related practices and benchmarking; * collaborate in efforts to secure grant funding for particular campus projects or the work of the Sustainability Coordinator more specifically. * communicate with existing campus committees on issues relevant to sustainability. * report on the activities of the Sustainability Coordinator to the Sustainability Committee, Provost, and Vice President for Business and Finance.