Oregon State University
PAE-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Provost's Sustainability Council was formed in 2004 to address sustainabiltiy issues campus At the discretion of the provost, the council meets to discuss OSU’s strengths and weaknesses in sustainability issues such as renewable energy, sustainable plant systems, and green construction and transportation. While operations a focus of the council, they also examine education, research, and outreach activities related to sustainability. The imperative of the council is to promote coordination and collaboration between faculty and students, OSU groups and organizations, and across disciplines. The Council recognizes that collaborative relationships increase the support for and effectiveness of sustainability related projects and activities. The council also recommends ways OSU can promote sustainable practices and activities through efforts such as support for current and new sustainability groups and activities.

Gail Achterman, Institute of Natural Resources Carol Caughey, Design/Human Environment Bob Collier, COAS Steve Cook, Geosciences Jesse Ford, Fisheries and Wildlife Denise Lach, Sociology Jim Lloyd, Facilities Services Bill Lunch, Political Science Mark Pagell, Management Steve Radosevich, Forest Science John Selker, Bioengineering Brandon Trelstad, Sustainability Office Anthony Veltri, Public Health Ken Williamson, Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

The Sustainability Office is the primary support organization for sustainability efforts at OSU, helping facilitate and manage projects, network on- and off-campus entities, and support student, academic, research and outreach efforts. The office is engaged in multiple partnerships with collaborative organizations such as campus recycling, the Student Sustainability Initiative, and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. The Sustainability Office was formed by the creation of a full-time sustainability coordinator in 2005. Another full-time position was created in 2008, as the coordinator understood the need for another staff member to focus on energy conservation issues exclusively. With regard to operations, the office conducts sustainability audits, which are complete assessments of the environmental impacts associated with campus buildings and work spaces and subsequent recommendations for improvement. The office also holds an annual Building Energy Challenge, conducts lighting retrofits, and night audits to illustrate the amount of energy wasted by campus buildings during night hours. While the office focuses partially on campus operations, projects and initiatives are created in to address multiple areas of sustainability. Student engagement is encouraged through experiential learning projects, such as: energy and water systems analysis, feasibility studies for green building ideas, campaigns to promote cultural changes, and policy impacts and development. The office is also making an effort to incorporate sustainability issues into academic programs by advising departments to integrate sustainability into their curriculum. The office is represented at many campus and community events where we inform the public about OSU sustainability and encourage people to get involved. The sustainability office engages in other ongoing activities including: overseeing conservation and renewable energy projects on campus; supporting campus departments and students in their efforts to become more sustainable; acting as a single point of contact for on- and off-campus inquiries; referring questions to proper campus experts in education, research, and Extension; representing OSU administration in sustainability endeavors; and networking disconnected stakeholders. The sustainability office is therefore actively engaged in a multitude of sustainability related issues at OSU and within the community.

The primary duties of the sustainability coordinator include managing communication about sustainability efforts, identifying - and obtaining funding for - conservation and efficiency projects, supporting student and academic sustainability efforts, and representing OSU to external audiences.