Portland State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Sustainability Playbook:
- Faculty development workshops offered each year
- SNI partner MOUs completed, deepen student understanding of academic content, strengthen student professional skills, increase student sense of social responsibility, increase ability to work together better with partners, provide significant organizational capacity for partners, provide value to partners, make measurable impacts on local sustainability goals
- Living lab program established with Campus Sustainability Office, projects advances campus sustainability priorities and metrics, students will identify the connection between academic content and the sustainability experiential learning, students will describe how their project helped support or made measurable progress on PSU’s campus sustainability, students will apply the sustainability experiential learning concepts locally, regionally, and globally to broaden project relevance, students will explain how the sustainability experiential learning related to the development or strengthening of their professional skills
- Increasing number of CES projects per year

Climate Action Plan:
-Become a global leader in climate research and curriculum
-Develop an administrative structure that actively integrates PSU ac academics with operations around climate mitigation projects
-Adopt energy/climate learning objectives for PSU curriculum
-Develop three strategic partnerships with other urban universities around the world on climate-related research and curriculum initiatives
-Create a structure for Deans and the heads of PSU operation to meet and discuss climate projects

Diversity Action Plan:
-Produce graduates who can be leaders in a global community
-Ensure that diversity is incorporated into the curriculum

Bicycle Transportation Plan:
-Expand and make more frequent the selection of maintenance and commuting workshops, possibly to the extent of developing a proprietary
certification or curriculum.
-Existing academic courses in bicycle and pedestrian facility planning and engineering could be supplemented with maintenance and commuting classes; such classes could be compiled into a bicycle coursework track or curriculum.

Strategic Plan:
-Enhance the ability of faculty to deliver culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum, including universal design for learning.
-Clarify academic pathways
-Develop an academic plan with programs that prepare students for competitive advantage in life and career.
- Provide flexible degrees to accommodate the diverse needs of students
-Assess opportunities for innovative academic programs that align with career paths, locally and globally
-Assess the array of academic program offerings on a regular basis to ensure relevance, quality and equity.

Sustainability Playbook:
- Publish signature sustainability events calendar and host free, open events
- Create student leadership and resource toolkit
- Gather baseline data of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs departments with sustainability goals
- Increase involvement with student life programs
- Create sustainability newsletter and promote blog and social media tools, increase social media followers/likes
- Hire student ambassador to give sustainability tours
- Promote Ashoka change maker campus initiatives
- Tailor programs and communications to PSU’s diverse student body

Bicycle Transportation Plan:
-promote awaremenss and support of bicycle commute options for the entire university community via outreach, marketing material, community involvement and outreach, and incentive programs

Climate Action Plan 2030 Energy Goals:
-REDUCE ENERGY use per square foot 25% below 2000 levels through demand management
-GENERATE 80% of total building-related energy use from local and renewable sources
-INCREASE EFFICIENCY of the energy systems by 50% (2000 baseline)
-REDUCE ENERGY use by 10% through better utilization and scheduling of buildings

Energy Management Plan:
-Goal #1: Reduce average campus EUI by 20% from Fiscal year 2012 levels for all buildings by FY 2022. This will result in $1,200,000 in annual operating cost savings and prevent the release of 5,200 MtCO2e of greenhouse gases annually. Future energy efficiency goals will be established as part of our ongoing evaluation and assessment process with the assistance of the Climate Action Plan Implementation Team, to be included in updates to this plan and to the Climate Action Plan.
-Goal #2: Reduce average campus EUI by 35% from Fiscal year 2012 levels for all buildings by FY 2030.
-Goal #3: Establish a net zero target for new energy demand
-Objective #1: Gain and maintain the organizational commitment needed to successfully apply best practices in managing our energy consumption to reach our energy reduction goal(s).
-Objective #2: Identify and apply best practices in facility operations to minimize energy related operating costs and enhance the reliability and longevity of building systems, equipment and infrastructure.
-Objective #3: Identify and invest in financially attractive facility upgrades that reduce the PSU’s costs of asset ownership and contribute to reaching its energy reduction goal(s).
-Objective #4: Establish and use purchasing and procurement standards that minimize PSU life cycle costs and total cost of ownership.
-Objective #5: Adopt and apply new construction practices using integrated design principles to reduce the PSU’s costs of asset ownership and contribute to reaching its energy reduction goal(s).
-Objective #6: Engage and empower company employees and building occupants as partners in organizational efforts to effectively manage energy use and reduce consumption.
-Objective #7: Track & report on PSU performance to assure organizational accountability and continuous improvement in company efforts to effectively manage energy use and reduce consumption.

Strategic Plan:

Initiative 1: Create a more inclusive campus
-1.1 Create expectations, training and incentives for faculty, staff, and students to regularly participate in culturally responsive education and sharing opportunities.
-1.2 Conduct a campus climate audit to assess and inform safety and inclusion.
-1.3 Develop and utilize an equity lens in campus decision-making.
-1.4 Provide linguistically appropriate student services.

Initiative 2: Promote diversity through hiring and retention
-2.1 Adopt best practices for recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse faculty, staff and administrators to better reflect the diversity of the student body.

Initiative 3: Define and measure diversity learning outcomes
-3.1 Incorporate assessment of diversity learning outcomes in academic units and the Diversity Action Plan.
-3.2 Train faculty to incorporate diversity elements in their courses.

Mission: We are dedicated to collaborative learning, innovative research, sustainability and community engagement.

Values: We commit to curiosity, collaboration, stewardship and sustainability.

Sustainability is a promise that present and future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy productive and rewarding lives. Picture a healthy environment that supports a thriving economy, strong families and vibrant communities, a place where all citizens are valued and engaged in governance. Imagine that these opportunities extend equitably to those in the present generation and are also available for future generations. The environmental, social and economic realms function as an interconnected dynamic system, not as separate parts.

PSU has signed Second Natures Climate Commitment, Carbon Commitment, and Resilience Commitment combining a focus on both carbon emissions accounting as well as planning for resiliency. PSU has developed a campus-wide plan for achieving carbon neutrality and is the beginning phases of developing a collaborative resiliency plan with the City of Portland and other institutions.

Moving the Needle: Advancing Women in Higher Education: PSU recently signed this commitment agreeing to provide training, resources, and opportunities for women to advance into leadership roles at the University

PSU has also made a formal declaration for the support of sustainability. https://capstone.unst.pdx.edu/theme/sustainability