Slippery Rock University
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

The President's Commission on Sustainability is one of six presidential commissions created to provide guidance and recommendations to the president of the university. The commission includes representatives of all community stakeholders, including internal (the Office of the President, Faculty, Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research, Facilities & Planning Department, Communications Department, Office of Student Services, the Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator, and three Student Representatives including one from the Student Government Association) and external stakeholders (a representative of the local nonprofit Sustainable Slippery Rock organization and a local business representative). The Commission is co-chaired by the head of the SRU Office of Sustainability, whose responsibilities include coordinating all sustainability initiatives and outreach activities, and bringing major proposed initiatives to the Commission on Sustainability for review, approval, and recommendations to the president. The University has practiced public engagement for many years and the Office of Sustainability regularly updates the community stakeholders represented on the commission via face-to-face presentations, emails, Facebook, and Twitter social media outreach. The President's Commission on Sustainability also meets regularly with the other presidential commissions, including four Diversity and Inclusion Commissions that represent vulnerable and underrepresented groups, who may also recommend additional stakeholders and activities of mutual interest as appropriate. Feedback and suggestions by external stakeholders, such as the nonprofit Sustainable Slippery Rock organization, are received regularly at the monthly Sustainability Commission meetings; recommendations (from both internal and external stakeholders) for new sustainability initiatives that are agreed to by a majority of the Commission members are then formally recommended to the SRU President for approval to implement the initiative. List of identified community stakeholders: Cheryl Norton SRU (President) Paul W. Scanlon SRU (Sust. Coordinator, head of Office of Sustainability) Jerry Chmielewski SRU (Biology Dept.) Fran Bires Director, SRU Macoskey Center & McKeever Environmental Learning Center Scott Albert SRU (Facilities Office) Rita Abent SRU (Communications Office) Langdon Smith SRU (GG&E Faculty) David Culp SRU (School of Business Faculty) Julie Snow SRU (GG&E faculty) Bob McCafferty Slippery Rock Business Owner Ted Kneupper, President of the nonprofit Sustainable Slippery Rock community organization Christine Glenn SRU Alumni John Golden SRU (SEA Advisor) Arhur Link SRU Student Representative Alexis Caccese SRU Rock Productions Student Liaison Tabitha Giacaloni SRU Student Govt. Association representative A brief description of successful community stakeholder engagement outcomes from the previous three years: The Commission approved and recommended to the President the adoption of SRU's Climate Action Plan (adopted in August 2012), the SRU Energy Conservation Policy (including an update in April 2013), and a number of energy conservation strategies recommended by the Energy Conservation Committee (summer classroom scheduling optimization, standardized thermostat setpoints, "Flaunt Your Fleece" campaign, etc.). The commission's Education Subcommittee recently developed a new, 12 credit Sustainability Certificate program that was approved by the University's curriculum committee and is now being offered for the Spring semester of 2016. Other subcommittees include one working on outreach/engagement (currently organizing this year's Earth Week activities) and a Food Services subcommittee (currently working with the university's largest single vendor on campus, AVI, to continue improving/expanding their green food service programs in the dining halls). The Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator hosts the SRU Slow Foods Club monthly pot luck dinners open to students, faculty, and the general public, where vendors are encouraged to provide samples of their local agricultural products. The head of SRU’s Office of Sustainability has also provided external stakeholders (Sustainable Slippery Rock) with presentations summarizing SRU’s progress in implementing our Climate Action Plan and new sustainable curriculum initiatives, as well as a presentation on energy efficient housing design. The website URL where information about the institution’s community stakeholder engagement framework and activities is available: http://www.sru.edu/sustainability

The University has practiced public engagement for many years and the Office of Sustainability regularly updates the community stakeholders represented on the commission. The President's Commission on Sustainability also meets regularly with the other presidential commissions, including four Diversity and Inclusion commissions that represent vulnerable and underrepresented groups, who may also recommend additional stakeholders and activities of mutual interest as appropriate.

Cheryl Norton SRU (President) Paul W. Scanlon SRU (Sust. Coordinator, head of Office of Sustainability) Jerry Chmielewski SRU (Biology Dept.) Fran Bires Director, SRU Macoskey Center & McKeever Environmental Learning Center Scott Albert SRU (Facilities Office) Rita Abent SRU (Communications Office) Langdon Smith SRU (GG&E Faculty) David Culp SRU (School of Business Faculty) Julie Snow SRU (GG&E faculty) Bob McCafferty Slippery Rock Business Owner Christine Glenn SRU Alumni John Golden SRU (SEA Advisor) Arhur Link SRU Student Representative Alexis Caccese SRU Rock Productions Student Liaison Tabitha Giacaloni SRU Student Govt. Association representative

The Commission approved and recommended to the President the adoption of SRU's Climate Action Plan (adopted in August 2012), the SRU Energy Conservation Policy (including an update in April 2013), and a number of energy conservation strategies recommended by the Energy Conservation Committee (summer classroom scheduling optimization, standardized thermostat setpoints, "Flaunt Your Fleece" campaign, etc.). The commission's Education Subcommittee recently developed a new, 12 credit Sustainability Certificate program that was approved by the University's curriculum committee and is now being offered for the Spring semester of 2016. Other subcommittees include one working on outreach/engagement (currently organizing this year's Earth Week activities) and a Food Services subcommittee (currently working with the university's largest single vendor on campus, AVI, to continue improving/expanding their green food service programs in the dining halls).