Southern Oregon University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Sustainability Council is a University-wide group appointed to (1) advise the President and the Executive Council in matters relating to sustainability and environmental impact; (2) promote environmental stewardship; (3) coordinate efforts of individuals and groups on campus; and (4) educate the campus community about sustainable practices. The charge of the Council is to: • Lead through example by promoting the incorporation of environmental concerns in University decisions • Promote conservation of natural resources to the best of our ability and the creation of sustainable practices and programs on campus • Educate our community about the necessity of sustainable environmental practices and ecologically friendly economics • Identify and support research areas and topics for faculty and students • Build relationships with local governments, businesses, and local citizens in order to promote environmentally sound practices within the region • Know and understand local, national and international programs to ensure that our environmental practices and policies adhere to or exceed the global vision for a sustainable future The Sustainability Council's mission is to advise, encourage, and coordinate the operations, research, and campus culture of Southern Oregon University in a manner that is consistent with the values and practices of environmental stewardship and sustainability; promoting individual, institutional and community well-being.

1. Gregory Perkinson, Vice President for Finance & Administration 2. Roxane Beigel-Coryell, Sustainability & Recycling Coordinator 3. Jill Smedstad, Environmental & Community Engagement Coordinator 4. Keith Beed, Utilities Supervisor 5. Josh Lanier/Marcus Welch, Chef, SOU Dining (Dining Representative) 6. Jennifer Longshore, Center for the Arts Faculty 7. Vincent Smith, Environmental Studies/Sociology Faculty 8. Daniel Tharp, University Housing Office Specialist (Housing Representative) 9. Lindsay Swanson, ASSOU student Director of Sustainability (ASSOU Representative) 10. Kayla Bondoc, student (At-large student) 11. Daniel Kelly, student (At-large student) 12. Turtle McCloskey, student (At-large student) 13. Shanztyn Nihipali, student (At-large student) 14. Brian Kinsey, Director of the Service Center (At-large staff) 15. Pavlina McGrady, Business faculty (At-large faculty)

The sustainability office coordinates sustainability-related efforts on campus, manages the campus recycling program, and compiles data and information for the University's annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory, sustainability assessments, and competitions. The sustainability office also provides support for the subcommittees of the Sustainability Council and serves as a resource for faculty, staff, and students on campus.

SOU's Sustainability Office, housed under Facilities, Management and Planning, works with the entire campus community to incorporate sustainability into the campus culture, policies, and procedures. Some of the most notable accomplishments of the office and Sustainability Council during the last three years (through campus collaborations) include: Sustainability Awards and Recognition Ceremony: The Sustainability Council hosted the first annual Sustainability Awards and Recognition Ceremony in 2017 to recognize and celebrate the departments, programs, and individuals contributing to sustainability on campus. The ceremony highlighted a wide range of accomplishments including the Queer Student Union's Gender Neutral Clothing Swap, the introduction of Meatless Mondays in the dining hall, the Honors College's Adopt-A-Highway clean up, lighting retrofits, anti-pipeline campaign work, and more. In 2018, the Sustainability Council hosted the second annual ceremony highlighting a new set of diverse sustainability accomplishments including Zero Waste Week, Dish Loan Program, tailgating recycling program, nursing students without borders, and more. The Sustainability Office partnered with the Ecology and Sustainability Resource Center to launch SOU's Dish Loan Program. The Dish Loan Program is a free alternative for campus clubs, organizations, and departments to borrow plates, bowls, cups, mugs and utensils for meetings and events. The program currently has more than 100 full sets of dishes available for loan, with no minimum order requirement. Students, faculty and staff can submit a request to borrow dishes using an online order form. Borrowers are asked to clean dishes before they are returned. The dishes are later sanitized by campus Dining Services. During its first year of operation, the Dish Loan Program has provided more than 11,000 dishes, cups and utensils for campus events, meetings and programs, greatly reducing waste from disposable dishware. Regular sustainability communications on campus: The Sustainability Office ensures that the campus community receives sustainability education and communication regularly through monthly sustainability tips, quarterly newsletters, and other sustainability stories that are published to the main campus login page. Sustainability at SOU also has an opt-in email group that campus and community members can subscribe to if they wish to receive direct emails of the sustainability tops and stories in addition to regular updates about upcoming sustainability events, programs and activities.

Position Title: Sustainability & Recycling Coordinator Position Summary: Oversees campus sustainability and recycling programs and goals. Monitors and reports on all campus activities related to sustainability, reducing carbon footprint, and waste management. Works with other departments to develop programs to encourage conservation of resources and proper waste disposal. Serves as an advocate for the University in the community and state. Job Duties: Duties: Assessment and Reporting: Gather and process data into published sustainability reports for internal and external audiences, to include required and voluntary reporting opportunities such as, but not limited to: Second Nature Climate Commitment reports, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Reporting System (STARS), etc. Analyze utility and operating reports to assess campus sustainability performance, identify opportunities for improvement and coordinate new initiatives. Develop summaries and highlights of submitted reports for campus audiences to improve transparency and campus knowledge of sustainability goals, indicators, and successes. Percent of Total Time: 25 Climate Action Plan Implementation, Planning and Policies: Manage implementation of SOU’s Climate Action Plan. Develop sustainability indicators and metrics. Collaborate with campus departments to establish monitoring and tracking systems to measure progress. Coordinate with various departments (FMP, Campus Farm, Parking, Business Services, Housing, etc.) to identify projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or conserve resources and help acquire financial incentives (local, state, federal grants, rebates, etc) and tools for implementing projects. Provide consultation for campus plans, policies and procedures to ensure they align with sustainability goals and values. Percent of Total Time: 15 Engagement, Training and Communication: Provide training and guidance to the University community and serve as a central information source about campus sustainability and recycling issues. Oversee and develop programs to educate students, faculty and staff about sustainability and recycling efforts and the benefits of sustainable practices. Lead and coordinate the Sustainability Council to address institutional sustainability issues and advise the President on best practices. Create and distribute regular communication on sustainability programs, tips, and engagement opportunities. Serve as the campus liaison for sustainability-related partnerships with the City and other community groups/organizations. Advise and provide administrative support for the Environmental Affairs Committee and allocation of the student Green Fund. Provide support and project management for sustainability projects, including university and student-led efforts. Oversee student staff/interns to assist with sustainability coordination and zero waste initiatives. Percent of Total Time: 20 Manage Campus Recycling Programing: Continue to develop and encourage waste and waste stream reduction on campus. Manage campus recycling center and coordinate waste diversion efforts. Hire, train and supervise student employees at recycling center to ensure clean recycling stream. Recruit and coordinate volunteers to assist at the recycling center. Manage and maximize all waste management contracts and services with local vendors, city and county entities. Pursue opportunities to expand waste diversion channels. Maintain campus waste infrastructure, including bins and signage. Provide expertise and support to campus on all waste-related issues. Percent of Total Time: 35 Other Duties as Assigned: Serve on University and community committees. Perform other assigned duties in support of the University, and Facilities, Management and Planning Dept. Percent of Total Time: 5

https://inside.sou.edu/ecos/dish-loan.html