| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.57 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | Jan. 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
The Ohio State University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Tony
Gillund Sustainability Coordinator Energy Services and Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
| Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) | Measurable Objectives (Yes or No) | |
| Curriculum | Yes | No |
| Research (or other scholarship) | Yes | Yes |
| Campus Engagement | Yes |
Yes
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
|
| Public Engagement | Yes |
Yes
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
|
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes | Yes |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes | Yes |
| Purchasing | Yes |
Yes
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
|
| Transportation | Yes | Yes |
| Waste | Yes | Yes |
| Water | Yes | Yes |
| Diversity and Affordability | Yes | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work |
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
|
No
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
|
| Investment | --- | --- |
| Other | --- | --- |
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including education. Ohio State is committed to providing an educational experience that inspires a new generation of global citizens. Accordingly, sustainability education is thoughtfully and intentionally integrated into the student experience. In late 2015, Ohio State created the goal to deliver a curriculum that provides Ohio State students at all stages of instruction – from General Education to professional and technical programs – with opportunities to understand sustainability holistically, framed by the environment, science, technology, society, the economy, history, culture, and politics.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
Office of Academic Affairs
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including research.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
As one of the country’s leading research universities, Ohio State has made important contributions to sustainability science, technology, and human behavior. The university strives to integrate the recognized works of its faculty researchers and apply this expertise to problems on local, regional, national, and international scales. Sustainability efforts at Ohio State are embedded into the full range of university activities and with the university’s strategic sustainability goals, which supports Ohio State's overarching core goals of teaching and learning, research and innovation, outreach and engagement, and resource stewardship. Ohio State has two sustainability goals for research and innovation:
• Magnify Sustainability Scholarly Output and Impact to create new knowledge, solve real world problems, including for our own operations, and increase Ohio State’s national/international reputation as a sustainability research leader.
• Reward Sustainability Scholarship, including the scholarship of engagement, by providing incentives for students, faculty and staff to make discoveries and stimulate creative efforts that promote and achieve sustainability.
As part of achieving these goals, Ohio State has selected three Discovery Themes to promote the research, teaching and engagement surrounding sustainability issues. These three programs are up and running at the university and will each be hiring faculty explicitly to enhance Ohio State’s expertise and impact within and across the three areas. The Discovery Themes Initiative funding will allow for an 8% to 10% net increase in the tenured/tenure-track faculty, in accordance with the university’s stated strategic vision.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
Office of Academic Affairs
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
Ohio State’s 2020 Vision lays out the five-year strategy leading to Ohio State’s sesquicentennial, prioritizing three overarching areas of focus: access, affordability and excellence; community engagement; and diversity and inclusion.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
As part of the Community Engagement push through the 2020 Vision Plan, Ohio State is using its research prowess, partnerships and massive alumni base to pay it forward both on and off campus. The university’s primary campus engagement goal is to foster Campus-to-Community, Students-to-Alumni Culture of sustainability-oriented practices and educational and research experiences that students and alumni transfer into local and global communities.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
Office of the President
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including public outreach and engagement.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan identifies the university’s major role in shaping the intellectual, economic, and social environment in Central Ohio. Ohio State achieves continuing outreach through three primary methods: partnerships, capacity-building, and social learning. Partnerships involve institutional collaboration with entities engaged in planning for sustainability, including government agencies at various levels, quasi-governmental authorities, and private companies and corporations. Capacity-building involves engagement with grass-roots efforts that address emerging areas of concern, such as recycling and/or transportation. At the community level, it means enhancing opportunities for civic understanding, deliberation, and decision-making. Social learning is a function of how the university is seen to approach sustainability and how prominently the issue figures in Ohio State’s public profile. All of these continuing outreach methods will be enhanced through the university’s primary public engagement goal to catalyze Engagement, Ownership, and Buy-In to Sustainability via engaged and inclusive partnerships, on and off campus, that support the long-term economic, social and environmental welfare of the campus, surrounding neighborhoods and the global community.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
Office of Outreach and Engagement
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
As a signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, Ohio State has the goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
Ohio State developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) which describes a portion of the steps Ohio State has taken to reduce GHG emissions and its ideas for future steps toward a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The CAP lays out the measurable objectives through the mitigation strategies, which includes meeting Green Building Standards Energy Utilization Index (EUI) reduction targets, achieving Conservation Outreach and Behavioral Change through outreach and education to the broader campus population, and implementing Energy Conservation Measures to increase infrastructure efficiency.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
The One University Framework Plan stresses sustainability through mandating no net new academic space, prioritizing reuse, investing in transit, emphasizing a pedestrian core, reducing energy use, identifying alternative energy sources, managing material use, championing natural habitats and maintaining vibrant, mixed use districts on campus. Sustainability concepts underlie the entire Framework.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
Ohio State calculates the total building space as well as the total conditioned space for the entire university. Since the inception of the One Framework Plan, the university has followed the no net new academic space guidelines by either renovating existing buildings or demolishing buildings to allow for new construction.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including the food systems at Ohio State. The sustainability plan identifies the importance of Ohio State’s food systems as part of the community’s health and region’s economy.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Dining Services within the Office of Student Life closely tracks the percentage of purchased food products classified as local and/or sustainably sourced. Additionally, as part of Ohio State purchasing policy, preference is given to local providers. The purchasing data along with the preference given to local providers assists the university in reaching its food sustainability goal to increase production and purchase of locally and sustainably sourced food to 40% by 2025.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Office of Student Life, Dining Services
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
Ohio State developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) which describes a portion of the steps Ohio State has taken to become more energy efficient. The CAP lays out the measurable objectives through the mitigation strategies, which includes meeting Green Building Standards Energy Utilization Index (EUI) reduction targets, achieving Conservation Outreach and Behavioral Change through outreach and education to the broader campus population, and implementing Energy Conservation Measures to increase infrastructure efficiency.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
Energy central to sustainability at Ohio State. The university closely monitors its Energy Utilization Index (MMBTU per square foot of conditioned space) and has the goal to reduce total campus building energy consumption by 25% by 2025. This will be achieved through reductions in demand and improvements upon energy supply.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including the campus grounds.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
The university’s grounds goal is to double the tree canopy, increase multi-functional and productive acreage by 10%, and reduce maintained acreage by 2025. As of 2015, 13% of Ohio State’s Columbus campus was covered by tree canopy. In order to increase the tree canopy, the university will both increase the number of trees on campus, and increase the health of existing trees to allow those trees to increase in size. As a preliminary step, the university is mapping all existing trees on the Columbus campus with approximately 15,000 of the estimated 50,000 trees identified, measured, and mapped.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topic including current and future efforts around university purchasing.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
Ohio State is committed to resource conservation by giving preference to local providers of products and services by participating in the Buy Ohio Program. Under that program, a 5% economic preference is afforded during the bidding process to those vendors located in Ohio and from bordering states. Moving forward, the university has the purchasing goal to develop university-wide standards for targeted environmentally preferred products and fully implement preferable products and services by 2025.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
University Purchasing Department
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including university transportation.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
Ohio State has a transportation goal to reduce the carbon footprint of university fleet by 25% by 2025. Ohio State’s is committed to this goal by its continued strong support for sustainable transportation initiatives aimed to reduce on-campus stationary combustion and feet combustion emissions. Currently, Ohio State has purchased four compressed natural gas (CNG) buses for its Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) fleet and is embarking on a long-range plan to transition the remaining fleet of diesel-powered buses over to cleaner-burning CNG. Additionally, Ohio State’s Vehicle Idling Policy ensures that university vehicles and equipment are operated and maintained in a manner that minimizes air pollution, maximizes fuel efficiency, and reduces wear to the vehicle.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including the management of waste.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
Ohio state has the sustainability goal to achieve zero waste by 2025 by diverting 90% of waste away from landfills. Ohio State closely tracks total waste measured by weight. Using best practices including conducting waste audits, reducing materials flows, reusing materials where possible and increasing recycling and composting; Ohio State’s Columbus campus has more than doubled its diversion rate since 2004.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
Ohio State’s Sustainability Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the methodologies to achieve the comprehensive university-wide sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Plan has a focus on a range of topics including the management of water.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
Ohio State closely tracks its potable water consumption and has set the goal to reduce potable water consumption by 5% per capita every five years, resetting the baseline every 5 years. Annual reductions will be achieved through several best practices including water use management, demand reduction, water reuse, and stormwater reduction and cleansing.
Date Revised: April 1, 2016
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
Office of Administration and Planning
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
Ohio State’s 2020 Vision lays out the five-year strategy leading to Ohio State’s sesquicentennial, prioritizing three overarching areas of focus: access, affordability and excellence; community engagement; and diversity and inclusion.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
As part of the access, affordability and excellence focus of the 2020 Vision will Reduce student financial burden by freezing costs for in-state undergraduate students for 2015-16, expanding student aid through an initiative to dedicate at least $400 million by 2020 to lower students' costs to low- and middle-income students, focusing on excellence through a new teaching and learning advisory council; and by leading the national conversation as a charter participant in the University Innovation Alliance, which consists of 11 universities working on access, affordability and excellence.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Office of the President
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
Your Plan For Health is a program that rewards Ohio State employees for improving their health and well-being. All employees are eligible to participate in its numerous challenges.
None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Your Plan For Health has numerous challenges, all of which have measurable objectives from simply completing a Biometric Screening to obtain required health information to competitions that allow participants to earn rewards along the way.
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
The Associate Vice President for Health Promotion & University Chief Wellness Officer
None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
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None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
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None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
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None
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
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None
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
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None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
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None
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
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Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
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None
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
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None
The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.