University of Richmond
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The University of Richmond Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Committee (SEAC) is an Administrative Committee and is advisory in nature. It addresses issues that pertain to sustainability at the University of Richmond. SEAC is charged with identifying strategic opportunities to integrate sustainability into the core functions of the University, including educational, operational, and co-curricular activities. The committee reports to the Provost (Executive Vice President for Academics) and the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance.

Membership
• Two faculty members from Arts & Science
• One faculty member each from Jepson School of Leadership Studies, Law, Robins School of Business, and School of Professional and Continuing Studies
• Director of Sustainability (ex officio)
• Provost (or his/her designee, ex officio)
• Vice President for Business and Finance (or appointee, ex officio)
• Two student representatives
• Associate Vice President of Facilities (or appointee)
• Associate Vice President for Campus Services (or appointee)
• Manager of Environmental Services (or appointee)
• University Engineer (ex officio)
• Two at-large staff members (appointed by the Provost and the Vice President for Business and Finance)


Members
• Rob Andrejewski: Director of Sustainability
• Terry Baker: Executive Director, Dining Services
• Emily Boone: Director of Biological Instruction
• David Donaldson: Operations & Summer Programs Coordinator, Events, Conferences, & Support Services
• Joel Eisen: Professor of Law
• Kelsey Fastabend: Sustainability Program Coordinator
• Sylvia Gale: Interim Executive Director, Bonner Center for Civic EngagementOlivia LaFont: Assistant Professor of Management
• Olivia LaFont: Assistant Professor of Management
• Paul Lozo: Director of Environmental Operations
• Mason Manley: Class of 2023
• Andrew McBride: AVP for Facilities, University Architect
• Sarah Murtaugh: Class of 2023
• Tom Roberts: AVP of Recreation and Wellness
• David Salisbury, Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment
• Andrew Schoeneman: Assistant Professor and Chair of Nonprofit Studies, School of Professional & Continuing Studies
• Carl Sorensen: AVP for Human Resources
• Allison Steele: Manager of Custodial and Environmental Services
• Chris von Rueden: Associate Professor of Leadership Studies

At the University of Richmond, sustainability means creating environmental, social, and economic conditions that foster health and well-being for people and the natural world in this generation and generations to come.

Building on a strong foundation of campus sustainability progress, the Office for Sustainability convenes diverse campus and community stakeholders in an effort to integrate the themes of sustainability, adaptation, and resilience into administrative, operational, and academic functions of the University. The Office for Sustainability is responsible for providing visionary leadership and support to the University of Richmond community as it charts a far-reaching course for sustainability and pursues its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the Climate Commitment.

In collaboration with campus partners, the Office for Sustainability provides leadership and guidance as the University integrates sustainability into short and long-range planning efforts.

The Office for Sustainability has a Director of Sustainability, Program Coordinator, and and seven student employees.

Strategy: More than half of the 93 actions in the Sustainability Plan, which is aligned with the UR Strategic Plan and was led by members of the Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Committee, are either completed or in progress.

Campus: Opened the Eco-Corridor to the community in spring 2020, essentially bringing an 18-acre park to campus and restoring the health of Little Westham Creek. Though the grand opening for students was halted by COVID, neighbors in the community found solace in this space.

Waste: Rolled out campus-wide composting one year ahead of schedule in support of the Rethink Waste program, which aims to achieve 75% waste diversion by 2025. We have composted over 100 tons since the program began.

Energy: Spider Solar, a 20 MW off-site solar facility that matches 100% of our grid-purchased electricity with renewable energy came online in 2021.

Transportation: We doubled thee number of EV charging stations in 2021-22.

Responsibilities: In collaboration with campus sustainability stakeholders, the Director provides visionary leadership and guidance as the University integrates sustainability into short and long-range planning efforts. Core responsibilities include:

Visionary Leadership:
*  Collaborating with campus stakeholders to map the community’s assets and build and implement a cohesive new sustainability vision.
*  Serving as a catalyst for sustainability who facilitates the integration of sustainability into the roles and responsibilities of campus stakeholders.
* Supporting meaningful progress toward the University’s strategic sustainability goals, including its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
* Researching and maintaining a working knowledge of sustainability best practices, innovations, and lessons learned at peer and aspirant institutions.

Academic and Operational Integration, Cultural Change, and Educational Outreach:
* Providing support to faculty development of curricular initiatives that works to ensure that University of Richmond students are “sustainability literate.”
* Providing support to the University’s Facilities Division and other operational stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative solutions in the areas of procurement; waste management; energy and water management; building design, construction, and maintenance; dining; and transportation among others.
* Developing creative educational behavior change campaigns utilizing strategies such as community-based social marketing to expand sustainability awareness and grow a culture of sustainability.
* Collaborating with the Center for Civic Engagement to build a “living-learning program” that leverages the rich academic assets of the University by engaging faculty and students in research and hands-on learning rooted in issues directly affecting campus and the City of Richmond.
* Potentially instructing or co-instructing sustainability-focused courses and serving as the academic supervisor for sustainability internships.

Initiative Management and Reporting:
* Creating communication strategies to promote broad awareness of sustainability and develop a University-wide process and organizational structure to support sustainability inquiry, change, and assessment.
* Managing the budget and operations of the Office of Sustainability, including its existing programs and student interns.
* Developing or adopting metrics, tracking progress, and evaluating the effectiveness of all campus sustainability initiatives to ensure the University is prepared to meet its goals and shift course where needed.
* Managing the Sustainability Internship Program and implementation of the Sustainability Internship Seminar aimed at providing students a background in sustainability and support for running campus based programs; and exploring opportunities for keeping intern alumni engaged.
* Completing and submitting STARS, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate action plan reports.
* Promoting the University’s sustainability programs to both internal campus constituencies and external audiences.

Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in environmental studies, policy, planning or science; architecture; landscape architecture; engineering; land use planning; or other relevant field or commensurate experience. PhD preferred.
• At least five years of relevant experience. Seven or more years preferred. Experience in higher education sustainability administration preferred.