University of Saskatchewan
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Sustainability initiatives have been formally pursued in campus operations since 2004 when a Sustainability Coordinator was hired in the Facilities Management Division. In its Second Integrated Plan, the university identified sustainability as a global issue that needs addressing in all areas of its activities. An 11 member group of representatives from across campus, the Sustainability Commitment Working Group (SCWG), was formed. Guided by the Plan's vision that sustainability “must permeate our thinking”, the SCWG developed the following definition and vision: Definition: Sustainability is the stewardship of the natural environment in a socially and economically responsible manner that meets the needs of both present and future generations. Vision: Every member of the university community will act sustainably in all areas of campus life: education, research, operations, governance, and community engagement. vision of scope of sustainability at U of S Over the course of the Second Integrated Plan's 4-year cycle, the SCWG undertook benchmarking and extensive stakeholder consultation to understand the gap between where we were and where we should be. They measured the university's sustainability performance using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™. A bronze rating was achieved. Understanding where gaps existed, the SCWG then developed a unified strategy to move the university toward realizing sustainability as a central organizing principle across five areas—education, research, operations, community engagement and research. The strategy included: - A Campus Sustainability Plan; - Becoming a signatory to the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada; - Establishing a Sustainability Committee with campus-wide representation to provide leadership; - Establishing the Campus Sustainability Revolving Fund. The Third Integrated Plan commits to "Model Sustainability and Practice Effective Stewardship", setting a goal for a silver STARS rating by 2020.

The goal of the Sustainability Committee to oversee and direct the implementation of the Campus Sustainability Plan, as well as oversee the activities of the Office of Sustainability. The Committee also identifies and addresses strategic opportunities related to campus sustainability.

Toddi Steelman, Executive Director, School of Environment & Sustainability (co-chair) Colin Tennent, Associate VP, Facilities Management (co-chair) Margret Asmuss, Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability Ron Cruikshank, Director, Planning & Development, Facilities Management Division Susan Blum, Director, Research Services Amanda Boychuk, Manager of Special Projects, Office of VP, Finance & Resources Ranjan Datta, Graduate Students’ Association, VP Academic Angela Erickson, Executive Assistant, AVP Office, Facilities Management Marcia McKenzie, Director, Sustainability Education Research Institute Erin Akins, Sustainability Initiatives Liaison, Office of Sustainability Jack Saddleback, VP Student Affairs, University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Sharon Scott, Director of Internal Communications Judy Yungwirth, Director, Corporate Administration Quintin Zook, Director, Consumer Services

Our mission is to build a model sustainable campus through community engagement and collaborative action. We strive to foster growth of a culture of sustainability throughout all areas of campus life—education, research, operations, governance and community engagement. The Office of Sustainability: - Advises university units on how to minimize their sustainability impacts and use university resources most efficiently; - Oversees implementation of initiatives from the Campus Sustainability Plan and other sustainability-related plans; - Acts as resource for the Third Integrated Plan's Sustainability Commitment and the Sustainability Committee; - Oversees our greenhouse gas reporting; - Develops programs, tools, resources and hosts events to build awareness of sustainability issues and practices to catalyze change; - Supports student sustainability initiatives; - Coordinates Sustainability Living Lab learning opportunities for students to use campus operations to learn about sustainability issues and propose actionable solutions for the university; - Identifies opportunities for sustainability-related academic research using campus operations as a living laboratory; - Fosters partnerships and collaboration to maximize opportunities for working together across boundaries on sustainability; - Identifies practices to embed sustainability in planning, decision-making and other aspects of governance.

The Sustainability Coordinator facilitates the integration of sustainability concepts and inquiry into education and research. The Energy and Emissions Officer develops initiatives and implements strategies to conserve energy and reduce the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustainability Initiatives Coordinator works with campus units to assess existing practices and facilitate sustainability initiatives that contribute to more sustainable operations on campus. The Community Engagement Coordinator coordinators sustainability community engagement initiatives and communications.