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Tales from Year One: Launching a Sustainability Office in Lean Times

Tales from Year One: Launching a Sustainability Office in Lean Times. Ged Moody Crystal Simmons Appalachian State University AASHE Conference October 11, 2010. Who are we?. Appalachian State University – Boone, NC – 3,333ft elev. 17,000 students, 7 colleges Part or 17-campus UNC System

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Tales from Year One: Launching a Sustainability Office in Lean Times

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  1. Tales from Year One: Launching a Sustainability Office in Lean Times Ged Moody Crystal Simmons Appalachian State University AASHE Conference October 11, 2010

  2. Who are we? • Appalachian State University – Boone, NC – 3,333ft elev. • 17,000 students, 7 colleges • Part or 17-campus UNC System • 20 year history degrees in - Sustainable Development - Renewable Energy • Office of Sustainability – 2 FTEs • Founded July 1, 2009 • Ged Moody, Director Crystal Simmons, Sustainability Specialist • 4 graduate assistants • Reporting to the VC for Business Affairs

  3. On your mark, get set…. • Started with a list of “40 things we’re gonna do!” • Food, transportation, buildings, curriculum, purchasing, website, renewable energy, and the list goes on…. • Listening Tour • “What is Sustainability?” • “So What?” • “Splintered” • “Usual Suspects”

  4. We learned… Organizationally not structurally prepared Institutional cultural vs. grassroots culture Initiatives were not fully understood, and thus difficult to support or fund No means to track/communicate success

  5. The backdrop? • Possibly, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression • The economy • Budget reductions and reversions of $8 million, mandated furloughs, loss of travel dollars and funds for supplies and equipment… • The fallacy that change requires increased budgets • Needed: Org. Structure, policy, awareness, financial modeling,… • Shrinking budgets do not play well with new initiatives • Irony of do-more-with-less is a Sustainability principle. The Realization: The Office of Sustainability cannot and should not do it all. It requires the subject matter experts to envision and own the initiatives that will transform our institution.

  6. Approach to establishing the office • Low Cost Approach: • Unused space, reused furniture • Four graduate assistants • Temporary to permanent employee track • Fellowship, grants, REI, … • Partner/leverage cross-campus resources • QUESTION: What are high impact activities that do not require large investments?

  7. Preparing the Organization • Build high level support • Cabinet access, highlight successes, ID champions • Restructure the Sustainability Council • Co-chair model • Key stakeholders • Faculty appointments • Creation of Sustainability Strategy Document • Provides cultural backdrop • Aligns with Campus Master Plan and Strategic Plan • Marketing Plan • Partnered with University Communications • Branding, Website, Annual Sustainability Report

  8. The Plateau: 15 Months Later: Today • Still an office of two plus GAs, • Budget restraints remain • However, the University is aligned • Organizationally prepared • Cultural preparedness is developing and will continue • Sustainability Council • NOW our list of 40 makes more sense • Recruiting new jobs • Utilizing subcommittees as ‘centers for leadership’ • STARS as institutional data • Climate Action Plan as strategic document • Successes in Year One • Significant physical/resource reductions • High degree of campus awareness • Interdisciplinary cooperations

  9. The envisioned future Engage the 11 Sustainability Council subcommittees as centers of leadership, populated by key stakeholders Integration of infrastructure and the academe in the effort to build the sustainable future through our students. Sustainability as a leadership activity Broad transparency in reporting (the truth shall set you free) We must now become versus envision. Sustainability is NOW, thus the concept of sustain Appalachian.

  10. the end. …our continuing obligation to progress our knowledge and our commitments to the principles of sustainability.

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