Formalized Office Centralizes University鈥檚 Longstanding Environmental Efforts
The university's popular Community Garden Program is one of the many environmental efforts supported by the new Office of Sustainability.
03/19/2015
By Ed Brennen
What is new, though, is the university鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, which was launched this semester to provide a centralized, campuswide resource for those longstanding efforts.
鈥淭he importance of this office can鈥檛 be overstated,鈥� says Richard Lemoine, director of environmental and emergency management and co-chair of the Committee for Sustainability. 鈥淭his gives the university the opportunity to centralize all of its sustainability services and to provide support and access to our curriculum, to our research, to our building operations, to our infrastructure. It allows us to share best practices for sustainable efforts throughout the fiber of the university.鈥�
The Committee for Sustainability was recently established as a committee for the university鈥檚 2020 Strategic Plan.
鈥淭he recognition of the 2020 Plan is big,鈥� says committee member and Director of Administrative and Office Services Tom Miliano, who credits Chancellor Marty Meehan for continuing to make sustainability a priority. 鈥淚t鈥檚 his leadership, his desire to bring us there, that is a really important aspect of our success.鈥�
The STARS align
While the Office of Sustainability settles into its new space at University Crossing (Suite 140), it already has been busy.
For the first time, the university is signing up for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a self-reporting framework that measures the sustainability performance of colleges and universities. Managed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), it awards bronze, silver, gold or platinum status. In February the university also submitted data to the Princeton Review as it seeks to be designated as a 鈥淕reen Campus.鈥�
To help compile all the required data for those reviews, the university hired two consultants last fall, Mary House and Kelley Begin, from the firm of Woodard & Curran. Thanks to her close work analyzing the university鈥檚 existing sustainability efforts, House will now serve as the first-year director of the Office of Sustainability.
鈥淭his is a continuum of building upon the great work that鈥檚 been happening here for a long time,鈥� says House, who adds that she has been continually impressed with the tremendous progress the university has made in its sustainability efforts over the past five years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really been a natural progression. All the pieces fell into place wonderfully,鈥� Miliano says of the partnership with Woodard & Curran. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e helped guide us to where we need to be.鈥�
Sowing the seeds
According to committee member Ruairi O鈥橫ahony, completing the STARS and Princeton Review processes benefits the university in a multitude of ways.
鈥淥bviously the ratings are great, but this is just going to serve as a resource for the entire university as we aim to further develop and refine our sustainability program,鈥� says O鈥橫ahony, manager of Transportation Demand Management and Parking Services. 鈥淚t gives us an excellent set of a baseline data that we can use to see where we are and where we need to go.鈥�
And by bringing existing efforts like LEED-certified buildings and electric vehicle charging stations together under one roof with the Office of Sustainability, expectations are for increased collaboration, focus and synergy 鈥� as well as savings.
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鈥淵es, we鈥檙e doing this because there鈥檚 an environmental benefit, but it鈥檚 beneficial to the campus in terms of operating budget, cost reductions, energy generation,鈥� O鈥橫ahony says. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 a green movement, but it鈥檚 green in both senses.鈥�
Miliano agrees that鈥檚 an important element to remember as the Office of Sustainability takes root.
鈥淩uairi said something recently that stuck with me, 鈥業f we鈥檙e doing sustainability right, you shouldn鈥檛 notice it as a stand-alone program.鈥� And that鈥檚 our goal: to integrate it and have it permeate throughout every aspect of the campus, but doing it so it鈥檚 not only environmentally sustainable, but it鈥檚 financially sustainable, it鈥檚 operationally sustainable, it鈥檚 culturally sustainable,鈥� Miliano says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important for us to do it the right way.鈥�
You can contact the Office of Sustainability by emailing sustainability@uml.edu or calling 978-934-6360.