OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTFISCAL YEAR 2013

FY 2013 Report 2 Oregon State University

Table of Contents

Brandon TrelstadSustainability Coordinator

Marshall MosesGraphic Design Student

Samantha WalterDigital Media and

Outreach Coordinator

Sustainability OfficeAugust 2014

AcknowledgementsExecutive SummaryIntroductionAssessment, Awards and RecognitionSTARS Key IndicatorsSubcategories of Significant Change FY12 & FY13 Curriculum Air and Climate Dining Services Water Diversity and Affordability Health, Wellbeing and Work Investment Public Engagement

Subcategories of high performance Campus Engagement Research Grounds Coordination, Planning and GovernanceSubcategories of potential improvement Buildings Energy Purchasing WasteHighlights Beyond STARS

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FY 2013 Report 3 Oregon State University

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the following members of the OSU Sustainability Advisory Council for contributing to this report.

• EmilyBowling,StudentLeadershipandInvolvement• BrigitteCluver,SchoolofDesignandHumanEnvironment• LucasFriedrichsen,CommunityNetwork• SonjaMae,OSUSustainabilityOffice• AndreaNorris,CampusRecyclingandSurplusProperty

FY 2013 Report 4 Oregon State University

Executive Summary

OregonStateUniversity’spositivetrendsinsustainabilityperformancelargelycontinuedinFiscalYear2013(FY13).Althoughalreadynationallyrecognizedasasustainabilityleader,OSUstrivestobeinthetop10collegesanduniversitiesintheUnitedStatesforexcellenceinsustainability.SinceFY10,OSUhasreliedonkeyperformanceindicatorsgeneratedfromtheSustainabilityTracking,AssessmentandRatingSystem(STARS),acomprehensiveratingsystemofsustainabilityinhighereducation.Despitesignificantgrowthinstudentenrollmentandbuildingsquarefootage,OregonStatehasthreetimesachievedaGoldratingfromSTARS,recentlyimprovingitsnumericscore.

In2013,theSTARSassessmenttoolunderwentamajorupgradeandconsolidationofcredits,temporarilymakingpreciseyear-to-yearcomparisonsdifficult.Wherepossible,thisreportbothattemptsandexam-inesthelimitationsofcomparisons.ThefollowingfiguresummarizesOSU’ssustainabilityperformanceindicatorcategoriesforFY13.

SomenegativetrendingareasareduetochangesinmethodologybetweenSTARSversions,whileothersindicateopportunitiesforimprovement.Aswithanylargeorganization,someimprovementswillbemoreeasily attained than others. OtherachievementsfromFY13includecompletingtwolargesolararrays,hostingtheHarvestingCleanEnergyConferenceandestablishingabikeloanprogramandanundergraduateresearchgrantprogram.

Fiscal Year Submission Date STARS Version STARS Score2010 Jan. 31, 2011 1.0 69.742012 May 11, 2011 1.2 68.952013 Apr. 30, 2014 2.0 70.65

Positive trending indicator categories, FY12-FY13• Curriculum• AirandClimate• Transportation• Investment• PublicEngagement

Negative trending indicator categories, FY12-FY13• DiningServices• Energy• Purchasing• Water• Health,WellbeingandWork

High performing indicator categories, FY13• CampusEngagement• Research• Grounds• Coordination,Planning&Governance• Diversity&Affordability

Low performing indicator categories, FY13• AirandClimate• Buildings• DiningServices• Energy• Purchasing• Waste• Water• Investment

Figure 1

Fig. 2

FY 2013 Report 5 Oregon State University

STARS Ratings(all versions)Platinum 0Gold 62Silver 128Bronze 60Reporter 20

Introduction

Continuingatrend,OregonStateUniversity(OSU)maintainedpositivemovementacrossmanysustainabilityindicatorsduringFiscalYear2013(FY13).OSUaspirestobeinthetop10collegesanduniversitiesintheUnitedStatesrecognizedforexcellenceinsustainability.Withrankingslike11thoutofthe164schoolsontheSierraClub’sCoolSchoolslist,beingnamedtoThePrincetonReview’s2013 Guide to 322 Green Colleges (out ofaround800surveyed)andotherawardsdetailedbelow,theuniversityhas continued to consistently place in the top 25 for sustainability efforts.

Thisreport,basedlargelyonthenowwidelyadoptedSustainability Track-ing,AssessmentandRatingSystem(STARS),providesasummaryofindicatorsandhighlightsaccomplishmentsthatoccurredbetweenapproximatelyJuly1,2012andJune30,2013.

Recognitionfromentitiesthatconducthighereducationsustainabilityassessment,fromvariousperspectives,hasbeenfundamentaltounderstandingOSU’ssustain-abilitysuccess.InFY10,OSUforthefirsttimeparticipatedinSTARS,administeredbythe AssociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityinHigherEducation(AASHE).STARSismorecomprehensiveandstandardizedthananypreviousratingorrankingsystem and serves as the platform for the key performance indicators below. This annual report provides a single summary of sustainability performance indicators and highlights accomplishments and challenges.

InadditiontotheSTARSassessment,OSU’sratingsandrankingsforFY13arelistedhere.

The Princeton Review’s 2013 Guide to 322 Green Colleges:OSUwasrecognizedforSus-tainabilitypracticessuchasfoodsourcing,transportation,greenbuilding,opportunitiestofocusontheenvironmentandsustainabilityinstudentstudiesandenergyefficiency

League of American Bicyclists the Bicycle Friendly University program: OSU was awarded a Silver designation for providing a bicycle-friendly campusforstudents,staffandvisitors

Sierra Club gave OSU the highest green ranking in the state for its 2013 edition of “Cool Schools.”ThisputsOSU11thinthenation,risingfrom24thin2010.

Assessment, Awards and Recognition

Fig. 3

FY 2013 Report 6 Oregon State University

Best Workplace:OSU’smaincampushasbeendesignatedbytheNationalCenterforUrbanTransportationResearchasoneoftheBestWorkplacesforCommuters.Thisdesignationrecognizesemployersforoutstandingefforts to provide alternatives to the single occupancy vehicle.

OSU continues to experience growth in enrollment and an overall increase in building square footage.Despitethisgrowth,performanceonmanykeyindicatorsseemstohaveimprovedbutsomehavealsoslipped.DirectcomparisonsbetweenFY12andFY13aremadecomplicat-edbysignificantchangesintheSTARSassessmenttool;thesechangesarediscussedindetailbelowandthroughoutthisreport.Becauseofthesechanges,thisreportfocusesongeneraltrendsusingmethodsthatprovidesomelevelofcomparability,recognizingthecomparisonsare imperfect.

BetweenFY10andFY13,totalstudentenrollmentgrewanastounding20%,from21,969to26,393.Onequarterofthis20%(4424student)increasewasenrolledinEcampuscoursesonly;theywerenotnecessarilyphysicallypresentattheCorvalliscampus.Overthesameperiod,campusbuildingsquarefootagegrewbyaround12.5%,fromaround7millionsquarefeettonearly7.9millionsquarefeet.Thissectionoffersshortnarrativesinthreesubsections,whichprovideamoresummarizedfashionthanpreviousannualreports:

1. areas of significant performance change (large improvements or declines) 2. areas of consistently high performance 3. areas for potential improvement.

InOctober2013,AASHElaunchedSTARS2.0.Thisnewversionprovidesimprovedclarificationanddefinitions,andisbasedmoreheavilyuponrecognizedstandardsandprotocolsrelevanttosustainabilitywork.ExamplesofotherstandardsandprotocolsincludetheInternationalLaborOrganization,Green Sealcleaningproducts,LEED or the LivingBuildingChallenge for greenbuildings.Importantly,consolidationofcreditsandreductionofthenumberoftotalassessmentsystempointsfrom300to200helpsstreamlinereporting,butmakesdirectcomparisonsbetweenversionsverydifficult.BecauseofthechangefromSTARS1.x(underwhichOSUsubmitteditsFY10andFY12data)toSTARS2.0(underwhichFY13dataweresub-mitted),comparisonsbetweenFY10,FY12andFY13areneithersimplenorstraightforward.

Withthesechangesintheassessmenttool,analysisofOSU’sgeneralperformancetrendsisimperfectbutnotimpossible.ThefollowingtwofiguresshowOSU’scategory(highestlevelsummary)scoresforbothversionsofSTARSforallthreefiscalyears.Pointvaluesandper-centages are provided below to show relative weight and performance within each category. FY10andFY12areshowntogethersincetheywerepartofthesameassessmenttoolversion.

STARS Key Indicators

FY 2013 Report 7 Oregon State University

Figure 4: STARS version 1.x summary figure (FY10 and FY12)Figure 5: STARS version 2.0 summary figure (FY13)

*Performance changes between FY12 and FY13 are due in part to changes in the STARS assessment tool

AlthoughnotdirectlycomparablebecauseofchangesbetweenSTARSversions,thesehighestlevelcat-egory scores reveal:

•ContinuedstrongperformanceinAcademics(formerlyEducation&Research) •SuperbperformanceinEngagementaswellas,toalesserextent,Planning&Administration •WeakerperformanceinOperations.

Asshowninthefiguresabove,OSU’soverallscoreimproved4%betweenFY13andFY12,indicatingposi-tiveinstitutionalprogress,particularlyinlightofupdatedmethodologyinthenewassessmenttool.Unfortunately,atthetimeofthiswriting,itisnotpossibletocompareOSU’sFY13scorestonationalaver-agesofotherhighereducationinstitutionsbecauseAASHEhasnotyetperformedthenecessarycalcula-tions.ThisisinpartduetotherelativelylownumberofschoolsusingthenewSTARSversion2.0.ItisanticipatedthatthesecomparisonswillbeavailablebythetimetheFY14reportiscomplete.

BecauseofthesignificantchangesintheSTARSassessmenttoolandthedesiretobeconcise,thisreporttakesamoreconsolidatedapproachtotrendanalysisthanpastannualreports,whichincludeddiscussiononacredit-by-creditbasisofsignificantchanges,strengthsandweaknesses.ThisFY13reportperformsthesameanalysis,butattheSTARSsubcategorylevel.

Itshouldbenoted,however,thatnotallareasoftheSTARSassessmenttoolhavechangedandmaynotchangesubstantiallyovertime,sopastanalysesarestillrelevanttoOSU’sprogress,butnotrepeatedinthisreport.Whilethisandsubsequentreportswillfocusonsubcategorytrends,readersareencouragedto explore the full set of credit scores in this document’s appendix.

STARS 1.x Category Name Points Possible

FY10%

FY12%

Change%

Education&Research 99.75 69.7% 72.0% 2.2%Operations 100.00 48.2% 49.5% 1.2%Planning,Admin&Engagement

100.00 68.4% 74.5% 6.1%

Total 299.75 62% 65% 3%

STARS 2.0 Category Name Points Possible

FY13%

Change*%

Academics(AC) 58 78.7% 6.8%Engagement(EN) 41 85.7% 11.1%Operations(OP) 69 45.6% -3.9%Planning&Administration(PA) 32 80.6% 6.0%

Total 200 69% 4%

FY 2013 Report 8 Oregon State University

ThissectiondetailschangesbetweenFY12andFY13performancewithinSTARSsubcategories.“Signifi-cantchange”isconsideredheretobegreaterthan+/-10%forSTARSsubcategoryscores;thosescoresarehighlightedinthefigure.Thenarrativesfollowingthefigurebelowdiscusspossiblereasonsforthesesignificantsubcategoryscorechanges.Asevidentinthefigure,thenumberofpointspossiblewithinaSTARSsubcategoryheavilyimpactsthatsubcategory’sinfluenceontheinstitutionalscore.AlowerscoreinDiningServices,forexample,ismorethanoffsetbyanimprovedscoreinCurriculum.

WhiletheFY12SustainabilityReportexaminedtherelationshipbetweenindividualcreditsandcomparedperformanceovertime,theconsolidationofcreditsinSTARS2.0makesthatcomparisonimpracticalto-day.Forexample,therewere300pointspossibleinSTARS1.2and200pointsareavailableinSTARS2.0.This report will therefore examine changes at the subcategory level.

Figure 6: STARS subcategory comparison – areas of significant change.

Subcategories of significant change between FY12 and FY13

STARS version 2.x subcategory name PointsPossible

FY13FY12-FY13% ChangeScore %

CampusEngagement 20 20.00 100% 1.41%Curriculum 40 28.17 70% 19.13%Research 18 17.50 97% 0.63%Air and Climate 11 6.50 59% 23.21%Buildings 8 2.88 36% 9.08%Dining Services 7 2.76 39% -40.81%Energy 10 0.33 3% -7.43%Grounds 4 3.63 91% -9.25%Purchasing 6 3.39 57% -9.63%Transportation 7 4.43 62% 8.33%Waste 10 4.49 45% -0.22%Water 6 3.14 52% -47.67%Coordination,Planning&Governance 8 7.67 96% -4.13%Diversity & Affordability 10 8.91 89% -10.90%Health, Wellbeing and Work 7 5.09 73% -17.16%Investment 7 4.11 59% 12.45%Public Engagement 21 15.12 72% 17.61%

Total 200 138.03 69% 4%

FY 2013 Report 9 Oregon State University

Curriculum (FY12-FY13 change: +19.1%)

TheCurriculumsubcategoryisonewheresomeofthemostsignificantchangesoccurredbetweenSTARS2.0andpreviousversions.FourpreviouscreditswereconsolidatedinthenewAcademicCoursescredit:

•Sustainabilitycourseidentification •Sustainabilityfocusedcourses •Sustainabilityrelatedcourses •Sustainabilitycoursesbydepartment.

WhenlookingattheaggregatedscoreofthefourSTARS1.2creditsabove,inFY10OSUscored43%ofpossiblepointsandforFY12scored50%ofpossiblepoints.ThescoreinthenewAcademicCoursescreditis88%ofpossiblepoints.Changesandimprovementsininternalassessmentmethodologywerelikelythelargestcontributorstothescoreimprovement.AsignificantdifferenceindataavailabilitythroughOSU’sever-expandingcurriculumproposalsystemprovidedSustainabilityOfficestaffaccesstocoursesyllabi.Thisenabledamorethoroughreviewthaneverbefore,whenpreviouslynocomprehensivesyl-labusinventoryexisted.ForFY13,theOSUevaluatorsbroadenedthedefinitionofsustainabilityusedforthisanalysis,specificallythesocialaspectofsustainability,allowingformorecoursestobecountedassustainabilitycoursesoracoursewithsustainabilitycontent.ReasonsforthischangeincludeclarificationofguidancefromSTARSontheircreditcriteriaandarefinementoftheOSU-developedassessmenttool.Manyofthesecoursesincludesubjectmatterrelatingtoequityofwomen,queer-identifiedpeople,eth-nicity,raceandclass.

ChangeswithinSTARSdefinitionsandguidancewerealsoafactor,butthoseimpactsonOSU’sscoreareunknown.Previouslycalledsustainabilityfocusedandsustainabilityrelatedcourses,STARSnowusessimplerlanguagelistedinthefigurebelow.Also,undergraduateandgraduatecourseswerecountedsep-aratelyforthefirsttime,requiringtotalingthecourses(below)toenableapples-to-applescomparisons.

Inthefigureabove,thereisasubstantialdifferenceinthetotalnumberofcoursesofferedinFY12andFY13.Nearlyallofthisdifferenceisduetoachangeinthetoolsusedforidentifying,sortingandfilter-ingcourses.Also,forFY13abetterunderstandingofandrelianceonOSU’scurriculumproposalsystemresultedinmoreconsistentresultsandotherrefinementsintheprocessweremaderesultinginamoreaccurate representation of course offerings.

Undergraduate Graduate Total

Numberofsustainabilitycoursesoffered,FY13(formerlysustainabilityfocusedcourses,FY12)

69 43 112(7.7%)68(2.5%)

Numberofcoursesofferedthatincludesustainability,FY13(formerlysustainabilityrelatedcourses,FY12)

104 60 164(11.3%)329(12.1%)

Totalnumberofcoursesofferedbytheinstitution,FY13(total,FY12)

864 586 14502727

Fig. 7

FY 2013 Report 10 Oregon State University

Notallofthescoreimprovementinthisareashouldbeattributedtodifferencesinmethod-ology,butitisdifficulttoknowtowhatdegreeOSU’sactualperformancebecamemoreinalignmentwithSTARS’sstandards.Anecdotalobservationsthroughsyllabireview,coursedescriptions and direct student input seems to suggest more actual sustainability related contentinOSUcourses,relativetopreviousassessments.Inadditiontonewinitiativeslikethesustainabilitydoubledegree,sustainabilitycontentseemstobegrowingrapidlyinthesocialaspectofsustainability,asnotedabove.

Encouragingly,departmentshavebegunusingthenewSustainabilityCourseCriteriade-velopedbytheSustainabilityOfficetoinformacademicoutcomes.Forexample,theSchoolofDesignandHumanEnvironmentincludedaSocialResponsibilityschool-leveloutcomeinclusive of many of the sustainability principles listed in the Criteria. The outcome states: “Students will develop a framework of social responsibility to evaluate how their decisions willimpactsocietyinglobalcontexts.”Toservetheschool-leveloutcome,allDHEstu-dentstakeasustainability-focusedcourse,ENGR350(SustainableEngineering).Addition-ally,allApparelDesignandMerchandisingManagementstudentswilltaketwosustainabili-ty-relatedcoursesofferedwithinDHE,(1)DHE170and(2)DHE475.TheApparelDesignandMerchandising Management syllabi use wording directly from the Criteria.

TwocreditswithintheCurriculumsubcategoryscorednopoints:SustainabilityLiteracyAssessmentandIncentivesforDevelopingCourses.Asinpreviousyears,OSUdoesnotconduct entry or exit surveys to assess sustainability literacy of students before and af-tertheiruniversityexperience.Arepresentativesample,notnecessarilythefullstudentpopulation,wouldneedtobesurveyedtoearnthiscredit.Similarly,OSUdoesnotofferin-centives for faculty to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability intoexistingcoursesordepartments.Incentivesneedtobeavailabletoanydisciplineandmayincludereleasetime,fundingforprofessionaldevelopment,andtrainingsofferedbytheinstitution.Incentivesforexpandingsustainabilityofferingsinacademic,non-credit,and/or continuing education courses count for this credit.

Air and Climate (FY12-FY13 change: +23.2%)

WithintheAirandClimatesubcategory,alargeamountoftheavailablepointsfallwithinthecreditspecifictogreenhousegas(GHG)emissionsreduction.ForFY12,OSUachieved26%oftheavailablepointsfortheGHGreductioncreditandforFY13,55%ofavailablepointswereattained.STARS2.0nolongerprovidesaseparatecreditandtwofullpointsforsimplyproducingapubliclyavailableGHGinventory,butrathergivesasmallcreditonlyforpublic availability.

MuchoftheimprovementinOSU’sscorecanbeattributedtoa15%reductioninGHGemissionsbetweenFY12andFY13,makingprogresstowardmeetinganaggressivetargetofclimateneutralityby2025.PresidentRay’sApril2007signingoftheAmericanCollegeandUniversityPresidentsClimateCommitment(ACUPCC)hasmotivatedsomeactionandOSUhasbeenabletocapitalizeuponotheropportunitiessince2007.

AlargeportionofOSU’sreductionisaresultofrefinementofplantoperationsattheEn-ergyCenter,OSU’scogenerationfacilitythatproducesnearlyhalfoftheCorvalliscampus’

FY 2013 Report 11 Oregon State University

electricityandallsteamusedforbuildingheat.Withcogeneration,orcombinedheatandpower,amajorityofsteamiscreatedfromthe“waste”heatthatisinherentwiththeelec-tricalgenerationprocess.Bycapturingthiswasteheat,efficienciesskyrocket.BecauseofthecomplexitiesofsystemsattheEnergyCenter,finetuninghastakenseveralyearsandfurtherrefinementmayachieveevenmoresavingsinthefuture.

Other contributing factors to OSU’s dramatically improved score in Air and Climate include ongoingenergyefficiencyeffortsinexisting,olderbuildingstockandcontinuedpayofffromprojectslikelightingupgradesandfederalstimulus-fundedsteamtrapreplacements.Also,fewerairmilestravelled,andashiftfromairtraveltogroundtransportation(busses)forAthletics,contributedtoareductioninemissions.

Dining Services (FY12-FY13 change: -40.8%)

CreditsforthissubcategorywithintheolderversionofSTARS(1.2)weresplitintotwoparts: one quantitative credit focused on food and beverage purchasing and a long series of qualitative quarter points that gave full or no credit for activities such as having recycled contentnapkins,providinginformationtopatronsabouttrans-fatsandveganoptions,andhavingfooddonationprogramsinplace.InSTARS2.0,thequalitativequartersofonepointhavebeenconsolidatedandrefined.Onecreditfocusesonpurchasinganddiningpracticesbroadly,whilethesecondcreditdealswithanimalproductssourcingandvegan-ism.Becauseofthismajorchangeinthecreditstructure,pointcomparisonsbetweenFY12andFY13arenotpossible.However,theslidedownwardinthesubcategoryscorecentersnearly entirely on a single metric: the percentage of dining services food and beverage expendituresthatarelocalandcommunity-basedand/orthirdpartyverified.Thisisalsotheportionofthecreditworththemostpoints,reflectingthehighimpactmadebyourfoodchoices.Forthismetric,UniversityHousingandDiningServicesreportedforFY12that36%offoodexpendituresmeetoneormoreofthecriteriaforthiscredit,whileinFY13,UHDSreported17.4%.Muchofthereasonforthischangecentersonbetterdataanalysisforreportingactualfoodpurchases.Institutional-scalefoodpurchasingoftenpresentsinsurmounfigurechallengesindataandstatisticalgranularityneededtomakeaccurateassessmentsoffoodsourcingandsustainability.Inamoredata-drivenapproach,UHDSstaffmadeconsiderableeffortstoreportthemostaccurateinformationpossibleforFY13,investingasignificantlyhighernumberofhoursthanhasbeeninvestedinpastreports.ItislikelytheFY13numbersfarexceedanypreviousestimatesinaccuracyandcomprehen-siveness. Another factor contributing to a lower score in this subcategory is the ever-increasing level ofgranularityanddetailneededasSTARSbreaksapartandaddsaspectstodining-relatedcredits.Forexample,animalproduct-specificquestionswerenotaskedinpreviousver-sionsofSTARS,butinSTARS2.0,animalproductandveganrelatedquestionscomprisethree-sevenths of the available points within the Dining Services subcategory. Know-ingthesequestionswillbeonthenextSTARSassessmentbetterenablesUHDSandtheSustainabilityOfficetocreateinternalreportingsystemsandprotocolsthatmatchSTARSreporting expectations.

FY 2013 Report 12 Oregon State University

Water (FY12-FY13 change: -47.7%)

STARS2.0hasamuchmorehighlyrefinedapproachtoawardingpointsforwaterusethanpreviousSTARSversions.Somechangesinclude:

•Differentiationbetweenpotableandnon-potablewateruse •Differentiationbetweenrecycled/reusedwaterfrombothon-andoff-campus sources •Calculationbasedontotalcampusacreage,farmland,vegetatedandlandscaped grounds,tocreateaseriesofnormalizingfactorsanddifferentweightedcalcula- tions for area types •Calculationbasedoncampusgrosssquarefootage.

OSU uses non-potable water in place of potable sources for toilet and urinals in Kel-leyEngineeringCenterandalsoforboilermakeupwaterintheEnergyCenter.Theuseofrainwater is not measured and estimates were not available on a timeline that allowed for timelySTARSsubmission.TheSustainabilityOfficehopestomakeestimatesfortheFY14STARSsubmissiontogetcreditforcurrentandexpandinguseofrainwater,andreductionof potable water reliance. OSU’shighscoreintheWatersubcategoryforFY12waslargelyaresultofareductioninwateruse(231,523,952gallons)relativetothe2005baselineyear(267,228,984gallons).ForFY13,wateruserelativetothe2005baselineyearactuallyincreased,sinceOSU’stotalconsumptiontotaledaround274,140,653gallons.This,plusthechangesinscoringmethodologydiscussedabove,resultedina74%ofavailablepointsattainedforthewaterusecreditforFY10,100%ofavailablepointsforFY12andonly38%ofavailablepointsforFY13.Weatherrecordsindicatethat2012wasthefourthhighestrainfallyearonrecordforCorvallis,likelyimprovingtheFY12waterconsumptionscorebeyondwhatistypical,whenmeasured against the 2005 baseline.

OSU’sscoreintheWatersubcategorywasbuoyedsomewhatbyachievingallavailablepoints(2/2)fortheRainwaterManagementcredit.Pointsattainedforthiscreditwerefrom implemented practices like:

•usingLowImpactDevelopment(LID)practicesasamatterofpolicyorstandard practice to reduce rainwater/stormwater runoff volume and improve outgoing waterqualityfornewconstruction,majorrenovation,andotherprojects •employingrainwaterharvestingasnotedabove •utilizingporous(i.e.permeable)paving •installingbioswalesoncampus(vegetated,compostorstone).

Interestingly,STARS2.0offersonepointforwastewatermanagement,rewardinginstitu-tions for using ecological wastewater treatment systems like LivingMachines,constructedwetlandsandsimilartoolstotreatsewage,greywaterandthedirtiestwaterdischarges.Atthetimeofthiswriting,noGold-ratedinstitutionscoredpointsforthisnewcredit,re-flectingtheemergingandveryrarenatureofthispractice.

FY 2013 Report 13 Oregon State University

Diversity and Affordability (FY12-FY13 change: -10.9%)

Oregon State continues to demonstrate strengths in the topics covered by this subcatego-ry.Previous100%scoreshavedeclinedslightlyduetoamorerigorousandquantitativelookataffordability.STARS’assessmentofdiversityinitiativescontinuestobequalitativeandOSUhasagainscoredfullpointsinthediversityrelatedcreditsofthissubcategory.Foraffordability,quantitativeindicatorsarelistedbelow.Indicatorsthattheinstitutionisaccessibleandaffordabletolow-incomestudents:

Scoringacrosstheindicatorsiscumulative.Forexample,aninstitutionthatreports100%forthreeofthefourindicatorswouldearn3pointsforthiscredit.Likewise,aninstitutionthatreports75%ormoreforallfourindicatorswouldearn3points.

Health, Wellbeing and Work (FY12-FY13 change: -17.2%)

ThelowerFY13scorewithinthissubcategorydoesnotreflectsomuchlowerOSUperfor-manceasitdoestheadditionoftheWorkplaceHealthandSafetycredittothissubcate-gory,andthemovementofsomehighOSUperformancequalitativecreditstoothersub-categories.Thehighperformingcreditsmovedincludetheemployeeeducatorsprogram,employeeorientationandstaffprofessionaldevelopment,inallofwhichOSUscored100%ofavailablepointsallthreeyearsoftheSTARSassessment.Toderivethe73%ofavailablepointsscore,theHealthWellbeingandWorksubcategoryscoreforFY13wascomparedtoascoreof90%withintheSTARSversion1.2humanresourcessubcategory.OnthenewWorkplaceHealthandSafetycredit,OSUscored0.71pointsofapossible2pointsbasedonthenumberofreportableworkplaceinjuriesandoccupationaldiseasecasesperFTEem-ployeeintheperformanceyear(FY13)relativetothebaselineyear(FY05).Althoughthenumberofcaseshasdeclinedfrom175inFY05to153inFY13,STARSonlyawardsfullpointsforzeroreportableinjuriesandcases.

ApositiveimprovementinscoreforthissubcategoryisthenewSTARSassessmentofem-ployeesatisfaction.PreviousversionsofSTARSdidnotallowpartialpointsforthiscredit.Therefore,institutionswouldneedtoassessarepresentativesampleofemployeestogetanypointsforthecredit.STARS2.0offersincrementalpointsbasedonthepercentageofemployeesassessed.Inearly2014,theOfficeofEquityandInclusionconductedacampusclimatesurveythatincludedquestionsaboutemployeesatisfaction,employeeadvance-mentopportunitiesandworkculture.Whilethesurveysarenotmandatory,theresponserateishighatapproximately38%ofemployeesresponding.

Reflectingtheincreasinginstitutionalizationanddiversityofemployeewellnessprograms,the credit assessing such programs expanded from a qualitative quarter point to a one

Percentage (0-100)Thepercentageofenteringstudentsthatarelow-income 32Thepercentageofenteringstudentsthatarelow-income 76Thepercentageofstudentfinancialneedmet,onaverage 73Thepercentageofstudentsgraduatingwithnointerest-bearingstudentloandebt

10

Fig. 8

FY 2013 Report 14 Oregon State University

pointcreditwiththreeparts.Eachpartawards1/3ofapointforprogramsthatprovidewellnessrelatedsupporttostudents,facultyandstaff.InbothFY12andFY13,OSUwasabletoobtain100%scores.Simi-larly,theemployeecompensationcreditwassplitintothreepartsaskingseparatelyaboutthecompensa-tionoffaculty,staffandcontractors.OSUforbothyearsperformedwell,scoringhighmarksforfollowingsustainablecompensationstandards,guidelines,orpoliciesand/orcollectivebargainingagreementsforall of its workforce. Investment (FY12-FY13 change: +12.5%)

Nearlymakingitoutofthelowperformancestatus,OSU’sInvestmentsubcategoryscoreimprovedsignif-icantlysinceFY12,partlyduetoreportingforthefirsttimetheamountofholdingsinbusinessesselectedforexemplarysustainabilityperformance.TheOSUFoundationreported$6.76Mof$393.12Minvestedinsuchbusinesses,combinedwithqualitativepracticesincluding:

•Apubliclyavailablesustainableinvestmentpolicy •Usingitssustainableinvestmentpolicytoselectandguideinvestmentmanagers •Engaginginpolicyadvocacybyparticipatingininvestornetworksand/orengagingin inter-organizationalcollaborationstosharebestpractices.

Finally,inararecaseofaqualitativequarterpointchangepositivelyaffectingOSU’sscore,theInvestmentDisclosure credit moved from 0.25 to 1.0 points. OSU’s investment disclosure guidelines have been and areinfullalignmentwithSTARScriteria,resultinginaddedpointsfromthiscredit.

Public Engagement (FY12-FY13 change: +17.6%)

MuchofthechangeinscorewithinthePublicEngagementsubcategoryisrelatedtoreductioninthenumber of points associated with community service and OSU’s somewhat low score for this activity. WithinSTARS1.2,overone-thirdofthepointsforthePublicEngagementsubcategorywerederivedfromcommunity service credits. The new consolidated community service credit contributes fewer than one-quarterofthepointsforthissubcategory.Performancewise,despitethehighlevelofengagementacrosstheuniversitycommunityandtheCarnegieFoundation’scoveted‘CommunityEngagement’designation,OSU’sscoreisjust22%ofthecredit’savailablepoints.MuchlikeintheFY12report,thisperformanceislikely due less to on-the-ground participation and service and is more likely attributable to underreporting servicerelatedactivities.BecauseofOSU’slargesizeandthediversenumberofcampusandcommunityorganizationsinvolvedinservicerelatedactivities,accurateaccountingforservicehoursandheadcountwill be a work in progress for some time to come. There is not yet a culture on campus of reporting com-munity service and engagement activities resulting in many undocumented hours. OnestandoutresourcethatcontinuallyengagesstudentsinpublicserviceisGeosciences300,Sustain-abilityfortheCommonGood.GEO300isabaccalaureatecorecoursetypicallytakenbyseveralhundredstudentseachquarterinwhich,inadditiontootheracademicrequirements,eachstudentispartofa

FY 2013 Report 15 Oregon State University

six-studentgroupworkingfourhoursinthecommunityonsustainabilityprojects.SomeprojectshaveastrongenvironmentalfocusliketrailworkfortheCityofCorvallisandtheOSUMcDonaldForest,helpatFinlayWildlifeRefugeorhelping4Hwithhabitatimprovementatanelementaryschool.ManyserviceactivitiesincludestrongsocialandoutreachelementsliketablingatEarthFairbooths,producingavideoforcampussecurityonbicyclesafetyorhelpingonHabitatforHumanityprojects.TheseactivitieshavemadeanotableimpactintheyearssinceGEO300ProfessorSteveCookbeganchangingthecourse’scur-riculumtoemphasizeservice.Feedbackfromstudentshasbeenquitepositive,andfromthecommunity,overwhelmingly positive.MuchofthepositivetrendforthePublicEngagementsubcategoryisduetoverystrongperformance(100%scores)inthefollowingcredits:

•CommunityPartnerships •Inter-campusCollaboration •ContinuingEducation •CommunityStakeholderEngagement •ParticipationinPublicPolicy.

OSUstilldoesnotpursuetheTrademarkLicensingcredit.Institutionsgettwopointsforbecomingamem-beroftheFairLaborAssociation(FLA)orWorkerRightsConsortium(WRC)andforsigningontotheDesig-natedSuppliersProgram.OSUusesthelaborcodeCollegiateLicensingCompanyhasestablished.OregonUniversity System policy prohibits adopting limits on eligibility to enter business agreements unless based onabilitytoperform,evidenceofillegalactivitiesorothercriteriaprovidedbystatuteorBoardrule.OSUattempts to ensure that the companies making products that bear the university’s name are not partici-patinginsituationsthatputworkers’rightsandsafetyinjeopardy.OSUfollowsindustryguidesbutcan’tparticipateasamemberinWRCorFLA.

Subcategories of high performanceBecauseofOSU’srelativelysolidperformanceinanumberofsubcategories,thebarfor“highperfor-mance”hasmovedtomeanachieving85%ormoreofSTARSpoints.Thosesubcategoriesareboldedinthefigurebelow.

FY 2013 Report 16 Oregon State University

Figure 9: STARS subcategory comparison – areas of high performance.

Inspiteofbeingacomprehensiveand,inmanyplaces,thoroughassessmenttool,STARSisnotnecessarilythe authoritative answer to sustainability assessment for all institutions and gaps still exist. There is clearly moreworktobedoneinareaswhereOSUscoredwellorevenattainedallthepointswithinasubcategory,buttheSTARSassessmentprocessisintendedtohelpprioritizeinvestmentsmovingforward. Campus Engagement (FY13 score: 100%)

Credits within this subcategory are derived from the co-curricular education and human resources sub-categorieswithinthepreviousversionofSTARS.OSU’s99%scoreintheFY12co-curricularsubcategoryandits100%scoreforthethreeFY12humanresourcesrelatedcreditsresultedinanunsurprisingperfectscore in the new campus engagement subcategory.

OSU’s strong commitment to student engagement around sustainability led in part by several programs withintheStudentSustainabilityInitiativeandsupportedbyCampusRecyclingandtheSustainabilityOf-fice,coveredthestudentorientedcreditswithinthissubcategory.TheSustainabilityAdvocatesprogramandnewemployeeresourcescoordinatedbytheSustainabilityOffice,includingmaterialsfromNorthwestEarthInstitute,helpedreachfullpointsfortheemployeeorientedpartsofthissubcategory.

STARS version 2.x subcategory name PointsPossible

FY13FY12-FY13% ChangeScore %

Campus Engagement 20 20.00 100% 1.41%Curriculum 40 28.17 70% 19.13%Research 18 17.50 97% 0.63%AirandClimate 11 6.50 59% 23.21%Buildings 8 2.88 36% 9.08%DiningServices 7 2.76 39% -40.81%Energy 10 0.33 3% -7.43%Grounds 4 3.63 91% -9.25%Purchasing 6 3.39 57% -9.63%Transportation 7 4.43 62% 8.33%Waste 10 4.49 45% -0.22%Water 6 3.14 52% -47.67%Coordination, Planning & Governance 8 7.67 96% -4.13%Diversity & Affordability 10 8.91 89% -10.90%Health,WellbeingandWork 7 5.09 73% -17.16%Investment 7 4.11 59% 12.45%PublicEngagement 21 15.12 72% 17.61%

Total 200 138.03 69% 4%

FY 2013 Report 17 Oregon State University

Research (FY13 score: 97%)

WithOSU’sCarnegieClassificationasahighresearchintensityinstitution,andOSU’sdesignationasaland,sea,spaceandsungrantuniversity,highscoresinResearcharenotsurprising.Similartopreviousas-sessments,theonlyroomforahigherSTARSscoreiswithinthecreditthatmeasuresdepartmentsen-gagedinsustainabilityresearch,whereOSUdemonstratedengagementfrom69%ofdepartmentsthatconductresearch.TheSTARStargetforfullpointallocationis75%ofdepartmentsthatconductresearch.Forengagementattheindividualfacultylevel,STARSawardsfullcreditforthenumberoffacultydoingsustainabilityresearchwhen15ormorepercentoffacultyareengagedinsustainabilityresearch.Inter-estingly,theSTARStargetforfullpointswas25%inpreviousversions.ForFY13,OSUhasanastounding40%offacultyengaged.

Grounds (FY13 score: 91%)

FullcreditwasreceivedforFY10andFY12inthiscategoryofcreditsdueinparttoOSU’sapplicationofIntegratedPestManagement(IPM)-tovaryingdegrees-throughouttheCorvalliscampus.Also,theuniversitygainedpointsfor all qualitative credits including being a Tree Campus USA,utilizingnativeplantsandprotectingwildlifehabitat.Since it is unlikely OSU has achieved true sustainability in landscapingpractices,STARS2.0producedalikelymorerealisticscoreof91%ofavailablepointsforFY13.Theprimarydriverforthischangewasamajorshiftinhowthis credit scores practices and the granularity of quanti-tativedatarequired.Forexample,STARS2.0asksforthenumberofacresmanagedunderanIPMprogram,man-aged in accordance with a sustainable landscape man-agementprogramand/orismanagedorganically,thirdpartycertifiedand/orprotected.PreviousSTARSversionsrequired only a simple binary response. More information about OSU’s landscape practices is available at http://or-egonstate.edu/sustainability/natural-features.

Coordination, Planning and Governance (FY13 score: 96%)

AswitheachSTARSassessment,OSUhasattainedfullscores for having sustainability staff and committees. STARS’evaluationofsustainabilityinplanning-relateddocuments became much more robust and resulted in a 92%scorefortheplanningcreditduetotheuniversitynot having plans with measureable outcomes that address diningservices;purchasing;water;health,wellbeingandwork;andinvestment.

FY 2013 Report 18 Oregon State University

Subcategories of potential improvement This section details areas of potential score improvement and reasons for lower performance in some areas.Generally,subcategoriesforwhichtheuniversityscored59%orfewerofavailablepointsarein-cluded in this section.

Figure 10: STARS subcategory comparison – Subcategories of potential improvement.

Becausetheyhavebeendiscussedpreviouslyinthesubcategoriesofsignificantchangesectionofthisreport,thefollowingsubcategorieswillnotbeincludedinthediscussionhere:

•AirandClimate •DiningServices •Water •Investment

Buildings (FY13 score: 36%)

TheBuildingssubcategoryisonethathasnotchangedsignificantlybetweendifferentversionsofSTARS,andOSUcontinuestoscorelowduetonothavinganybuildingscertifiedunderagreenbuildingratingsystemforexistingbuildings,likeLEED®forExistingBuildings:Operations&Maintenance(O&M)and/oroperated and maintained in accordance with formally adopted sustainable operations and maintenance

STARS version 2.x subcategory name PointsPossible

FY13FY12-FY13% ChangeScore %

CampusEngagement 20 20.00 100% 1.41%Curriculum 40 28.17 70% 19.13%Research 18 17.50 97% 0.63%Air and Climate 11 6.50 59% 23.21%Buildings 8 2.88 36% 9.08%Dining Services 7 2.76 39% -40.81%Energy 10 0.33 3% -7.43%Grounds 4 3.63 91% -9.25%Purchasing 6 3.39 57% -9.63%Transportation 7 4.43 62% 8.33%Waste 10 4.49 45% -0.22%Water 6 3.14 52% -47.67%Coordination,Planning&Governance 8 7.67 96% -4.13%Diversity&Affordability 10 8.91 89% -10.90%Health,WellbeingandWork 7 5.09 73% -17.16%Investment 7 4.11 59% 12.45%PublicEngagement 21 15.12 72% 17.61%

Total 200 138.03 69% 4%

FY 2013 Report 19 Oregon State University

guidelines and policies that cover all of the following:

•Impactsonthesurroundingsite •Energyconsumption •Building-levelenergymetering •Usageofenvironmentallypreferablematerials •Indoorenvironmentalquality •Waterconsumption •Building-levelwatermetering

Intheothertwocreditsthatmakeupthissubcat-egory,OSUhasscoredwell,attainingfullscoresforindoor air quality and at least partial points for con-structing new buildings in accordance with green buildingguidelines.Previously,duringFY10,theEnergyCenterwascertifiedPlatinumandKearneyHallwascertifiedGold,garneringahigherscoreinthatyear.Also,allofOSU’smajorcapitalconstruc-tionprojectsaretypicallyLEEDSilverequivalentorbetter.However,thebuildingoperationsandmain-tenance credit carries the most weight in this sub-category.

Energy (FY13 score: 3%)

Aswithothercredits,qualitativequartersofapointfoundinpreviousversionsofSTARShavebeencon-solidatedundertheSTARS2.0BuildingEnergyConsumptioncredit.However,STARS2.0nolongerawardsanypointsforitemscoveredbythepreviousqualitativequarterpoints,suchasvendingmachinesensors,temperatureandlightingcontrols,andutilitymetering.OSUhadtraditionallyearnedallpossiblequali-tativequarterpointsintheEnergysubcategorybutsincepointsarenolongerawardedforthoseitems,OSU’s score has suffered. Another aspect negatively affecting OSU’s score is the discontinuation of insti-tutionalpurchasesofrenewableenergycertificates,whichearnedOSUupto0.35pointsinthepast.Notalltheaspectsofthissubcategorytrendednegatively,however.Thelargestsingleindicatorofenergysustainabilitythatmadepositiveprogress,pickingup0.32pointswhereOSUhadpreviouslyscorednopoints,istotalbuildingenergyconsumptionpergrosssquarefootoffloorareaimprovedrelativetoour2005baseline.IncreasedoperationalefficienciesattheOSUEnergyCenter,aswellascompletingaseriesofsmallenergyconservationprojectsoverthepastfewyearshaveheldenergyconsumptionlower,evenas the campus expands.

Purchasing (FY13 score: 57%)

Althoughatthehigherendofthelowerperformingspectrumwith57%ofavailablepointsscored,thePurchasingsubcategorysufferedfromtheadditionoftheLifeCycleCostAnalysiscredit.SinceOSUdoesnotperformanylifecycleanalysesonthegoodsitpurchases(fewschoolsdo),OSUscorednopointsforthenewcredit.Othercreditscoreswithinthissubcategoryareonparwithpastperformance,andmost

FY 2013 Report 20 Oregon State University

trendedslightlyupward.Electronicspurchasinginparticulartrendedpositively,inpartduetobetterandmore complete data thanks to efforts in OSU’s procurement group and continued purchases of predomi-nantlyEPEATGoldregistereddesktopandlaptopcomputers,displays,thinclients,televisions,andimagingequipment.

Waste (FY13 score: 45%)

Withinthissubcategory,OSUtrendedpositivelywithhigherscoresonWasteMinimizationandWasteDiversioncreditsthanFY12.AscoveredintheFY12annualreport,datapriortoFY12wereestimatedusingdumpstervolumesratherthanweights.FY12andFY13STARSsubmissiondatacamefromimproveddatagatheringandwastehaulingmeasurement,creatingwhatiseffectivelyonlyatwoyeartrend.SlightlylowerdiversionratesforconstructionwasteoffsetsomeofthegainsfromWasteMinimizationandWasteDiversion.Also,theeliminationandmovementofthequalitativequarterpointsnegativelyaffectedOSU’sscore in this subcategory.

Highlights Beyond STARSGround Mounted Solar

InpartnershipwiththeOregonUniversitySystemandSolarCity,OSUbeganandcompletedworkontwooffiveplannedgroundmountedsolararrays.Thefirsttwosites,bothlocatedontheCorvalliscampus,came

FY 2013 Report 21 Oregon State University

online in January 2013. This effort was started as part of the University System’s “Solar by Degrees” initia-tive,thegoalofwhichwastoinstall5megawattsofsolarpoweronOregon’spublicuniversitycampuses.Becauseofthepublic-privatepartnershipbetweenOSUandSolarCity,backedbytheOregonDepartmentofEnergy,Governor’sOfficeandothers,OSUpaidnearlynothingfortheprojectanditwillsavetheuniver-sitymoneyoverthelongrun.Theequipmentisowned,maintainedandoperatedbySolarCityandtheOSUpurchases power from the systems at rates lower than the local utility can provide. The solar equipment provides enough electricity to supply enough power for the surrounding university buildingseachyear,onanannualbasis.Thetwolocationswerechosentomatchelectricalloadwithavailablegroundspace.WorkonthreemoreinstallationsoccurredduringFY14.

Harvesting Clean Energy conference

OSU hosted the HarvestingCleanEnergyconference,theNorthwest’spremieregatheringoftheagricul-ture,forestry,andenergyindustriestoadvanceruraleconomicdevelopmentthroughcleanenergy.Hun-dreds of attendees got hands-on guidanceforcleanenergyprojectsat this three day event. The event brought visibility to OSU energy and sustainability related accom-plishments through a guided tour of campus sustainability features attended by about 35 conference participants.

Transportation Options initiatives: Drive Less Connect and Bike Loan Program

Transportation Options (or alterna-tivetransportation)continuestobe a moderately high performing parameterforOSU,andtheuniver-sity’sscoreimproved8%overFY12.RegionaltraveldatashowthatCorvallis is an employment destina-tion: many more trips are made into Corvallis for the workday than leave Corvallis for other communities. Corvallis cost of living and other factors contribute to higher reliance on single occupancy vehicle travel. InitiativesbeguninFY13andaccel-eratinginFY14areaimedatreduc-ing reliance on the single occupancy vehicle. OSU’s partnership with

Fig. 11

FY 2013 Report 22 Oregon State University

the City of Corvallis in Collaboration Corvallis has resulted in more thorough communication between City anduniversityleadershipandthecommunitiesthatsurroundtheCorvallisCampus.ATrafficandParkingWorkgroupincludedparticipantsfromtheuniversityandcommunityandmadeaseriesofrecommenda-tionsintendedtoreducenegativeimpactsonsurroundingneighborhoodsfromuniversitygrowth.Fromthisprocess,severalTransportationOptionsinitiativeswerecreatedorenhancedincludingtheBikeLoanProgramandDriveLessConnect. The OSU BikeLoanProgramisapartnershipbetweenRecreationalSports,theStudentSustainabilityInitia-tive(SSI)andtheSustainabilityOffice.WithstartupfundingprovidedbySSIandCollaborationCorvallisandprogrammaticsupportfromRecSportsandtheSustainabilityOffice,theBikeLoanprogramstartedinJanuary2013withafleetof15bicyclesavailablefordaily,weeklyorquarter-longrentatverylowrates($5/day,$15/weekor$35/quarter).Sincegainingearlymomentum,theprogramquicklydevelopedawaitinglistthatattheendofFY13wasmorethantripletheavailablefleetofbicycles.DuringFY14,pro-grampartnersbeganplanningforexpansionofthefleetanditssupportsystems. EnhancedmarketingandoutreachforDriveLess.ConnectwasalsomadepossiblethroughsupportfromCollaborationCorvallis.Bysettingupanemailaddressimportmethodologyforuniversitystudents,facultyandstaff,combinedwithprizesandincentivesalreadyorchestratedbytheSustainabilityOffice,theOfficehasbeenabletodramaticallygrowutilizationoftheonlineridematchingandtripcalendaringsystem.

Sinceprograminception,thenumberofDriveLess.Connectusershascontinuedtoincrease.AsshowninFigure11,whiletheoverallgrowthtrendispositive,strongcorrelationsexistbetweentargetedoutreachefforts and increases in miles logged and other assessment parameters. These trends also follow the cy-clical nature of the academic calendar.

The Sustainability double degree ThisnewlyestablishedprogramwasrefinedandenrolleditsfirststudentsduringFY13.Thedoubledegreeexposesstudentstoreal-worldproblemsandfostersknowledge,skillsandabilitiestoaddresstheseprob-lemsincommunitiesandworkplaces.Instepwiththeinterdisciplinarynatureofsustainability,thedegreewas designed to complement all OSU degree programs and be earned as a second bachelors degree in ad-ditiontoamajorareaofstudy.Studentstakeasustainability“core”consistingof5courses:environmen-talscience,sustainablecommunities,sustainabilityassessment,andachoiceofseveral(1)economicsand(2)sociologycourses.Graduatesemergepreparedtocommunicateeffectively,workcollaboratively,andapplyknowledgeofeconomic,business,scientific,andsociologicalprinciplesofsustainabilitytoavarietyofcareerfields.

SSI Research Grant added to slate of grant programs.

Whilemanyhighereducationinstitutionsofferinternalgrantstoadvancesustainabilityoncampus,OSU’sStudentSustainabilityInitiative(SSI)offersavariety,scaleandscopethatareinnovative,asistheinter-relationshipbetweenthem.TheSSIisrunandoperatedbystudentsandisentirelystudentfeefunded.SSIadministersfourgrantprograms:ProjectGrants,TravelGrants,WageGrantsandGreenFeeGrants.DuringFY13,aResearchGrantprogramwasdevelopedtoofferopportunitiestargetedtoundergraduateresearch-ers.

FY 2013 Report 23 Oregon State University

TheResearchGrantprogramcreatesandsupportsopportunitiestousetheCorvallisCampusasalivinglaboratory for sustainability. To better integrate OSU’s renowned research into daily operations and im-provethestudentexperience,SSIdevelopedtheResearchGrantProgramtoadvancethesustainabilityoftheCorvalliscampus’builtenvironment,operations,policy,academics,andstudentengagementwithanapplied focus to encourage change in our own community.

Continued excellence in recycling programming

CampusRecyclingcontinuedprogrammingthatmovedOSUtowardwastereduction.Specifichighlightsare below.

Repair Fairs:TheWasteWatchers,astudentvolunteerteamjointlyco-ordinatedbyCampusRecyclingandtheStudentSustainabilityInitiative,started a new event series called the RepairFairs. At this twice-per-term event,volunteersfromtheon-andoff-campuscommunitiesofferedfreerepairsforcommonitemssuchasclothing,electronics,bicyclesandmore.InFY13organizersestimatethat200peopleattended,bringing207items,74%ofwhichwerefixed.

America Recycles Day:CampusRecyclinghostedaneventonthisna-tionallyrecognizeddaythatfocusedoncollectinghard-to-recycleitems,andwasopentoboththeon-andoff-campuscommunity.Injustfourhours,Recyclingcollected5,300poundsofelectronics,electronicstor-agemedia,batteriesandscrapmetal(doubletheweightcollectedthepreviousyear),plus29cubicyardsofStyrofoamandfilmplastic.

Res. Hall Move-Out Donation Drive:SurplusPropertyandCampusRecycling,incollaborationwithUniver-sityHousingandDiningServices,coordinatedanefforttoreducewasteduringresidencehallmove-outbyeducating residents and giving them the tools to recycle and donate as much as possible. Donations have been increasing every year since 2010.

Fig. 12

FY 2013 Report 24 Oregon State University

Da Vinci Days Festival waste:ThroughcollaborationwithdaVinciDaysstaff,RepublicServices,andcom-munityvolunteers,85%ofthetrashwasdivertedeithertorecyclingorcompost,maintainingthelowlevelsoflandfill-boundwasteaccomplishedsincethewastereductioninitiativebeganin2010.

4.1 Areas Exceeding STARS Credit MaximumsThissectiondetailsareaswhereOSUprojects,activitiesorprogramsreflectprioritiesand/orstrengthsoftheinstitutionandexceedbyasignificantmargintheSTARSpointthresholds.Thesearedifferentthanin-novationpointswhichstrivetobeinsomewayunique;theitemslistedbelowmaynotbeuniquebuthavedeveloped in an advanced enough way that they cannot be adequately captured or valued by the number ofSTARSpointsintheappropriatecredit.Toanextentpracticable,theauthorshavereviewedthescoresand qualitative information for other institutions to compare OSU’s performance.Sustainability double degree

Asnotedabove,thesustainabilitydoubledegreewasdesignedtocomplementallOSUdegreeprogramsandbeearnedasasecondbachelorsdegreeinadditiontoamajorareaofstudy.HavingthisdegreeinplacesignificantlyexceedstheundergraddegreeprogramscreditrequirementforAC-3: Undergraduate Program.

Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI)

Thescope,structureandimpactofSSIexceedsEN-3:StudentLifeintwoaspectsofthecredit:1)Student-runenterprisesthatincludesustainabilityaspartoftheirmissionstatementsorstatedpurposesand2)Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution. Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

Oregon State’s extensive connections with and support of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition exceed EN-9:CommunityPartnerships.Notableactivitiesinclude:

Fig. 13

FY 2013 Report 25 Oregon State University

•Staffingvariouscommitteesandactionteams,includingtheCoalitionSteeringCommittee, ExecutiveCommitteeandEnergyActionTeam •LeadershipofseveralactionteamsiscoordinatedbyOSUstaff,andleveragesuniversityresources through these channels •UsingthecampusasalivinglaboratoryforCoalitionactionteamprojects.Specifically,Energy ActionTeam,WaterActionTeamandWasteReductionActionTeamhavecatalyzedopportunities in this way •OSUSustainabilityOfficeistheprimaryfinancialandlogisticalsponsoroftheCoalition’sannual sustainabilityTownHallmeetings •PromotingCoalitioneventstothecampuscommunitythroughawidevarietyofchannels.

Open access policies and ScholarsArchive@OSU

OSUhasdemonstratedleadershipinprovidingaccesstoresearchsinceatleast2005whentheFacultySenate passed an Open Access resolution. The 2013 OpenAccessPolicyaffirmedthecampuscommu-nity’scommitmenttoitsland-grantmission,andtodisseminatingitsresearchandscholarshipaswidelyaspossible.Inadditiontothepublicbenefitofsuchdissemination,thispolicyisintendedtoservefacultyinterestsbypromotinggreaterreachandimpactforarticles.ForacreditwheretheaverageamongstallotherSTARSGolduniversitieswasjust0.79outof2points,OSU’sresearchprominenceisclear. Sustainability in Research

Withclearstrengthsinengineeringandthenaturalsciences,theamountofsustainabilityrelatedresearchatOSUcontinuestogrow.KeyresearchareaswithinCollegeofEngineering,forexample,includeSENERGI (SustainableEnergy&Infrastructure)whichincludescleanenergy,energymanagementandconserva-tion,andinfrastructure.Additionally,OSUhelpsleadtheOregonBESTSustainableBuiltEnvironmentResearchConsortium,whichworkstomakeiteasierforbusinessestoharnesstheintellectualcapitalofOregonuniversities.STARSawardsfullcreditforthenumberoffacultydoingsustainabilityresearchwhen15ormorepercentoffacultyareengagedinsustainabilityresearch.Interestingly,theSTARStargetforfullpointswas25%inpreviousversions.ForFY13,OSUhasanastounding40%offacultyengaged.

Collaboration Corvallis

CitizeninvolvementisthefoundationonwhichCollaborationCorvalliswascreated.TheCollaborationutilizesthreecitizenworkgroupstoevaluatecurrentmattersandconcernsassociatedwithtrafficandparking;planningandhousingissues;andlivabilitymattersinneighborhoodsnearbytheuniversity.

AjointsteeringcommitteemadeupofcityandOSUrepresentativesoverseestheoverallCollaborationproject,aswellasthethreeworkgroups.Theworkgroupsengagewithcommunityandcampusstake-holders–aswellasplanning,housingandtrafficexperts–toevaluateandrecommendpotentialsolu-

FY 2013 Report 26 Oregon State University

tions and new strategies to the Corvallis City Council and the leadership of Oregon State University. These activitiesexceedSTARSrequirementsforEN-13:CommunityStakeholderEngagement. Governance

OSUpridesitselfformechanismsthroughwhichstudents,staffandfaculty–ofanyrank–haveavenuestoparticipateinoneormoregovernancebodies.VariousOSUentities,suchasASOSU,theServiceEm-ployeesInternationalUnion,FacultySenateandcountlessothercommitteesandgroupsprovideanet-workofgovernancestructures.ThenewlyformedOSUBoardofTrustees,withstudent,facultyandstaffmembers,continuesthistransparencyandhelpsexceedSTARSrequirementsforPA-3:Governance. Support for Underrepresented Groups

TheOfficeofInterculturalStudentServices(ISS)existstoprovideamorefluidanddynamicorganizationfortheintersectionalitiesofrace,gender,class,ethnicidentity,andabilityinamorecomprehensiveandengagingapproach.Althoughtheseresourcesarefocusedonstudents,theyarealsoavailabletofacultyandstaff.FinancialsupportisprovidedbytheDiversityAchievementAward.Itisacompetitiveawardof-fered to entering undergraduate freshman and transfer students aimed at building upon the diversity and educationalgoalsoftheuniversity.Evaluationofawardapplicationandfinancialneedarealsofactoredinto the selection process. These and other efforts exceed PA-6:SupportforUnderrepresentedGroups.

Employee wellness programs OSUoffersextensiveemployeewellnessprograms,arguablyexceedingthe1.0pointsavailableinPA-11:WellnessProgram.Highlightsinclude:

TheFacultyStaffFitnessProgramwasstartedin1984with10activityclassesenrolling100indi viduals.Todaythereareanaverageof30-40classesservingover800faculty/staff,GTAs/GRAs, spouses/partners,andretireesoftheuniversityeachterm.Nomembershipfeesarecollected;amodestclass fee is all that is charged.

“LifeBalanceOSU” helps faculty and staff maintain a healthy balance in life. The program strives to create a family-friendly environment where your work life or school life can be balanced with your personal life. BeWellisanothereffortatOSUbytheHealthyCampusInitiative,acollaborationinvolvingstudents,facul-ty,andstaff.Byemphasizingacultureofwell-being,wesupportindividualsandourcommunityinadopt-ing and maintaining healthy behaviors that will improve quality of life. A healthy campus provides added value,beyondwhatindividualsprovideforthemselves.BeWellencouragesmembersoftheOSUCom-munitytoBeActive,EatHealthy,ManageStress,andstaySmoke-Free.Inadditiontoprovidingresources,servicesandprograms,ouraimistomakesustainablechangestothefabricofOSUthatwillresultinahealthier community. OSU’sEmployeeAssistanceProgram(EAP)isafreeconfidentialservicethatcanassistemployeeswithproblemsthatinterferewithdaytodayactivities.OSUhaschosenCascadeCenters,Inc.,asitsEAPproviderinwhicheligibleemployeesanddependentsarecovered.Thisconfidentialserviceprovidestelephonecon-tactand/orin-personsessionsasneededtoassistyouincompletinganintake,assessmentandreferral.