sustainability administrative structure recommendations

7/27/2019 Sustainability Administrative Structure Recommendations

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May 1, 2009

For President Jim Hamilton

Prepared by Arnica Rowan

Recommended by the

Okanagan College Sustainability Team


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Contributors

Peter Csandl, Operations and Energy Services

Sarah Dieno, Arts

Arch Doody, Security and Parking

Dave Goodall, Networks and Telecommunications

Graham Kershaw, Property and Services

Jen Paulson, Enviroclub (student)

Ellen Peterson, Biology

Brad Piontek, PurchasingSteve Robinson Sr. , Campus Planning and Facilities Management

Steve Ulliac, Enviroclub (student)

Brett VanderHoek, Business (student)

David Williams, Electronic Engineering Technology

Mitch Yrjola, Business (student)

Writer

Arnica Rowan, Business

Additional thanks to

Bob Eby, Finance


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Summary

Okanagan College has committed to taking three steps towards becoming a sustainable institution:

recommending a list of short-term actions, recommending an administrative structure to support

the institutions progress, and writing a long-term sustainability plan.

This document details the second step and recommends an administrative and organizational

structure that will support social responsibility, environmental integrity and financial viability in

classrooms, on campuses, and in the communities Okanagan College serves.

Building on the success of the Short-term Action Plan for Sustainable Change project, the first

recommendation is that specialty area groups (i.e.: Waste or Transportation) continue and

formalize as Sustainability Teams, with an Ambassador from that specialty area at the helm and

meaningful involvement by students and staff from various campuses.

From the Short-term Action Plan for Sustainable Change, many projects and initiatives were

identified that require dedicate staff time. Other important tasks, including writing the long-term

sustainability plan, pursuing funding and applying for project grants, conducting the STARS

assessment, conducting carbon tax assessments and preparing annual social and environmental

reporting to accompany yearly financial reports are also essential to support the colleges

commitment to sustainability.

Therefore secondly, to support the work of the Sustainability Teams and to ensure that the above

tasks and projects will be completed, it is strongly recommended that a Centre for Sustainability be

established with a Director and knowledge-specific Manager and Coordinator. The Centre would

not employ, but also include the Ambassadors from each Sustainability Team, Campus

Representatives from each of the four equal campuses, and representatives from student groups.

The Centre would meet as a whole with the leadership of the Sustainability Director to address

strategic and broad-based projects such as the long-term sustainability plan; the Sustainability

Teams would meet independently and be supported by the Sustainability Manager or Sustainability

Coordinator.

The Centre for Sustainability model encourages partnerships and meaningful contribution from

students and staff at every level of the institution. It is action-oriented, promoting shared decision-making and informed risk-taking, innovation and creativity.1

This document includes the goals of the administrative structure, details on organization and

projected information flows.

1 Okanagan Colleges Strategic Plan Key Directions


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Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Context ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

The Second Step .................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Goals ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Tasks to Accomplish .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Standards ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Centre for Sustainability ....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Sustainability Teams ......................................................................................................................................................... 8Fit............................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Leadership Team Ambassadors ................................................................................................................................ 9

Sustainability Teams Composition .............................................................................................................................. 9

Centre for Sustainability ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

Sustainability Director ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Sustainability Manager ............................................................................................................................................... 11

Sustainability Coordinator ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Appendix 1 Colleges with 2000-6000 FTEs and a Green Report Card Administrative Grade A ...... 14


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Context

The Second Step

The current Okanagan College Sustainability Team met for the first time in November, 2008. In

February and March 209, the team decided on a model to guide their work, conducted surveys,

reviewed and rated ideas from the college community on how to make the college more

environmentally sustainable, and published their recommendations in a Short-term Action Plan for

Sustainable Change.

The teams second task was to recommend an administrative and organizational structure that

would enable the college to write a long-term sustainability plan. After the experience of a

successful collaboration by members throughout the institution, writing the short-term plan, and

focused research into institutional success, the team was prepared to recommend an administrative

structure. This document details how to best move their work forward and to support long-termsustainability at Okanagan College.

Goals

To create an administrative structure that will produce a long-term Sustainility Plan forOkanagan College.

To ensure Okanagan College supports and demonstrates social responsibility,environmental integrity and financial viability in our classrooms, on our campuses, and inthe communities we serve.

To foster collaboration, innovation and a sense of community responsibility forsustainability amongst the campuses, schools and function areas of the college.

To support meaningful involvement by students and staff at all levels of the institution. To continue the momentum of positive change catalyzed by the Short Term Action Plan for

Sustainable Change, by implementing the recommendations from the short term and long

term plans.

To leverage Okanagan Colleges commitment to sustainability into enhanced communityand institutional partnerships, student enrollment,2 project revenues and employee

satisfaction.

2 The Princeton Review 2009 "College Hopes and Worries Survey" has found that 66 percent, up 3 percent

from 2008, of respondents would value the ability to compare college and universities based on their

commitment to environmental issues. Nearly a quarter said this information would very much or strongly

affect their college decision. The survey interviewed 12,715 high school students applying to college and

3,007 parents of college applicants.


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pg. 6

Tasks to Accomplish

The teams that recommended the Short Term Action Plan for Sustainable Change are prepared to

continue their work and implement the projects within their areas. However, the administrative

recommendations, as well as several others identified in the document, require leadership and

facilitation to support the teams commitment.

The following large tasks were identified as crucial for the success of Okanagan College

sustainability:

Research and facilitate the process of writing an OC sustainability plan. Pursue funding and apply for project grants. Conduct or facilitate annual STARS assessments. Conduct carbon tax assessments. Prepare annual social and environmental reporting to accompany yearly financial reports. Identify and implement projects that support social, environmental and financial

sustainability.

The following tasks were identified in the Short Term Action Plan for Sustainable Change, as

facilitated or completed by the Sustainable Administrative Structure:

Facilitate and monitor the implementation of the Short Term Action Plan for SustainableChange Recommendations.

Create and administer Sustainable Projects Fund. Vetting and tracking of savings initiatives. Liaise with community and other organizations. Help people build business cases for ideas and change. Support student orientations with up-to-date materials. Organize Sustainability Week speakers, events, etc. Ensure implementation of short-term action plan. Compile information on successful projects, promote, and post on the 3stepsforward

website.

Create and oversee installation of interpretive educational signage on the Centre forLearning building site and on all future construction projects.

Invite guest speakers from a variety of fields to the KLO campus and invite the localcommunity.

Host a sustainability day for Okanagan high school students. Create an in-house carpooling website for OC staff and students.


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pg. 7

Standards

The College Sustainability Report Card3 rates North American colleges and universities on their

sustainable efforts in the following categories: administration, climate change and energy, food andrecycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency,

investment priorities and shareholder engagement.

Other reporting on post-secondary sustainability such as the Sierra Clubs Cool Schools Top Ten4,

Macleans How Green is Your University?5and Forbes Magazines Americas Greenest Colleges6 have

all linked post-secondary institutions level of administrative commitment to their level of

achievement in sustainability.

Published annually by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, the 2008 Green Report Card showed

that schools with full-time staff devoted to sustainability rose dramatically in both colleges and

universities. The number of schools with full-time sustainability staff positions grew from 37 to 66percent from 2007 to 2008.

Of the colleges and universities with overall B- or higher grades

87% have at least one Sustainability Staff member 47% have a Centre for Sustainability with multiple Sustainability Staff members

Of the colleges and universities with overall A- or higher grades


It is important to look at institutions comparable in size to Okanagan College, which has

approximately 4500 FTEs.

Of the colleges and universities with 2000-6000 FTEs with B- or higher overall grades


Of the colleges and universities with 2000-6000 FTEs with A- or higher overall grades

100% Sustainability have at least one Sustainability Staff member 75% have a Centre for Sustainability with multiple Sustainability Staff members

3 www.greenreportcard.org4 http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200809/coolschools/5 http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/04/17/how-green-is-your-university/6 http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/02/college-harvard-uvm-biz-energy-cx_bw_0502greenu.html


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Centre for Sustainability

The Centre for Sustainability will foster innovation and dialogue, allow Okanagan College students,

staff and community members to share ideas and collaborate on projects together, and foster a

sense of responsibility and ownership for Sustainability in the Okanagan College community.Members throughout the institution belonging to the Centre for Sustainability will be empowered

to integrate sustainability into their primary job practice, wither it be studying or teaching or

managing a campus, and to drive a positive cultural shift through the institution.

Sustainability Teams

In the process of recommending the Short-term Action Plan for Sustainable Change, the specialty-

area groups expressed a strong desire to continue their work. They want to see their

recommendations come to fruition, and help work to write and implement on the Long-term

Sustainability Plan for Okanagan College.

In this model, specialty area Sustainability Teams are lead by an Ambassador with a background or

functional control in the specialty area. The teams will function independently; however, the team

Ambassadors will be members of the colleges Centre for Sustainability and the teams will be

supported by the Sustainability Manager or Sustainability Coordinator.

Fit

This model compliments the Key Directions which guide Okanagan Colleges operations. It involves

students as equal learning partners. Throughout the Three Steps Forward campaign, the project

has been enriched by meaningful student involvement. We attribute this to the passion students

have for environmental topics, as well as a structure that acknowledged students as equals and

facilitated meaningful involvement.


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It encourages shared decision-making and informed risk-taking, innovation and creativity,

through a nuclear structure with independent teams and good communication to the core.

This structure also encourages partnership and contribution to the communities Okanagan College

belongs to, along with meaningful input and support to the four regions. Each region has its own

representative who can bring forward ideas and facilitate support from the Centre forSustainability.

Leadership Team Ambassadors

Each team will be lead by an Okanagan College

staff or faculty member. The ambassador

position will not have a specific term. Some

people will belong to the Centre for Sustainability

and act as an ambassador as a part of their

expected work; others will volunteer from a pool

of applicants. There will not be any release time

expected for faulty members; instead their

contribution will be considered an institutional

contribution.

Each team ambassador must have experience and knowledge in their field. The ambassador must

be willing to collaborate with their Sustainability Team on projects and represent the Sustainability

Team in broad Centre for Sustainability meetings.

Sustainability Teams Composition

Each team would be encouraged to include the following members:

Ambassador A manager in the specific area, if he/she is not in the Ambassador role Membership from multiple campuses At least one student who has an interest in the area Partners for projects when applicable

Community resource people that provide background that the team doesnt have, i.e.: anexpert in Xeriscaping or small lot food production on the Ground Team.

The appropriate Sustainability Manager or Sustainability Coordinator in a support andadministrative role


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pg. 10

Centre for Sustainability

The Centre for Sustainability would include the following staff and student members:

Sustainability Director Sustainability Manager Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability Team Ambassadors Sustainability Campus Representatives Enviroclub and other student group representatives

The Centre for Sustainability would require office space for three people (the Director, Manager

and Coordinator), as well as a very small meeting space for four or five people. The Team

Ambassadors will be encouraged to use existing space to conduct meetings with their teams; yet

there would be a small meeting space available for Campus Reps, Team Ambassadors and Student

Group Reps to visit with each other and members of the community. The entire groups of people

involved with the Centre for Sustainability would meet one every month or two in the board roomor a classroom.

Sustainability Director

The Sustainability Director would be the functional manager of the Centre for Sustainability.

He/she would report to the Vice-President of Finance and Corporate Services and serve as a


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pg. 11

member of the college Leadership Team. This position level would ensure that sustainability is

committed to at every level of the college.

The Sustainability Director would be responsible for the following tasks:

Research and facilitate the process of writing an OC sustainability plan. Pursue funding and apply for project grants. Conduct or facilitate STARS annual assessments. Supervise and support the Sustainability Manager and Sustainability Coordinator. Ensure implementation of short-term action plan. Create and administer Sustainable Projects Fund. Vetting and tracking of savings initiatives. Identify and implement projects that support social, environmental and financial

sustainability.

Sustainability Manager

The Sustainability Manager would report to the Sustainability Director. The Sustainability Manager

would work on classroom, research, marketing, communication and community issues and support

the teams associated with those areas. He/she would require a background in marketing or

communications, environmental education and community organization.

Some of this positions specific tasks would include:

Assisting the implementation of the Short Term Action Plan for Sustainable Changerecommendations for his/her assigned Sustainability Teams: Learning Team, ResearchTeam, Communication Team, and Community Team.

Facilitate the implementation of short-term action plan for the Classroom and Learning,Wellness and Community, and Administration action tasks.

Enable the implementation of the Long-term Sustainability Plan in the areas of Learning,Research, Communication, and Community.

Support student orientations with up-to-date materials. Organize Sustainability Week speakers, events, etc. Liaise with community and other organizations. Compile information on successful projects, promote, and post on the 3stepsforward

website.

Create and oversee installation of interpretive educational signage on the Centre forLearning building site and on all future construction projects.


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Invite guest speakers from a variety of fields to the KLO campus and invite the localcommunity.

Host a sustainability day for Okanagan high school students. Create an in-house carpooling website for OC staff and students. Help people build business cases for ideas and change.

Sustainability Coordinator

The Sustainability Coordinator would report to the Sustainability Director. The SustainabilityCoordinator would work on waste, dining, buildings, grounds, transportation and purchasing issues

and support the teams associated with those areas. He/she would require a background in

environmental science, natural resources and/or environmental engineering.

Assisting the implementation of the Short Term Action Plan Recommendations for his/herassigned Sustainability Teams: Waste Team, Dining Team, Buildings Team, Grounds Team,

Transportation Team and Purchasing Team.


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Facilitate the implementation of short-term action plan for the Waste, Dining, Buildings,Grounds, Transportation and Purchasing action tasks.

Enable the implementation of the Long-term Sustainability Plan in the areas of Waste,Dining, Buildings, Grounds, Transportation and Purchasing.

Conduct carbon tax assessments. Prepare annual social and environmental reporting to accompany yearly financial reports.


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Appendix 1 Colleges with 2000-6000 FTEs and a Green Report Card

Administrative Grade A

Green Report Card7 descriptions:

Oberlin College: In 2006, the Committee on Environmental Sustainability was formed toreview, propose, and oversee implementation of the college's environmental policy. The

environmental sustainability office has a sustainability coordinator, administrative staff,

and a detailed website.

Clark University: A full-time sustainability coordinator is responsible for energyconservation, recycling, and other related issues. The Clark University EnvironmentalSustainability Task Force, made up of administrators, students, and faculty members, makes

recommendations to the president in regard to sustainability.

Brandeis University : The university has a full-time energy manager and employs a full-timesustainability coordinator. Brandeis Environmental Sustainability Team, composed offaculty, staff, and students, works to facilitate sustainability initiatives on campus.

St. Lawrence University: The university employs a coordinator of sustainability projects anda coordinator of sustainable behavior.

Middlebury College: A broad-based task force completed a plan for achieving carbonneutrality by 2016.

Dickinson College: A sustainability coordinator heads the sustainability department withinfacilities management. Dickinson Society Advocating Environmental Sustainability, a group

of faculty, staff, and students, meets bi-weekly and makes recommendations on all

environmental sustainability initiatives.

Seattle University: A campus sustainability manager and a sustainability coordinator havebeen hired, and a student initiative led to the creation of the Environmental Advisory

Council to advise environmental policies for the university.

Santa Clara University: A full-time sustainability coordinator has completed a sustainabilityassessment, and the Energy Awareness Task Force implements energy conservation

initiatives.

7The College Sustainability Report Card rates North American colleges and universities on their sustainable

efforts in the following categories: administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green

building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities and

shareholder engagement.

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