sustainability at penn state fast track guide to...

SUSTAINABILITY AT PENN STATE

Fast Track Guide to Sustainability Planning

Integrating Sustainability into Unit Level Strategic Planning

If you are reading this, you are probably either leading or are a member of a planning team responsible for the strategic planning in your unit. You don’t have a lot of time and you may be wondering what exactly this sustainability is all about and what is expected!

The Sustainability Institute (SI) has put together tools and resources to support units’ effective implementation of the guidelines for sustainability found in the Unit Strategic Planning Guidelines for FY 2013-14 through 2018-19 sent on June 14, 2013 from then Provost Dr. Robert Pangborn1.

“Sustainability is the simultaneous pursuit of human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations.”– Penn State Definition of Sustainability

The Right Thing, The Strategic Thing

How will Penn State prepare leaders of tomorrow in an increasingly diverse world faced with resource scarcity and a growing population? Answering this call to create a sustainable future for all is a moral imperative for higher education – it is just the right thing to do.

But also it’s the strategic thing to do. Smart sustainability strategy provides opportunities to:

• Engage and educate students

• Attract and retain top faculty and staff

• Advance research innovations and access to new funding sources

• And reduce operating costs and risks

The Sustainability Institute is helping units integrate sustainability into their strategies/initiatives to realize these benefits and meet their unit level goals.

Tools and Resources to Find Your Unique Contribution

SI has developed several practical tools and resources to help units integrate sustainability effectively into their strategic plan.

• Accessible Expertise – SI has staff dedicated to supporting unit level strategic planning. Contact us!

• Focus on the right things – The tools will help you focus on what is appropriate for your particular unit and will leverage what you are already doing.

• Learn from others – SI conducted three pilots and the results are shared in pilot summaries and links to the plans the units developed.

Sustainability Institute Strategic Planning Team

• Erik Foley • Dr. Rob Andrejewski • Jeremy Bean • Dr. Susannah Barsom

Contact: [email protected] or 814- 867-4219

www.sustainability.psu.edu/strategic-planning

1 To access the guidelines, please visit the Provost’s strategic planning website: http://www.psu.edu/provost/strategicplanning.html

1Fast Track Guide

Your Sustainability Planning Toolkit

Penn State Sustainability Video – understand sustainability and what it means to Penn State

This 8 minute video produced by the award-winning Creative Group at Penn State Public Media, was designed to give the viewer an introduction to sustainability: what it is, what it means to Penn State, and what is already happening in teaching, research, outreach and operations.

Penn State Sustainability Strategic Plan – understand Penn State’s vision, mission,and goals for sustainability

Adopted in 2012, the Sustainability Strategic Plan was written by a group of faculty, staff and students appointed by the Provost. The group visited every Penn State campus and spoke to over 500 people in the writing of the plan.

Opportunity Finder – Identify what you are already doing...then build on it.

Opportunity Finder is an online tool to help your unit better understand the current type and amount of engagement with sustainability, and it will reveal bright spots or areas of excellence you’ll want to leverage in your planning. With the answers, you will have a stronger foundation for setting mission-relevant goals.

Understand sustainability – Sustainability Video, Sustainability Strategic Plan and Strategic Planning Website

Assess opportunities – Opportunity Finder

Make your plan – Strategy Framework for Sustainability and SMART Strategy Builder

Access all these tools and more at: www.sustainability.psu.edu/strategic-planning

Integrating Sustainability into Unit Level Strategic Planning continued

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Recommended Steps for Planning Teams:

2 www.sustainability.psu.edu/strategic-planning

SMART Sustainability Strategy Builder – Set actionable strategies and metrics.

After understanding sustainability and identifying the bright spots in your unit, set strategies that support the goals in your

strategic plan. The important task here is to focus on your unit’s unique contribution to Penn State’s sustainability vision and mission.

Planning Workbook

SUSTAINABILITY AT PENN STATE

Sustainability Planning Workbook – Reference this longer guide filled with more resources and ideas.

The workbook presents a 6 Step Sustainability Planning Process along with a number of associated resources for each step. Some units may go through the entire workbook while others will pick and choose certain tools.

3Fast Track Guide

Introduction to the Strategy Framework for Sustainability

Colleges, campuses, and administrative units will develop strategies within five primary areas. Each unit is able to address each area differently and that is understood and embraced by this framework.

As you go through these five areas, the key question for units is:

What is our unique contribution to the university’s sustainability vision and mission?

Strategy Framework for Sustainability

Teac

hing

and

Co-curricular

Govern

ance and Administration

Service and Community Engagement

Opera

tions

Research


Overview of the Strategy Areas

Teaching & Co-curricularThis refers to opportunities to infuse sustainability into student learning: both curricular and co-curricular programs. This area also is home to goals aimed at increasing the capacity and capability of faculty through faculty development workshops and changes in promotion and tenure practices.

ResearchThis refers to the addition or enhancement of sustainability in undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research conducted by your unit. Perhaps there are opportunities to better link existing sustainability research or start a new research program.

Examples for Academic Units

Sustainability is added to new student orientation to highlight opportunities and stories within your unit and at Penn State. Your college or campus convenes a workshop or roundtable for faculty to integrate sustainability into their courses. A Student Sustainability Summit is organized to highlight career and grad school opportunities, on-campus activities, and community resources.


Collaborative team forms to conduct a pilot study using regional/campus data to inform the development of a larger proposal. A new initiative to help identify sustainability-focused funding opportunities and publications is initiated.

Examples for Support Units

A group of staff hires an intern to help assess opportunities to reduce resource use (energy, water, material waste). Facilities staff work with a faculty member and her class to develop on-campus project proposals for applied research. Energy managers work with a writing class to develop a report on all the energy efficiency projects and results on campus.


A team trying to figure out the most sustainable product for a particular purpose (computer or cleaning supplies for example) partners with a faculty member with relevant expertise who can conduct the proper analysis.

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Service and Community EngagementThis refers to the blending of sustainability into existing or new community partnerships that provide learning opportunities for students, applied research opportunities for faculty, and benefit to the community. What problems exist in the community that your unit’s expertise could help to solve? What changes—new incentives or the removal of barriers—would need to made to allow for the sharing of this expertise?

OperationsThis refers to the integration of sustainability into the management and use of the physical facilities, vehicles, and grounds of your unit, including classrooms, labs, sports facilities, offices, and service vehicles as well as at events, conferences, and meetings. What are ways your unit can reduce resource use such as in fuel, electricity, water, materials, etc.?


Staff conduct a sustainability assessment of the region to identify new market opportunities. A meeting is convened with local and regional government, business, and non-profit partners. Faculty and student teams work with local social service and environmental agencies to create a job skills program focused on sustainability.


Faculty members convene a panel of facilities and operations staff in order to understand their environmental and human health and safety challenges. Following the panel, faculty and students create proposals to offer solutions.


Staff members work with local partners to arrange for a farmer’s market to be held on campus. The waste management team and dining services work with local government and businesses to develop a composting program.


A group works with professional development and training staff to create a sustainability-focused educational program. A director creates a new policy for sustainable purchasing which makes requirements for all major contracts and purchase orders.

Introduction to the Strategy Framework for Sustainability continued


Governance and AdministrationThis refers to the ways a unit has integrated sustainability into its organizational structure, systems, and policies. Have formal structures been put into place like a sustainability working group or committee with representatives from various departments?


Leadership appoints a well-respected leader to be the college or campus’ sustainability chair. An awards program is created to recognize sustainability leaders among students, faculty, and staff at an annual event. A task force is appointed to explore how the promotion and tenure criteria can support applied work on campus and in the community.


A new policy is developed for sustainable purchasing in order to reduce packaging and the resource efficiency of products. A section is created in the newsletter to highlight sustainability projects and their results. A sustainability management system is developed with IT faculty and students to track and report on sustainability measures.

At this point, we recommend your planning team brainstorms about:

“For our unit, what strategies would be mission-relevant for each of the 5 areas?”Think about your unit or department mission. Based on your mission, what might be your unit’s unique contribution to the university’s sustainability strategy? Prioritize

your brainstormed list and then go to the SMART Strategy Builder on the next pages.

Before You Go On!

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What are SMART strategies? SMART strategies are:

S pecific: Is the strategy detailed enough that someone who isn’t a part of our team would know what needs to be done and how?

M easurable: Is there a clear way to measure success?

A ctionable: Is there a clear series of steps to take to accomplish your strategy?

R ealistic: Is it possible to reach this strategy considering the resources available to your team?

T ime Bound: When will the strategy be accomplished?

Two sample SMART Strategies:1. Academic College X

will double the number of research collaborations and

funding proposals focused on sustainability by June 2015.

2. Support Unit Y will create and pilot a new

sustainable purchasing program for at least two commodities

by August 2014.

This strategy is SPECIFIC

since it is clear whatneeds to be done.

This strategy is TIME BOUND

because it describes when the strategy needs

to be complete.

This strategy is MEASURABLE

because it defines success

quantitatively.

This strategy is ACTIONABLE

since it implies a clear series of steps.

This strategy is REALISTIC

because it considers available resources.

SMART Strategy Builder

This worksheet will help you set specific, actionable strategies that can be incorporated into the goals of your strategic plan.


Worksheet1. Choose an area from the Strategy Framework on page 4 and write it here.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Use the table below to help you focus on your strategy. Refer back to page 8 for leading questions and an example.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Use the sample SMART Strategy statements on page 8 to help you write your unit’s SMART Strategy.

You can write drafts of your strategy statement here. Keep trying different versions until it is clear and meets the SMART Strategy framework. Finally, be sure to decide who is responsible for making the strategy happen.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

SMART

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

TIME BOUND

REALISTIC

ACTIONABLE

You may want to make 5 or more copies of this worksheet for your planning team.

9Fast Track Guide

This publication is available in alternative media on request. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to pro-grams, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State Univer-sity. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY. U.Ed. OPR14-02

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