Administration
To meet the ambitious objectives set forth in the Sustainability Plan, CSUN will need to create and maintain a culture of sustainable thinking on the campus and invest in a sustainability infrastructure.
Main Strategies
- Incorporate the objectives defined for sustainability into established campus, division, and program planning processes
- Improve coordination, infrastructure, data collection and record keeping in support of sustainability efforts
- Utilize sustainability as a branding opportunity, particularly for recruitment
Objectives for 2023
- Establish a culture of sustainability that is evident in policy and practice across the institution
- Allocate sufficient resources to support sustainability programs
- Coordinate sustainability efforts across campus to reduce resource use, including unification of data and data management
- Establish and promote CSUN as a destination campus for students interested in sustainability
2020-21 Priorities and Outcomes
- Administer the campus Culture Survey in preparation for CSUN's next AASHE STARS report.
- Due to COVID-19 and CSUN's population being predominantly remote, the culture survey was not administered. It will be completed in the 2021-22 year.
- Identify challenges with transitioning to electronic forms and signatures, and determine how to help overcome those barriers to accelerate the adoption process.
- Remote work and learning has accelerated the adoption of electronic forms and signatures. Approximately 65,331 forms were signed digitally in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. This saved the equivalent of at least $112,000 in paper.
- Improve web presence by updating current website and develop strategies to increase traffic.
- Student-run creative agency Intersect LA was chosen to update CSUN's sustainability website. They designed new layouts and content, and reorganized elements of the site to make it more navigable and inviting.
- Continue to seek external funding to support sustainability programs and initiatives.
- The Institute applied for approximately nine external grants, totaling over $25 million in requested funds. One Campus Quality Fee program was also funded for the food garden.
- Continue integrating sustainability into campus planning processes.
- Having now been underway for several years each, CSUN's existing Climate Action Plan, Sustainability Plan, and Zero Waste Plan will be reviewed and updated. These documents will be merged into a single Sustainability Master Plan that highlights the interconnectedness of CSUN's sustainability goals.
Other Highlights
- For the first time, the Staff Service Awards will include a CSUN Sustainability award for employees who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to CSUN's sustainability efforts.
- CSUN was recognized by the CSU in the annual CSU Facilities Management Conference for our achievement in being the highest ranked CSU as measured by The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) platform from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) .
- CSUN's annual greenhouse gas emissions were over 50% lower than in 2019, largely due to telecommuting and low on-campus occupancy.
- CSUN is a host institution for the Second Nature Climate Action Pursuit. This network of higher education sustainability practitioners will meet at four two-day events throughout the year to learn, plan, lead, and act on climate and justice issues on their campuses and in their communities.
- The President's Cabinet commissioned a project by the CSUN Shine From Within program to study employee attitudes and assess the impacts of continuing telecommuting in various capacities post-pandemic. The resulting report highlights both the benefits and challenges of telecommuting options.
2021-22 Priorities
- Ensure transitions to electronic forms/processes made during COVID-19 are continued post-repopulation.
- Begin reviewing and updating CSUN’s guiding sustainability documents, including the Sustainability Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Zero Waste Plan. Merge them into a single sustainability master plan.
- Quantify the impact of transitioning to electronic forms and processes.
- Complete and submit an updated STARS report for the campus.
Others
Sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
Issue:
AD1.1
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Sign the ACUPCC (American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment) and develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP)
Status:
The University signed the ACUPCC on March 11, 2013.
GHG Inventory & Report were completed December 2014.
CAP is being developed and will be ready January 2016. IS and FPDC are taking the lead on this with support from Digital Energy and the Spring 2015 SUST 401 class. TWG will contribute to the CAP transportation section, with 2 IS student interns doing research on this now.
Party Responsible:
President, IS, FPDC
Next/Action Items:
Look into possible modification to system-wide e-travel system since ACUPCC campuses are required to report business travel (IT, Fin)
CAP needs to be developed.
Integrated Planning
Issue:
AD1.2
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Campus integrated planning, including strategic planning, annual planning, and published priorities of units on the campus, should include statements related to sustainability
Status:
Colleges have been asked to integrate the campus sustainability plan into their annual plans. AS has a standalone sustainability plan. TUC has launched Sustainability 2.0 plan.
AA has published a plan that incorporates sustainability.
Party Responsible:
VPS
Next/Action Items:
AR (Stephens) will pursue sustainability integration into strategic planning in other divisions.
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Issue:
AD1.3
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Create Campus Sustainability Coordinator position with dual reporting through Administration and Finance and the Institute for Sustainability.
Status:
Completed, Austin Eriksson is now on board as the Campus Sustainability Program Manager.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, IS
Next/Action Items:
Sustainability Program Manager now on board.
Sustainable Office Program (SOP)
Issue:
AD1.4
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Implement Sustainable Office Program (SOP) throughout all campus offices/units.
Status:
SOP has moved to AS. There is a team of students working on the SOP and they have completed 50 offices.
The SOP team has created a new rating system that is intended to create competition between offices.
Party Responsible:
IS, AS, HR
Next/Action Items:
Plan is to institutionalize program and conduct assessments across campus (AS).
CSUN Shine
Issue:
AD1.5
Priority:
2
Strategy:
CSUN Shine
Status:
IS and FDPC will work with Advancement to leverage CSUN's social media, CSUNShine weekly (faculty and staff emails), CSUN Today. The Institute for Sustainability has launched a bi-weekly newsletter, The Footprint.
Party Responsible:
University Advancement, IS, FPDC
Next/Action Items:
In-progress: Need to develop a communication plan.
Electronic Processes
Issue:
AD2.1
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Expand processes carried out electronically through implementation of electronic signatures and electronic forms for all campus processes
Status:
E-Travel completed and rolled out campus wide in Fall 2014. Chancellor’s Office has adopted this process.
META Lab is piloting a system that will allow longitudinal assessment of individual students. Faculty additional pay is being converted to electronic. Discussion of movement to automated system. Paperless UDWPE (test and payment now online).
Human Subjects IRB delayed. MyCSUNBox used widely for meetings. PCard upgrades have been done. IRA and AS annual and supplemental budget processes now electronic.
A&R, Financial Aid, Financial Services using OnBase system for digital record/file keeping. Financial Aid submission process is now a fully electronic workflow. CoH developing standards for AA to use OnBase. AA and IT investigating OnBase for curriculum workflow.
Cost allocation entries will be automatic starting in July.
HR- has moved benefits to E-Benefits. Recommended acceptance of electronic submission of academic work approved by Faculty Senate (May 2014).
VA and credential application process is now electronic.
Party Responsible:
FIN,IT, IS, HR, RGS
Next/Action Items:
Investigate whether data can be collected form e-travel to allow for calculation of carbon footprint from this. TUC needs to implement E-Travel.
Field trips still need to be done and will use S4 product.
EAS (electronic course-level assessment system) is in initial rollout.
Policy issue to be addressed to request/require all materials be shared electronically for meetings (use MyCSUNBox).
Look into the use of OnBase for e-signatures.
Electronic Storage
Issue:
AD2.2
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Implement electronic document storage and retrieval for record-keeping throughout campus
Status:
MyCSUNBox now has ability to create boxes for units/depts. etc.
Scholar Works now includes A&R, AR, HR administrative records and faculty senate standing committee agenda and minutes. Sport clubs registration and risk management records are stored electronically using Do Sports Easy.
Party Responsible:
IT
Next/Action Items:
OnBase (workflow piece just being started) AA in progress (storage). Work needs to be done on integrating systems.
Web Interface
Issue:
AD2.3
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Continue to develop a standardized web interface for the campus
Status:
Combined FPDC and IS CSUN Sustainability website was launched in June 2015.
Party Responsible:
IT, Advancement, ARP
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
Electronic Forms
Issue:
AD2.4
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Continue to develop a standardized web interface for the campus
Status:
Develop and utilize electronic forms for internal procedures wherever possible.
Party Responsible:
FIN, IT, IS, HR, RGS
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
GIS Facility Database
Issue:
AD2.5
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Continue development of geographic information system (GIS) to store and maintain campus facility and infrastructure data with cross-linking capability to class scheduling software
Status:
Moved to FPDC (along with support). Adding infrastructure data (lighting, ADA facilities…). Integration with SFDB taking place to address any data and area inconsistencies.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, ARP, IS
Next/Action Items:
Need to Integrate the GIS with SOC.
Maintain GIS Data
Issue:
AD2.6
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Utilize and maintain data in GIS including tree inventory, space management and CAD plans
Status:
Migrated support to FPDC.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, ARP, IS
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
Data Management
Issue:
AD2.7
Priority:
3
Strategy:
Develop and maintain data management system for sustainability-related campus data including energy and other resource use.
Status:
Utility data has been migrated to Siemens Advantage system and will allow for building level monitoring. Waste data is reported monthly through Google Drive.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, IS, IT, IR
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
Use of SOLAR
Issue:
AD2.8
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Utilize SOLAR portal for aiding in sustainability efforts, (e.g., collecting commuting data, implementing rideshare and connecting to other sustainability initiatives).
Status:
Investigating the ability to use SOLAR for determining commuting modes of transportation. Information on transportation options is now in the Student Portal.
Party Responsible:
IT
Next/Action Items:
In-progress. Cannot include local address and mode of transport on class enrollment checklist because local address is often established after enrollment.
Cohesive Story
Issue:
AD3.2
Priority:
3
Strategy:
"Tell our story” of sustainability efforts in a cohesive and consistent way.
Status:
Working with UA on marketing and outreach opportunities that will aid in telling the CSUN Sustainability Story.
Party Responsible:
IS, Advancement
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
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