PRIORITIZING SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENTS: AN INSTITUTIONAL ROAD MAP

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1 PRIORITIZING SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENTS: AN INSTITUTIONAL ROAD MAP August 1-3, 2011 San Diego, CA Sponsored by:

OVERVIEW Most institutions of higher education are focusing on developing a more sustainable campus, but no two are doing it alike.

Regardless of where they begin and how they develop, there are core components that must be tackled to create integrated and comprehensive sustainability at an institution.

steps. WHO SHOULD ATTEND This conference is for sustainability leaders at all types of higher ed institutions.

2 OVERVIEW Most institutions of higher education are focusing on developing a more sustainable campus, but no two are doing it alike. Sustainability initiatives may start as grassroots initiatives, presidential initiatives, or anywhere in between. Regardless of where they begin and how they develop, there are core components that must be tackled to create integrated and comprehensive sustainability at an institution. Join us in San Diego to understand the vital components of sustainability in higher education and to create your unique institutional road map based on your past achievements and prioritized next steps. WHO SHOULD ATTEND This conference is for sustainability leaders at all types of higher ed institutions. You are strongly encouraged to bring a small team to collaboratively develop your sustainability road map. Assess and prioritize your efforts in every core component of sustainability. LEARNING OUTCOME After participating in this conference, you will be able to assess and prioritize your efforts in every core component of sustainability and draft your institutional sustainability road map. AGENDA MONDAY, AUGUST 1, :30 1:00 p.m. Registration 1:00 1:30 p.m. Opening Comments and Model Walkthrough 1:30 2:15 p.m. Curricular/Co-curricular Education All institutions, no matter how early in their sustainability programming and planning they are, already have curricular and/or co-curricular education that incorporates or supports sustainability in some way. In starting to build sustainability on a campus, it is essential that an institution identifies its existing sustainability educational programming and builds its sustainability initiatives from that foundation, because education is the primary mission of higher education institutions. In this session, we ll survey the types of education to seek out and monitor, and offer ways for your institution to coordinate and build on that base using examples from a variety of institutions. 2:15 2:30 p.m. Afternoon Break 2:30 3:00 p.m. Working Session: Initial Assessment of Your Campus In this working session, you will work in small groups to document the current curricular/co-curricular programming that you are aware of and develop a plan for uncovering other grassroots educational efforts that may be on your campus already. 3:00 4:00 p.m. Efficiency and Cost-Control Projects When building sustainability awareness and programming at an institution, it is important to build some clout through initial successes. Because financial successes tend to draw the most recognition, it makes sense to focus on efficiency and cost control projects early on. In this session, we ll look at different types of efficiency and cost-control projects and discuss the ROI you can expect. We ll share examples of projects that include cutting carbon emissions through reducing energy use and costs, recommissioning buildings, recycling, developing alternative transportation, environmentally preferred purchasing, and more. 2

3 AGENDA MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011 (CONTINUED) 4:00 4:30 p.m. Working Session: Prioritizing Projects Although a major goal with efficiency and cost-control projects is to save money, many projects still take a large investment up front. For most schools that are working with tight budgets, it makes sense to start small and build from there. In this working session, you will analyze and prioritize efficiency projects for your school and identify how to approach them. 4:45 5:45 p.m. Networking Reception TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, :30 9:30 a.m. Breakfast Roundtables 9:30 10:30 a.m. Marketing and Branding Green To get the most out of an institution s initial curricular/co-curricular and efficiency projects, it is important to properly market these successes and to begin developing a brand for your institutional sustainability efforts, again to highlight the integrated nature of your efforts and to show the comprehensive nature of sustainability on your campus. In terms of marketing, an institution s sustainability success should be marketed to prospective students, prospective donors, and the surrounding community. This session will show examples of marketing various types of green projects and discuss best practices and pitfalls of green marketing. 10:30 10:45 a.m. Morning Break 10:45 11:15 a.m. Working Session: Compelling Green Stories In this working session, you will work with other participants to develop green stories that are compelling to internal and external constituents. You will consider what to highlight around sustainability for administration, faculty and staff, students (current and prospective), donors, and community members. 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Full Cost and Benefit Evaluation Traditional financing and accounting in higher education use practices that do not recognize the full value of sustainability programs and green initiatives. However, to further sustainability, an institution should adopt financing practices that include a longer life cycle that can better account for sustainability ROI. Additionally, it is important for an institution to begin accounting for non-financial ROI, such as increased recruitment of green-conscious students, lower carbon emissions, donor-affinity/ increased giving to green projects, town-gown relations, etc. This session will show the different types of green financing that are most appropriate for sustainability initiatives those that take the non-financial or indirect financial returns into account. 12:15 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 2:00 p.m. Working Session: Assessing Cost Evaluation at Your Institution In this working session, you will perform a gap analysis for sustainability returns at your school, rating whether your institution takes each return into account. You ll then prioritize those returns to set your focus for advocating for full cost evaluation on campus. 2:00 3:00 p.m. Inclusive Goal-Setting and Public Commitment All sustainability initiatives and programming will operate under a glass ceiling unless there is a commitment to and investment in sustainability by institutional leadership and the campus community. Although you can begin to develop educational and efficiency projects and use those to market and brand your green institution, to move your institution further you ll need to garner support from the president or chancellor and cabinet. This session will walk you through the process of identifying the right stakeholders, bringing them together, and collaboratively setting goals for sustainability. 3:00 3:15 p.m. Afternoon Break 3:15 4:00 p.m. Working Session: Collaborative Visioning and Goal-Setting During this working session, you will participate in a sustainability visioning and goal-setting exercise that you can facilitate on your campus to collaboratively plan for sustainability. 3

4 AGENDA WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, :30 9:30 a.m. Breakfast Roundtables 9:30 10:00 a.m. Strategic Mapping and Planning Once an institution has succeeded in making significant progress in the other five stages, it should begin to map a strategy that focuses on society, technology, and resources (STR). This mapping is then integrated into the institution s strategic plan for sustainability. And those institutions at the most sophisticated level of comprehensive sustainability can begin to look at external opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship to position the institution as a thought leader in sustainability and allow it to contribute to sustainability in higher education globally. This session will offer sample strategic plans from different institutions. 10:00 10:15 a.m. Morning Break 10:15 11:30 a.m. Working Session: Creating Your Road Map Throughout the conference, you will have done some initial assessment and planning in each phase of the total sustainability model. In this final working time, you will piece together your initial road map, identifying what phases you have done significant work in already, where your institution has the largest needs, and how to prioritize the core components. Each group will present its road map and receive feedback from other participants and faculty. You ll leave with an initial road map for your institution, with breakdowns of information in each phase. 11:30 12:00 p.m. Next Steps and Closing Remarks 12:00 1:15 p.m. Lunch for Post-Conference Participants 1:15 5:00 p.m. Optional Post-Conference Workshop: Site Visit to University of California, San Diego In this post-conference workshop, we will travel to the UCSD campus to visit its sustainability resource center which was recently awarded LEED gold certification and see and discuss other innovative sustainability initiatives on campus, including the school s extensive solar installations and other energy projects. This session will conclude with a discussion of UCSD s continued path toward integrated sustainability, and participants will get a better sense of what the school s sustainability road map looks like and why. 4

5 INSTRUCTORS Jack Byrne, Director, Sustainability Integration Office, Middlebury College Jack Byrne is a biologist who earned a B.S. in biology and a master s in environmental law and policy. He became an environmental and social entrepreneur, then an educator, and now works as the director of sustainability integration at Middlebury College, working to make sustainability leadership more visible, effective, and common in the culture of the college. He also coordinates Middlebury s effort to achieve carbon neutrality by Jack s career has been in the non-governmental sector starting and developing organizations that support local, national, and international initiatives in soil and water conservation; watershed health; citizen science; and building capacity to integrate sustainability knowledge and skills in public schools, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. He has led the development of learning networks and communities on a variety of topics. He is a co-founder of Foundation for Our Future. He founded and directed the River Watch Network. He currently serves as green campus leader for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature s Commission on Education and Communication. He has also served as consultant to a variety of corporate, governmental, and non-governmental organizations on a variety of sustainability and environmentally related issues. Dave Newport, Director of the Environmental Center, University of Colorado at Boulder Dave Newport is director of the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder the nation s first, largest, and most accomplished center of its kind. Dave chairs the university s Carbon Neutrality Working Group, led the creation of CU s climate action plan, and is a faculty associate in the Environmental Studies department, where he teaches a course in carbon neutrality planning for higher education. He is secretary of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and is one of the three original co-creators of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Ratings System, or STARS, that is emerging as higher education s gold standard for assessing campus sustainability. Dave led the University of Colorado team that compiled the nation s first STARS Gold sustainability assessment award last year. CU has also been ranked as the nation s No. 1 green campus by Sierra magazine, and is consistently rated among the nations greenest campus by an array of other ranking systems. Dave s 30-plus years in the environmental industry include his immediate past position as the first sustainability director at the University of Florida and his position as project manager of the university s first climate neutrality assessment project. While at Florida, Dave co-authored the first comprehensive sustainability assessment of a college campus performed to international business standards. Matthew St. Clair, Sustainability Manager, University of California s Office of the President Matthew St. Clair is the first sustainability manager for the University of California s Office of the President, leading sustainability efforts across the 10-campus UC system since Matt is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Strategic Energy Innovations, a nonprofit organization implementing energy conservation programs in California. He also serves on the Chancellor s Advisory Committees on Sustainability at UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced. He is a co-founder of the Berkeley Environmental Alumni Network. Matt has delivered lectures at numerous universities, has been an invited keynote speaker at several regional and national conferences, and has advised the US House of Representatives on the formation of an office of sustainability for the US Capitol. He has been profiled in Business Week and Business Officer magazines, and he was given the 2007 Sustainability Champion award at the 6th Annual California University Sustainablity Conference in June Matt has a background in environmental policy and advocacy, working on international campaigns for Friends of the Earth Czech Republic and on renewable energy policy research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has also held research assistant positions or internships with the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency s Office of International Activities, the Worldwatch Institute, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. 5

HOTEL RESERVATIONS The conference will be held at: Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92122 To reserve your room, call 800-233-1234.

6 HOTEL RESERVATIONS The conference will be held at: Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA To reserve your room, call Please indicate that you are with the Academic Impressions group to receive the room rate of $179 for single or double occupancy, plus applicable tax. A room block has been reserved for the nights of July 31-August 2, Reservations must be made by July 11, There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early. Come discover beautiful La Jolla, the jewel of the pacific, at Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine just minutes from downtown La Jolla and the most stunning beaches on the planet. Only a few miles from downtown San Diego, our unique hotel is defined by the dichotomy that is this town the quaint charm of a European village mingled with the energetic high style you d expect from Southern California. Guests can avail themselves of the trendiest boutiques, most daring dining options, and the most exciting entertainment and attractions of all stripes at the famous Aventine development. World-renowned architect Michael Graves designed the Hyatt as the crown jewel of Aventine, this city within a city. Less than a 1-mile walk to the UCSD campus and 13 miles from San Diego International Airport. The Hyatt Regency La Jolla has achieved a rating of 4 Green Keys, which signifies national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment. The hotel s recognized programs involve management team, employees, guests and the public and have shown substantial and measurable results. Come see how the hotel s environmental management strategies, continuous improvement, energy conservation and efficient use, waste management and resource use reduction, community involvement, and continual education have helped it earn this award. 6

7 Attend as a team remember, if you register as a group, every fourth registrant is free. Questions about the event? Call us at to help determine if this event is right for you. Register online at REGISTRATION FEES Your registration fee includes: full access to all conference sessions and materials, access to the networking reception on Monday, breakfast and lunch on Tuesday, and breakfast on Wednesday, as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the conference. Postmarked on or before July 15, BEST VALUE: Prioritizing Sustainability Investments: An Institutional Road Map and post-conference workshop Prioritizing Sustainability Investments: An Institutional Road Map (For registrations postmarked after July 15, 2011, an additional $100 fee per registrant applies) $1395 USD $1095 USD Check here if you have any dietary or accessibility needs. Please list any needs in the space below and we will do our best to accommodate you. How did you hear about this event? ( from AI, colleague forwarded , The Chronicle, AASHE, etc.) CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFORMATION (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) Name Name Preferred for Badge Job Title Institution/Organization Address City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country Telephone Fax For registration confirmations and pre-conference communication. (FOR ADDITIONAL REGISTRANTS, PLEASE COMPLETE ADDITIONAL FORMS.) Additional Contact Name Additional Contact Phone Additional Contact Title Additional Contact Emergency Contact Name Emergency Contact Phone (day) (In case of emergency, we will contact this person on your behalf) (evening) FREE HIGHER ED NEWS AND ANALYSIS Academic Impressions is happy to offer Higher Ed Impact, a free industry scan of news, trends, and fresh research on higher education, delivered in an easy-to-scan . Sign me up for HEI: Daily Pulse impactful news, trends, and practices, sent daily Sign me up for HEI: Weekly Scan the week s most critical news, with analysis of top stories and trends, sent on Fridays Sign me up for HEI: Monthly Diagnostic practical takeaways addressing a strategic challenge facing institutions of higher ed, sent 9-12 times/year PAYMENT METHOD We accept Visa, MC, and AmEx credit cards. To pay by check, include the check with this form or select the invoice me option. Fax form to or mail form along with payment to: Academic Impressions, 4643 S. Ulster St. Ste. 350, Denver, CO CREDIT CARD Please charge my credit card: (Visa, MC, AmEx) Name on Card Account Number Exp. Date Billing Zip Code/Postal Code Security Code (last 3 digits on the back of Visa and MC or 4 digits on front of AmEx) CHECK/INVOICE My check is included and covers registration(s) Check # Please invoice me Purchase Order # (PO# not required to receive invoice) REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY Refunds will be issued only if cancellations are received in writing by May 6, A $100 processing fee will be assessed. After May 6, 2011 a credit (less $100 processing fee) will be issued. The credit will be valid for 12 months and can be used toward any future conferences, Web conferences, audio proceedings, or Web conference archives. In case this event is cancelled, Academic Impressions' liability is limited to a refund of this registration fee only. Questions about the event? Call us at to help determine if this event is right for you. 7

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