Sustainability Hub Coordinator Position information

Hub Coordinator Position Information

Position Summary

The Hub Coordinators will oversee and coordinate collaborative sustainability research, engagement, and curriculum efforts at Ohio University. Each of the three coordinators will directly manage one sustainability initiative within the Sustainable Infrastructure, Sustainable Living or Sustainable Administration Hubs described below, while fostering connections for other initiatives within and between Hubs. Coordinators will organize or give one presentation per semester as part of a monthly seminar series on sustainability initiatives and will report annual progress on initiatives to the University Sustainability Committee. Engagement, collaboration, and communication shall be promoted across all university locations: Athens, regional campuses, and off-campus centers.

Eligibility

All faculty are eligible for the position, though preference will be given to faculty members with existing sustainability efforts in research or teaching.

Action Goals

1. ) Launch/advance research or curriculum initiatives that support University sustainability goals, in alignment with the Presidential Strategic Pathways and Priorities.
2. ) Engage participants in Sustainability Hub activities, including a monthly seminar series, ensuring that faculty, students, staff, and community are appropriately represented within the Hub.
3. ) Report progress toward Hub-related OHIO Sustainability/Climate Action Plan goals and strategies as needed, including through a bi-weekly newsletter to participants.
4. ) Contribute to Sustainability Committee meetings twice per year.
5. ) Collaborate closely with the Office of Sustainability, other Coordinators, and Hub participants to ensure that administrative and organizational support is provided for OHIO sustainability initiatives.

Resources Provided to Coordinators

1. ) $10,000 taxable stipend will be awarded to each Coordinator.
2. ) Appropriate staff members will collaborate with the Coordinators on initiatives.
3. ) Office of Sustainability support:

• Office of Sustainability staff will assist with newsletter creation, seminar and event planning and marketing.

• Office of Sustainability staff will assist with Hub participation and coordination where possible.

• Some (to be determined) amount of graduate student support will be available through the Office of Sustainability.

• Office of Sustainability staff will provide progress report and seminar presentation templates and reminders of due dates.

• Office of Sustainability staff will hold monthly support meetings with the Coordinators.

Detailed Expectations

LAUNCH OR ADVANCE INITIATIVES

• Launch or advance at least one Hub-Coordinator-led initiative each year.
• Coordinate with Hub participants to ensure that initiatives are launched or advanced in each of 4 Hub themes (each Hub has its own 4 themes for a total of 12 University-wide themes).

ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN HUBS

• Increase number of newsletter subscribers, Hub seminar attendees, and maintain or increase active initiative collaborators.
• Provide compelling content for the bi-weekly newsletter and each semester's seminar.
• Build stakeholder relationships with other faculty, staff, students and community.
• Attend all Hub seminars each semester to promote collaborations within and between Hubs.

REPORT PROGRESS

• Submit annual progress report on relevant goals and strategies by February 15 of each year.
• Lead a public seminar once each semester about ongoing initiatives. Main speaker can be the Coordinator, another Hub participant, or an outside expert.

Contribute to University Sustainability Committee meetings

• Attend and participate in University Sustainability Committee meetings twice per year, likely in September and March. Responsibilities include:
• presenting reports to the committee when requested.
• recommending revisions to Sustainability/Climate Action Plan as needed.
• proposing new sustainability policies and practices as appropriate.
• evaluating grant proposals, award nominations and leader applications annually.

Collaborate closely with the Office of Sustainability and other Coordinators

• Attend regular meetings with the Office of Sustainability and other Coordinators.

Information needed for the Hub Coordinator application

1. ) Name, department, campus, email address.
2. ) The Sustainability Hub you would like to lead (Infrastructure, Living, or Administration).
3. ) The sustainability theme or themes that the initiative that you lead will address (Buildings, Energy, Water, Waste, Food, Transportation, Grounds, Student Affairs, Procurement, Investments, Climate and/or Human Resources).
4. ) Whether you are advancing an existing initiative or launching a new initiative.
5. ) A simple triple-bottom line explanation of the sustainability of the initiative(s). Answer the question of how the initiative(s) simultaneously benefits the economy, the environment and members of society over an extended time frame (see examples below).
6. ) An explanation of how you will include faculty, students, staff and community members in the advancement of the initiative(s) (see examples below).
7. ) An explanation of how the initiative will create a living/learning laboratory for sustainability at Ohio University (see examples below).

Application initiative example 1 (research-based initiative):

Initiative title: Acid mine drainage pigment bicycle lane coloration

Sustainable Infrastructure Hub initiative

Addresses Water, Procurement & Transportation Themes

New initiative launch

My proposed initiative is to determine how to use the pigment created from local acid mine drainage by Professors Guy Riefler and John Sabraw on Ohio University's campus. A potential use is in coloring concrete or in paint for lining concrete on multi-use pathways around campus, such as the Sweep, to designate biking lanes. One strip of concrete could be left uncolored for pedestrians, and one could be colored for bicycles.

The use of these pigments on Ohio University's campus would enable the production of increasing amounts of acid mine drainage paint, which would in turn, remediate local waterways and restore stream habitat. It would also provide a revenue source for the Riefler & Sabraw's pigment plant, allowing hiring of workers for the plant. The remediation of local waterways and hiring of local workers will improve the quality of life for those who live in southeastern Ohio. In addition, the marking of bicycle lanes on multi-use pathways will improve the safety and comfort of both bicyclists and pedestrians on Ohio University's campus. It may also lead to a higher level of recognition for Ohio University as a Bicycle Friendly University (we are currently a Bronze-level campus). Finally, purchase of the locally-made pigments will aid Ohio University in reaching its Sustainability Plan goal of increasing purchase of local non-food goods.

This initiative will include collaboration between Riefler & Sabraw (faculty members), Facilities and Procurement staff members, students working with Riefler, Sabraw and Facilities, and Rural Action staff members. Students could also be used for focus groups for bicycle lane widths and placement on the multi-use pathways, and community members could be hired as workers in the pigment plant.

This initiative creates a living/learning laboratory for sustainability at Ohio University because the very pavement we walk and bike on would be used to test the use of a sustainable product. A pilot study could test one stretch of multi-use pathway, and after evaluation, could be extended to the rest of the University.

Application initiative example 2 (curriculum-based initiative):

Initiative title: Creating a sustainability course designation

Sustainable Living Hub initiative

Addresses Student Affairs Theme (and core academic mission)

New initiative launch

Sustainability is a popular topic on university campuses these days. Ohio University offers an abundance of sustainability-related and sustainability-focused courses. Despite this, it is difficult for students to find sustainability courses in the course catalog. Since there is no Sustainability major at Ohio University, there isn't a departmental code that can be used to search for sustainability courses. Furthermore, many courses have incorporated sustainability, but have not changed the course description to reflect that incorporation, due to the difficulties associated with that change. My proposed initiative is to add a "T" designation to all sustainability-related course in the course catalog, and to offer a fraction of these courses each year online and free to the community.

The designation of sustainability courses would enable the campus and extended community to easily find and access the courses, which would in turn, educate the campus and community on sustainability and would enable understanding and promotion of economic, environmental and social benefits throughout our communities.

This initiative will involve staff members who will create sustainability designations, faculty members who will evaluate sustainability-related and -focused courses, and students and community members who will take these courses.

The initiative will also use the University as a laboratory for sustainability courses by utilizing University resources for the course offerings and designations.