OU Sustainability

Oakland University commits to a vision of sustainability that is rooted in a deep sense of responsibility toward our planet and our collective future. As an institution of higher learning, OU strives to become a sustainability leader in Southeast Michigan and a model of best practices by placing sustainability at the forefront of every decision, action, and innovation.

The mission of the Center for Environmental Sustainability and Ethics is to advance sustainability goals related to Academics, Campus Operations, Biodiversity & Green Spaces, Community & Public Engagement, and Fiscal Responsibility.  The Center’s work will promote and facilitate the timely efforts of scholars, researchers, students, and administrators, along with civic, business, and education leaders to address urgent environmental, ecological, and social challenges.

Sustainability is a social practice rooted in local ecosystems that enjoins human communities to learn ways of living within planetary limits and observing symbiosis and reciprocity with the natural world upon which all life depends.  It encompasses notions of equity, Iindigenous knowledge, biodiversity, and valuing of both human and non- human life.

The Center for Environmental Ethics and Sustainability will work to advance sustainability initiatives in five major areas:

Academics

The Center will promote sustainability across the  curriculum by providing material support for new course development and new faculty competencies. It will also help generate ways to promote and support faculty and student research through such initiatives as  mini-research grants, fellowship opportunities, and programming that facilitates and helps showcase sustainability research.

Campus Operations

The Center will cooperate with campus operations to support and promote best practices in areas such as transportation (reducing campus traffic) and food and dining (minimizing and recycling waste, encouraging sustainably-sourced products, reducing/eliminating plastic, etc.). This includes cultivating sustainable practices in maintenance, facilities, groundskeeping, and campus utilities and energy management and reduction.

Biodiversity and Green Space

OU is unique for its biodiversity and green spaces, some of which serve as vital living laboratories for teaching and learning. The Center will work to preserve and promote responsible care and use of these outdoor spaces by encouraging low-carbon maintenance (such as pollinator gardens and native landscaping), supporting initiatives like LORACS (OU’s Laboratory for Outdoor Research, Agriculture, Conservation, and Sustainability), managing OU’s Biological Preserve, and cultivating partnerships with regional environmental organizations, Native communities, and local schools and governments with interest and expertise in promoting biodiversity and conserving green spaces.

Community and Public Engagement

The Center will strive to become a sustainability hub and leader for the local community, working with community partners, organizations, and elected officials to educate the citizenry about sustainable practices and ways of living. Such efforts might include regional and state policymaking recommendations, as well as partnerships with local groups and individuals that will help establish OU as a vital intellectual resource for sustainable education, legislative action, and social and cultural transformation.

Fiscal Responsibility

The Center will work to ensure that Oakland manages its fiscal responsibilities in ways that align with its commitment to sustainability. This includes sustainable investments (including divestment from industries involved in or promoting fossil fuels), as well as the allocation of university resources to foster practices and initiatives that promote and support sustainability across the university.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee will work closely with the Director to clarify the Center’s mission and goals, assist the Director in developing a vision and strategic plan for advancing the Center’s mission and goals, and provide advice and consultation to the Director on key decisions and major initiatives

Members:

• Director of Sustainability
• Four faculty members
• Representative from the President’s Office
• Representative from University Advancement

Sustainability Advisory Committee

This body, drawn from various constituencies and units across campus, will provide advice and counsel related to  campus environmental sustainability initiatives, foster support for community partnerships, offer recommendations that positively impact campus environment and that align with university sustainability goals, and help build the Center into a regional/state/national model of university engagement.

Members:

• Two staff (AP) members, serving 3-year staggered terms
• Faculty member appointed from each school, serving 3-year staggered terms
• One (1) Dean, appointed on a revolving basis.
• Two student members, serving 2-year staggered terms (One shall be a representative of Student Congress, and/or SC Director of Sustainability)
• Representative from Academic Affairs (1-2)
• OU Board of Trustee
• Representative from the Community Sustainability Subcommittee

Community Sustainability Subcommittee

This committee will assist in cultivating strong community relations and in developing partnerships that help advance sustainability goals beyond the university. It will work to strengthen the university’s relationship with local, regional, and state leaders in ways that enhance  OU’s leadership role as a vital public institution dedicated to sustainability.

Members:

• Representative(s) from the community at-large
• Representative(s) from industry at-large
• Representative(s) from local government
• Representative(s) from economic development community
• Representative(s) from local, regional environmental organizations
• Representative(s) from K-12