May 19, 2011

Planning for sustainability

By Anna Nowaczyk

The ISP was approved by the Board of Governors on April 8.The Institutional Sustainability Plan (ISP), a new institutional planning document that provides a framework for acting on the University of Calgary’s sustainability policy, received unanimous approval from the Board of Governors.

“Recognizing the wide range of sustainability initiatives across campus, the ISP is intended to provide a greater understanding of what sustainability means at the U of C,” says Joanne Perdue, director of sustainability. “This in turn will support more effective planning and programs for sustainability at the administrative, faculty, and business unit levels.”

The ISP, which was developed by a task force comprising representation from each vice president, encompasses planning and administration, learning and research, and campus operations. In addition to confirming goals in twenty areas, it also identifies performance indicators in campus operations to support progress monitoring and reporting.

The ISP will be updated every two years to reflect the growth in understanding about how to advance sustainability on campus, the resources available as well as society’s expanding expectations for leadership in sustainability.

“The ISP was created and refined over two years and drew on the knowledge and input of a diverse cross section of the campus community,” says Bob Ellard, vice-president of facilities management and development, and chair of the ISP task force. “The task force has developed a sound and workable plan that will help the university continue its significant strides toward sustainability. I thank each of the members for their hard work.”

Students also played a role in developing the document with several groups reviewing and providing input. Having the ISP in place will help students as they continue to generate ideas and initiatives around sustainability.

Before the ISP was presented to the Board of Governors, the document was presented to a number of committees for review and discussion including: the Executive Leadership Team, Deans’ Council and Deans’ Forum, University Planning Committee, Associate Dean’s Research Council, the Students’ Union Legislative Council, and the General Faculties Council.

To view the full ISP visit www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability