Campus Sustainability Planning @RooseveltU 2022-24

This webpage collects information and resources for Roosevelt University’s 2022-24 Strategic Sustainability Planning effort led by RU’s Strategic Sustainability Planning Team (est. Fall 2022) and the Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC). Updated on 4/26/24.

Latest Update: Sustainability Resolution and Strategic Plan for 2024-29 Unanimously Endorsed by the RU Senate!

We are pleased share some good news! At the Senate meeting of 19 April 2024, the Resolution and Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2024-29 were endorsed by a unanimous vote of the RU Senate. The documents are now under consideration by the university’s executive leadership.

  • Resolution for the University Senate at its 4/19/24 Meeting (pdf)
  • Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2024-29 (pdf)

Useful Resources for Campus Sustainability Planning

Previous Events & Meetings

Environmental Sustainability Committee (2/21/24): Met via Zoom on Wed 2/21/24 from 9-10am CST to review the strategic planning process to date and prioritize the summary initiatives recommended by the RU community in 2023. This open committee est. in 2010 meets ~4x per year to discuss environmental sustainability initiatives, share information, and make policy recommendations. All RU students, faculty, staff, admin, and alumni are welcome to attend.

Our main task was to share feedback on and discuss this Worksheet for Prioritizing Sustainability Initiatives (Word and pdf), which summarizes recommendations made through several surveys and workshops in 2022-23. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni attended and offered detailed input.

Presentation to the University Senate (12/15/23): Prof. Mike Bryson provided a summary of the 2022-23 strategic sustainability planning process and an outline of future activities and goals for 2024 as RU embarks upon a new phase of institutional strategic planning.

McNair Symposium / RSRIS Event (4/13/23): Three students from the 2023 Campus Sustainability Planning Team — Kiera Carpenter, Sophia Gallo (BA ’22), and Kayla Nelson (BA ’23) — presented an updated Progress Report on our 2022-23 Sustainability Strategic Planning efforts this year at McNair Program’s presentation series, part of the week-long Roosevelt Student Research & Inquiry Symposium, Th 9-10am at the Chicago Campus, WB 317.

View their presentation here: McNair Research Conference — Strategic Sustainability Planning for Roosevelt 2023-04-13 (pdf)

Environmental Sustainability Committee (3/17/23): met from 3pm to 4:30pm on Zoom (recording). Members continued the task this spring of reviewing data from this year’s workshops and surveys, and setting priorities for revising the plan for 2023-28 by the end of this Spring 2023 semester.

This planning meeting focused on reviewing and analyzing feedback from the Fall 2022 campus planning workshops, events, and presentations as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. From this foundation, we began developing consensus on RU’s campus sustainability goals for the next five years and prioritize concrete initiatives to achieve said goals. Our next task will be to specifically prioritize each goal and initiative in a final review process.

Resources from the meeting:

  • ESC Planning meeting agenda and data slides from the 3/17/23 meeting (pdf 10MB)
  • Compiled list of ideas and suggestions from surveys and planning workshops, updated 3/13/23 (pdf)
  • Progress Report on 2015-20 Goals & Priorities (Excel and pdf versions)

Joseph Loundy Human Rights Symposium (11/30/22): Three students from the SUST 350 Service & Sustainability — Kiera Carpenter, Sophia Gallo, and Kayla Nelson — presented their Progress Report on our 2022 Sustainability Strategic Planning efforts this fall at the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project Symposium & Luncheon on Wed 11/30/22 at the Chicago Campus. View their slideshow here: SUST 350 Loundy Symposium Slide Presentation 2022-11-30 (pdf)

Environmental Sustainability Committee (11/16/22): Met virtually on Wed 11/16/22 from 7-8:30pm CST — This open committee est. in 2010 meets ~4x per year to discuss environmental sustainability initiatives, share information, and make policy recommendations. This meeting focused on (1) reviewing feedback from our two rounds of campus planning workshops as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. In addition, we will start the process of (2) developing consensus on goals for the next five years and (3) prioritizing concrete initiatives that will achieve said goals.

Planning Workshop 2: Sustainability Goals & Initiatives — This second round of RU Strategic Sustainability planning workshops had participants review and analyze past goals, projects, and accomplishments; and then strategize and prioritize new campus sustainability goals and initiatives for 2023-28.

  • Tue 11/1 from 12:00-1:30pm CST in AUD 720 & online (Zoom recording)
  • Wed 11/2 from 5:00-6:30pm CST in AUD 720 & online (Zoom recording)
  • Slide presentation (pdf) and notes (pdf) from Workshop 2
  • Progress on 2015-20 Goals and Initiatives (pdf)

Planning Workshop 1: Sustainability @RU Crash Course –These initial Strategic Sustainability planning workshops were designed to get participants up to speed on what sustainability is, why it’s important, and what we can do to make a change at RU.

  • Tue 10/11 from 12:30-1:30pm CST in AUD 720 and online (Zoom recording)
  • Wed 10/12 from 6:30-7:30pm CST online (Zoom recording)
  • Slide presentation (pdf) and notes (pdf) from Workshop 1

RU’s 2022 American Dream Reconsidered Conference — Two alumni and one student of the Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU were featured in the Oct. 18 Tuesday online panel discussion at 7pm CST on the topic, “Is the American Dream Sustainable?” with a special focus on Chicago as a city. The panel was recorded live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This is a master class in urban sustainability!

Environmental Sustainability Committee (9/21/22): This open committee est. in 2010 meets ~4x per year to discuss environmental sustainability initiatives, share information, and make policy recommendations.

2022-23 Faculty/Staff/Alumni/Trustee Campus Sustainability Survey & Feedback

RU faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, trustees, and allies — please take just a few minutes to provide us with your ideas, suggestions, and/or questions about sustainability @RU as part of our Fall 2022 strategic sustainability planning effort this semester. Your answers will provide valuable information as we identify initiatives and set new goals for improving sustainability at Roosevelt.

Please click on this link to provide your feedback. Your time and thoughtful responses are greatly valued!

2022-23 Student Campus Sustainability Survey

RU students — do you have four minutes to spare for a good cause? Your fellow students in SUST 350 Service & Sustainability this fall have designed a short and incredibly fun to take student survey as part of RU’s strategic sustainability planning effort this semester. Your answers will provide valuable information as we identify initiatives and set new goals for improving sustainability at Roosevelt.

Please click on this link to take this anonymous student survey. Your time and thoughtful responses are greatly valued!

Feedback to the Planning Team

Please submit any questions, ideas, or suggestions to Dr. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 Instructor and Professor of Sustainability Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Roosevelt University. Additional contact info here.

Last Update: 4/4/24