CSAC Meetings

I. Call to Order

• Start: 2:01 p.m.
• Attendees: Kevin Amende, Kristin Blackler, Madison Boone, Paul Edlund, Duke Elliott, Julia Haggerty, EJ Hook, Aviva Keynton, Paul Lachapelle, Kara Landolfi, Anna Martinson, Candace Mastel, Natalie Meyer, Logun Norris, Justin Pennel, Sunshine Ross, Mary Stein, Christine Upton

II. Approval of previous minutes

• Kristin Blackler makes a motion to approve the September meeting minutes
• Mary Stein seconds the motion
• Motion to approve September minutes carries, minutes are approved

 

III. Old Business

• No old business

VI. New Business

• No new business

V. Informational Items

Presentation from Natalie Meyer, City of Bozeman – “City of Bozeman Climate Action Plan”

• Asking for community input right now to help guide the plan for next 10-20-50 years
• Available at bozeman.net/climateplan
• Community survey at surveymonkey.com/r/cobclimatesurvey
• Started planning process in July 2019 – 35 professionals from around the community
  • Focused on youth involvement – included high school students, MSU students, and young professionals
• Climate team met 12 times, met with community a few times
  • In process of doing presentations right now
• Aiming for planned adoption on Dec. 8, 2020
• Built discussion on impacts of climate change from 2017 Montana Climate Assessment
• Have done inventories on community scale
  • Started with baseline in 2008, most recent year 2018
  • Breakdown in 2018 – 38% transportation, 33% commercial, 24% residential, 5% solid waste, 0.1% water and wastewater
  • Emissions have gone up by 16%, population has gone up by 37%
• Want to describe what is the cost of inaction to the Bozeman community – chart describing how much Bozeman residents will be paying in fossil fuels in future, and the social cost of carbon
  • Solutions would save $217.5 million
• Climate resiliency
  • Previous climate planning efforts didn’t directly address adaptation and resiliency
  • Talk about resiliency through many lenses
• Mitigation goals
  • Consistent with Paris Climate Agreement – 26% reduction in GHG emissions by 2025
  • By 2050, be a carbon neutral community
• Six focus areas and cross-cutting themes
  • Set of 16 solutions total in these focus areas
  • Discussions about equity woven throughout the plan, use of city assets, human health
  • Focus 1 – Healthy, adaptive and efficient buildings
  • Focus 2 – Responsible and reliable renewable energy supply
  • Focus 3 – Vibrant and resilient neighborhoods
  • Focus 4 – Diverse and accessible transportation options
  • Focus 5 – Comprehensive and sustainable waste reduction
  • Focus 6 – Regenerative greenspace, food systems, and natural environment
• Upcoming events
  • Tuesday, October 20 workshop – “Waste, Food Systems, and Community Greenspace”
  • Going back to City Commission on Nov. 17 for another work session to summarize community feedback and get guidance on revisions
• Questions
  • Can we get a copy of this presentation?
    • Happy to share presentation
  • How much thought went into Northwestern Energy’s renewable portfolio and how much that will impact this plan and others?
    • A lot of these solutions reference what MSU is doing with its facilities
    • Northwestern Energy portfolio surpasses what a lot of community wishes they could have – thinking about array of options that could be in front of us
    • Knowing they are trending in the wrong direction, have worked hard to establish relationship with Northwestern Energy to talk about these issues – build coalition that majority of customers are represented by cities working on these issues
    • Green tariff is a solution that will work with Northwestern to develop over the next five years, hope MSU is a part of the discussion
  • When we think about partners that have a big influence on the success of this plan, beyond MSU providing innovations beyond engineering, who would that be?
    • MSU has been biggest funder of transit in the community
    • Building technology/innovation that you see on campus is important to City, as well as food systems piece
    • So many respected professors on campus as well, thinking about events and communication
  • This plan is already providing important educational opportunities for students

Presentation from Sunshine Ross, HRDC Transportation Director – “Streamline Redesign Project”

• Received planning grant from MDT last fall
• Short term plan will be implemented in fall 2021
• Stakeholder meetings across the county
• Issued existing service and market conditions report
  • Efficiency and effectiveness
  • Travel demand and transit markets
• Conducted survey in April 2020 – 900 responses
  • 39% respondents reported never riding Streamline
• Proposed service scenarios
  • Core service plus additional route
  • Adding service on weekends, eliminating one of late-night routes
  • Help gain ridership from those who don’t ride on traditional 8am-5pm hours
• New proposed routes A – E
  • Additional route service network
• Next steps
  • Received feedback on recommendations
  • Modifying recommendations based on input received
  • Develop a transit development plan that solidifies the final service recommendations and provides implementation guidance for short- and long-term implementation
• Showcasing routes
  • Doors to Transit project – volunteers painted door blanks different colors of routes, took pictures, and will wrap the door blanks with pictures and text showcasing what you can get to in terms of activities
• Long-term plans
  • More coverage, more frequency
  • Four Corners service
  • Belgrade: In-town route
  • A transit development plan that solidifies the final service recommendations and provides implementation guidance
    • Funding sources – with census, if we reach 50k Bozeman becomes a small urban – big transit – would switch from funding through state directly to federal government – don’t know if that means more or less money but opens up different funding sources
    • HRDC as a nonprofit cannot receive direct federal funding – would be under a contract – looking at doing an urban transit district (Missoula, Great Falls already do this, provides a lot more funding)
  • Questions
    • When do you expect change to go forward?
      • Short term plan – could implement with budget now – August 2021
    • Can we archive this presentation/make available?
      • Yes – all of this information on Google map and can look at website too
      • https://streamlinebus.com/about/redesign-streamline-2020/
    • Kagy Boulevard – traffic on Kagy and potential expansion has been a hot topic with CSAC in the past – new routes don’t provide service on Kagy, was that part of the conversation?
      • Competing services and wanting to provide access to the most amount of people
      • In longer term plan, talk about an east-west connection between 19^th and Highland, utilizing Kagy
      • Mayor has indicated maybe we can do a pilot project – potentially funding for that?

Update on Sustainability Plan process

• President and advisors feel that it is unwise to go through public vetting of plan that would lead to university-level adoption at this time
• Anxious that any mention of MSU branding itself as a sustainability leader could trigger negative reactions in the legislature
• Asked to stand by the ready and move timeline back to next year
  • Support for climate action plan process so that these can operate in tandem
• Circular discussion, give everyone a chance for everyone to speak once then will go around a second time for everyone to respond
  • Concerns, questions
  • What in the current Sustainability Plan can we not begin to make progress on without the plan being adopted?
• Initial comments
  • Anna Martinson – bummed to hear that it has to wait to be approved, but excited to hear that we are thinking about things we can do right now, happy to help in any way
  • Candace Mastel - worked with Kristin on bicycle master plan, had same dilemma – in interim implemented a lot of the principles of the plan without having them be endorsed – achieved quite a bit before plan was actually published – thinking about how to have a grassroots effort
  • EJ Hook – unfortunate we have to wait, but good things come to those who wait, politics is part of it
  • Justin Pennel – disappointed to see this has to wait, but hopefully this time next year we can make it even better
  • Kara Landolfi – for local foods and waste reduction, still strong in their department; current state of the environment has impacted quite negatively, but once restrictions are lifted plan to go back to previous efforts; without adoption don’t have any changes negatively impacted
  • Kevin Amende – any opportunity to keep plugging away and doing stuff; ask for forgiveness, not permission; keep pushing as much as we can
  • Kristin Blackler – disappointed, but not surprised; double down and think what we can do in this pause to come back even bigger and better; what things can we run in parallel
  • Mary Stein – disappointing, don’t view it as radical thinking; one concern is focus for engagement opportunities on campus and barriers that may come up for those
  • Paul Edlund – what can’t we do; for students exciting to say that university has a sustainability plan; pursue a conversation about what we could offer or educate students
  • Paul Lachapelle – many people have worked on this and acknowledge efforts of everyone; costs of this decision – economic, social – plan will save university money and sooner it’s implemented sooner money is saved; carbon budget is diminishing by the day and making catch up all the more difficult; “keeping heads down” antithetical to university mission; overwhelming majority of students want sustainability plan and want it now
  • Bruce Maxwell – another case where upper administration is being too careful, blow to any kind of commitment when trying to recruit students; reiterate that university system is supposed to lead in these kinds of issues
  • Natalie Meyer - Apologies that I have to leave. My comment is simply that you have all made amazing progress without a formal plan. With the release of our city plan, I can attest that we are in a hyper-political environment right now with the election and the upcoming legislative session.
  • Logun Norris – why wait until next fall? Why not January after the election?
    • Wait until after legislative session, getting students involved and university saw maximum potential in fall
  • Commitment to what goes into Climate Action Plan
    • Doubt that we have a place to negotiate that right now
    • Can have open discussion and pass resolutions
  • Responses, other ideas
    • Anna Martinson – Is there anything ASMSU can do to push this forward or make it happen faster?
    • EJ Hook – we can still act and do things; next week planting ten trees! Can still make progress and small things, point at real action that we’re taking at multiple levels and multiple departments
    • Justin Pennel – no comment
    • Kara Landolfi – echo EJ
    • Kevin Amende – having professional employees be able to have some support, those involved in day to day activities
    • Kristin Blackler – has talked with Terry at length and his commitment to the Climate Action Plan and heading this campus to a path of carbon neutrality; changing what is viewed as possible for getting this campus to carbon neutrality
    • Mary Stein – interested in CSAC putting forth a formal resolution if we can’t get plan approved right now; as a council have a very clear directive in this space; through a resolution, indicate the urgency in moving forward on this plan and intend to move forward with the actions laid out in this plan; should take some action on campus
    • Paul Edlund – what could be possible if there is a resolution shared among common partners on campus and would want to affirm and contribute to the resolution?
    • Paul Lachapelle – ASMSU could propose a vote of no confidence about this decision, Faculty Senate could weigh in too; interested in getting other partners to discuss this and get input
    • Logun Norris – no additional comment
  • Julia proposes off-cycle meeting to bring forth such a resolution in new business
    • Two weeks from today – October 29
    • Julia happy to be a conduit and voice in Faculty Senate space

Update on Climate Action Plan process

• Call it Climate Action Initiative?
• Nuts and bolts things about greenhouse gas emissions that we’re relying on climate action plan to accomplish
• Kristin’s vision for how council can be most useful as a hub and for the process
  • Looking for creation of a task force – leverage not only technical expertise but also financial decision makers on campus (financial services, auxiliaries)
  • Thinking about how we pay for these things in the long-term, what is structured capital plan for doing that
• Lots of opportunity for student engagement – social portions of that
• Gathering information on how new buildings are performing – question for task force is, we’re on this path already and how do accelerate it?
• How do get MSU to set more aggressive goals?
• Long term financial implications? Implications/costs of not doing this?
• What are the mechanics?
  • Previous climate plan looked like there were consultants involved
  • Involved internal stakeholders – WTI, Engineering Dept. – very technical
  • How do provide education for campus stakeholders?
• See as two phases
  • Initial technical report coupled with financial levers at our disposal, identifying barriers
    • Having Terry on board with this is essential and critical
  • Second phase – getting larger stakeholder involvement
• If we do this well, not only helping MSU but sister campuses across the state (e.g. MSU-N, MSU-B)
• Questions and feedback
  • Involving Second Nature, Deborah Rowe – asset to this in terms of other templates and ways of moving forward
  • Core team that meets semi-regularly and then larger team that can provide peer review
    • Technical team that has one or two members from council that can report out
    • When financial strategy is done, the task force would kick in for engagement and outreach
  • Core team has not yet been identified
    • Kristin has been working with Aaron Mitchell, Megan Lasso, Dan Stephenson, and Duke Elliott
    • Needs help identifying correct faculty to engage and student connections
  • Can Kristin send out short description of what this process will look like?
  • Can solicit feedback between now and next meeting in two weeks

CSAC members news and announcements

• Paul Lachapelle’s initiatives
  • Teaching snowmester course on climate leadership course through Honors
  • Would like to replicate that through an affinity group – for students and faculty to get together to talk about climate issues they feel are relevant to themselves, campus, careers – cross-disciplinary conversation
  • Paul L. can draft something and share with council for input on increasing climate literacy
  • Spearheading climate advocacy group on campus
• Guaranteed Ride Home Program is live: https://www.montana.edu/sustainability/sustainable_transportation/grh/registration.html

VII. Public comment

VIII. Adjournment

*Amended on January 14, 2021 to reflect text of Resolution and update final vote count

I. Call to Order

• Start: 2:03
• Attendees: Julia Haggerty. Kristin Blackler, Paul Edlund, Kara Landolfi, EJ Hook, Mary Stein, Paul Lachapelle, Candace Mastel, Christine Upton, Duke Elliot, Matthew Madsen, Tami Eitle, Zach Hurt, Kevin Amende, Natalie Meyer, Dan Sandberg, Justin Pennel, Logun Norris

II. Introduction

• Welcoming new members Zach Hurt, Tami Eitle and Justin Pennel

III. Discussing Funding Proposals

1. Dan Sandberg explaining applications for seed grants
   1. Two applications received
   2. Ask committee members to consider applications outside of the meetings
   3. Applications can be voted for and affirmed outside of meeting, over email
   4. Votes will be directed to Dan Sandberg, ‘cc Madison
2. Paul Lachapelle, EJ Hook, Matt Madsen will serve on Finance Committee
3. Discussion on Proposed Resolution- Every member comments according to three prompts
4. Do you support CSAC making some kind of a formal statement to the administration (and others) in response to the request that we continue to work on the plan and…
5. If so, what should the statement focus on? Should it be a resolution, or a memo from the offices?
6. Do you have any specific feedback or question regarding the resolution offered by Paul and Bruce?

 

Campus Sustainability Advisory Council

WHEREAS, a Montana State University Campus Sustainability Plan will actually save the university money in the long run and any efforts to delay the implementation will have great economic, social and environmental costs, and consequently the sooner we implement, the sooner we start saving; and

WHEREAS, that our carbon budget is diminishing by the day and the Climate Clock, based on the 2018 IPCC 1.5C report, specifies we have about 86 months (just over 7 years) until our carbon budget is depleted and waiting an additional 8-12 months equates to about 10% of this timeline making any catch-up all the more difficult; and

WHEREAS multiple lines of evidence point to what an October, 2020 UN report states that we are headed for an 'uninhabitable hell' without climate action; and 

WHEREAS, keeping our heads down is antithetical to our university mission, our vision, and everything we hold true as educators and innovators and leaders in our fields since we are charged with upholding the public trust, a fiduciary to provide the campus and citizens with the ways and means to address the most relevant and serious of contemporary issues with scientific, evidence-based information, and this plan and the urgency with which we are working demands we do this; and

WHEREAS, our sense is the overwhelming majority of students want a Montana State University Campus Sustainability Plan now and the message a delay sends is, go to a university where the leadership have the resolve to address these types of complicated issues.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Campus Sustainability Advisory Council objects to any attempt to prevent progress on campus sustainability planning, for political, economic or other reasons.  

 

Passed and adopted this _____ day of month, year by a vote of ___ for and ___ against.

 

Attest:___________________________________ (Board) Vice Chair

_______________________________ (Board) Chair

1. CSAC Members refer to prompts and respond
   1. Christine Upton: In favor of passing the proposed resolution
   2. Mary Stein: Actively uncomfortable with current proposal, concerned with burning bridges
   3. Dan: On the fence, leaning opposed.
   4. Kristin Blackler: Strongly opposed to sending current resolution. Feels currently supported by administration. Concerned about backlash, especially given previous support from admin
   5. Duke Elliot: Opposed to resolution. Focused on goal of climate change mitigation, interested in results, concerned that the resolution will foment divisiveness, even after the positive direction we have already received from admin
   6. Kevin Amende: Opposed as stated. Affirm the “climate clock,” but concerned that language will set us back during COVID concerns
   7. Natalie Meyer: Hopeful that after the election that this statement could have a more positive impact
   8. Matt Madsen: Opposed. Sustainability Plan is action-item oriented and it will be powerful for us to affirm that we began working on these things in November, even though we released the plan in summer 2020.
   9. Paul Edlund: Opposed to resolution, but if we did craft a resolution, it should be a narrative story detailing what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen, describing forward momentum and commitment
   10. Paul Lachapelle: Support of sending the message. Suggested that many members of this council fear of retribution but doesn’t consider this resolution to be likely to burn any bridges. This resolution is part of the responsibility we share as educators and members of this academic community. Open to redrafting according to committee’s response
   11. Tami Eitle: Affirm from administration the support of this plan. Hesitate to move proposed resolution because of adversarial message
   12. Zach Hurt: Wants to keep language positive
   13. Logun Norris: No on resolution, thinks it’s more harm than good
   14. Candace Mastel: No on resolution, but could consider a brief statement affirming that we are continuing to work on this sustainability plan
   15. EJ: Opposed. Feels affirmed consider the historical progression of the success of this committee, and affirms that if we do anything, it should be a “thank you” and success story of what has happened and what is going to happen
   16. Justin Pennel: Opposed
   17. Kara Landolfi: Opposed
   18. Julia Haggerty: Affirms that many members of her circle suggest that political retribution against organizations within MSU, from Montana politics, is real.

1. Committee Motions
2. Paul Lachapelle motions to submit Resolution Draft
3. Motion failed in online poll (2 in favor, 14 opposed)

IV. Public Comment

• No public comment

V. Adjournment

I. Call to Order

• Start: 2:01 p.m.
• Attendees: Kevin Amende, Kristin Blackler, Madison Boone, Paul Edlund, Duke Elliott, Julia Haggerty, Andrea Hamre, EJ Hook, Paul Lachapelle, Kara Landolfi, Matthew Madsen, Anna Martinson, Candace Mastel, Natalie Meyer, Ali Moxley, Logun Norris, Justin Pennel, Mary Stein, Christine Upton, Rose Vejvoda

II. Approval of previous minutes

• Shelve minutes for now, can send out both sets for Oct. 29 and before
• Can circulate and do an e-vote for those with all

III. Informational Items

Funding proposal discussion with grantees (Finance Committee)

• Sare Campbell’s proposal – Trex recycling challenge
  • Senior at MSU, studies Earth Science and GIS mapping – attended one of Saturday volunteer events and came into contact with individual who runs Valley of the Flowers project – encourages reduction of plastic bags – helping her bridge the gap between campus and community and build connection with MSU
  • Grant would pay for recycling bins around campus – starting in dorms and SUB
  • Recycling bins would be owned by MSU after the challenge was done
  • Would work with recycling program on campus, and working with local grocery stores in Bozeman
  • Wanted to include intersectional environmental component – would be cool to get different clubs around campus to have posters or information around those bins about environmental challenges for different communities
  • Comment about value of money received could be reduced – buying cheaper bins
    • Also like idea of having one color of bin
  • No major changes in funding at this time
  • Importance of working with recycling programs already on campus – don’t want to add extra work or make it more complicated
    • Advice would be really helpful on this point – integrate in a smooth way would be most important
    • Working with Logun Norris as well
    • Just need to hash out some of the finer details – MSU has wanted to do fine plastic recycling for a while
  • Kristin spoke with EJ Hook – convinced we could find ways to find cheaper recycling bins than those listed in the proposal
  • How this project can grow in future years – Trex also does a program that will buy your plastic film from you – see how this program goes and look at as a potential future next step
  • Timing and rollout – trying to get it out next semester, but dependent on whether things are online or not
    • Challenge takes place over 6 month period of snow
    • Use volunteers with SNow and Valley of the Flowers for collection of bags, uncertain about transportation between campus and bags
    • Collect every two weeks for spring semester to record and measure
  • If not anyone on campus for spring – concern with availability of recycling plastic bags – goal is to collect 500 pounds and could exceed that – no matter what is collected it will be recycled – see how much we can collect over the semester and informing future projects
  • Consider it funded and approved, just plan on reaching back out (can reach out to Madison) sometime in spring, and also how members of this group can help
• Ali Moxley – Mushroom Production
  • Graduate student in SFBS
  • Funding related to Masters project – research question focused on barriers and opportunities to mushroom production in western United States
  • Addressing feedback – impact to MSU community
    • Mushroom farm just started up in Bozeman – help inform that individual and keep the farm going, as well as provide mushrooms in the dining halls at MSU and have access to that type of food
    • Talk more about impact to students – this funding would target consumer incentives
      • Lower barriers to other farmers in Bozeman doing shiitake log production
    • Need for a good communication component to MSU community as a whole – something like an infographic describing why mushroom consumption is a sustainable method of eating – could go hand in hand with Culinary Services tastings, some kind of educational outreach component
      • Open to platforms where it would be appropriate for Ali to present research findings at a conference/meeting at MSU
    • Kara Landolfi speaking from Culinary Services perspective
    • One way this network could be valuable – help connect different students interested in these kinds of projects to do work that is valuable, for example a senior that is interested in creating an infographic
    • Same thing as project above – project is considered approved, just need to make sure to share how project is going in the spring
  • CSAC funding is 6311.42 spent, with 6188.58 remaining - finance committee suggests that we re-open our funding application process for a major projects deadline of Feb 15, 2021.

Update on Climate Action Plan process

• Still working on it, thinking about it
• Background on GHG inventory – how we’ve done that and changes to that
• Since 2008, first started collecting GHG data, used consultant and worked in partnership with MSU folks
• Last year decided to pull in-house and change we it’s reported out
• Program called SIMAP that are now using – uncovering some discrepancies in how reporting has been done over past 12 years
  • https://unhsimap.org/
• And moving forward deciding what is most accurate representation of GHG emissions and what is best platform for university
• Main consensus is that want to be doing most accurate inventory, not that that makes us look the best
• Overlap of trying to do some measurement and verification and that we really understand what the data is telling us
• Coordinating with City of Bozeman as well since part of their GHG inventory
• Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3
  • Scope 3 – wastewater, recycling, transportation – gets tricky
  • Worked with WTI to develop a comprehensive transportation survey – working with Office of Planning & Analysis to get out
• If you have any questions contact Kristin/Office of Sustainability
• Want to come back to CSAC to help with implementation plan
  • What should we be looking at in terms of general calendar
  • Intermediate numbers not super confident with currently but could be released in 6 months – FY 2021

Discussion re: communications channel options

• Projects that departments might have that might spur student interest
• How to get the word about sustainability and CSAC initiatives on campus
  • Finalize some plan that works with Kristin and Paul on how CSAC members can be more vocal advocates
• Idea of project clearinghouse
• What pathways do you hear about information, what channels do you use to disseminate information?
• Feedback and comments:
  • Engaging with students is always a challenge
  • Ways of engaging: Email lists, academic lists, MSU Today, social media (Instagram, Twitter), Microsoft Teams, meeting with student groups, project meetings, Astray (sp?) Insight newsletter, local people contacting, American Public Health Association newsletter, Green Schools list-serve, MSU News
    • COVID has presented a challenge in not having spontaneous conversations with people
    • Idea of Office of Sustainability newsletter?
  • Clearinghouse idea - List of subjects that we would be willing to partner with
    • Building connections on the front-end
    • Mechanical engineering – two capstone advisors that help field projects
    • Use funding to get some students to actually put together a clearinghouse plan
      • Marketing students
    • Mentor SNow in developing resources and leadership
    • Students involved with Campus Climate Coalition have expressed that they would utilize a clearinghouse
  • Communication obligation – needs real structure
    • Already created real structure around Sustainability Plan
    • Talking one month about academic examples, another month talking about something else

CSAC member news and announcements

• None

IV. Public comment

• Rose Vejvoda – president of Sustainability Now and works with MSU Leadership Institute
  • At end of semester all student associates get to propose an idea for on campus
  • Proposing Earth Day event – coordinating with groups on campus to host a climate change panel or climate change/sustainability talk during Earth Week
  • Would love to hear ideas about speakers and authors before giving proposal to boss
  • Timeline for rounding out ideas – complete proposal within the next month
  • CSAC is thinking about doing some climate education ourselves and thinking about how this all weaves together – schedule an ad-hoc meeting to talk about potential ideas
  • A few ideas: Gil Penalosa, Janette Sadik-Khan, Jeff Speck...more on transportation: [email protected]

V. Adjournment

• Next steps:
  • Optional CSAC meeting in December, next formal meeting in January
  • Invitation to participate in meeting with Rose
  • Circulating previous meeting minutes
  • Thinking about setting up another funding cycle
  • Synthesizing this information and coming up with some sort of communications plan
  • Setting up email with all of the lists and what they do

I. Call to Order

• Attendees: Kevin Amende, Kristin Blackler, Madison Boone, Sarah Coletta Flynn, Paul Edlund, Duke Elliott, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Susan Gallagher, Julia Haggerty, EJ Hook, Jill Klinger, Paul Lachapelle, Kara Landolfi, BB Lenovo, Jared Leonard, Matthew Madsen, Anna Martinson, Candace Mastel, Natalie Meyer, Logun Norris, Justin Pennel, Chancey Ringer, Daniel Sandberg, Mary Stein, Megan Sterl, Steve Swinford, Terry Leist, Christine Upton

II. Approval of previous minutes

Approved October and November minutes

III. Informational Items

Presentation in University Budget, VP Terry Leist – Presentation available by request

• Processes for budgeting and how that works at state and campus level
  • Begins with legislature
  • Budget office submits things through Commissioner’s Office to go into Governor’s budget during Spring of even numbered years
    • How much will it cost us to operate next biennium doing what we’re doing now
    • Estimates for utilities, leases, salary increases, etc.
  • University System submitted budget to Governor Bullock and then Governor Gianforte – has already changed twice from what was originally submitted
    • Legislature can take it, leave it, change it, do with it whatever they want
    • Will typically work with Governor and a lot of it will stay in place
  • Different components at state level – general operations bill, pay plan bill, two parts to capital piece, long range building process
  • For University System, except for projects funded through long range building process, rest of it comes to University System as a loan and find way to allocate to campuses
• When it gets to MSU
  • In middle of the process right now
  • Take new money they have and ask all units to provide a 2% reallocation – add any new money they have from tuition
  • Also ask units to send ideas for reinvesting
  • How to incorporate more robust capital planning process at campus level? What long-term things do we need to think about?
    • Have done a lot of good things based on opportunity – example – Romney Oval
  • Is there actually a capital improvement plan that people could put their hands on, like a public document?
    • Not yet – bits and pieces of things, trying to formalize that
  • Financial overview
    • Total money bringing in for FY20 for all MSU - $780M
    • MSU’s portion is $624M
      • Plant funds - $84M
      • Restricted funds - $136M
      • Net General Operating Funds - $220M
      • Designated funds - $83M
      • Auxiliary Funds - $65M
      • Loan Funds - $420k
      • Tuition Waivers - $32M
      • Endowment Funds – $1.4k
    • General fund - $220M
      • Net tuition and fees - $145M
      • General fund and millage - $71M
      • Non-mandatory transfers-in - $1.6M
      • Other revenue - $2.1M
    • Enrollment
      • Steadily increasing percentage of non-resident students coming in between FY16-FY20
    • Origin of resident students
      • Gallatin and Yellowstone County are two largest
    • In country
      • California, Washington, Alaska, Minnesota, Illinois, northeast
    • Amount of funding per resident student
      • Getting subsidized from the state ~$9000 per student in state
      • Number is below the average, trying to bring it up
    • General Operations
      • Salary and wages - $124M
      • Utilities - $3M
      • Other operating expenses - $15M
      • Instruction - $113M – steadily increasing this and academic support ($27M)
      • Facilities - $25M
      • Institutional Support - $18M
    • Debt Service
      • Most tied up into dining and housing operations
      • Some have been refinanced – don’t all align with exact projects
      • Stepdown function – as time goes on have less and less bond obligations – issue new debt for new things in the future
    • Questions
      • How can we possibly do anything if it takes 4-5 legislative cycles to get things passed; is there no other way to do things, what opportunities are we missing to be strategic?
        • State statutes – constitution provides authority to MUS to Board from Regents – but if it’s a structure on campus it has to go through the legislature – it takes time
        • Only a capacity to put a certain number of things on the list each year – have eight campuses – jockeying for the ability to get it on the list – subject to Governor changing the list too
        • Have to demonstrate importance, if can go through Board of Regents may be quicker but still a process
      • From the Foundation side, new initiative at University of Oregon to establish new environmental and racial justice institute, received funding from private foundation; any similar things on campus in terms of pursuing private foundation funding for things like sustainability
        • Foundation will work with anyone on ideas
        • Still a process – has to be approved even if you have the money
        • Don’t know if there is anyone one person doing that full-time
        • Something that CSAC could take up – coordinating committee to see what’s happening on campus and serve as point of contact
      • Asking each of units to come back with innovative proposals on budgeting – any gems that have come out of that process? About how to think a little bit differently
        • As part of budget council assess those
        • Have funded a number of initiatives and projects over past 8-9 years; give them 2 years to get going; ask some of them to come back and report out on how it’s going
        • Most of them have been in academic and student success arena
        • A few things that have come through focused on sustainability in that process – electronic document management; composting pilot project;

 

Presentation on MSU’s Electricity Procurement from Northwestern Energy, Megan Sterl and Duke Elliot

• University Services – Megan oversees Engineering and Utilities part of this
  • Will focus on procurement portion today
  • montana.edu/us
• Utility portfolio by cost
  • Electric Total – 54%
  • Natural Gas (Tier 1 and Tier 2) – 22%
  • Natural Gas Firm – 4%
  • Water + Sewer – 20%
• Campus electricity supply
  • 65% of energy is coming from Northwestern, 32% from WAPA Hydro, small portions generated on campus
  • Overlaying circle in middle – shows Northwestern portfolio overlaid with MSU’s portfolio – 75% of current used utilities on campus are low-carbon
  • Noteworthy to highlight WAPA purchase agreement – in unique position nationally
• Campus electric distribution map
• Electric suppliers
  • Of the part we are purchasing, two main suppliers are Northwestern Energy and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)
  • Quasi-choice customer since 2007
    • Means we can get power from two separate ways – one by being traditional retail customer, other part is choice part – getting supplied by WAPA and distribution by Northwestern
    • Per laws and rules, no changes to this mix can be made after 2007
  • Electric on-site generation
    • Heating plant has cogeneration currently
    • MSU photovoltaic
      • One of the challenges with PV is where to put those – promising areas are parking lots but challenge of how to deal with snow
      • Have ruled out rooftop spaces
      • Cost-benefit of PV has been improving in recent years
    • Natural gas supply
      • Contract through the state with Shell Gas – distributed by Northwestern Energy
      • Tier 1 and Tier 2 gas is most of what is coming into heating plant
      • Tier 2 represents some labs and more specific equipment
      • Also buying natural gas as a retail customer
    • MSU’s strategy
      • Committed to low carbon future on campus
      • Addressing supply and demand by:
        • Reducing energy use
        • Reclaiming energy
        • Integrating renewable energy and systems
      • Questions
        • Clarification on natural gas
          • Gas going directly into facilities? Tier 1 – directly going into the heating plant, consider it steam on campus
          • Gas distributed throughout campus is pretty in comparison
        • Are we bought into that gas for a longer period of time?
          • Depends on the building; every building has a strategy that is appropriate for it
        • PV is behind the meter, but still being captured and reported – do they have separate meters, how do those work?
          • Sub-metering on campus – provide additional information – some of that are PV installations, co-generation on campus – to get idea of total usage on campus
        • What can we do to up that future planned number of 70kW and look at available land, solar-ready options?
          • Have to take into consideration not only capital but also who owns land on campus, future buildings
          • Has there been an inventory done on potential gradient with ground mount, surface systems?
            • Have done extensive evaluation on roof mounted portion, a little bit on ground mounted – want to work with a consultant on that
          • Do you have a list of highest energy consumption, top electrical uses to look at, how to make those more energy efficient?
            • A few different ways
              • Building energy use – can share that with everyone
              • Looking at the pie chart and determining what to go after with energy efficiency
            • A lot of effort also spent on maintaining systems and making sure they work as efficiently as possible
          • What is the trend in consumption over time? More efficient, doing more with less?
            • Energy use trends have been a downward in energy use, but upward trend in square footage of buildings, hours of operation, number of students
            • Flat energy usage over last few years – good thing given how much we have grown
            • Have a good handle on how we see future of low carbon and how to get there – if money weren’t a factor technology is there to be able to do that today
          • New geothermal system – what percentage of energy was that going to make up for campus?
            • Don’t have geothermal in there yet but eventually will – in carbon reduction component
            • Carbon emission reduction – a million pounds per year
          • Have learned from every project on campus and improving from those

• Emissions reductions planning on campus
  • Next thing that Terry needs is whether it’s electrical/gas side of things or other areas – needs more information to be able to assess
  • Then looking at how we can get there and put in some cost estimates before putting together written commitment
  • Overall – look at these areas and get some groundwork done so Terry can understand it better to help guide how we can move forward and what a timeline might look like
  • Don’t want to get to point of saying this is what we want to do but having no real clear actions to accomplish those
  • Especially given current budget environment
  • Council can embark on social learning efforts and supporting Kristin in some of these technical deep dives

Emissions Reductions Planning

• Emissions reductions planning on campus
  • Next thing that Terry needs is whether it’s electrical/gas side of things or other areas – needs more information to be able to assess
  • Then looking at how we can get there and put in some cost estimates before putting together written commitment
  • Overall – look at these areas and get some groundwork done so Terry can understand it better to help guide how we can move forward and what a timeline might look like
• Don’t want to get to point of saying this is what we want to do but having no real clear actions to accomplish those
  • Especially given current budget environment
• Council can embark on social learning efforts and supporting Kristin in some of these technical deep dives
• Can’t formally embark on developing climate action plan at this point
• If we come out of legislative session even consider that a win
• A lot of uncertainty right now with economics, enrollment
• What kinds of deep dives does Kristin want to do?
  • Policy barriers, technological barriers, economic barriers
  • What is our target data, what is the funding level to get there?
  • Work with a small group of technical experts to perform an analysis of what’s possible, then run financial analysis
  • Greenhouse gas emissions is only one sector too
• A lot of this is education
  • A lot of good examples across the country to look to as well – for example, Utah State University

 

CSAC member news and announcements

• Dan Sandberg – grant funding - https://www.montana.edu/csac/funding-requests.html
  • Have about half of our grant funding left to give out – advertised both large and small grant opportunities
  • Major projects grant deadline is February 15
  • Small grants are ongoing
• Selena Ahemd webinar – Just Sustainabilities
  • Upcoming Webinar: Wednesday, January 27th at 1pm PST / 2pm MST / 4pm EST for a webinar led by Professor Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University on "JUST SUSTAINABILITES IN POLICY, PLANNING, AND PRACTICE".
• Continue to post on Sustainability list-serve!
• How can this council help amplify and accelerate efforts to link students with research efforts?
  • Have off-schedule meeting in coming weeks to talk more about this
• Dan Sandberg – groom small Nordic track and offer free ski rentals, doing avalanche rescue park on campus, running some ice-skating clinics as well

IV. Public comment

V. Adjournment

I. Call to Order

Attendence:

Paul Edlund, Julia Haggerty, Paul Lachapelle, Brooke Lahneman, Candace Mastel, Chaney Ringer, Duke Elliot, Haley Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Kristin Blackler, Mary Stein, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Susan Gallagher, Zach Hurt

II. Approval of previous minutes

January minutes approved.

III. Informational Items

Reviewing member participation

Zach Hurt, Natalie Meyers review

Vacant Employee, Student, Graduate Student and Community Member

• Brooke Lahneman self-nominates for Vacant Employee/Faculty membership position.
• Haley Sinoff self-nominates for Vacant Student membership position.
• Jacob Northcutt self-nominates for Graduate Student membership position.
• Nick Fitzmaurice self-nominates Vacant Student membership position.

Motions passed

• Mary Stein motions to invite all four members into membership positions, suggesting Nick and Haley split between student position and community member position
  • Nick favors MSU student membership position, reflecting his MSU responsibilities
  • Haley favors community member position, reflecting her commitment to organizations like GVLT
• Comments: Paul Lachapelle considers revising by-laws to permit multiples student membership positions
• Mary Stein amends motions to install Brooke Lahneman as Faculty at large, Nick Fitzmaurice as student at large, Haley Sinoff as community member at large, and Jacob Northcutt as Graduate Student at large
• Paul Lachapelle seconded
• All say Aye, none opposed

Agenda Item #1-Dan Sandberg

• Dan Sandberg reviews grant submissions, proposes email vote confirming submission for grant funds.
  • Of $12,500 dollars, approx. $6,800 remain for future funding.

Agenda Item #2- Julia Haggerty

• How can we operate CSAC as a more inclusive operation to make space for students to access CSAC funding and resource?

Agenda Item #3- Susan Gallagher

• CATS- Community Engaged and Transformational Scholarship Initiatives

Creating interdisciplinary opportunities

• How can we get more cross disciplinary learning opportunities for students?
  • Finding professors that will work together to put multidisciplinary projects in place
  • Brian Brush is looking to get civil engineers involved in a collaboration.
  • Having students involved with the community serves the purpose of a land grant university and gets them more engaged in their work.
• Create a list of potential capstone projects to help create more interdisciplinary work between departments.
  • Biggest issue preventing collaboration is capstone instructors not knowing who each other are and what they are doing for capstones.
  • CSAC work with DSEL lab (design sandbox for engaged learning) to create interdisciplinary learning opportunities around sustainability.

Agenda Item #4 -Kevin Amende

• ASHRAY (American society of heating refrigeration and air condition engineers) Build bikes that would measure student’s energy output while using the bikes and then put the energy into heating and cooling.
  • Wants to run project as a capstone.
  • Maybe put into wellness facility.
  • Looking for funding, will vote over email.
• How can we get more student proposals for CSAC funding?

Agenda Item #5 Kristen Blackler / Pual Lachepelle

• Second nature is holding 4 sessions.
  • Could host for $3500, gives 10 faculty and 20 students full access.
  • Good way to help come up with a climate action plan.
  • Would help the climate action plan group.
  • Small cohort of faculty and some students participating. Would meet after to distill key points and disseminate info to CSAC.
  • Recording of sessions would be available.
  • Can we distribute attendance and note taking among enough people to cover sessions and make it worthwhile to fund?
  • Cost share with sustainability office.

CSAC UPDATES

Kristen Blackler

• Wellness center has funding to put in solar array which will be the largest one in Montana.
• Starting to look at campus energy generation more holistically.

Duke Elliot

• LED Lighting retrofit for Fieldhouse.
• Working on outdoor lighting for 11^th and grant street.
• Working on various LED lights around campus

IV. Public comment

V. Adjournment

I. Call to Order

Attendees:

Anna Martinson, Brooke Lahneman, Candace Mastel, Christine Upton, Daniel Sandberg,

Duke Elliot, Hailey Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Jared Leonard, Jessica Thompson, Justin Pennel, Jonas Shannon, Kate, Kerry Case, Kristen Blackler, Logun, Mathew Madsen, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Paul Edlund, Paul Lachapelle, Steve Swinford

II. Approval of previous minutes

III. Informational Items

Presentation and Q&A on Lessons Learned from Campus Climate Action Plans

Kerry Case 

Chief Sustainability Officer

University of Utah

Kate M. Nelson

Chief Sustainability Officer

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Question, Kristen Blacker: Looking for new stretch goal/make a new action plan

            Kate Nelson:

• UWM is a bottom up climate approach. Assembled a community and campus master plan first. The team at UWM works mainly in smaller task forces that solve individual problems/goals. Works away from generality and more towards specific groups of expertise to solve problems. Frames sustainability and resiliency as risk mitigation.
• Uses grad programs to expand and work on sustainability goals. Working climate action planning curriculum into.

Kerry Case:

• How can we involve curriculum and programs to work on climate action?
• Preparing to enter new climate action planning, will include resilience.
• Used a variety of workshops, classes and graduate programs to generate info on resiliency vulnerabilities. Currently using a task force to distill info down into a workable plan. Also consulting cities climate action plan.
• Frame Climate action and resiliency planning as risk management.
• How can we frame climate planning around equity?
• Consensus from facility and students on climate planning is important to move action forward.

Question Brooke Lahnmen: What do you mean by resilience?

Kate Nelson:

• We use the Nature Conservancy’s model with some additional tweaks after more research.
• Climate change exacerbates most problem a campus and cities face.

Kerry Case:

• Used the nature conservancy’s workshop and then heavily modified the definition of resiliency afterwards.
• Must report to second nature so they used there 5 categories to evaluate resiliency. Infrastructure, Ecosystem, Equity in Government, Healthcare.

Question Paul Lachapelle: How to make the case that resiliency plans save money in the long run?

            Kate Nelson:

• Everything we do is driven by numbers that show the damage done by climate change. All plans are backed by finances that justify them

Kerry

• There’s a lot of important climate work that is not cost justified. We are working on justifying non finance driven projects.
• The best way for students to get involved is to come together through student government and highlight what’s most important to them.

Additional points

• Important to involve students in the decision-making process as they have the most stake in climate change.
• Wide vs Deep impact. Encourage deep impact as it will create more long-lasting change, things like student interns and small groups can do this. Working sustainability into general requirements in curriculum can help to wide impact.

 

CSAC member news & announcements

Kristen Blacker AICHE is hosting climate change summit.

Julia Haggerty next meeting will have presentation that student climate action planning class will put on.

IV. Public comment 

V. Adjournment

I. Call to Order

Attendance:

Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Jessica Thompson, Cy Halvorson, Dominic Corradino, Duke
Elliott, Hailey Sinoff, Jessica Thompson, Jacob Northcutt, Jessica Thompson, Justin Pennel,
Kevin Amende, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Natalie Meyer, Paul Edlund, Savanna Washburn, Steve
Swinford, Brooke Lahneman, Paul Edlund,Daniel Short

II. Approval of previous minutes
March minutes approved.

III. Informational Items

a. Sustainability Office STARS update

b. Climate Pursuit Group update

c. CSAC member news and announcements
Discussion of Climate Pursuit Project Update:
Smart Building Initiative and BOR policy are in the maintenance fund, functions as a quasirevolving loan fund ~200-250K per year. Smart Building Initiative helps to implement variety of
EE and conservation projects campus-wide; access to funding is a difficult. Money is included in
the facilities budget and allocated each year, however, how these investments pay back into the
system has yet to be tracked. Projects funded from this program includes water conservation to
EE. Some going to wellness centers PV system. This has helped to prove the technology through
showing the savings/effectiveness. More funding is needed so that we can do more projects.
There is no lack of will or ideas in facilities or in the department.

Paul Edlund: how do you incorporate climate justice? Any good examples from peer
institutions?

USU had a recognition that low-income communities/people of color experience greater climate
injustices; we should provide support for BIPOC students through multicultural student.
Services. Many underserved people exist, and we need to address them in climate action plans.

Raye: We are in a great position to explain why we are writing a new climate action plan.
Explain what it means to current and future generations – remembering the values we are
instilling in students and university community.

Natalie: How can we get this project report around campus?
Look to bring plan to the planning council as they are responsible for putting for the
budget/climate plan. The project can help to contribute to this planning process.

Julia: How can we move this forward in terms of finance? Let’s look to get someone from the
business school in climate financing involved in the project.

Steve Swinford: include the land grant mission in the strategic climate plan. Figure out how to
weave in ideas about equity and vulnerable populations.

Brooke: key takeaways, what seemed to be the most important thing to take action on first.

Jessica Thompson: Leadership via president and upper management will drive change via
funding and direction. Working in land grant mission language to climate plan may help get
leadership more involved.

Paul Edlund and Kristin Blacker: Working on updating the STARS report (Sustainability,
Tracking, Assessment and Rating System). Need to measure what’s happening on campus before
improvements can be made, the stars report aims to measure sustainability at MSU. Currently
MSU is at the silver rating and is aiming for a gold rating in the coming years. Will approach
members on the CSAC council to collect information for the STARS report. Looking to obtain
STARS credits for sustainability literacy, employee educators’ program and student educators’
program. Trying to have data fully collected by late November early December. Much of campus
has sustainability practices in place but have yet to put in place formal polices causing MSU to
lose points in some STARS assessments. For example, MSU sources food from many local
suppliers but because they haven’t gone through the certification process MSU lost points. Most
interesting parts of the research for the STARS program was seeing that 80% of departments
teach a sustainability course and over 60% of research is related to sustainability. Areas where
MSU is scoring poorly: Investment & Finance, doesn’t have an investment plan.

IV. Public comment

V. Adjournment

I. Call to Order

Attendance:

Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Duke Elliott, Justin Pennel, Kevin Amende, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Natalie Meyer, Paul Edlund, Steve Swinford, Brooke Lahneman, Paul Lachapelle, Mary Stein, Patrick Belmont, Rose Vejvoda, Kieran Wilder, Edward Hook, Mathew Madsen, Jared Leonard, Justin Pennel, Jared Leonard, Liz Weber, Logun Norris, Susan Ghallager, Jonas Shannon-Webster

II. Approval of previous minutes

April minutes approved.

III. Informational Items

Discussion of Campus Stability Plan creation.

Julia Haggerty: CSAC’s goal last year was to adopt a sustainability plan and a emissions reduction goal. This was put on hold due to covid but this proccess has been restarted with the end of the MSU legislative session. This meeting will focus on the goal of adopting a sustainability plan.

Kristen Blackler: Looking to set a carbon neutrality date within the sustainability plan. Aiming to deliver the sustainability plan for approval at the start of fall semester. Carbon neutrality is the goal, currently figuring out the speed, cost, savings, and route to achieving carbon neutrality. Creating Emissions working group (EWG) which will work on creating a path towards carbon neutrality throughout the summer and report to CSAC.

Paul Lachapelle: Is It more important to set yearly emission reduction goals then a Carbon Neutrality goal?

Kristen Blackler: The carbon neutrality goal will fold yearly emission reduction goals into it.

Patrick Belmont: It is important to set the flag of carbon neutrality, and then set yearly reduction goals. Setting a minimum reduction worked for Utah State, which choose to reduce emissions by 10% each year. If you overachieve one year it carries forward to the next year’s goal. Having open transparent discussions helps move through this proccess and create new ideas.

Duke Elliot: The semantics of the sustainability plan is less important than the outcome. The hope of the summer EWG group will be to find a path to carbon neutrality and then setting a date. Some approaches that MSU will take might be longer term then one-year changes and so setting a strict year by year reduction goal may not be practical for MSU.

Julia Haggerty: Important to have engineering involved to make sure practical goals are set.

Paul Lachapelle: Specific goals seem important to keep ourselves accountable to our goals.

Patrick Belmont: Important not to be in a waiting watching mode to see if technology will evolve. Creating change right now is important for moving towards carbon neutrality.

Natalie Meyer: Most of the low hanging fruit for sustainability has been realized at MSU, and so setting year by year goals may be harder.

Duke Elliot: Maybe we should set goals initially and then backfill the action/planning.

Mary Stein: How/is the STARS program informing or guiding the MSU climate planning proccess.

Kristen Blackler: Hoping to update the STARS program and get gold ranking this year. Low scoring areas were mainly in engagement and financing. Looking to use alternative funding methods to move us closer to carbon neutrality. Important to have a lofty goal which will help it to be incorporated into all parts of campus and stimulate the competitive spirit of those at MSU.

Paul Lachapelle: Currently focusing on the sustainability plan and later work on the climate action plan. Would it make more sense to put greenhouse emissions in the climate action plan to get the sustainability plan passed more quickly?

Julia Haggerty: Next meeting will be a deep dive into greenhouse gas emissions which might help clarify which plan the emissions goals goes into. Could make a motion for this idea in the next meeting. I think the greenhouse emissions goals fold well into the sustainability plan. So far what I understand is that a specialized group will develop information and a roadmap for sustainability goals which will be talked about in CSAC and hopefully approved in August.

Kevin Amende: I will be helping Kristin in the specialized group and looking forward to applying engineering technology to this plan.

IV. Public comment

V. Adjournment

 

1. Call to Order

• Start: 2:01 p.m.
• Attendees: Hailey Sinoff, Paul Edlund, Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Paul Lachapelle, Steve Swinford, EJ Hook, Jacob Northcutt, Raye Meyers, Raina, Heather Higginbotham, Bruce Maxwell, Jared Leonard, Brooke Lahnemam, Matthew Madsen, Andrea Hamre, Kevin Amende, Atticus Cummings, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Duke Elliot, Logun Norris, Paige Tolleson

1. Approval of previous minutes

• Approved May 20, 2021, minutes

III. Old Business

• No old business

1. Informational Items

Presentation on Sustainability Plan by Julia Haggerty and Kristin Blackler

• Discussion of updates in sections 1.1, 1.2, 3.3

Motion to Approve Sustainability Plan

• EJ Hook: motion to suspend rules to enable the group to vote today; Kevin Amende: Second. Approved by majority, no opposed, no abstentions.
• EJ Hook: motion to approve Sustainability Plan as written; Duke Elliott: Second. Approved by majority, no opposed, no abstentions.
• Sustainability Plan is finalized

 

1. New Business

• Proposed resolution on climate emergency, presented by Paul Lachapelle

• Paul is hoping CSAC will consider developing text and adopting a Resolution and joining the more than 7,000 other universities around the world that have declared climate emergencies.

 

CSAC Member news and announcements

• Kevin Amende
  • Installing 114 geothermal wells in Winifred, MT
  • This project is a pilot and involves a program to retrain oil and gas drillers for renewable geothermal energy careers.
  • AAON is duplicating the same borefield at their headquarters in Tulsa, OK. CEO announced that AAON is doing away with high efficiency gas research, shifting their focus solely into electrification
  • Energy Assessment lab course is entering the new ASHRAE building energy quotient competition for 4 buildings on campus
• Jacob Northcutt
  • Campus Climate Coalition has secured a meeting with the CEO of Montana State University Alumni Foundation in October to discuss divestment of fossil fuels from MSUAF endowment
• Duke Elliot
  • More outdoor LED Lighting is going in all over campus.
• EJ Hook
  • MSU is observing the City of Bozeman Drought Level 2 Restrictions even though we are exempt.We want to model water efficient and drought sensitive behavior. 

• Paul Lachapelle
  • Would CSAC consider hosting a Sustainability lecture series?

 

EVI. Adjournment

• End: 3:50 p.m.

 

August 26, 2021 meeting recording

 

1. Call to Order

• Start: 2:01 p.m.
• Attendees: Paige Tolleson, Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Michael Brody, Daniel Short, EJ Hook, Jared Leonard, Paul Edlund, Paul Lachapelle, Steve Swinford, Hailey Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Duke Elliot, Rebecca Gleason, Kevin Amende, Brooke Lahneman, Heather Higginbotham

1. Approval of previous minutes

• Approve August 26, 2021 minutes
• Motion carries
• Informational Items

1. Update on Sustainability Plan, Julia Haggerty 

Julia Haggerty and Kristin Blackler met with President Cruzado about the Sustainability Plan. President Cruzado is excited about the plan and to work more closely with CSAC in the future. She provided feedback that she thinks there should be less detail and more focus on the major targets, including the carbon neutrality target, which she fully endorses. Our next steps are to collaborate with Montana Hall on an overarching framework, formalize external communications support and priorities, and plan ongoing interactions. To organize these efforts the carbon neutrality task force will need to meet and establish work groups.

 

1. Presentation, Paul Edlund, Sustainability Office: CNTF: Lessons Learned

Paul Edlund presented on lessons learned from the Carbon Neutrality Task Force. Paul discussed what scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are and what MSU is doing to reduce emissions in each category. To reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions MSU needs to focus on energy reduction, electrification, and greening the grid. To reduce scope 3 emissions programs, policies and infrastructure need to be addressed.

 

1. Old Business

Proposed resolution on climate emergency, presented by Paul Lachapelle (attached)

 

Comments submitted for Sept. 16, 2021 CSAC meeting by Paul Lachapelle, Professor, Dept. of Political Science [email protected]

 

Thank you for the opportunity to present this resolution to you all today.  I rise today in support of the Resolution on Montana State University’s Response to the Climate Crisis. I would like to start with a quick word on the impetus for this resolution.  We are drawing on text primarily from the Utah State University Faculty Senate Resolution that passed with 56 votes in favor, 1 opposed in Feb of 2019.  There are likely some of you who feel that we should not be voting on a resolution addressing the climate crisis as we just submitted a Sustainability Plan.  Some of you have contacted me with concerns that the timing is not optimal since the plan has not been formally approved by the President, or that we may alienate and lose support from some of the more conservative constituents around the state, or that this provides fodder for the governor or legislature to restrict future funding.  Let me try to address each of these concerns.   

 

First, the Sustainability Plan has 16 distinct goals and addressing climate change is referenced as only one of the goals, Section 3.1.   There is no mention of funding or resources to address what is arguably the most important section of the Plan.  Note that one of main missions of CSAC, Article 1 Section c of our bylaws is to “Explore and propose methods to fund campus sustainability initiatives and improvements.”   This resolution simply reinforces our resolve and commitment to the plan by suggesting a dedicated capital campaign; many of us have noted it was not appropriate to mention funding in the plan and that is why we have a separate resolution about funding.  Recommending a capital campaign removes any pressure to rely on the legislature and takes away the guesswork about how we will implement Section 3.1, specifically the Climate Action Plan process.  In short, it takes away the potential for that section of the plan dealing with climate change to be significantly amended or removed.   The resolution also mentions a specific action to join the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments (formally the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment) as a potential way to pay for the Climate Action Plan through pro bono consulting and it also goes into much greater detail on the science behind the crisis; what has been referred to as ‘Code Red for humanity’ based on the most recent IPCC report. 

 

Which brings me to the next point; alienating some of the more conservative constituents in Montana.  Our land grant serves as a beacon of higher education in the state, to provide for the dissemination of the most current science.  The need to address the climate crisis is greater now more than ever.  Data from the Yale Program on Climate change Communication still unfortunately suggests a wide disparity in public opinion and knowledge in Montana about climate change; for example, in parts of Montana, upwards of 45% of the population believe that most scientists still disagree that global warming is even happening, and in most counties of Montana, 60-70% of the population rarely or never discuss global warming.  Encouragingly, the same data show that most Montanans (65-81%) across the state agree that schools should teach about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming.  Our sustainability council serves an advisory role to educate and advise the campus and the public.  Art 1 sec a of our bylaws state that we are to “Provide a university framework to coordinate and advise sustainability efforts”, sec b we are to “Advise the University President regarding …sustainability efforts” and Sec f charges that we “promote, publicize and raise awareness of MSU’s sustainability efforts, …among campus, community and statewide constituents.”  This resolution does just that.  What we are witnessing is a climate emergency, a position held by the mainstream science, defined by Dr. Rob Davies from Utah State University as a situation requiring immediate action to prevent a catastrophic outcome.  UN Sec General Gutierrez said of the latest IPCC report, the alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable.  In declaring a climate emergency, we join over 7,000 other universities around the world in our recognition of the urgency of the situation. There is no time to delay in communicating this message.   The days, months and years matter. 

 

Third point, that the governor or legislature may restrict future funding for discussing and responding to the science associated with climate change.  At this public university, we have a fiduciary to uphold the public trust, an obligation, surely legal and perhaps sacred, to alert the public of the crisis that is unfolding.  To consciously not uphold that fiduciary is a political act.  The prime directive of universities is to educate and to advise, and with this climate crisis, our Council is responsible for doing just that.  We are obliged to advise the campus and the public on the risks and threats to their health, welfare and safety. 

 

To conclude, students increasingly look to, as I do, youth like Amanda Gorman who recognize “climate change is the single greatest challenge of our time” and Greta Thunberg, who in her 2019 UN speech, stated, “right here, right now is where we draw the line, the world is waking up, and change is coming” as well as author Alex Steffan, “winning slowly is the same as losing”.  The next moments matter.  I hope you all will consider our obligation as an Advisory Council and will vote in support of this resolution.

 

Discussion:

• Brooke Lahneman asks about desired outcomes. Hopes this gets posted front and center on CSAC website
• EJ Hook is concerned about timing, thinks we need education campaign first.
• Hailey Sinoff exclaims that people don’t tend to change views on climate change through higher education, but it is helpful for people that are on the fence or don’t have formed opinions. If we want people to take climate change seriously the university needs to set an example and take it seriously.
• Jacob Northcutt stands in support of the resolution; feels we need to act now. Has questions on where a resolution goes after it is passed.
• Kevin Amende supports this resolution, has a question on capital campaign, have we talked to the foundation to get understanding.
• Heather Higginbotham is in support urgency is critical in addressing climate change
• Michael Brody: we need to get senate steering committee on board before we bring it to senate. Critical we keep administration in the loop and understand what their stance is on this. What if it doesn’t pass in senate? If it does pass, senators will want to know where it’s going. A. If this doesn’t pass in senate those senators need to look themselves in the mirror. As members of the academy to not recognize this is a climate emergency it’s on them to deal with the outcome of the vote.
• Nicholas Fitzmaurice: Question about rejoining the president’s climate leadership commitment, how much does this cost? Costs $4,000, there are many benefits. Pro-bono consulting would be very beneficial.
• Michael Brody: The resolution has implications for budget council, deans’ council, academic council, planning council. Is there any plan to reach out to other councils? There are serious political implications that should be considered.
• Duke Elliot: Fully agree with the urgency of the situation and the urgency of action, most interested in taking appropriate action to build on reduction of energy consumption and emissions. I will be voting no mostly due to timing, second on the standpoint of collaboration. Question whether this will create a positive impact.
• Julia Haggerty: My hope as chair is that this will be used constructively. I anticipate if people understand it to be used as a weapon against the administration in a tone of shame we will fail widely and risk alienation.

 

Motion to adopt resolution on climate emergency via electronic roll call vote:

• Paul Lachapelle: motion to adopt resolution; Heather Higginbotham: Second.

Action Items:

Think about constructive role that draws on your expertise that you could play in carbon neutrality task force working groups.

EVI. Adjournment

• End: 3:30 p.m.

 

Voting to adopt motion on climate emergency is paused.

Email from Jacob Northcutt:

“My fellow co-sponsors and I have decided to pause the current vote on our resolution, "Resolution on Montana State University’s Response to the Climate Crisis." In light of the conversations during (and after) last week's meeting, we believe it is important that we receive more input and suggestions before we bring the resolution back to the council for a vote. We hope this additional time will allow you to engage further with the resolution so that it reflects your ideas, concerns, and good work.”

 

September 16, 2021 meeting recording

Attendees: Paul Edlund, Duke Elliot, EJ Hook, Paul Lachapelle, Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Hailey Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Kieran Wilder, Meriweather, Sabrina, Miley, Bruce Maxwell, Dan Short, Jared Leonard, Brooke Lahnemen, Candace Mastel, Atticus, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Raye Myers, Rose Vejvoda, Zach Knoll, Paige Tolleson

 

1. Call to Order and welcome

 

1. Approval of Sept 16, 2021 minutes

 

III. Information Items

1. Update on Sustainability Plan, Julia Haggerty 

We have been invited by the president to formalize the sustainability plan as a sustainability framework for MSU. All the content is the same but reorganized into 3 main targets with 8 objectives organized around the way campus works including waste, procurement, ground management, transportation, etc. 2 new goals have been added about how we will implement the sustainability framework and create a climate action plan by the end of march.

 

1. Reorganization of CSAC

 

Questions and Answers:

• Will two student members of campus sustainability committee be voting members? As of right now, no. Maybe an ASMSU rep could be the voting student member.
• Will these meetings be open to the public, no because this is a group that needs to make informed high level decisions and it is hard to have those kinds of conversations when it is open to the public.
• What’s the process for selecting the 7 people on the CSC? They are selected from the provost office, from the VP office, VP for research, economic development, the faculty senate chair, auxillary services, and university services DOUBLE CHECK?
• Who’s going to be responsible for coordinating and reporting back, and who manages the funding?
  • Groups will report back monthly to the campus sustainability consortium (CSC)
  • Funding will be managed by office of sustainability

 

 

1. Budget

• Two student fellows will get paid for by admin and finance for the first year
• $12,500 for CSC
• Fundraise from alumni foundation

 

1. Presentation on Carbon Neutrality Task Force, Kristin Blackler

 

Scope 1 Task Force: Megan Sterle

Scope 2 Task Force: Julia Haggerty

Scope 3 Task Force: EJ Hook and Paul Lachapelle

 

• Evaluate how to make sure communication channels are open between CSC, CSAC and CNTF.
• Office of Sustainability will provide administrative and research support
• Task force reports out to consortium quarterly

 

1. New business

none proposed

 

1. Old business

none pending

 

1. Public comment 

 

1. Adjournment

 

Small group brainstorming about:

 

• CSC charge & operating structure

Monthly CSC meetings in academic year following this agenda template:

• Joint CSC-CSAC member updates session, to include updates on:
  • Climate Action Plan progress
  • Sustainability Summit planning
• Informational “SustainU” events, incl. presentations, visiting lectures, etc.

• CSC calendar of events
1. Monthly events organized on a volunteer basis
2. Sign-up sheet
• Sustainability summit
1. Planning committee: Mary Stein, Brooke Lahneman, Paul Edlund, Paige Tolleson, Raye Meijers
2. April 19^th in Inspiration Hall
3. Art installation
4. Speakers, and interactive events

Attendees: Julia Haggerty, Ryan Knutson, Kristin Blackler, Kara Landolfi, Bradford Watson, Megan Sterl, Michael Brody

• Call to Order and welcome
• Informational Items
• University Council Update:
  • On Oct 27 a resolution on the climate emergency was introduced, and tabled at this meeting
  • On Dec 1 a group of senators presented a consolidated version from six key points to three key points.

• There is hope that the senate will endorse

• Student Fellow Recruitment
  • Provost office will not advertise, so CSAC needs to share this opportunity
  • How can we maximize benefit for student? Research, and communication

• New title: University Sustainability Student Fellowship

• STARS Q&A

• STARS is a transparent, audited, self reporting framework for universities to measure sustainability performance.
• 5 categories with hundreds of metrics
  • Academics, Engagement, Operations, Planning and Administration, Innovation and Leadership

• https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/montana-state-university-mt/report/2019-02-19/
• Old Business
  • No old business

• New Business
  • No new business
• Meeting Adjourned

 

Attendees: Paige Tolleson, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Matthew Madsen, Kristin Blackler, Justin Pennel, Daniel Short, Paul Edlund, Edward Hook, Paul Lachappelle, Rose Vejvoda, Brooke Lahneman, Rick Taylor, Megan Sterl, Natalie Meyer, Bradford Watson, Logun Norris, Michael Brody

• Call to Order at 1:01pm on January 27^th, 2022
• Update on progress of CSAC Constituents
• Scope 1- Megan Sterl
  • Technical experts (MSU engineers) have been meeting to identify where scope 1 (natural gas) is being used on campus
  • The heating plant is the main source
    • Cooking, water, heating buildings directly, direct fire, gas equipment
  • Task force has a list of where natural gas is being used and how much is being used at different buildings
  • Next step is to break down the list further and understand what systems are using it ie space heating, cooking, water heating
  • Then task force will figure out a solution to electrify or eliminate
• Scope 2- Kristin Blackler
  • Scope 2 deals with power purchased from NWE
  • Looked into contract with NWE to figure out what we can and cannot do, and looked at how our scope 2 emissions are monitored and calculated
  • Plan is to look into conservation measures that we can do on campus to minimize the electricity needs
  • We will look at forecasting and building models to forecast the electricity needs for future growth at MSU
• Scope 3- Paul Lachapelle and EJ Hooke
  • Scope 3 is everything else
  • 3 areas of focus
    • 1. Waste management with a goal of 50% diversion rate in 5 years
    • 2. Travel and commuting at the individual level commuter survey is almost ready to be sent out

• • Education and campaign signs on campus pointing out places on campus that are reducing GHG emissions.
  • Goal is to have a really robust education campaign to share at summit
  • 3 students are doing an independent study on these 3 ares
  • Andrew Noosler and Zach Knoll are looking at air travel and commuting and Alex Musser is working on education
• CSC Steering Committee- Brooke Lahneman
  • January: Romney self guided tour, Friday 1/28 10am-12pm.
  • February: Bridger Bowl Ski Area - A chat with the Bonnie Hickey, the Director of Sustainability at Bridger Bowl on the ski area’s sustainability efforts.
  • March: Reycle-mania campus wide
  • April: Annual Sustainability Summit
• Sustainability Summit Steering Committee- Paige Tolleson and Paul Edlund
  • Summit will take place on April 18^th and 19^th
  • Keynote speaker is Chad Peragracke who is the founder of Living Lands and Waters
    • Events:
      • Pechakucha talks
      • Student sustainability research poster board session
  • Presentations from Scope 1, 2, and 3 and STARs to update community on how MSU is working to achieve the goals in the framework.

• • Keynote on April 18^th
  • Tunnel Tours
  • Zero waste event

• • Catered lunch

• • Michael Brody had an idea about a faculty workshop at the summit to teach faculty how to integrate sustainability into their curriculum.
• CSAC will report out at the next Sustainability Business Meeting
• Other members news and announcements
• New business
  • none proposed

• Old business
  • none pending

• Public comment 
• Adjournment at 1:50

 

Recording of CSC Business Meeting 1/26/22

 

 

Attendees:

Megan Sterl, Ryan Knutson, Steve Swinford, Brett Gunnick , Terry Leist, Bradford Watson , Michael Brody, Kara Landolfi, Kristin Blackler  

• Call to Order – 9:01 AM

•  Approval of 12.6.2021 meeting minutes –

• New Business -
• Searching for new Chair of CSAC – Terry Leist

• Overview of Carbon Neutrality Task Force (CNTF) and Sustainability Framework Goals 
  • STARS Platinum by 2035,Zero Waste Campus (Waste reduction 90%) by 2035, Carbon Neutral by   2040 – Kristin Blackler

Q&A and Discussion – Committee

 

• Action Items for Committee –

• Review STARS breakdown and make note of effort vs. financial  
• Explore platform for sharing  
• Meet with smaller groups and go through each of these sections to see if everyone agrees about the value and difficulty on these credit 
• Public Comment – None

• Previous Business – None

• Informational Items

This is the area for members to bring up something not on the agenda.  Informational items cannot be voted on at the meeting

• Meeting adjourned at 10:01 a.m.            

 

Attendees:

Megan Sterl, Ryan Knutson, Steve Swinford, Brett Gunnick, Terry Leist, Bradford Watson, Michael Brody, Kara Landolfi, Kristin Blackler, Lee Spangler, Nicholas Fitzmaurice

 

• Call to Order – 9:01 AM

• Approval of 02.06.2022 meeting minutes –
• New Business –

Welcome new members: Dr. Lee Spangler, appointed to CSAC by VPREDGE and Nicholas    Fitzmaurice, Student Fellow

Overview of Carbon Neutrality Goal, opportunities and challenges by Kristin Blackler

Q&A and Discussion – Committee

• Action Items for Committee – schedule an appointment to view SIMAP with Office of Sustainability Staff

• Public Comment – None
• Previous Business – None
• Informational Items

Invitation to participate in MSU’s First Annual Sustainability Summit on April 18 and 19^th. April meeting will be canceled due to the Sustainability Summit

• Meeting adjourned at 10:01 a.m.

Attendees: Ryan Knutson, Dr. Lee Spangler, Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Lucas Oelkers, Megan Sterl, Carly Tolson (proxy for Kara Landolfi), Dr. Steven Swinford, Kristin Blackler, Terry Leist, Paige Tolleson, Paul Edlund, Rose Vejvoda.

Absent: Dean Brett Gunnink

 

1. Welcome and announcements
2. Introduction of new members.
1. Jennifer Thomson, Faculty Senate Chair
2. Lucas Oelkers, ASMSU President
3. Lee Spangler, Research Office Representative
3. Discussion
1. Expectations for CSAC Members

1. The focus of this committee is based on MSU’s Sustainability Framework. We have 3 main goals that guide our work:
   1. STARS Platinum by 2035. Using the sustainability rating system provided by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Montana State University aims to attain the highest level: Platinum. 
   2. Zero Waste by 2035. Montana State University’s zero-waste target is the internationally recognized standard of a diversion rate of 90%.  
   3. Carbon Neutrality by 2040. Recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis and need for an immediate, rapid, and sustained response based on the best available science, MSU will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. 
   4. To achieve these goals, we will need to delegate tasks to various sub-committees and campus constituents to reach our sustainability goals. The CSAC committee serves as the center point, but our work involves all of campus.

• Update on MSUAF Sustainable Investment Policy

1. Two students worked with an MSUAF working group in order to make MSU’s investment policy more aligned with the goals in MSU’s Sustainability Framework. The investment board voted unanimously to make a more sustainable investment plan and is working with the board of governors and Wilshire to update the policy.

1. • Sustainability Tracking and Reporting System (STARS) Report
2. Office of Sustainability reports every 3 years. This past year we delayed submitting to report on FY 22 rather than FY 19 data. While FY19 data was allowed, it felt too out of date to be relevant and accurately capture our campus’ efforts. The report will be submitted soon, and our final rating will be known a few weeks after that. The STARS report is specifically designed for university reporting. MSU uses STARS as a progress report, it is not the only metric for how we are doing in sustainability campus-wide.
3. STARS is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and updates on a regular basis. The current version is 2.2. Version 3.0 is under review and open for public comment right now. There are four categories to report under include Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning and Administration. Within these four categories, there are over 25 subcategories. The staff at the Office of Sustainability works with constituents across campus to accurately report.

.

• Update on FY 22 Working Groups

• Last year we created 3 working groups based strictly on our greenhouse gas inventory. Scope 1, 2, 3. Scope 1 emissions are what we generate on site for us this is the steam plant and other sources of natural gas on campus and direct travel from vehicles we own. Scope 2 is what we purchase: Northwestern Energy and WAPA. Scope 3 is everything else commuting, travel, wastewater, and purchases.
• What we learned:
  1. Scope 1, Megan Sterl: Scope 1 Emissions are direct emissions on campus, such as the natural gas used in the heating plant and other firm natural gas used in dining halls and other buildings, and direct fuel usage in our fleet. The Scope 1 Task Force focused on understanding where and how natural gas is being used on our campus which will inform decisions about how to transition buildings off of natural gas in the future.
  2. Scope 2, Kristin Blackler: This task force focused on understanding MSU’s relationship with Northwestern Energy and our existing contracts with Northwestern Energy and WAPA. We also explored the relationship between Scope 1 and Scope 2 and how that will change as more buildings rely less on natural gas and more on electricity.
  3. Scope 3, EJ Hook and Paul LaChapelle: This task force tied their research with a guided independent study class, and students delivered a report on commuter habits. Specifically, commuter travel, and air travel and a small look into waste. Waste needs to be its own stand-alone goal outside of scope 3.

1. 1. Proposed Sub-Committee Structure for FY 23
      1. CSAC
         1. Office of Sustainability
            1. Campus Energy (Scope 1 and 2), Zero Waste, Scope 3 Data Collection, Education, Outreach and Summit
   2. The Campus Sustainability Consortium (CSC) was poorly attended and time-consuming to plan. In order to keep our broader sustainability community informed and engaged we would like to create a newsletter instead of the CSC meetings.
   3. The committee members have been tasked with reviewing the restructure, providing feedback, and then we will vote on the new structure at the November meeting.
   4. Other business – none
   5. Public comment – none

Next meeting:  November 3, 2022. 2-3 PM,  AIH 159

Attendees:

Attendees: Calvin Servheen, Kara Landolfi, Lucas Oelkers, EJ Hook, Ryan Knutson, Terry Leist, Duke Elliot (sitting in for Megan Sterl), Paul Edlund, Rose Vejvoda, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Kristin Blackler, Paige Tolleson, Brett Gunnink, Lee Spangler, Jennifer Thomson

Members:

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost)

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President)

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VP-REDGE)

4) Dr. Jennifer Thomson - Faculty Senate Chair

5) Lucas Oelkers - ASMSU President 

 

Ex-officio members representing: 

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Steven Swinford - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance

 

1. Welcome and announcements
2. Approval of minutes
   1. Motion made, all in favor to approve October meeting minutes.
3. Discussion
   1. Proposed Sub-Committees for Scope 1, 2 and 3. 
      • The Campus Energy Sub-Committee will continue to develop a campus energy plan to meet our campus goal of carbon neutrality in Scopes 1 and 2 by 2040
   2. MSU definition of Sustainability 
      
      • • Proposed definition: “Sustainability at MSU is the process by which the campus community conserves and cares for the rich natural resources of the state and cultivates the economic and social welfare to meet the needs of Montana’s urban, rural, and tribal communities by living out the Land Grant mission through education, research, and service to the people of Montana.”
        • Proposed sustainability in the curriculum definition, “Sustainability in the MSU Curriculum are classes that teach students to live out the Land Grant mission by using education, research, and service to meet the needs of campus and Montana’s urban, rural, and tribal communities by conserving and caring for the rich natural resources of the state and cultivating economic and social welfare.”
      • Will circulate these two definitions for committee. We would like to have CSAC approve a definition for sustainability at MSU and a second definition for sustainability in the curriculum.
      • This will help identify what courses/programs are following sustainability. This will help track the programs that are following a sustainability curriculum to help with data.
        • Initial thoughts of MSU specific definition from CSAC:
          • MSU get resources from out of state. These definitions maybe show we don’t care about out of state constituents
          • Don’t know how these definitions meet land grant mission. Land grant mission is to benefit blue collar, agriculture, and working class.
          • College of ag views the land grant mission of educating and supporting students of Montana
          • Definition needs to be broad enough so that it isn’t exclusionary and captures the full scope of what we are doing. Can we condense it and refer to documents that further detail what we mean. Rely on foundation built with strategic plan.
          • Goal was to make the definition unique to MSU, strategic plan priorities change.
          • Must understand the breadth of land grant mission, we impact every person’s life in Montana by research and extension.
          • Land grant university: mission to teach, provide service, research, help community around sustainability.
          • Definitions are in a working document in Microsoft teams, CSAC will vote on final definitions in December meeting.

Other business

• Identify a list of things that are not in stars that are still important to achieving sustainability goals i.e. extension.

Public comment

• None

Meeting Adjourned 2:55 PM

Next meeting:  December 1, 2022. 2-3 PM,  AIH 159

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Minutes

Thursday, December 1, 2022

2-3 PM AIH 159 and Teams

 

Members:

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost)

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President)

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VP-REDGE)

4) Dr. Jennifer Thomson - Faculty Senate Chair

5) Lucas Oelkers - ASMSU President

 

Ex-officio members representing:

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance) – absent

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Steven Swinford - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance

 

CSAC members discussed, edited, and unanimously approved the following MSU-specific definitions of sustainability. The definitions will guide our work in assessing sustainability in the curriculum and STARS.

 

Sustainability at MSU –

 

Sustainability at MSU is the process and actions through which the campus community lives out the Land Grant mission by cultivating resilience for our natural environment, economic viability, and social welfare to meet the needs of our campus and Montana’s urban, rural, and tribal communities.

 

Sustainability Curriculum --

 

Sustainability in the MSU Curriculum empowers students to become local and global citizens and live out the Land Grant mission by cultivating resilience for the natural environment, economic viability, and social welfare to meet the needs of our campus and urban, rural, and tribal communities.

Kristin reported out that Dr. Brooke Lahneman has agreed to be chair of the Summit Outreach Sub-Committee, Dr. Jennifer Thomsen will chair the Curriculum sub-committee, EJ Hook will chair the Zero Waster Sub-Committee, Megan Sterl will chair the Campus Energy Sub-Committee. We are exploring chairs for the Data collection sub-committee.

Members agreed to keep our Fall meeting schedule for the Spring Semester.

Next meeting: February 2, 2023

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Agenda

Thursday, February 02, 2023

2-3 PM

AIH 159 and Teams

 

Attendees: Brett Gunnink, Ryan Knutson, Lee Spangler, Jennifer Thomson, Lucas Oelkers, Megan Sterl, Kara Landolfi, Steven Swinford, Kristin Blackler, Terry Leist, Paul Edlund, Rose Vejvoda, Brooke Lahneman, Calvin Servheen

 

Members:

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost)

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President)

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VP-REDGE)

4) Dr. Jennifer Thomson - Faculty Senate Chair

5) Lucas Oelkers - ASMSU President 

6.) EJ Hook — Director Facility Services

 

Ex-officio members representing:

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Steven Swinford - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance

 

1. Welcome and announcements

Ryan Knutson makes motion to approve December meeting minutes. All in favor.

 

1. Discussion

 Updates from Sub-Committees

1. Scope 1&2 Subcommittee

• Increase communication and awareness of existing projects on campus, emphasis on telling the story
• Campus wide planning efforts

 

1. Outreach Subcommittee

• Summit is taking place on April 11th in SUB Ballroom A from 9:30am-4;30pm
• Goals on summit are to report on progress being made on the Sustainability Framework, educate on sustainability, and build community
• Summit will include updates on the sustainability framework, keynote speaker Daniel Anderson from the Common Ground Project, co-occurring workshops, sustainability shorts, campus tours, and lunch

 

1. Curriculum Subcommittee

• Introduced definitions at the last faculty senate meeting and they were accepted
• Launching the Sustainability in the Curriculum initiative on February 8th at Faculty Senate

 

1. Data Collection Subcommittee

• Starting to define some numbers that we want to find including travel miles by car and airline for faculty, staff, students, and athletics, the amount of single use plastic on campus, and paper utilization numbers.
• Also considering how to turn data into something meaningful
• Identifying partnerships across campus to aid in figuring out where to find data
• Lee: Can we analyze how we are doing compared to similar universities in terms of STARS performance (plot universities on a map based on climate zones, type of university)

 Zero Waste Subcommittee

• Still working to define the scope of zero waste
• Want to focus on addressing waste at the source, developing policies and procedures that helps stop waste from coming onto campus at all

 

III. Other business

• Terry Leist: Make changes to website to show what we are doing in these meetings

1. Public comment

• Calvin Servheen
  • Working on project around green technology entrepreneurship
    • Want to increase participation
    • Feb 11th, piloting event for graduate student researchers
    • Will give Kristin some more information, send students my way

 Meeting Adjourned at 2:57pm

Next meeting: March 2, 2023. 2-3 PM, Presidents Conference Room Montana Hall

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Agenda

Thursday, April 6th, 2023

2-3 PM

American Indian Hall Elders Collaboration Room 159

 

Members:

 

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost) 

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President) 

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VPRED) 

4) Dr. Jennifer Thomson - Faculty Senate Chair 

5) Lucas Oelkers - ASMSU President  

 

Ex-officio members representing: 

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance) 

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Steven Swinford - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability - Chair 

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance 

 

Attendees: Megan Sterl, Kristin Blackler, Raye Meijers, Rose Vejvoda, Calvin, Ryan Knutson, Kara Landolfi, Nicole Bondurant, Jackson Mundell, Terry Leist, Steve Swinford, Brent Gunnink, Paul LaChapelle, Brooke Lahneman, Paul Edlund

 

1. Welcome and Announcements

• Chair of CSAC committee, Kristin Blackler, recently attended the regional SCUP conference at UC Davis and was surprised to find that many institutions are just beginning to measure and track Scope 3 emissions.

1. Approval of Minutes from the March 3rd, 2023 meeting
   1. Motion to approve, all in favor.
2. Working Group Reports
3. Scope 1 and 2 Working Group, Megan Sterl reports: This working group has been working on sustainability summit work and poster presentation. They have been working with contractors on the 7^th Avenue tunnel extension project. A professional consultant firm for energy performance contracts will be selected next week.
4. Sustainability Summit Working Group, Brooke Lahneman reports: Summit is ready to go April 10^th and 11^th. The agenda is finalized online. Many people have registered for the event and signed up for the tunnel tours. The marketing team has worked hard to advertise the event across campus. Should be an excellent event!
5. Data Management Working Group, Ryan Knutson: The data management group is working on implementing a new procurement management software from Jaggaer (vendor).MSU’s name for this software is SmartBuyMSU. The procurement software will provide a lot of meaningful information. This is the largest procurement shift MSU has undertaken in a long time. It would be advantageous to leverage this new system for travel by perhaps adding a Co2 emissions estimate on travel forms.
6. Curriculum Update, Steve Swinford: Faculty have been asked at faculty senate to self-identify courses that are sustainability-related and sustainability-focused. 11 programs have been submitted, 80 to go for curriculum review of sustainability-related courses. This effort has been going on for two months.

• Discussion
• Is there a need to develop a mission and vision statement for CSAC?
• Review of the initial charge

Given the charge from President Cruzado, CSAC members feel it is not necessary to develop a mission statement. Group feels that a sustainability mission statement should come from the University as a whole, rather than then CSAC. It would be beneficial to have a campus wide marketing campaign to help connect the community with our sustainability efforts on campus.

1. CSAC Poster Session at Sustainability Summit- Reminder and logistics
2. Meetings over the summer
3. Work will continue over the summer, will consider meeting options for June, July and August.
4. Other Business 
5. Public Comment
   1. Nicole Bondurant, MSU student, commented and made a request that more information about emissions and programs be made available on the MSU Office of Sustainability webpage.
   2. Jackson Mundell, MSU student, provided information about the student-organized Climate Week at MSU.
   3. Paul Lachapelle, Political Science Professor, reiterated request that more information about emissions data and programs be made available on MSU sustainability pages.

 

Next meeting: May 4th, 2023, 2-3 pm in AIH 159

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Minutes

Thursday, May 4th, 2023

2-3 PM

American Indian Hall Elders Collaboration Room 159

Attendees: Raye Meyers, Rose Vejvoda, Dr. Steven Swinford, Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Terry Leist, Calvin Servheen, Kristin Blackler, Dr. Brooke Lahneman, Paul Edlund, Megan Sterl, Dr. Brett Gunnink, Dr. Paul Lachapelle, Maya, Franny, Jackson Mundell, Dr. Tony Hartshorn

 

   Welcome and Announcements

1. Office of Sustainability is starting a Green Labs program. Working with office of research and compliance to take inventory on our labs and develop programs to improve energy efficiency on campus.
2. Announcement from ASMSU. Jacob Zinc is the new president. Melissa Ramirez is the new VP.

     Approval of Minutes from April 3^rd, 2023 meeting

1. Minutes approved

      Discussion

1. Sustainability Summit Debrief

• The Second Annual Sustainability Summit was a success! We had high attendance at all sessions and believe the central location in the SUB increased foot traffic.

 

Working Groups Summer and Summer Schedule

1. 1. Summer Schedule: CSAC involves academic members of the campus and will not meet during the summer due to 9 month academic appointments.
   2. Working groups: Paul Edlund will help take administrative burden off working group and facilitate student projects within working groups.

Working Group Reports

1. Education: 25% response rate from degree programs on campus.
2. Energy: Utility tunnel project on 7^th Street starts after Memorial Day weekend. McKinstry was selected for as the service provider for an Energy Performance Contract (EPC). An EPC is a construction procurement method where an Energy Service Provider makes efficiency upgrades to your facilities that yield energy, water and cost savings through conservation.  
3. Zero Waste: Today was campus cleanup day. 100 bags of trash at 25lbs a bag were picked up and kept out of Bozeman waterways.
4. Data Collection: Pilot testing a new procurement program called SmartBuy that will dramatically improve our ability to collect Scope 3 data.

 

Discussion: 

Do we need additional working groups?

Suggestions:

• Communications and engagement working group represented by faculty, staff, and students.
• Engage with the leaders of student clubs, ASMSU Senators to help us understand how to effectively communicate with students on campus.
• We can provide the stories and data, but how do students and faculty want to consume this information?
• Signage, physical presence, guest lectures, newsletters, social media
• Sustainability presents lecture series
• We learned at the Sustainability Summit that faculty are interested in meeting other faculty who are interested in sustainability, potential for a brown bag lecture series.
• Could we have a Sustainability Summit in the Fall as well as the Spring? Could we coordinate the student led climate week and summit?
• Is there an opportunity to engage students throughout the MUS and tribal colleges?

Public Comment

• Public comment was provided by Paul LaChapelle.  

Next meeting early Fall Semester 2023

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Agenda

Thursday, September 7th, 2023

2-3 PM

American Indian Hall Elders Collaboration Room 159

Members:

 

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost) 

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President) 

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VPRED) 

4) Dr. Colter Ellis - Faculty Senate Chair 

5) Jacob Zink - ASMSU President  

 

Ex-officio members representing: 

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance) 

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Tracy Dougher - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance 

 

Attending: Kristin Blackler, Paul Edlund, EJ Hook, Tracy Dougher, Brent Gunnink, Colter Ellis, Ryan Knutson, Paul Lachappelle

1. Welcome and Announcements

1. Hiring new recycling coordinator
2. Upcoming event on Sept. 27 from 5-6:30 pm in Jabs 111. The event is a forum on Impact Investing cosponsored by Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Blackstone Launchpad, and the Office of Sustainability.   
3. Approval of Minutes from the May 4th, 2023 meeting

1. Minutes approved

1. Opportunity for Working Groups to report to the committee

• Zero Waste à The Zero-Waste working group focuses on procurement, athletics, special events, auxiliary, and waste operations. The working group is partnering closely with data collection to ensure that the perceived issues are issues. The recycling program is extremely successful and is moved to centralized waste based on the data. Priority is to look at reducing what we bring onto campus and understanding the impacts of recycling on durable goods. How do we take a complex business model and make it more sustainable over time?
• Data Collectionà Data collection is very broad with varying levels of complexity. This summer focused on the procurement tool reducing p-card use, and understanding vendor locations
  • The tool we use to measure GHG is SIMAP. Categorize these by Scope 3 emissions.
  • It will be easier to look through expenses and ask vendors to promote more sustainable options.
  • Going from estimates to facts on data and procurement.
  • Attention on procurement and processes to eliminate downstream issues.
• Energyà trying to identify a common message about carbon neutrality at MSU and what it means. The intent of this working group is to share the message of carbon neutrality with the campus community.
• Curriculumà Faculty self-assessment on sustainable courses in curriculum. Historically this has been a difficult thing for us to track. Colter and Tracy will begin working leading this working group.
  • We believe sustainability-related courses are under-reported in Activity Insight
  • Assume there is a way to work with OPA to make Activity Insight a better way to track sustainability in the curriculum. Kristin and Paul can help coordinate meetings regarding this.
  • Paul will set up meeting with Tracy Paul and Colter with information and background on curriculum assessment.
• STARS Update
  • Took a very long time to audit
  • Waiting for the final score, and to make that public.

 

• Brooke Lahneman is leading Education and Outreach and Sustainability Summit group but has a teaching conflict during the CSAC meetings.

 

• Discussion

1. What goals would CSAC like to accomplish for FY24

 

• Proposed CSAC Presentation Schedule
• Dedicated portion of each upcoming meeting to deep dive into each of the working groups
  • Campus Energy October
  • Zero Waste November
  • STARS December
  • Curriculum February
  • Data and Procurement March
  • April Sustainability Summit!
    
    

 

• Public Comment
  1. Public Comment was given by Paul LaChapelle

 

Next meeting: October 5th, 2023, 2-3 pm in AIH 159

Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee Agenda

Thursday, October 5th, 2023

2-3 PM

American Indian Hall Elders Collaboration Room 159

 

Members:

 

1) Dean Brett Gunnink - Academic Dean (designated by Provost) 

2) Ryan Knutson - MSU VP (designated by President) 

3) Dr. Lee Spangler - Research Office Representative (designated by VPRED) 

4) Dr. Colter Ellis - Faculty Senate Chair 

5) Jacob Zink - ASMSU President  

 

Ex-officio members representing: 

6) Megan Sterl - University Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance) 

7) Kara Landolfi - Auxiliary Services (designated by the VP of Administration and Finance)

8) Dr. Tracy Dougher - Provost’s Office (designated by the Provost)

9) Kristin Blackler – MSU Office of Sustainability  

10) Terry Leist – VP of Administration and Finance 

 

Attendees:

Kristin Blackler, Paul Edlund, Paige Tolleson, EJ Hook, Brett Gunnink, Ryan Knutson, Colter Ellis, Megan Sterl, Kara Landolfi, Tracy Dougher, Terry Leist, Paul Lachapelle, Gracie Caldwell, Jackson Mundell,

1. Welcome and Announcements
2. Approval of Minutes from the September 7th, 2023 meeting

1. Minutes Approved

• Public Comment

1. Paul LaChappelle provided public comments
2. Climate Week Oct 30th

1. Working Group Presentation – Campus Energy by Megan Sterl

1. Want to focus on effectively communicating the work that is happening on campus
2. Campus Energy Working Group needs help communicating new projects
3. Overview of Energy Districts
4. Development of New Construction Best Practices

5. Energy Performance contract with McKinstry
6. Evaluating future electrical needs

 

 

1. Discussion

1. How can CSAC help communicate this information

 

1. Updates

 

Next meeting: November 2nd, 2023, 2-3 pm location President’s Conference Room