Environmental responsibility and sustainability have played increasingly large roles at the University of Connecticut. The Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) was created in 2002 to focus on and pursue excellence in environmental performance, emphasizing sustainability initiatives ranging from climate change to water conservation and green building, and more recently adding a regulatory compliance oversight function with three full-time staff analysts. The director of the OEP reports to the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the University and communicates frequently with several key administrators, faculty, staff and students who have been appointed by the President and Provost to serve on the Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC). The EPAC provides the University community with a focal point for dialogue on these issues, and has been integral to the successful planning and implementation of environmental sustainability initiatives at UConn.