“The Sustainability, Policy, Energy & Environment Advisory Committee (SPEEAC) provides a forum for all university departments to report on their contributions to moving this Strategic Action Plan implementation forward.” – UConn Sustainability Action Plan, 2024

• Recommend, and implement comprehensive institutionally adopted sustainability goals and key performance indicators in alignment with university strategic plans and guiding documents, as well as global and national higher education standards and frameworks for advancing sustainability, such as the AASHE STARS,  UI GreenMetric, the Second Nature Climate Leadership Network, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Advise the President, Provost and other senior administrators on matters pertaining to sustainable practices in operational and academic pursuits, including:
  • Formulation of university policies and compliance with environmental and energy regulations
  • Decarbonization and energy efficiency strategies
  • Operational resource efficiency
  • Waste minimization and diversion from landfill and incineration facilities
  • Equity, inclusion, and environmental justice within sustainability efforts
  • Sustainability research and innovation
  • Educational outreach and engagement and using campus as a living laboratory
• Engage with the breadth of UConn’s stakeholders on implementation strategies to advance sustainability goals through the creation of topic-specific subcommittees and working groups.
• Review and discuss ongoing sustainability initiatives, monitor trends, and regulatory matters and identify gaps in performance.
• Ensure coordination with other relevant university advisory committees and task forces.
• Compile an annual sustainability progress report for the President, Provost, and other senior administrators.
• Promote UConn’s sustainability vision and its successes throughout the university and beyond.
• Coordinate an annual end of year engagement event to highlight progress and create networking and collaborative opportunities for students and employees at UConn.
• Provide oversight and recommendations as necessary to UConn’s Environmental Policy Statement.
• Nominate and select recipients of the University's Environmental Leadership Awards.
• Assess and report on committee performance annually.
• Regularly review and update the charter.

• The SPEEAC shall be chaired by the Director of the Office of Sustainability.
• The committee’s composition is intended to bring together the diverse perspectives of major stakeholder groups, including students, faculty and staff members, and alumni. The committee shall consist of representatives from all relevant colleges, schools, and campuses, institutes and centers, operational and administrative units, students and alumni.
• Updates to the membership may be made per the recommendation of the SPEEAC Chair, with approval by the President, to ensure inclusive representation of all relevant university stakeholder groups.
• Membership is comprised of both appointed representatives of relevant university units and student and alumni members with established terms.
• Appointments are made by the President. Recommendations for membership are made by the Chair of the SPEEAC to the President upon the completion of appointment terms or as necessary to ensure inclusivity of relevant stakeholder groups or to replace members who have transitioned out of their roles. Membership may be renewed upon the completion of a term.
• Senior level positions (i.e. Dean, AVP, VP, EVP, Director, and higher) may appoint delegates at will to serve as representatives for their units. Delegates should be committed to the role for at least one academic calendar year.
• Full-committee meetings are held once per academic semester. Committee members and/or delegates should in good faith make every attempt to attend and participate in the meetings, providing updates from their respective units.
• Subcommittees and Working Groups may meet more frequently as needed.

Chair

1. Office of Sustainability, Director (permanent) (ex oficio)

Students

2. Undergraduate Student Government, President (or delegate) (one-year term)
3. President of Graduate Student Senate (or delegate) (one-year term)
4. At-Large College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Student (one-year term)
5. At-large College of Engineering Student (one-year term)
6. At Large School of Fine Arts Student (one-year term)
7. At-Large School of Business Student (one-year term)
8. At-Large School of Law Student (one-year term)
9. At-Large UConn Health Center Student (one-year term)

Alumni

10. Alumni Member (two-year term)
11. Alumni Member (two-year term)

Colleges, Schools, and Regional Campuses

12. College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
13. College of Engineering, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
14. College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
15. School of Fine Arts, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
16. School of Business, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
17. Graduate School, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
18. UConn Health Center, VP of Facilities Development & Operations (or delegate) (permanent)
19. School of Law, Dean (or delegate) (permanent)
20. Avery Point Campus, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
21. Hartford Campus, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
22. Waterbury Campus, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
23. Stamford Campus, Director (or delegate) (permanent)

Institutes and Centers

24. Werth Institute, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
25. Institute of the Environment, Executive Director (or delegate) (permanent)
26. Eversource Energy Center, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
27. Center for Clean Energy Engineering, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
28. CT Institute of Water Resources, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
29. Center for Land Use Education & Research, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
30. CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
31. Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Director (or delegate (permanent)
32. Human Rights Institute, Director (or delegate) (permanent)

Administrative Units

33. Office of the President, Chief of Staff (or delegate) (permanent)
34. Office of the Provost, Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Initiatives (or delegate) (permanent)

35. UConn Foundation, President and CEO (or delegate) (permanent)
36. University Business Services, AVP and Chief Procurement Officer (or delegate) (permanent)
37. University Planning, Design, and Construction, Associate VP (or delegate) (permanent)
38. Facilities Operations, Associate VP (or delegate) (permanent)
39. Dining Services, Executive Director (or delegate) (permanent)
40. Residential Life, Executive Director (or delegate) (permanent)
41. Athletics, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
42. University Communications, VP (or delegate) (permanent)
43. Office of the VP for Research, VP (or delegate) (permanent)
44. Human Resources, Executive Director (or delegate) (permanent)
45. Global Affairs, Vice President (or delegate) (permanent)
46. Office of Diversity & Inclusion, VP and Chief Diversity Officer (or delegate) (permanent)
47. Office of Undergraduate Research, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
48. Student Health and Wellness, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
49. Environmental Health and Safety, Director (or delegate) (permanent)

Academic Programs and Units

50. Spring Valley Student Farm, Farm Manager (or delegate) (permanent)
51. NatureRX, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
52. Department of Natural Resources & the Environment, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
53. Environmental Studies, Program Director (or delegate) (permanent)
54. Anthropology, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
55. Political Science , Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
56. of Extension, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
57. EcoHouse Learning Community, Director (or delegate) (permanent)
58. Agricultural & Resource Economics, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
59. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)
60. Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies, Dept. Head (or delegate) (permanent)

• Subcommittees or working groups may be created to provide advisory over specific focus areas and may be formed at any time.
• • Subcommittees: provide topic specific research, expertise, and advisory, and support on long-term projects or goals.
  • Working Groups: provide short-term support in executing task-oriented projects on a specific topic.
• All subcommittees and working groups must have at least one faculty, staff, and student representative.
• Subcommittees and working groups must be chaired by an appointed member or delegate of the SPEEAC but can be comprised of non-members who are topic experts or uniquely positioned within the University to advance progress in specific areas of interest.
• Reports and recommendations of a subcommittee or working group will be brought to the SPEEAC by the respective subcommittee chair.
• A SPEEAC Organizing Subcommittee will be formed comprised of members appointed by the Chai. The Organizing Subcommittee will be responsible for meeting coordination, event planning logistics, and reporting exercises.

Additional subcommittees and working groups will be established during the 2024 academic year to advance the implementation of sustainability related key performance indicators in the University Strategic Plan and the 2024 Sustainability Action Plan.