What guides our work
Our values
Sustainability is an adaptive, changing process, not a finite destination.
We value reciprocal communication, striving to both learn from and respond to the campus community.
We believe an equitable and regenerative future requires:
- diverse perspectives
- creative exploration
- bold questions and innovative approaches
- a continuous commitment to community well-being and environmental recovery and stability
Centering equity
Our work is framed by a commitment to anti-racism and equity. As our office participates in the next phase of PSU sustainability and climate action planning (timeline TBD), these principles must be held at the center of this work.
Anti-racism strategy development
As of Fall 2020, the PSO team is developing an anti-racism strategy while we participate in group training, learning, and discussions around systemic racism and intersections with the sustainability field and our work. We are working on a public document summarizing the guiding principles and process our team has identified to guide this work, which we will make available through this page. Here is a quick summary of where we stand now and activities we are launching:
- Summer/Fall 2020: Committing to this work, gathering internal ideas, and preparing to move forward.
- Fall 2020: Review and learn from various resources including a selection of equity frameworks that could be used for internal review.
- Fall 2020/Winter 2021: Application of equity framework(s) to benchmark and understand how our current programs relate to equity principles and where they uphold systemic racism.
- Winter 2021 and ongoing: Use what we learn from benchmarking our programs to identify areas for change and implement these actions on an ongoing basis, tracking and adjusting our work along the way.
As we move through this process, we also acknowledge the need to take immediate action to engage with the PSU community and make changes to our work. Here are a few examples:
- PSO manages the Green Revolving Fund (GRF). In 2020 we are facilitating the adoption of a new racial equity criterion for projects funded with GRF dollars.
- As we pursue opportunities to increase renewable energy use at PSU, we are focused on identifying programs that support equity goals.
- We are listening to and engaging with the movement to reimagine safety on the PSU campus without firearms.
Plans and standards
In addition to University-wide commitments to sustainability and climate action, our office contributes to and is guided by a variety of campus plans and standards. Some plans, policies, standards, and guidelines are specifically designed to help PSU meet sustainability goals or otherwise incorporate sustainability into decision-making processes on campus.
Services we Provide
PSO is a key part of Sustainability at PSU, along with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and the Student Sustainability Center. We are a department of Planning, Construction and Real Estate, under Finance and Administration. In addition to the team members of CSO, the campus sustainability director also oversees Materials Management Services (MMS). See our org chart and visit the MMS site to learn about their services, including mail, surplus, and campus moves.