Kansas State University

K-State 2025 Sustainability Strategic Planning Committee appointed

Submitted by April Mason

Sustainability plays an important role for our future. This importance was recognized with the inclusion of sustainability as one our seven common elements in the K-State 2025 Strategic Plan. 

In 2009, a campuswide Sustainability Task Force, led by Bruce Snead in engineering and Barbara Anderson in human ecology, completed a comprehensive Sustainability Task Force report laying out a broad range of recommendations and a road map for sustainability efforts at K-State for five years.  
 
As we near the end of the five year period covered by the report and advance toward our goals for K-State 2025, it is important that we undertake additional planning focused on future sustainability efforts and goals aligned with K-State 2025. To that end, we are establishing a K-State 2025 Sustainability Strategic Planning Committee. 

Sustainability principles touch all areas of the university, including research, curriculum, student life, operations and engagement. The Planning Committee charge is to develop a recommended strategic action plan addressing sustainability within the context of all these areas and K-State 2025, building off the excellent work and progress made since the 2009 report. The plan will include recommendations for key directions and goals, activities that will lead to implementation of those goals, expected outcomes between 2015 and 2025, and an overview of resources needed.   

Work will take place primarily during the fall, with an initial plan due in January. As with all K-State 2025 committees, the plan will be shared with the K-State community for comment before finalizing the plan in the spring.  

The committee has broad university representation and includes faculty, staff and students from across our university who were recommended by deans, Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Committee on University Planning — or FSCOUP — the Classified Senate and Student Senate.  Serving as the committee co-chairs will be Bruce Snead, director of engineering extension, Kansas Industrial Extension Services; and Melody LeHew, associate professor of apparel, textiles and interior design, College of Human Ecology. Both Bruce and Melody participated in the 2009 Task Force and I am grateful for their willingness to lead this committee.

Committee members are:

• William Bochte, director of facilities, K-State Salina
• Ben Champion, director of sustainability, Office of the Provost
• Diana Farmer, associate professor, K-State Libraries
• Erick Garcia, master's student in psychological sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• Mary Gordon, senior in fine arts, College of Arts and Sciences
• Mary Hammel, associate director of Catalyst Center, College of Education
• Lisa Harrington, professor of geography, College of Arts and Sciences
• Chad Jackson, instructor of management, College of Business Administration
• Derek Jackson, director of housing and dining services, Office of Student Life
• Andrena Keesee, manager of site and facilities operations, K-State Olathe
• Casey Lauer, director of energy and environmental programs, Administration and Finance
• Christopher Levy, associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
• Natalie Mladenov, assistant professor of civil engineering, College of Engineering
• Kaley Oldani, master's student in civil engineering, College of Engineering
• Kendra Ordia, assistant professor of interior architecture and product design, College of Architecture, Planning and Design
• Tyler Penfield, senior in civil engineering, College of Engineering
• Jonie Smoller, associate director of fan experience, K-State Athletics
• Jim Stack, professor of plant pathology, College of Agriculture
• Lindsay Thompson, accountant, physics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Zelia Wiley, assistant dean, College of Agriculture
• John Wolf, research technologist in animal sciences and industry, College of Agriculture

Please join me in thanking the committee members for their commitment of time and energy this year to advance sustainability planning as an integral part of K-State 2025.  

April Mason
Provost and Senior Vice President