Menu
Search
Contact Us
The Office of Sustainability was established under Facilities Management in 2011. We define sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The Office of Sustainability utilizes United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG [Sustainable Development Goal] s) to connect students’ education to transdisciplinary application in order to create a more sustainable world.
UT Dallas is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE [Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education] ) and measures holistic effectiveness according to AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS [Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System] ) Report which encompasses administration, academics, engagement, and operations.
We believe that sustainability is a collaborative field to which all members of the UT Dallas community contribute. The Office of Sustainability collaborates with stakeholders and students across The University to facilitate the integration of sustainability principles and practices into all areas of The University of Texas at Dallas.
If you have any questions about sustainability at The University of Texas at Dallas, or would like to collaborate for a project or event, please contact us.
Campus Partners
Engagement
Office of Student Volunteerism
The Office of Student Volunteerism, housed in Student Affairs, is a co-sponsor and planner of UT Dallas Earth Week. They also manage the community garden, where students, staff, and faculty can rent a plot for free and learn to garden. Their Alternative Spring Break (ASB [Alternative Spring Break] ) trips each year frequently offer environmental conservation as a trip focus, visiting locations such as Orcas Island, Washington and Galveston, Texas. The Office of Student Volunteerism also offers and promotes several environmentally focused volunteering events throughout the year, which are posted on EngageUTD. You can contact the Office of Student Volunteerism at volunteer@utdallas.edu.
Comet Cupboard
The Comet Cupboard, housed under the Office of Undergraduate Education, is a free on-campus food pantry for UT Dallas students, is a crucial partner in fighting food insecurity on campus, which directly aligns with the mission of SDG 2: Zero Hunger. The Comet Cupboard has the first right of refusal for 90% of all produce grown at the Eco Hub. You can contact the Comet Cupboard at cupboard@utdallas.edu.
Operations
Facilities Management
Facilities Management, under which the Office of Sustainability is housed, is the center for nearly all operational sustainability on campus. Their teams provide construction, interior design, renovation, maintenance and repair, utilities, grounds care, custodial, trash and recycling, sustainability engagement and other services for University buildings, facilities and campus community.
Engineering, Construction, and Planning
Engineering, Construction and Planning (ECP [Engineering, Construction and Planning] ) is committed to advancing sustainability through campus building design. Efficient building design is not only less expensive but is also more environmentally friendly since it uses less water and electricity. There are eight LEED-certified buildings on campus that ECP has worked to design and construct.
Landscaping & Grounds
The Landscaping & Grounds team manages more than 400 acres of campus area. They utilize an Integrated Pest Management Plan (PDF [Portable Document Format File] ) (IPM [Integrated Pest Management] ) program to manage pests and infestations on campus.
As part of the Campus Landscape Enhancement Project (CLEP [Campus Landscape Enhancement Project] ), an Urban Forest was established along University Drive. The forest is a densely planted area, reminiscent of a Texas creek bed. More than 5,000 trees and shrubs were planted, many of them native to Texas. Our Urban Forest is just one example of our Landscaping & Grounds Department’s commitment to trees. Each November, the department partners with the Office of Sustainability to celebrate Texas Arbor Day and renew our Tree Campus USA status with an educational tree planting on campus. Any removed plant material from campus is composted by a third party.
Landscaping & Grounds also assists in the management of the 8-acre restored Blackland Prairie in the south of campus, as well as our monarch waystations and pollinator habitats around campus.
Custodial & Recycling
The Facilities Management Custodial & Recycling team manages single stream and specialty recycling on campus. Where possible, green cleaning supplies are used in custodial operations. The Custodial & Recycling team also assist the Office of Sustainability by collecting trash and recycling from the campus core for our annual Campus Race to Zero Waste Mount Trashmore event.
For questions about single-stream and specialty recycling on campus, or to request a pickup of a large quantity of recyclable materials, email recycling@utdallas.edu.
Surplus
UT Dallas Surplus reduces the amount of office furniture and electronics that are disposed of in the landfill by reselling, refurbishing, and recycling unwanted UT Dallas assets. Electronics that are not able to be resold by Surplus are shredded and recycled.
Parking and Transportation
The Parking and Transportation Office supports sustainable transportation options such as biking, busing, electric vehicle charging, carpooling, and vehicle sharing. You can find electric vehicle charging stations and ride share pickup locations on the campus parking map (PDF [Portable Document Format File] ).
Dining Services
UT Dallas Dining Services serves cage-free eggs, fair trade coffee, chicken without the limited use of antibiotics, and milk and yogurt from cows free of artificial growth hormones. They are a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant, and compost back-of-house compostable scraps. Dining Services also hosts “Pop Up Farmers Markets” on the second Tuesday of each month during the fall and spring semesters.
Planning and Administration
Environmental Management
Environmental Management, a department of the Office of Research and Innovation, oversees stormwater compliance, air emissions compliance, asbestos management, and hazardous waste management.
Office of Information Technology
The Office of Information Technology partners with the Office of Sustainability as an e-waste collector. As of spring 2022, the TechKnowledgy Bar in the Student Union now accepts personal e-waste during operating hours to be recycled through our campus service.
STARS Gold
We track our success through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE [Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education] ) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS [Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System] ). It is an international standard for sustainability in higher education.
The STARS [Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System] framework measures sustainability across all aspects of higher education in four broad categories: academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration. Within these four categories, UT Dallas measures 63 credits and provides over 1,000 data points in order to holistically assess sustainability. Sustainability efforts are quantified by STARS as points and are awarded in each credit category according to performance. Depending on the number of points accumulated, a university earns certification as a Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum institution.
The Office of Sustainability has embraced the international standard for sustainability provided by the AASHE [Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education] STARS [Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System] report and has adopted a mission statement to collaborate with stakeholders to integrate sustainability into the fabric of UT Dallas impacting academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration. For this reason, the Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce that The University of Texas at Dallas has achieved STARS Gold status.
To commemorate this achievement along with The University of Texas at Dallas’ 50th anniversary, The Office of Sustainability has released The University’s first holistic Sustainability Report. Learn More >
Memberships and Affiliations
AASHE
AASHE STARS
Air North Texas
ArbNet
Bee Campus USA
Bicycle Friendly University
RCE North Texas
Sustainability Coalition of Texas
TRACS
Tree Campus Higher Education
