Introduction

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s vision is to embed sustainability as a fundamental value at the university through the development of sustainability literacy, solutions, and leadership. UAB students, faculty, and staff are committed to taking an influential role as responsible stewards of our resources and communities, and to using educational, operational, and research activities to promote global thinking and local action.

UAB’s Sustainability program was developed in 2013 to serve the university, hospital, and surrounding community, using the widely accepted definition of sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In practice, this is achieved by working to holistically incorporate sustainability principles and standards in operations, teaching and learning, research and innovation, and community outreach and education.

UAB is a thriving academic and medical community, situated in a vibrant city, and is an institution uniquely positioned to engage in robust dialogue centered on the questions posed in the pursuit of sustainability. To advance this dialogue, UAB Sustainability and the UAB Operations and Faculty Sustainability Committees conducted a two-year strategic planning process to determine the most important goals, strategies, and outcomes for a sustainable institution by 2025.

The Center for Educational Accountability assisted in guiding the process that included 13 working groups comprised of 67 members. Two public listening sessions were held, one on campus and one at UAB Hospital, and presentations made to institutional shared governance groups including the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and Undergraduate Student Government Association. An online survey was distributed to all hospital and campus email addresses, including students, faculty, and staff, and more than 4,000 individuals responded to the survey.

UAB’s Sustainability Strategic Plan for 2025 is the result of the entirety of these meetings, conversations, listening sessions, presentations, and broader dialogue on campus and in the community. The resulting Sustainability Strategic Plan reflects a vision that aligns with the university’s shared values and concisely outlines the goals and strategies we will pursue over the course of the next six years.