Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Mission: To be a resource for the NMSU community to develop a common vision of sustainability through innovation, education, and action.
Vision: To empower the NMSU community to care about the environment in which they live and work and to carry it into their personal lives and future generations.
Core Values

1. Respect and love for humanity and all living things
2. Passion for the environment
3. Integrity of actions
4. Exemplify an understanding that the natural and built environments are intertwined
5. Unity of purpose through collaboration and interaction of ideas

Responsibilities

The role of the Office of Sustainability is to:

• Develop policies and guidelines for protecting natural resources, reduce the University’s ecological footprint, and ensure accountability for green building and low-impact development in NMSU’s ongoing capital improvement program
• Coordinate environmental sustainability initiatives on issues ranging from climate change to recycling and water conservation
• Work with faculty, staff, and students to enhance NMSU’s environmental literacy and awareness through academic programs and educational outreach activities
• Identify and steward sustainability initiatives that maximize the environmental and financial performance of the university
• Infuse sustainability principles into new construction, renovations, standards, plans, and studies
• Integrate sustainability into energy management, operations, maintenance, grounds-keeping, solid waste removal, and cleaning practices
• Develop and maintain tools, metrics, and indicators for assessing progress toward sustainability goals
• Coordinate, support, and lead utility conservation and recycling initiatives
• Assist administrators with the development of policies related to sustainability
• Serve as an adviser to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Services, the University Architect, and the Campus Planning Committee on issues of sustainability
• Integrate sustainability into curricula and building operations and support student environmental projects and initiatives
• Support and work with sustainability issues that use the campus as a laboratory for learning about sustainability
• Advise and be a resource for individual students and student groups engaging in sustainability issues and projects

We encourage students to get involved and volunteer their time.  Bring us an idea of something green you’d like to do on campus and we’ll work with you to accomplish that.  You can also get your volunteer hours for your student organization. The Sustainability Manager is the adviser for the Compost Club along with the Student Organization Defend Our Future.