Achieving Program Excellence and Institutional Distinction: Creating a World Class Center for Sustainability at Portland State University Over the next decade and beyond, Portland State University will make focused programmatic investments to build excellence in a range of core academic programs. This process enables us to advance the creation of knowledge on critical issues facing the metropolitan regions of the world, to contribute significantly to all aspects of quality of life in the Portland metropolitan region, and, equally importantly, to provide a richer experience for our students that will better prepare them to address important issues of the future. As a first step in this process, Portland State will invest in a campus-wide effort to advance our academic, research and engagement activities in Sustainability. The University s commitment to sustainable processes and practices along with the extraordinary generosity and catalytic funding of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, coalesces into serious national and international leadership in sustainability. Portland State sees sustainability as an integrating concept that encompasses the interaction of humans both with each other and with the natural environment, guided by the objective of improving the long term health of social, economic and environmental systems. In addition to being central to the vision and values of Portland State, this commitment to sustainability is shared by the citizens, governments and business community of the Portland metropolitan region and the State of Oregon. Portland State is leading the efforts to make the region a leading living laboratory for sustainable urban development and with this significant investment, together we are creating a national reputation for Portland State and our community. Our mutual investment of financial and human resources in this programmatic area aligns with investments in several initiatives in the metropolitan region and the state including:! the Oregon University System s priority focus in sustainability-related research activities! the recent establishment by the Oregon Legislature of the Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) signature research center to promote collaborative research, technology transfer and economic development related to sustainable technologies, and! the Portland metropolitan region s recent initiative to develop a Sustainability Center that would help link the business, government and educational actors involved in sustainable development. Portland State s institutional investments will leverage these initiatives by focusing on the unique and strategic role that the University can and must play in both fostering 1
cutting edge sustainability research and in educating students to become the leaders and problem-solvers in our common future. Institutional Outcomes Our investments in targeted academic programs and other sustainability activities are focused on achieving excellence in student learning, in research and scholarly activities, and in the value of our engagement with our community. Specifically, this initiative focuses on enhancing the student experience at Portland State, on building the success of our faculty s contributions to teaching and research, on broadening and deepening our engagement with our communities, and on strengthening our overall institutional capacity to ensure long term success. Our goal is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a preeminent urban research university that is known for demonstrating how higher education can work collaboratively with other partners to solve critical problems and create a better future for the region and the world. Through these efforts, Portland State will continue to serve as the institution of opportunity in the metropolitan region but will also become the University of Choice for those students - locally, nationally and internationally who seek the rigorous, meaningful, place-based education that Portland State can uniquely offer as a result of our integrative curricular approaches, our cutting edge research, and our central place as part of the creative and innovative Portland community. Through the commitment of the University, the significant contribution of the Miller Foundation and the matching gifts to their investment, Portland State University s Institute for Sustainability will enhance our institutional capacity and raise our overall profile to become known as the place where sustainability is taught, tested and practiced and enhance the academic reputation of the institution to the communities we serve. Building on our strengths Our pursuit of institutional excellence in sustainability is based on two principles central to Portland State s identity our commitment to being a fully engaged partner with our community, and our belief that sustainability is a concept that must be understood and addressed in an integrated manner. Engagement is more than a slogan for Portland State we are known nationally as a leader in community-based research and learning, and we are well respected in the region for the contributions that our students and faculty make through their work with community partners. We seek solutions to the most complex problems by collaboration between academics, practitioners, and partners from across the street and around the globe. 2
Portland State is also dedicated to providing our students with both a deep understanding of the inter-connections between social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability and a healthy respect for the challenges and the complexity inherent in seeking to achieve sustainable outcomes. To achieve this integrated approach, we have developed organizational and curricular structures that bring students and faculty from multiple disciplines together to better understand the complex nature of sustainability. These efforts include a number of strong academic majors, University Studies, undergraduate minors in environmental science and urban studies, and our graduate sustainability certificate. These initiatives collectively provide a unique framework for integrated educational, research and engagement activities related to sustainability. Recognizing the need to provide more proactive institutional coordination for these and other programs, Portland State established the Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices in 2006. The Center s role is to promote and support academic Sustainability activities on campus with an emphasis on facilitating multidisciplinary research and community engagement. To date, the Center has focused on fostering multi-disciplinary interaction of faculty and their graduate students and coordinating the multi-disciplinary graduate certificate. Significant University resources have been committed to Sustainability efforts through the creation of the Center and the commitment to hire additional faculty positions and support. However successful expansion of our sustainability programs and faculty require additional major resources which the Miller Foundation and the matching partners will provide with their investment. Simply stated, this effort is fundamentally the course we are taking as an institution and the investment by the Miller Foundation will allow these efforts to broaden, deepen and come to fruition in a fully integrated model that would not be possible without private investment partners. As evidence of our commitment, we are currently recruiting nationally for a Director of the Center who will provide organizational leadership to this effort, including directing the recruitment of the additional faculty. Over the next years, with the strategic investment of the Miller Foundation and the matching gifts to their funding along with institutional investments, we intend to transform the Center into a stronger, bolder and higher profile organizational initiative known as the Portland State University Institute for Sustainability so that we can provide the level of leadership and support needed for us to achieve our goal of becoming an academic powerhouse in the sustainability field. More details on the expanded role of the Center/Institute are included below under each area targeted for investment. 3
A. Enhancing the Student Experience Strengthening our degree programs in sustainability will help our student better prepare to address and help solve the world s pressing problems. This focus will make Portland State the place students aspire to come to receive excellent and rigorous academic instruction in this area. Portland State also strongly believes that education must reach beyond the classroom our students should have opportunities to participate in a broad range of experiential activities, both on campus and across the globe. Investment in both of these areas contributes to Portland State s growth as an institution and our ability to educate the leaders of the future. Curriculum: Existing Foundation and Opportunities for Capacity Building The core elements of Portland State s sustainability curricula include the following programs. Opportunities for enhancement through additional investment are noted for each program.! Degree Programs. Portland State has been a pioneer in the development of curricular programs that address critical environmental, social and economic issues. We established the first Environmental Studies degree program in the US in the 1970s, and are known nationally and internationally for the quality of our degree programs in urban planning and community development. Our MBA program is nationally ranked for integrating social and environmental stewardship and we have several programs in the Graduate School of Education that integrate sustainable practices into the curriculum. These are just a few of the examples of the strong existing degree programs that feature sustainable processes and practices throughout the curriculum. In addition the University is creating a new School of the Environment that will incorporate existing degree programs across multiple disciplines as well as creating new programs. There is an opportunity to further strengthen these and other majors at Portland State which align explicitly with sustainability concerns and related professions. Students in these fields which also include engineering, biology, geography, and many others - benefit from expanded faculty resources and from exposure to national and international scholars in sustainability who will be engaged through an enhanced program for visiting faculty affiliated with the Center/Institute.! University Studies is a nationally recognized, integrated core curriculum for all undergraduate students. This program is ideally suited to serve as the curricular vehicle to ensure that all undergraduates are exposed to principles of sustainability and are engaged in a critical assessment of their role as citizens in contributing to a sustainable community. Sections of the Freshman and 4
Sophomore course sequence already focus on sustainability and the science component of this core curriculum is being re-designed to incorporate a core focus on sustainability principles. Portland State has already begun to explore how sustainability could be integrated as a central learning objective of our undergraduate curriculum. Additional investment allows us to ensure each undergraduate student, regardless of major, has had the opportunity to explore various dimensions of sustainability, to understand both the challenges and opportunities of seeking sustainable solutions, and to reflect on how their personal and professional actions can contribute to advancing sustainability in their community. To achieve this outcome effectively, new courses need to be developed, the ability of faculty to successfully integrate sustainability into existing and new curricula needs to be enhanced, and additional faculty will be hired to expand Portland State s capacity to deliver this comprehensive and powerful program to serve all our undergraduates.! The existing Undergraduate Minors in Sustainability and Sustainable Urban Development provide a exposure to the principles and practices of Sustainability and a multidisciplinary, integrating experience for any undergraduate student, regardless of their major. These programs can either complement a major where sustainability is not a focus, or broaden and deepen the focus on sustainability for students in majors that do address the subject. Each minor has a core set of courses and a culminating experience that promotes multi-disciplinary interactions and problem solving. In order to allow students to take full advantage of these programs, a comprehensive assessment of existing majors in needed to identify how to make it easier for students to pursue these minors in conjunction with their major program.! The Graduate Certificate in Sustainability creates an opportunity for both a broader and deeper exploration of sustainable practices for graduate students from any discipline. Through the core curriculum and integrating experience, students from multiple disciplines explore the various dimensions of sustainability and how they can work in multi-disciplinary teams to contribute through their chosen academic disciplines and professions. A number of the core courses are team taught by faculty from different schools, providing a rich multi-disciplinary learning experience for the students. This program is attracting interest at the national level from interested students. Currently, many of faculty who teach in this program do so on an overload or voluntary basis, as there are not adequate institutional resources to support a 5
team teaching approach. In addition, there is interest in developing specialized tracks as part of the certificate, allowing students to focus on topics such as green building, food systems, or energy and climate as concentrations within the certificate. Taking a cohort approach provides a more supportive structure for students taking the certificate. Additional resources enable Portland State to fully fund the certificate program and our unique interdisciplinary approach, and will expand the program to meet the growing demand for this type of preparation both in the region and across the country. Student Support While enhancing the programs described above is a clear priority, we must also ensure that our students can take full advantage of these programs by providing more financial support to students focused on sustainability. Many of Portland State s students pursue their education while juggling work, family and the increasing cost of tuition. In order to attract top students and ensure that our students have the opportunity to achieve their potential, resources must be targeted to provide scholarship support, teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, and postdoctoral support. Such investments help ensure that our students can focus their energy on their studies, as well as sending the clear message that Portland State invests in individuals who have a commitment to making sustainability a central part of their lives going forward. Scholarship support is a key element of the matching fund effort and will attract significant numbers of existing and new donors to support students. Beyond the Classroom - Enhancing the Student Experience Portland State is known nationally for community-based research and learning and for the role that experiential learning plays in our educational programs. With additional resources, we will focus more attention and greater resources on connecting our students into Portland State s growing network of individuals, businesses, agencies and other educational institutions that are committed to developing and implementing sustainable practices. The development of a systematic sustainability internship program coordinated by the Center/Institute is a key element of this effort. Portland State must also ensure that students understand the global and cultural contexts of sustainability by providing them with opportunities to travel both domestically and internationally, and participate in programs and internships focused on the world s critical challenges. While there are already many opportunities for such travel through our international programs, students often lack the resources to 6
cover the costs of participation. Targeting funds to ensure that students can take advantage of these opportunities is an important area of investment. In addition, by creating a program for visiting scholars who are leaders in sustainability research and education we will enable students to develop a national and international network that will continue to be a resource for them once they have graduated. These visiting faculty will engage students through roundtables and brown bag discussions coordinated by the Center/Institute, as well as serve as instructors, guest lecturers, and research advisors. We will also provide ongoing outreach and communication to alumni of Portland State who are involved or seek to be involved in sustainability activities. By creating a more intentional community of interest for Portland State s students past and present we will deepen and widen our network of collaborators and supporters. In collaboration with departments and schools on campus, the Center/Institute will support this network by providing ongoing communication and outreach about our sustainability activities. Enhancing the Student Experience: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Strengthen major programs by adding faculty positions and creating and supporting the visiting faculty program! Integrate sustainability as learning objective in undergraduate curriculum! Provide undergraduate scholarships for students pursuing one of the sustainability minors or with a core focus on sustainability! Provide Graduate Fellowships/Assistantships for students pursuing graduate certificate or working with faculty on key research! Provide support for post-doctoral positions! Support student travel support to enhance regional, national and international experiences! Expand experiential opportunities for students through systematic internship programs Outcomes! Portland State is the university of choice for students seeking a rigorous education in sustainability! Graduates of Portland State are known for sustainability literacy! Graduates are leaders in developing and implementing sustainable practices through professional and individual activities! Portland State is center of international community of interest engaging students, resident and visiting faculty, community partners and alumni 7
B. Expanding Faculty Excellence in Research and Teaching Many of the investments to enhance the student experience described above involve adding faculty and increase support to existing faculty to enable them to deliver the innovative curricular courses and expand cutting edge research that we are currently developing. Portland State has significant research strength in many sustainable arenas including urban heat island research by Dr. David Sailor, Dr. Aslam Kahlil's acclaimed work on climate change, Dr. Alan Yeakley s contributions to the literature on urban ecology, Dr. Veronica Dujon s research on the social aspects of sustainability, and Dr. Jun Jiao's green nanotechnology research. These are but a few of the many faculty members that are engaging with students to research important questions. In addition, a number of other investments in faculty and institutional capacity related to both research and teaching are needed to ensure that we both attract and retain top tier sustainability scholars. Building Collaborative Research Capacity on Campus Portland State current sustainability expertise has concentrations in four focal areas:! Relationships between Human and Natural Systems ecological systems, policy, technology, behavior, social and economic aspects, hard and soft solutions! Sustainable Urban Communities the built environment, urban ecology and, social and economic systems! Implementing Sustainable Solutions: Mechanisms for Change public awareness and engagement, human development, consumer choice, lifestyle and behavior change! Making Sustainability Credible: Measurement, Valuation, and Evaluation decision-support systems, integrative modeling, impact assessments, nanometrology Each of these areas is inherently multi-disciplinary, and growing our capacity therefore requires additional expertise that cuts across multiple academic fields. Portland State has made a commitment to expand our faculty in specific areas of sustainability research in order to enhance our capacity in the areas noted above and allows us to address critical aspects of sustainability where we currently lack disciplinary expertise. While additional positions will benefit our research efforts, additional investment of faculty positions in several key areas also ensures our ability to be proactive in setting the research agenda and would enable us to recruit and retain top tier junior and senior faculty by providing needed resources to realize their potential. The expansion of the Center into a Sustainability Institute with a strong cohort of affiliated faculty and fellows raises Portland State s profile nationally and internationally, and provides the resources and support faculty need to pursue multi- 8
disciplinary cutting edge research. Establishing a Sustainability Fellows program, which allows new and existing faculty affiliated with the Center/Institute to dedicate time to multi-disciplinary projects is one needed step in this process. The funding of seven faculty positions (the Director, Associate Director and five new faculty positions), the faculty fellows and visiting scholars will catapult the Center/Institute s work into reality and also provide the opportunity for matching funds to be raised to eventually endow many of these key positions. One of the roles of the Center/Institute is to support partnerships between faculty across campus as well as with the community. Having access to more places both on campus and embedded in the community- that are conducive to collaborative work between faculty, students and others enhances our ability to support such partnerships. Such venues also provide opportunities for more informal sharing of concepts and ideas and the development of relationships that may not start with a project but that may well lead to unique and ground breaking cross-disciplinary insights. Catalytic funding resources for faculty to proactively pursue research questions that have not yet been recognized through the more established research funding channels are a major component of the needed private investment by the Miller Foundation. By being able to move ahead of the curve with significant support for research, Portland State will ensure that we as an institution stay on the leading edge in solving critical problems facing the planet. This funding leverages other sources by allowing faculty to build the foundation of information needed to capture the attention of other funding sources and thus will become a significant part of the matching dollars raised in the future. Capacity to Meet Community Needs The Living Laboratory Portland State is leading efforts to strengthen the capacity of our region s entrepreneurs through our business accelerator, which currently houses a number of sustainability-oriented businesses, and through our role in the Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) research center. In response to growing demand for existing businesses to integrate more sustainable strategies into their core business models, Portland State is exploring opportunities to link our resources with these businesses to help them achieve these goals. Portland State is a participant in the City of Portland s emerging Alternative Technology Review Committee, which seeks to support the movement of green building technologies into application. Additional investment allows Portland State to further develop both our campus and the broader community as a living laboratory in areas such as green building, distributed energy, and green infrastructure. Our commitment to rigorous assessment of what works and what doesn t and our role as a public university in ensuring that lessons learned are shared for the benefit of the community give us a unique role to 9
play in advancing the region as a leader in sustainable technologies. Additional resources to support research-related facilities and equipment are needed to develop a proactive research agenda on living buildings and carbon in the built environment, as well as to assess what capacity we may want to develop to serve other community needs, such as the development of district energy systems, etc. Miller Foundation funding will not be used for permanent or capital construction however, some transitional lab space will be provided while we raise matching funds for significant permanent facilities such as the School of Business Green Business Integrator and other infrastructure needs. Enhancing our Capacity to Build, Fund and Grow the Institute A strong institutional base that provides support in fund raising and outreach to our sustainability initiative is an essential element of Portland State s strategy for long term success. The investments described above will establish the broad and deep foundation that will allow us to grow our research and curricular programs to international prominence. They ensure that our engagement with our communities locally and globally is robust, meaningful, and relevant, and that we are able to be proactive in setting the research agenda for the future. We aspire not just to be a leading university of the 21 st century, but to be positioned for that same leadership role when the 22 nd century approaches. To ensure ongoing support for these efforts and significant and leveraged matching funds, private investment will provide development expertise focused on our sustainability programs, so that we can leverage our resources to build a robust financial foundation. Enhancing the university s capacity to raise funds targeting sustainability programs significantly increases the long term financial health of the Institute s sustainability investments as well as extending the impacts of our research and curricular activities. Tied to this is the need to strengthen our ongoing relationships with our students, alumni, and others in our community of interest, in order to enlist them as supporters and champions of our sustainability programs over the long term. Expanding Excellence in Faculty Research and Teaching: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Expand faculty positions in selected focus areas! Develop matching funds to endow and name several professorships, the director of the Center/Institute! Provide support for visiting scholars/fellows in the Center/Institute! Support for PSU Faculty Fellowships in the Center/Institute! Expand access to innovative spaces for collaborative research and problem-solving 10
! Provide funds to support priority research in green buildings and green infrastructure! Provide start-up and matching funds for research activities! Develop matching funds to endow graduate fellowships! Develop specialized facilities to support research! Expand on instrumented urban/metropolitan watershed! Establish a green building research and evaluation center instrumentation for smart/living buildings, materials testing and evaluation, eco-roof assessment! Expand green building research center to encompass green urban development integrating technology, policy, and practice such as the School of Business building and other facilities that will be funded through matching dollars.! Expand Portland State s capacity to mobilize private funding resources! Identify and pursue federal funding for both research and infrastructure Outcomes! Portland State is a top tier urban university known internationally for our expertise in interdisciplinary sustainability research and education! Portland State attracts and retains top tier students and faculty! Faculty are known to be on leading edge in sustainability curriculum development and research! Portland State is clearly identified as center for rigorous assessment of green building technologies! Portland State has capacity to conduct leading edge research that translates into practice on the ground and has direct impact on regional businesses! Top graduate students are attracted to Portland State to work in living laboratory! Region s reputation as a living laboratory for sustainability is enhanced and actualized! Matching dollars are raised from a variety of sources C. Enhancing Excellence in Community Engagement As noted previously, Portland State s commitment to engagement is central to our identity and to our institutional goals and objectives. While we are already known for what we do in this area, there is more that could be done to make sure we are not just reactive but proactive in helping our community address critical issues. Convening 11
Portland State already serves as a convener for the community around issues of concern and interest. For example, the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies and the National Policy Consensus Center both play valuable roles in the region by bringing organizations and individuals together to develop shared goals and address shared problems. We have the opportunity to do more for the community as a convener by proactively identifying issues that need attention but that no other institution is either able or willing to take on. As a university, we must look beyond political and budgetary cycles to assess trends and emerging issues that transcend both political boundaries and organizational timelines. Investing in this type of effort will position Portland State not just as a sustainability leader, but as a visionary institution of the 21 st century a university which, by virtue of our people, our place, and our partners, is willing to ask the hard questions and answer even harder ones. Raising our Profile There is also an opportunity and a need to raise the profile of the work that is being done at Portland State. This monumental investment in the future of the University is not just an investment in a singular institution, it is an act that lifts and elevates the work and reputation of the University, the city of Portland, our myriad partners, the issues surrounding sustainability, and our community as a whole. Concurrent with this increased exposure and visibility, we share a responsibility and an obligation to disseminate our work broadly. Funding will provide faculty with opportunities to interact with colleagues at the national and international level to share research outcomes and teach best practices. The delivery of national and international conferences focused on priority research areas will be explored, building on our successful Business and Sustainability Conference, now in its second year. In addition to developing our own channels for research dissemination, we will ensure that our faculty have a presence at national and international sustainability forums. Currently, faculty are often constrained in their ability to attend key conferences and workshops. By providing support for faculty participation and attendance at conferences, we both ensure that faculty research is more effectively disseminated and deepen the network of scholarly colleagues with whom to collaborate on sustainability research. Initial funding is needed with the intent that this effort will become self sustaining within the first several years. Our International Community 12
Our world is shaped by social and environmental connections at the global scale, and our community therefore reaches beyond the Portland metropolitan area. Targeted investments will focus on strengthening Portland State s involvement with key international partners, particularly in China and Southeast Asia. Portland State has hosted over 500 Chinese government officials for land use training over the past six years, and we have recently developed a close relationship with Tongji University, one of China s leading scientific universities. These programs will be expanded to support Portland State students and faculty interested in engaging in research and education in China, as well as providing support for the development of collaborative research projects. Portland State is also deeply engaged in a number of sustainability related projects in Vietnam and other Asian countries, and additional resources support the expansion of both student and faculty engagement in research and educational programs in those countries as well. Enhancing our Institutional Foundation Finally, for Portland State to achieve international recognition as a leader in sustainability research and education, the university needs to develop a strategy for broader outreach and communication that supports our curricular, research and engagement activities. Ongoing outreach and communication will be essential to develop and sustain a vibrant network of students, faculty scholars, and other partners involved in sustainability. Such efforts will support and enhance all of the investments described above by strengthening our partnerships and ensuring Portland State is recognized as an international leader in sustainability scholarship and learning. Enhancing Excellence in Community Engagement: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Expand and strengthen Portland State s convening function by proactively convene groups around issues related to sustainability! Host national/international conferences! Support faculty conference participation! Expand our international relationships to ensure a global reach! Develop and implement communications and outreach program to raise Portland State s profile and to deepen sustainability network Outcomes! Portland State has a local, regional and international reputation for both conducting and disseminating research and lessons learned about sustainability 13
! Portland State is known internationally for taking on challenging sustainability issues and engaging partners to move toward solutions! Our community of interest is vibrant and constantly being renewed! We are positioned to be a leading 22 nd century university Summary of Activities and Outcomes A. Enhancing the Student Experience: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Strengthen major programs by adding faculty positions and creating and supporting the visiting faculty program! Integrate sustainability as learning objective in undergraduate curriculum! Provide undergraduate scholarships for students pursuing one of the sustainability minors or with a core focus on sustainability! Provide Graduate Fellowships/Assistantships for students pursuing graduate certificate or working with faculty on key research! Provide support for post-doctoral positions! Support student travel support to enhance regional, national and international experiences! Expand experiential opportunities for students through systematic internship programs Outcomes! Portland State is the university of choice for students seeking a rigorous education in sustainability! Graduates of Portland State are known for sustainability literacy! Graduates are leaders in developing and implementing sustainable practices through professional and individual activities! Portland State is center of international community of interest engaging students, resident and visiting faculty, community partners and alumni B. Expanding Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Expand faculty positions in selected focus areas! Develop matching funds to endow and name several professorships, the director of the Center/Institute 14
! Provide support for visiting scholars/fellows in the Center/Institute! Support for PSU Faculty Fellowships in the Center/Institute! Expand access to innovative spaces for collaborative research and problem-solving! Provide funds to support priority research in green buildings and green infrastructure! Provide start-up and matching funds for research activities! Develop matching funds to endow graduate fellowships! Develop specialized facilities to support research! Expand on instrumented urban/metropolitan watershed! Establish a green building research and evaluation center instrumentation for smart/living buildings, materials testing and evaluation, eco-roof assessment! Expand green building research center to encompass green urban development integrating technology, policy, and practice such as the School of Business building and other facilities that will be funded through matching dollars.! Expand Portland State s capacity to mobilize private funding resources! Identify and pursue federal funding for both research and infrastructure Outcomes! Portland State is a top tier urban university known internationally for our expertise in interdisciplinary sustainability research and education! Portland State attracts and retains top tier students and faculty! Faculty are known to be on leading edge in sustainability curriculum development and research! Portland State is clearly identified as center for rigorous assessment of green building technologies! Portland State has capacity to conduct leading edge research that translates into practice on the ground and has direct impact on regional businesses! Top graduate students are attracted to Portland State to work in living laboratory! Region s reputation as a living laboratory for sustainability is enhanced and actualized! Matching dollars are raised from a variety of sources 15
C. Enhancing Excellence in Community Engagement: Summary of Activities and Outcomes Activities! Expand and strengthen Portland State s convening function by proactively convene groups around issues related to sustainability! Host national/international conferences! Support faculty conference participation! Expand our international relationships to ensure a global reach! Develop and implement communications and outreach program to raise Portland State s profile and to deepen sustainability network Outcomes! Portland State has a local, regional and international reputation for both conducting and disseminating research and lessons learned about sustainability! Portland State is known internationally for taking on challenging sustainability issues and engaging partners to move toward solutions! Our community of interest is vibrant and constantly being renewed! We are positioned to be a leading 22 nd century university 16