University of Guelph SDG Progress Report 2021

SDG PROGRESS REPORT 2021

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The University of Guelph recognizes that it is situated on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and that these lands have rich indigenous histories and vibrant contemporary communities. This region is part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe Confederacies and their allied nations, to peaceably share the resources around the Great Lakes.

As we continue to advance sustainability and act on climate change, it is essential that we reflect on our relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples, our responsibility to the land and how we can harness the power of diverse knowledge and perspectives, including Indigenous, Western and other knowledge systems to find solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

Table of Contents 04 — Introduction 05 — SDG 1: No Poverty 07 — SDG 2: Zero Hunger 09 — SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being 10 — SDG 4: Quality Education 12 — SDG 5: Gender Equality 14 — SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation 15 — SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy 16 — SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 17 — SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 19 — SDG 10: Reduced Inequality 21 — SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 23 — SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production 24 — SDG 13: Climate Action 26 — SDG 14: Life Below Water 27 — SDG 15: Life on Land 29 — SDG 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions 30 — SDG 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goals

4

Introduction

With a mission to Improve Life, sustainability is central to the University of Guelph. Sustainability is about stewarding our valued resources – our people, our campus and our planet – in order to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To measure the University of Guelph’s continued work on the broad reaching and interconnected goals under the umbrella of sustainability, the University of Guelph is publishing our measurable progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Below is a snapshot of the progress made between 2018 and 2020.

5

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Number of low-income students receiving financial aid

13,992

11,967

Total financial aid available to students

$53.4 million

$55.1 million

Total amount provided in needs-based Scholarships and Bursaries

$19.0 million

$18.4 million

Number of students receiving funding through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

13,992

11,967

Total Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding recieved

$143.7 million

$104.5 million

6

Research: Ontario COVID-19 Policy Changes and Poverty: The COVID19 pandemic has magnified issues faced by people living in poverty. A 2020 University of Guelph study conducted by Dr. Laura Pin and Dr. Leah Levac investigated how Ontario government policy changes disproportionately impacted people living in poverty. The study was conducted on people who self-identified as living in poverty within the City of Guelph. Their stories highlighted struggles with financial security, and difficulty affording housing.

7

Guelph Student Food Bank serves 1200+ Students: To assist student living in poverty, the Central Student Association (CSA) at the University of Guelph runs the Guelph Student Food Bank. The Food Bank provides access to emergency food, anti-poverty resources, and referrals to other food security, anti-poverty and financial assistance groups. The CSA Student Foodbank advocates for food justice awareness on campus and provides workshops and cooking classes. The Foodbank partners with various campus organizations such as Hospitality Services, MealCare, and the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming to provide safe, nutritious, and culturally-appropriate food to students on campus and their dependents. The Special Diet Fund and Compassionate Fund provide monetary support to students who require additional services to those offered by the Food Bank.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Volume of food waste diverted from landfill (Kg)

34,980

126,394

Amount of food recovered and donated by the MealCare program (Kg)

2,470

4,870

Number of students in the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC)

3,271

3,337

INTRODUCING: MEALCARE

8

STUDENT-LED STRATEGY MealCare Guelph was founded by two third-year U of G students, Kiana Gibson and David Sahai. This student-led organization strives to reduce food insecurity and food waste on the U of G campus and in the greater Guelph community. Working alongside Hospitality Services, MealCare Guelph has established and solidified a system for donating leftover meals from dining halls to community partners across the City of Guelph, including the Campus Student Association Student Food Bank, the Drop-In Centre, and the Royal City Mission. MealCare's donation system has expanded to include donations from the campus Child Care & Learning Centre and Moss Family Farms. These donations allow high-quality ready-to-eat meals to be donated to community organizations to be provided to our community members. To date, MealCare Guelph has diverted a total of 18,634lbs of edible food from landfills and distributed it to community organizations.

9

Wellness@Work: The University of Guelph is committed to supporting the well-being of all staff and faculty through a comprehensive, integrated, and evidence-informed workplace health promotion strategy. Wellness@Work provides a variety of resources and programs for staff and faculty use, as well as the Wellness@Work Advisory Committee to direct senior leadership to meet the University's commitment to wellness in the workplace. To further support the health and wellbeing of the University of Guelph community, the Department of Student Wellness offers numerous services including accessibility, counselling, and health services, and a student support network. In May 2019, the University of Guelph became a tobacco and smoke-free campus to promote health and reduce preventable disease.

Metric

Number of students involved in Peer Helper Program to promote student wellbeing on campus

Number of student athletes

2018/2019

2019/2020

269

268

2,607

2,387

10

Open Learning: The University of Guelph provides open learning and flexible educational opportunities to the wider community. Open learning is available through a variety of non-traditional learning opportunities: short courses, night courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, certificate programs, customized training packages, and degree-credit and non-credit distance education courses. Through the OpenEd website, information and resources can be found regarding the Continuing Education, Distance Education, Graduate Student Development, and the Open Learning program.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Number of visits to the Campus Library

1,514,854

1,301,949

Number of presentation participants in information literacy and writing service programs offered by the Campus Library

27,968

30,967

Proportion of U of G graduates employed after 6 months

91.9% (2016 cohort)

92.4% (2017 cohort)

Proportion of U of G graduates employed after 2 years

96.8% (2016 cohort)

95.3% (2017 cohort)

11

Office of Quality Assurance All academic programming at the University of Guelph is governed by a dynamic Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP), administered by the Office of Quality Assurance. Through this framework, all existing and new educational programs undergo periodic review to ensure quality of content, delivery, and consistency with the University’s mission and values. The IQAP is a critical tool to ensure transparent and effective delivery of academic programming at the University of Guelph.

Compliance with the IQAP is audited regularly to confirm that education provided by the University of Guelph adheres to an acceptable quality, with the last audit being conducted in 2018.

Increasing Accessibility of Higher Education The University of Guelph offers many scholarships and financial awards to incoming and current students. Many of these awards are based on financial need and strive to decrease the barriers that lower-income communities face in higher education.

12

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Proportion of female athletes

47%

49%

Proportion of female fulltime faculty

38%

39%

Proportion of female staff

62%

62%

Number of female staff

1,788

1,944

13

GENEQ: TACKLING GENDER EQUITY ONCAMPUS In 2017, the University of Guelph launched

the

multi-phase

GUELPH RESOURCE CENTER FOR GENDER EMPOWERMENT AND DIVERSITY (GRCGED)

GenEQ

initiative, designed to identify barriers

Guelph Resource Center for Gender

to

campus,

Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED)

meaningfully address these challenges,

is an on-campus organization that

and support advancements of women

advocates for gender empowerment,

in leadership and other capacities in the

safety, and personal wellbeing in the

Guelph community. In 2018, following a

Guelph community. GRCGED provides

period of research and review, the

resources

University of Guelph established short-

experiencing

term and long-term goals intended to

violence, or a lack of safety, and strives

promote gender equity on campus,

to create a safe, intersectional and

including focuses on wage gaps, work-

meaningful space to meet the concerns

life issues, diversity in STEM, and

of the campus community.

women’s

equity

on

senior leadership. The progress of the GenEQ initiative towards these goals is annually

reported

Advisory

Group.

by At

the

GenEQ

present,

the

initiative intends to expand mentorship and leadership programs for women, create new on-campus programming surrounding

gender

diversity,

and

continue to identify barriers faced by women in the University of Guelph community.

to

support crisis,

individuals gender-based

14

Morwick G360 Centre for Ground Water Research Established at the University of Guelph in 2007, the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute (G360) is a multi-disciplinary, field-focused academic group. Managing over 50 research sites worldwide, the Institute collaborates with local and global companies, governments, and site operators to facilitate evidence-based stewardship of groundwater. Led by Dr. Michael MacCarthy, the Engineering for Development program at G360 is a collaboration between Mercer University and the University of Guelph.

This project teaches researchers how to implement safe and effective groundwater infrastructure worldwide. Using their combined expertise in sanitation and hydrogeology, researchers at G360 piloted unique portable water well drills at a research station at the University of Guelph. These drills were subsequently used in a field research site in Southwestern Dominican Republic. In the future, these techniques will be used worldwide to monitor groundwater to assess water quality and contamination. To further their mandate to provide education on the importance of groundwater protection, G360 also provides free educational resources in a variety of languages through the Groundwater Project.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Annual volume of water used at the University (cubic metres)

825,742

N/A

Morwick G360 – Publications

12

14

Morwick G360 – Conference Talks

34

35

Morwick G360 – Awards Received

5

7

15

The Green Gryphon Initiative: The Green Gryphon Initiative (GGI) is a $26.2 million sustainability and energy improvements fund at the University of Guelph. The GGI works towards energy conservation at the University through a number of projects and innovative measures to save energy. Launched in 2013, this initiative has resulted in the annual reduction of 4,700 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. One of the biggest utilities projects undertaken at the University is the Chilled Water Thermal Energy Storage (TES) System.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Number of EV chargers

25

27

Total energy used (GJ)

1,157,590

N/A

16

Youth Employment Opportunities at the U of G: Meaningful opportunities for work are available to undergraduate students through the Experience Guelph portal, including Undergraduate Research Assistantships, and Undergraduate Student Research Awards. Grants, wage subsidies, and financial-need-based positions help create fair and equitable employment.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Number of employees (both staff and faculty)

3,699

3,958

University expenditure on Employee Future Benefits (EFBs)

$50.5 million

$50.1 million

University expenditure on salary

$406.0 million

$421.7 million

17

Innovation on Campus: Hub Incubator Program: The Hub Incubator Program at the John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise provides University of Guelph students and alumni with the opportunity to create and accelerate their business ideas. The Hub connects start-ups with experienced entrepreneurs, access to co-working spaces, and grant funding. The Hub has seen an emerging trend of sustainability-focused businesses participating in the program. One of these businesses includes Water Farmers, a professional aquaponic consulting group, which works to design and develop innovative solutions for sustainable urban agriculture.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Total Research Revenue

$164,591,000

$164,356,000

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) - U of G Agreement Revenue

$75.7 million

$79.3 million

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Infrastructure Research: Case Study

University of Guelph economics professor Dr. Talat Genc's research focuses on how the supply chain can be improved by implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of Dr. Genc's research is to demonstrate the value of investing in sustainable innovation, and as a result, businesses, consumers and institutions are better equipped to achieve the SDGs.

The Research Innovation Office

Innovation Office turns The team at the Research discoveries into innovative solutions that address many of today’s most complex challenges. The office supports innovation by providing researchers and entrepreneurs with resources and tools to help create and accelerate their ideas. The office is home to the Guelph Accelerator Program, which works to support individuals in bringing their agri-food businesses to life through resources, networking support, and mentorship.

19

Metric

Number of individuals who accessed support through the Library Accessibility Services

2018/2019

420

Total support provided through bursaries for students with disabilities

$250,000

Number of students with disabilities receiving funding support

141

2019/2020

479

$251,000

117

20

The Office of Diversity and Human Rights (DHR) strives to create a

culture of inclusion at the University of Guelph. This Office has been at the forefront of creating multiple key initiatives on campus, including the University of Guelph's Anti-Racism Action Plan and Positive Space Project Training. The Office of Diversity and Human Rights also advocates and provides resources for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act compliance. They consult with campus departments to address physical and systemic barriers on campus.

The University of Guelph Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) provides programming and support for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students. The ISC provides financial and academic support for students, hosts workshops, and provides space for visiting elders and knowledge holders. Mandated by the President’s Advisory Committee on Aboriginal Initiatives, the Indigenous Initiatives Strategic Task Force is comprised of staff, students, faculty, and community members who further reconciliation efforts on campus.

21

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Square feet of LEED certified building space (M²)

N/A

537,002

Bicycle rack capacity available on campus to promote sustainable transportation

1200

1200

22

Public Access to Campus:

University of Guelph offers free,

Building an Inclusive and

public

Sustainable Community

workshops

and

tours,

including programs intended to

The University of Guelph provides

provide

free, public access to many on-

international students and new

campus buildings, facilities, and

Canadians

spaces such as the Art Gallery of

Canadian nature and connect to

Guelph, library, green spaces like

the outdoor spaces on campus.

opportunities to

learn

for about

the Arboretum, Johnston Green, and includes multiple sites of

Supporting Strong Public Transit

cultural

significance.

The

Access to reliable and affordable

University

preserves

intangible

public transit is a key component

natural

and

cultural

heritage

of

healthy

and

sustainable

through multiple projects including

communities. The Central Student

storytelling

workshops,

and

Association (CSA), in partnership

traditional

collections

of

with the City of Guelph, offers

cookbooks and social histories.

affordable, subsidized bus passes

For

to all undergraduate students,

example,

the

University’s

ReVision Centre hosts storytelling

increasing

workshops which cover a variety of

encouraging

cultural heritage topics. Similarly,

spaces across the community.

the Arboretum at the

accessibility utility

of

and public

23

Fair Trade Campus: The University of Guelph is proud to be Ontario's first Fair Trade Campus, and the third designated Fair Trade campus in Canada. The Fair Trade Campus designation is a reflection of the University of Guelph's commitment to supporting, promoting, and celebrating certified Fair Trade products on campus. In 2016, Hospitality Services, Guelph Gryphons Athletics, and Planet Bean Coffee partnered to create a signature coffee for the University of Guelph called the Gryphon Blend. The Gryphon Blend is made of a mixture of coffees from two different Café Femenino women-owned co-operatives. The coffee beans are grown by Indigenous women in the Peruvian Andes, and in the Gayo Highlands of Sumatra. The beans are roasted locally by Planet Bean Coffee, a Guelph-based roasting company. A portion of the sales of all Gryphon Blend coffee goes towards women's varsity scholarships.

2018/2019

2019/2020

561.7

618.9

Amount of waste generated (tonnes)

4,821.7

5,100.9

Amount of food waste composted (tonnes)

35

126

Metric

Amount of waste recycled (tonnes)

24

Responsible Corporate Investing: In January 2019, U of G became one of the first Canadian universities to commit to reducing the carbon footprint of its endowment portfolio. The U of G Board of Governors pledged to fully divest the U of G endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry over a 5-year period, supporting the transition to a low-carbon, socially responsible economy.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Total energy used (GJ)

1,157,590

N/A

Total number of degree days (°C)

4,342 Degree-Days

N/A

25

No Heat Wasted The University of Guelph is committed to

means.

taking action on one of the most

Sustainability

Office's

organics

pressing challenges of our time: climate

management

program

addresses

change. Building a zero-carbon campus,

emissions associated with food waste by

while experiencing an increase in student

composting over 150,000 kg per year of

population, requires investing in a range

campus food waste, while simultaneously

of

providing equitable student employment.

measures

to

reduce

operational

For

of

G

building on the foundation of a 100 year

organizations provide an intersectional lens

old district energy system, the University

on climate justice and regularly host

has

Recovery

demonstrations, seminars, and workshops

System. Originally installed in 2004 and

to facilitate community-level participation

upgraded in 2019, this system is a part

in the climate action movement.

Heat

and

U

Other

the

groups

the

greenhouse gas emissions. For example,

expanded

student

instance,

community

of the energy efficiency upgrades at the Central Utilities Plant. The System heats

Improving education and awareness of

10

with

climate change is crucial to promoting

recovered heat that would typically be

climate action. The University of Guelph

wasted as exhaust. The Heat Recovery

offers extensive academic programming

System is considered zero incremental

emphasizing climate science, policy, and

carbon, resulting in savings of over 5,000

development. U of G also has research

tonnes of CO2/year. This measure is one

programs across departments dedicated to

example of how the University has

enhancing global understanding of the

successfully reduced operational GHG

social, economic and environmental facets

emissions by 22% since 2005. Many

of meaningful climate action.

other

buildings

across

on-campus

campus

initiatives

target

climate change through a diversity of

26

Facilitating Aquatic Research and Protection of Aquatic Life: The University of Guelph's Hagen Aqualab, located on campus, allows researchers and students to simulate global aquatic environments and maintain a wide variety of marine and freshwater flora and fauna.

This facility is especially valuable to upper year students interested in researching diverse aquatic environments. The Hagen Aqualab was designed to facilitate research on a wide variety of aquatic organisms living in marine, brackish, or freshwater habitats in arctic,, temperate, and tropical climates. The lab fosters the training of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced research techniques. The creation of this lab facilitates interaction and collaboration among universities, government and the private sector.

Metric

2018/2019

Number of students in the Marine and Freshwater Biology program

161

Number of students in Water Resource Engineering program

72

2019/2020

190

62

27

Preserving Biodiversity: The Arboretum The Arboretum property includes watersheds protected through the Grand River Conservation Authority. The Nature Reserve includes a Class 2 Provincially protected wetland and the central area of the Arboretum features two old growth forest areas that are part of the City's Natural Heritage Protection Plan, with a long-term reforestation project connecting those two areas. The Arboretum is home to a plethora of endangered and threatened trees and woody shrubs that are part of our ongoing conservation programs. Within the Arboretum, are other unique habitats such as ponds that support rare insect species and the Arboretum also contains a number of rare lichens including one newly discovered species known only from the Arboretum.

Metric

Head count of students in the Wildlife Biology and Conservation (WBC) program

2018/2019

167

2019/2020

158

28

The University of Guelph Arboretum is phenomenally biodiverse.

You can look for:

ngi Allied Fu d n a s n 111 Liche gi 276 Fun ts her plan t o d n a flowers 187 Wild es bs, & Vin u r h S , s 60 Tree mals 44 Mam 211 Birds

phibians m A d n a es 21 Reptil 11 Fish ers 128 Spid ths 844 Mo rflies 50 Butte mselflies a D & s e onfli 67 Drag Beetles 73 Rove

29

Transparency and Inclusion in Governance: As a public institution, the University of Guelph is committed to maintaining an open and transparent governance structure. All operations, policies, and procedures are available, either through published resources or freedom of information requests, in accordance with Federal policies. Similarly, the U of G is committed to increasing representation and diversity in leadership positions.

Students in the community are invited to sit on the Board of Governors, Senate, and other leadership bodies within the University. As per the 2016 Strategic Framework, the University continues to strive for diversity in leadership roles. Within the academic sector, the Departments of Political Science and Sociology and Anthropology have numerous interdisciplinary research programs dedicated to addressing global criminal justice and governance issues – including drug policy, crime and violence reduction, strong and fair institutions, and others.

Metric

Number of students enrolled in the Criminal Justice and Public Policy program Number of Non-Degree Enrolments in Open Learning/Upskilling Courses

2018/2019

2019/2020

1,105

1,075

5,401

5,482

30

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network The Guelph Institute for Development Studies (GIDS) and the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics are members of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global organization which aims to promote the SDGs through global partnerships, research, and education. The Lang School of Business’ NetImpact Guelph project hosts regular events bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds to discuss meaningful integration of business and economics to address global sustainability concerns. Researchers at the U of G have extensive local and international partnerships with other research institutions, private stakeholders, and government agencies. The U of G works with the City of Guelph, community members, and private partners to address a broad range of sustainable development issues through the Guelph Lab program. Through integration of research and education, the Guelph Lab has supported programs and policies targeting road safety, food security, climate justice, and other concerns. The U of G has committed to continued partnerships via the Guelph Lab through 2024.

Metric

2018/2019

2019/2020

Number of faculty members completing research related to sustainability

N/A

250

Number of students enrolled in MGMT3020: Corporate Social Responsibility

435

403

We thank you for your continued support in our efforts to contribute to the SDGs.

University of Guelph 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 https://sustainability.uoguelph.ca/

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SDG PROGRESS REPORT 2021