Sustainability Governance and Management
Our governance and risk management framework directs and monitors PolyU’s operations and development. The governance system at PolyU is led by the University Management Team – the University Council, the Court, and the Senate. In all on-campus sustainability-related issues, the University Management Team is supported by the Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC).
The Council is the governing body of the University. Consisting of 25 members, the Council is supported by 12 committees in accordance with the terms of reference prescribed by Council. The University Court is the supreme advisory body to the Council on matters of direction, in particular, matters that relate to the well-being of the University. Appointed by the Council, the Senate is the highest authority on all academic and related matters, and is comprised of a number of faculties, school boards and standing committees which look after various policy and functional areas related to academic governance.
The University Management Team is responsible and accountable for the operations of PolyU. An effective internal control system is in place to regularly monitor and ensure compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements. The Internal Audit Unit, reporting directly to the Audit Committee, provides an independent and objective point of view to ensure that PolyU accomplishes its objectives by reviewing and evaluating the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management, governance and control processes across all operations.
PolyU is committed to the principles of good governance, as these secure our standing as a world-class tertiary institution of teaching, learning, research and knowledge transfer. These principles allow academic freedom and autonomy, value-added performance in student education and academic advancement, public accountability and social responsibility, transparency, ethics and professionalism.
The University strongly believes that, in the face of the rising challenge of climate change, we have a role to play in terms of both environmental and social stewardship. PolyU established the Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC) in 2011, helping us strengthen our sustainability governance and foster sustainability initiatives in education, research, and community service. The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) was subsequently established in 2015 and has become the execution and coordination unit for all campus sustainability matters.
Campus Sustainability Management Structure
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Sustainability Strategy and Policies
Effective sustainability and environmental strategies and policies are enabling PolyU to move towards environmental excellence and a fully sustainable campus. PolyU prioritizes the sustainable use of resources across all aspects of our campus operations. These policies uphold the values and principles of sustainable development as laid out in the University’s Strategic Plan (2012/13 to 2017/18).
The Strategic Plan serves as a roadmap to multi-dimensional long-term sustainability goals, based on our core competencies of learning, teaching and research. There are five strategic pillars: knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and service to community; internationalization, branding and marketing; engaging the nation; campus development; and recruitment and retention. These core functions and strategic areas demarcate the University’s institutional priorities and help accelerate the development and maintenance of a functional, attractive, sustainable and community-linked campus which supports PolyU’s core functions.
Our Paper Reduction Policy was introduced in 2017, with the aim of fostering a sustainable campus and moving towards an entirely paperless environment. It focuses on promoting paper reduction through integrating paper reduction practices into all facets of operations, increasing use of electronic communications and e-document handling, effective use of printing services, raising awareness and involving the University community in reducing paper consumption on a whole.
Sustainability Policies and Guidelines
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