Office of Sustainability

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is the ability to provide resources for current and future populations without depleting our limited resources, protecting the environment, and enhancing economic stability. 

What is the Office of Sustainability?

The Office of Sustainability is a resource for all Bobcats and is the point of contact for sustainability throughout TXST. From utilities and facilities to administration and student engagement, learn how you can become a more sustainable Bobcat. 

bridge at sewell park

Have a Sustainable Move-In

Help us reach our goal and recycle all the cardboard during campus move-in August 17-19. Explore tips & tricks to make your move to campus more sustainable!

Sustaining Memories. Reducing Waste. 

Students walking down steps on campus

About Us

The Office of Sustainability is a division of the Utilities Operations Department and was created at the request of the Vice President of Finance and Support Services (VPFSS) in the Fall of 2018. Learn more about us.

Get Involved

From sustainability-related courses, volunteer work, and internships, to events and workshops, getting involved with campus sustainability is simple.
Student watering plants inside the greenhouse
Student watering plants inside the greenhouse

Campus Sustainability

From waste management and recycling, getting around campus on the Bobcat Shuttles, to the food on your plate, sustainability can be found across campus.

Resource Conservation

Explore our recommendations and enhance your knowledge on conservation strategies
aerial image of jack ponds

Looking Ahead 2024

Have a Sustainable Move-In: Sustaining Memories, Reducing Waste. 

News & Updates

Drought status for the San Marcos campus: Stage 4

The Edwards Aquifer Authority is a groundwater district, mandated by the 1993 Edwards Aquifer Authority Act. The EAA regulates the portion of the Balcones Fault Zone Edwards Aquifer – a jurisdictional area that provides water to over 2.5 million people, and covers more than 8,000 square miles across eight counties.

Awards

silver award from AASHE STARS

Texas State University earned STARS Silver in Spring 2023 for our achievements and efforts for campus sustainability. 

Partnerships

logo image for Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability

Texas State University is a proud member of the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS). 

Sustainability Coordinator, Emma Parsley, sits on the Executive Committee of TRACS and is the Texas State University liaison. 

Big Ideas TXST Podcast

headshot of Emma Parsley

Learn more about campus sustainability with Sustainability Coordinator, Emma Parsley, in Episode 39 on the Big Ideas TXST podcast with Daniel Seed. Available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Sustaining Green Spaces

Approximately 48 acres of Texas State's campus is considered environmentally sensitive and is maintained under guidelines set by the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).

Currently, there are 8 known species listed as endangered or threatened that live in the San Marcos region of the Edwards Aquifer, Spring Lake and the upper 4 miles of the San Marcos River.