| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.95 |
| Liaison | Kathleen McCaig |
| Submission Date | June 14, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Berea College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Kathleen
McCaig Sustainability Coordinator Operations & Sustainability |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The Sustainability Committee exists to address important contemporary issues surrounding Berea College’s seventh great commitment, especially as that commitment relates to “a way of life characterized by plain living…high personal standards, and concern for the welfare of others.” It is important for Berea College to follow and innovate sustainable practices in order to reduce waste, CO2 emissions, and its overall environmental footprint in order to preserve the natural environment and to set an example for others. However, our greatest potential for promoting sustainability as an institution lies in educating the generations of students who will pass through the College and carry away the knowledge and motivation to create the path toward a more sustainable world.
The purposes of the Committee are to:
* Advise the Vice President for Operations and Sustainability, the Vice President of Labor and Student Life, and the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty in regard to sustainability goals, progress, opportunities, and initiatives;
* Monitor the progress of the College Climate Action Plan and College Sustainability Plan;
* Provide routine reporting and communication about key sustainability indicators and initiatives to the campus community;
* Establish and monitor annual metrics by which to drive continuous improvement of sustainability across the campus community;
* Assure recommended greenhouse gas emissions and STARS reporting is completed on time;
* Review and recommend policies and procedures that affect the sustainability efforts, integration, and achievements of the College’s various operations and extra-curricular programs;
* Promote, support, and measure learning and leadership in both academics and labor; and
* Support routine assessment of campus attitudes and knowledge of sustainability concepts and practices.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):
The Committee will be co-chaired by the Compton Chair in Sustainability and the Sustainability Coordinator. The Sustainability Committee provides a bridge across governance structures, including students, faculty and staff, and key administrators. The primary way that students become educated and motivated about sustainability while at Berea is by their immersion in campus life, where attention to sustainability will be the norm. By nature of its composition, the Committee will be aware of sustainability efforts and initiatives and can offer advice and support to co-curricular and extracurricular programs and activities such as CELTS and other centers, Enactus, Campus Life, Residence Halls, the Collegium, the Learning Commons, and the Student Government Association, etc. The Committee can also be a resource for curricular bodies such as COGE and Academic Divisions, where appropriate.
The Composition of the Committee includes the Compton Chair in Sustainability (Ex-Officio and Co-Chair), the Sustainability Coordinator (Ex-Officio and Co-Chair), the Vice President of
Operations and Sustainability, one elected member of the College Faculty, one elected General Faculty member who is not a member of the College Faculty, and two students appointed by the Student Government Association. College Faculty and General Faculty members will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms.
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Office of Sustainability is led by the Sustainability Coordinator with one full time VISTA and 12 student labor positions working 10 hours each per week (titles and job description listed in url below).
Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Office of Sustainability is dedicated to the advancement of social justice, environmental integrity, and economic well being for current and future generations.
This has been accomplished through the creation of new policies at the institutional level, developing curricular and co-curricular activities, and supporting local sustainability efforts on and off campus.
Major Accomplishments:
Hired full time Sustainability Coordinator in 2013 and expanded student labor positions within the office from three to 12.
Achieved LEED Platinum and Living Building Petal Recognition for Deep Green Residence Hall which at the time of submission scored the highest number of LEED points for a building of its type in the world.
Launched a ride share and car share system, outfitted campus with bike repair stations, launched a compost and recycling ambassador program for major campus events which resulted in Zero Waste for all events in 2015, 2016, and 2017 to date, launched the first Carbon Neutral Basketball Game for the state of Kentucky in 2013 which has become an annual event with tree plantings on campus to offset the carbon, placed in the Top 10 winners nationally for the 2013 Campus Conservation Nationals competition.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
uploaded
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
uploaded
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
uploaded
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.