Bowdoin College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Supporting the Academic Component of the Climate Action Plan 2042

The academic component of the Climate Action Plan 2042 provides examples of concrete actions to achieve the academic goals. The academic program represents the core mission of the College. For that reason, the college curriculum and support for research and programming are essential components of Bowdoin’s 2042 Climate Action Plan. Educating the next generation of leaders about climate change is fundamental to the College’s purpose—and a liberal arts education is uniquely suited to the challenges of understanding climate change and addressing sustainability. With intentional facilitation of synergistic cross-campus action, the College’s academic mission can be integrated with its effort to address climate change over the next ten years to achieve the following academic goals:

1.  Raise visibility of our existing climate and sustainability curriculum, scholarship, events, and action on campus.

2.  Facilitate curriculum development on climate and sustainability topics.

3.  Facilitate interdisciplinary research and outreach on climate and sustainability issues.

4.  Facilitate data availability in digestible form.
For the full document visit:

https://www.bowdoin.edu/sustainability/pdf/cap2042-academiccomponent.pdf

Several sections of Bowdoin's 2042 Climate Action Plan incorporate plans to advance sustainability in energy. Specifically the goal is to be a fossil fuel-free campus by 2042 through electrifying the campus electric load and making sure that the electricity the College uses to power the electric heating and cooling system is powered with renewable energy. The plan also focuses on a transition to an electric vehicle fleet and an update to the sustainable green building design guidelines. More details can be found here: https://www.bowdoin.edu/pdf/2042-climate-action-plan_5.06.22.pdf

The Office of Inclusion and Diversity has published their March 2023 update as part of their on-going workplan that includes measurable goals and initiatives aimed at creating a shared sense of belonging and equity of opportunity for all students and employees at Bowdoin. Examples of some of the measurable objectives for doing the work of building diversity, equity, and inclusion at Bowdoin include: 

• Change the tenure review and promotion process that requires scholars to be evaluated based on whether they can demonstrate “IE in teaching.” To help move this momentous work forward we will:
  • introduce and emphasize the importance of IE in teaching during new faculty orientation;
  • include the concept of IE in the “Preparing to Teach at Bowdoin” mini course;
  • host faculty workshops specifically on IE in teaching;
  • include a discussion on IE in all third-year reviews for tenure-track faculty; and
  • foster ongoing discussion of IE with all deans in academic affairs and with department chairs.

• We will continue to construct faculty and staff development opportunities centered on belonging by:
  • developing trainings for academic department chairs on conflict resolution, mentoring, discrimination reporting; and
  • by pursuing a formal engagement with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Graduate Trainee Program —a program that provides opportunities for students and young alumni an opportunity to explore and be introduced to careers in careers in educational advancement—with the goal of developing a pipeline of new talent for the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
• We will continue to construct faculty and staff development opportunities centered on belonging by:
  • developing trainings for academic department chairs on conflict resolution, mentoring, discrimination reporting; and
  • by pursuing a formal engagement with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Graduate Trainee Program —a program that provides opportunities for students and young alumni an opportunity to explore and be introduced to careers in careers in educational advancement—with the goal of developing a pipeline of new talent for the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
• We will create a multiyear recruitment, engagement, promotion, and retention plan for Bowdoin to increase the diversity of our workforce. We will start by working to diversify our candidate pools and hires and then focus on employee retention—and we will identify internal benchmarks for progress on all these fronts.
• Information Technology (IT) will continue to support the Next Leaders Fellowship to build a pipeline of diverse IT executives for Bowdoin and other schools across the country.
• We will work to create a Bowdoin College-specific employee climate survey.
• Based on the recommendations of the Working Group on Faculty of Color and International Faculty Equity, Development, and Inclusion, we will develop a department- and program-level equity dashboard meant to bring transparency and enhance equity in faculty labor.

Bowdoin is guided by an Environmental Mission Statement that is posted on line and in the academic handbook: https://www.bowdoin.edu/about/mission/index.html

Bowdoin's two most recent master plans (2004 and 2017) prepared by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill includes sustainability on many levels; however, this document is confidential and cannot be shared publicly in its entirety.

The seven guiding principles of Bowdoin's original Master Plan from 2004 that were reaffirmed in the most recent update from 2017 include: Bowdoin College is a compact and mixed-use campus.

Bowdoin College is a walkable campus.

Bowdoin College is a historically significant campus.

Bowdoin College is connected to the Town of Brunswick and the larger community. Bowdoin College is a steward of the natural environment.

Bowdoin College is an ecological campus with established standards for sustainability and energy consumption.

Bowdoin College will have clear design standards for all construction and renovation projects.

Bowdoin is guided by an Environmental Mission Statement that is posted online and in the academic handbook:

https://www.bowdoin.edu/academic-handbook/overview/environmental-mission-statement.html

Bowdoin Dining has a published plan that addresses sustainability listed on their website: https://www.bowdoin.edu/dining/sustainability/sustainability-policy.html