| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.84 |
| Liaison | Noah Upchurch |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Catawba College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Noah
Upchurch Senior Sustainability Specialist Center for the Environment |
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 Advisory Committee serves as a communicative body that shares ideas, raises concerns, and works to build a culture of sustainability at the College. Although the Committee has no binding authority over College operations or policy, it plays a key role in discussing current and potential sustainability initiatives, reflecting on the current state of the College's sustainability culture, and voicing concerns from across the College. The Committee may also make nonbinding recommendations to administrators and administrative bodies of the College.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
1. Imran Chowdhury, Faculty
Dean of the Ketner School of Business
2. Duane Aagaard, Faculty
Professor of Sport Management
3. Megan Flocken, Faculty
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
4. Josh Cool, Staff
Preserve Keeper
5. Larkin Garden, Student
Environmental Steward
6. Shodeah Kelly-Innocent, Staff
One Stop Specialist
7. Kristin Knell, Staff
Purchasing Coordinator
8. Russell Smyre, Staff
Executive Director of Facilities
9. Tim Clark, Faculty
Assistant Professor of Sociology
10. Matthew Peeler, Student
Student Government Association
11. Greg Alcorn, Trustee
Catawba College Board of Trustees
12. Lee Ball, Jr., Staff
Executive Director of the Center for the Environment
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Center for the Environment is the central hub for sustainability at Catawba College. Functioning similar to a traditional Sustainability Office, the Center houses the College's Sustainability Staff, Director of Operations for the Center, and an Executive Director. The Center's work spans implementing sustainable operational practices and projects around the College, assisting in the creation and cultivation of sustainability in classroom education, research, and student programming, reviewing the College's performance in relation to sustainability goals, and maintaining a positive relationship with the natural elements of our College, like the Fred Stanback, Jr. Ecological Preserve.
The Center for the Environment also is a think tank for sustainable ideas. In this capacity, it brings noted environmental speakers, visiting practitioners, and professors to campus for the benefit of students, staff, faculty, and our regional community. The Center also engages in policy research and advocacy.
Full-time equivalent 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?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
Accomplishments include:
- Hosting numerous speakers and events on campus including, among other events, a Climate Justice panel event featuring the President of the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP branch, the former mayor of Charlotte, NC, the Executive Director of CleanAIRE NC and the Executive Director of the Yadkin Riverkeeper, as well as an author talk by Corban Addison, author of Wastelands, The Mountain Film Festival, numerous visiting sustainability practitioners, and more
- Incubating promising NGOs like Muddy Sneakers and GALS, which are groups focused on getting K-12 students outdoors
- Implementing a campus-wide water bottle and Yeti mug program for faculty and staff
- Completing installation of water bottle fillers across campus
- Implementing a review of all campus decisions to determine the sustainability impacts and recommend best practices
- Leading a review of campus solar PV and solar thermal installations to ensure proper functioning while also planning for a transition to 100% renewables
- Installation of the campus's first electric vehicle charger
- Design and implementation of the College's carbon neutrality program for Fiscal Year 2023
- Obtained four Haven solar picnic shelters for campus
- Leading the installation of a Spotlight Solar Curve solar tree on campus
And many more programs and activities.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
The Executive Director of the Center for the Environment acts as a Chief Sustainability Officer for the College by overseeing the greening of campus operations, working with faculty to use the campus as a living-learning laboratory for sustainability, and leading a think tank that develops and advocates for state and national environmental policy, develops and hosts conferences and speakers on sustainability topics, and develops and hosts sustainability-focused activities for K-12 education.
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):
The Sustainability Specialists support the work of the Center for the Environment and, especially, the campus-focused operational sustainability improvements and student-related sustainability activities and research opportunities.
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):
The Operations Director for the Center for the Environment acts as the primary deputy for the Executive Director. In this role, the Operations Director is the lead for student and faculty engagement as well as for hosting events and conferences on campus.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.