Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.45
Liaison Benjamin Newton
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Central Community College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP)
Education and Training
Annually - Increase environmental stewardship e-Badges awarded by 5 percent annually based on previous year eBadge completers for the next five years. 

Fall 2023 - Integrate at least one new course into the eBadge program.

Fall 2023 - Articulate BIOS 1040 Introduction to Sustainability as a general education course to other Nebraska higher education institutions.

By 2024 - Increase courses, including sustainable development goals (SDGs), annually by five percent. 

By 2024 - Develop key partnerships with energy technology industry offering potential internships.
- By 2024 Develop key partnerships with energy technology industry offering potential internships

Energy and Climate
By 2025 – Decrease student and employee commuter travel by 25 percent from the 2012-13 baseline on all campuses through an intracity public transportation and a commuter program.

By 2025 – Increase electric fleet vehicle usage of charging stations on each campus and the Kearney Center by 25%.

By 2025 – Each campus will be carbon neutral in electricity use on campus through local renewable energy projects and power purchase agreements.
Materials and Waste

Annually increase FSC-certified and post-consumer waste content of paper by 10 percent from 2019-2020 baseline.

By 2024 - Divert a minimum of 40 percent of college landfill and construction waste for recycle and reuse.

By 2024 Track our food service provider and employee composting program diversion rates.

By 2024 - Decrease college paper use to achieve a 25 percent reduction from the 2015-16 baseline.

Landscapes, Water, and Agriculture
Annually – Use food waste compost in grounds, culinary, native, and pollinator campus gardens.

Annually – Reduce overall pesticide and fertilizer use on each campus through compost and natural pesticides.

By 2023 – Establish a new greenhouse facility in Hastings.

By 2024 – Establish edible landscapes and local food production on each campus to provide 10 percent of the overall produce used by on campus food service vendors and the culinary program.


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP)
Annually – The Environmental Sustainability Office volunteers in a minimum of three community service and health projects.

Annually – Organize a bike/walk/outdoor event on each campus.

By 2023 – Become a Bike Friendly University.

By 2023 – Increase bike share ridership by 10%

By 2026 – Have trails connecting each campus to the local community.

Annually – Plan America Recycles Day, Earth Month, pollinator festival, and other sustainability and community events in partnership with faculty, various on-campus departments/staff, local businesses and nonprofits.

Annually – Participate in three presentations at local community events or in media outlets.

Annually – Participate in three local community sustainability groups/committees and volunteer at shared planned local events.

By 2023 – Resiliency committees on all three campuses and Kearney Center begin action projects.

By 2023 – Resiliency committees complete action projects.


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP)
2025 – Decrease student and employee commuter travel by 25 percent from the 2012-13 baseline on all campuses through public transportation and a commuter program.

By 2026 – Transition to all electric fleet vehicles travelling between campuses

By 2026 – Achieve a minimum of LEED Gold standards for every new building and construction project on campus.

By 2024 – Each campus will be carbon neutral in electricity use on campus and local renewable energy projects shares.

By 2021 - Annually increase FSC-certified and post-consumer waste content of paper by 10 percent from 2019-2020 baseline.

By 2021 - Divert a minimum of 40 percent of college landfill and construction waste for recycle and reuse as well as begin a staff and food service-provider composting program.

2021 – Decrease student and employee commuter travel by 25 percent from the 2012-13 baseline on all campuses through public transportation and a commuter program.

By 2021 – Transition to one electric fleet vehicle and charging station on each campus and the Kearney Center.

By 2022 – Achieve a minimum of LEED Gold standards for every new building and construction project on campus.

By 2024 – Each campus will be carbon neutral in electricity use on campus and local renewable energy projects shares.

By 2021 - Annually increase FSC-certified and post-consumer waste content of paper by 10 percent from 2019-2020 baseline.

By 2021 - Divert a minimum of 40 percent of college landfill and construction waste for recycle and reuse as well as begin a staff and food service-provider composting program.


Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Strategic Plan:
Increase Bilingual support staff
Increase bilingual recruiters and student support staff
Increase bilingual faculty
"Grow our own" bilingual faculty and staff
Continued involvement in Quality of Life initiatives project in Columbus
Participate in Literacy/Cultural Arts with Columbus Public Library and Arts Council
Nebraska Rural Futures Initiatives projects and Young Nebraskans network
Establish Walking and Biking Program with Health Department
Provide Diversity Training


Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
Yes

The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
Major theme

The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
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Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
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Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
Yes

The formal statement in support of sustainability:

Welcome to Central Community College where our mission is to maximize student and community success. Not only locally, but at the state, regional national and international levels, we are committed to make a positive difference in the world. We highly value education of ourselves and others on sustainability topics and initiatives, including demonstration projects throughout central Nebraska. These projects include a 1.7-megawatt wind turbine at our Hastings Campus; high energy efficiency/renewable standards incorporated into our new Kearney Center; Grand Island Bee Campus USA designation; and pollinator gardens installed at our campuses in Columbus, Grand Island and Hastings. We have enhanced cooperative learning activities between the Agriculture, Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts programs, while creating e-Badges in a multitude of disciplines.

At CCC we define environmental sustainability as meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1987 Brundtland report). This is especially important for central Nebraska regions so dependent upon clean water, fresh air and productive soils to grow the food needed to help feed the world. We have come a long way since first initiating more sustainable practices, but know we have farther to go in order to reach climate-neutral impacts by 2034.

Please take time to review this site further to see how we are striving to be good stewards of our environment and how you can be a part of supporting future generations through your actions today.

Matt Gotschall, PhD
Central Community College President


The institution’s definition of sustainability:

At CCC we define environmental sustainability as meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1987 Brundtland report)


Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) Yes
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter No
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability No
SDG Accord No
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment Yes
The Talloires Declaration (TD) No
UN Global Compact No
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:

North American Registry (NAR) - renewable energy credits
HESI- An active member participating in group webinars


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.