| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.42 |
| Liaison | Jen Jones |
| Submission Date | Feb. 18, 2020 |
College of Charleston
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The university's Quality Enhancement Plan ("Sustainability Literacy as a Bridge to Addressing 21st-Century Problems") details measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and research. A successful QEP aims to:
Build awareness of sustainability literacy
Synthesize and integrate knowledge
Skill build and develop key competencies
Provide experiential and learning practices
Create change agencies for resiliency
Progress toward these goals will be measured through several measurable student learning outcomes, including:
Students can ID various elements of sustainability and the relationships between them
Students can ID key ways to be more sustainable in personal lives and on campus
Students can ID policies and practices that have contributed to unsustainability
Students can synthesize knowledge from two or more systems to address a sustainability problem
Students can demonstrate the impact of production/consumption practices on systems
Students can design a solution to a given sustainability problem
Students can advocate for resiliency at individual, institutional, community, national or global level
These objectives are outlined in the university's QEP. You can learn more at sustain.cofc.edu.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Organized and published by the Center for Sustainable Development, the College of Charleston's Sustainability Action Plan is designed to guide sustainability efforts and sets specific targets aimed at significantly reducing the university's ecological footprint, advance high-impact learning opportunities around sustainability, develop a culture of sustainability and generate organizational resilience. Strategies to address engagement include:
Sustainability literacy
Shared vision
Sense of place and history
Expression of arts and humanities
Social embeddedness
Additionally, the university's Quality Enhancement Plan ("Sustainability Literacy as a Bridge to Addressing 21st-Century Problems") details measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and research. A successful QEP aims to:
Build awareness of sustainability literacy
Synthesize and integrate knowledge
Skill build and develop key competencies
Provide experiential and learning practices
Create change agencies for resiliency
Progress toward these goals will be measured through several measurable student learning outcomes, including:
Students can ID various elements of sustainability and the relationships between them
Students can ID key ways to be more sustainable in personal lives and on campus
Students can ID policies and practices that have contributed to unsustainability
Students can synthesize knowledge from two or more systems to address a sustainability problem
Students can demonstrate the impact of production/consumption practices on systems
Students can design a solution to a given sustainability problem
Students can advocate for resiliency at individual, institutional, community, national or global level
These objectives are outlined in the university's QEP. You can learn more at sustain.cofc.edu.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Organized and published by the Center for Sustainable Development, the College of Charleston's Sustainability Action Plan is designed to guide sustainability efforts and sets specific targets aimed at significantly reducing the university's ecological footprint, advance high-impact learning opportunities around sustainability, develop a culture of sustainability and generate organizational resilience.
The first goal of the Sustainability Action Plan is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The second goal of the plan is to become a Zero Waste campus by 2025. Strategies to address these operational goals include:
Greenhouse gas management
Energy demand
Energy supply
Transportation
Value cycle emissions
Materials flow analysis
Solid waster aversion
Materials aversion
Solid waste diversion
Water systems
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?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Organized and published by the Center for Sustainable Development, the College of Charleston's Sustainability Action Plan is designed to guide sustainability efforts and sets specific targets aimed at significantly reducing the university's ecological footprint, advance high-impact learning opportunities around sustainability, develop a culture of sustainability and generate organizational resilience.
The third goal of the Sustainability Action Plan is to achieve institutional resilience. Strategies to address this administrative goal include:
Strategic planning and advocacy
Local and regional integration
Financial sustainability
Product cycle responsibility
Eco-effective infrastructure
Equity and welfare
Representative and shared governance
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | No |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | No |
| 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) | No |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
Second Nature's Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitment incorporates climate, carbon and resilience commitments.
The climate commitment integrates carbon neutrality with climate resilience and provides a systems approach to mitigating and adapting to a changing climate. The carbon commitment is focused on reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality as soon as possible. The resilience commitment is focused on climate adaptation and community capacity-building to deal with a changing climate and resulting extremes.
More info can be found at https://secondnature.org/signatory-handbook/the-commitments/.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts 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.