Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.48
Liaison Heather Albert-Knopp
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

College of the Atlantic
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Heather Albert-Knopp
Dean of Admission
Office of Admission
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability? :
Yes

Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Yes

Name of the campaign:
Energy Framework

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged:

In 2016-2017 the college's Campus Committee for Sustainability (a student-run committee that acts as part of the college's overall governance system) worked to significantly revise the college's Energy Framework. This new framework effectively shortens the time-frame the college has given itself to become fully fossil-fuel-free -- the college has pledged to complete this process by 2030. The revised framework is the result of many months of work by students, staff members, and campus-wide communications and conversations over email and at the All College Meeting. The Energy Framework can be read in full on our website:
http://www.coa.edu/live/files/159-energy-framework


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:

By committing to the Energy Framework, COA has committed to investing significant financial and educational resources into reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, engaging our students in hands-on renewable energy work, producing more of our own electricity, modifying our vehicle fleets, and investing in significant energy-efficiency infrastructure projects with our current buildings. COA tracks and records our greenhouse gas emissions as part of our Carbon Commitment to Second Nature. The first version of our Energy Framework was written and adopted in 2013. Data for the framework came from 2012, when our Scope I, II, and III emissions totaled 1,777 metric tons CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e). In 2017, Scope I, II, and III emissions totaled 961 MTCO2e. Greenhouse gas emissions data available here: http://reporting.secondnature.org/institution/detail!1892##1892


The website URL where information about the campaign is available:
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Discarded Resources and Zero Waste

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):

Beginning in 2014, COA students began organizing an increasingly successful campaign around waste minimization and discarded resources. During each of the last four fall seasons, students have conducted an innovative and highly publicized Waste Audit (later renamed "Discarded Resources Audit" in order to reflect the campus-wide shift towards using “waste” as a verb — not a noun — as this process has given impetus to rethinking how resources are used and discarded). The audit is a week-long educational event that gives all campus members the opportunity to see the collective impacts of our consumption during the course of the week. Discarded Resources efforts go well beyond the audit, involving educational surveys and individual interviews with students, faculty, and staff to help understand habits and to inform efforts to improve on-campus practices concerning recycling, composting, and the reuse of resources.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):

In 2015-16, the Discarded Resources Team implemented all new recycling systems and stations across campus. They implemented an extensive overhaul to the dorm move-out system by integrating recycling, composting, and facilitation of the re-utilization of discarded items. They also helped transform the "free box" — a much-loved space for reusing, re-purposing and otherwise sharing/donating previously used items — from a literal cardboard box (and overflowing piles of clothes) into a retail-like space with clearly labeled shelves and hanging racks for clothing, accessories, and kitchen and household items.

The Zero Waste Club successfully drafted and brought a campus-wide Discarded Resource and Material Management Policy (“Zero Waste Policy”) to the All College Meeting, which was passed by the college community (students, faculty, and staff) on March 1, 2017.


The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:

During the winters of 2015 and 2016, student members of the Campus Committee for Sustainability implemented an energy use competition in the dorms. Over the course of one week in February, residents aim to reduce their electricity use the most, as compared to a measured baseline of the previous week’s electricity use. Each day, student coordinators send progress reports out to the community, along with energy information and energy-use reduction tips. Surveys before and after the competition invariably indicate an increase in student energy literacy, while overall reductions in dorm energy use during the week have thus far been significant. The annual electricity reduction competition has continued in 2017 and 2018, but its oversight and implementation has been transferred to Community Energy Center work-study students. In 2015 the winning residence reduced their electricity consumption by 18%, in 2016 the winning residence reduced their electricity consumption by 20%, and in 2017 the winning residence reduced their electricity consumption by 24%.


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.