| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.56 |
| Liaison | Georgeann Moss |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2021 |
Dallas College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Debbi
Richards Interim Director Government Relations |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
The Dallas College Office of Government Relations leads public policy advocacy at the state and national levels. Dallas College Campus Presidents lead community engagement at the local level. The Dallas College Office of Sustainability supports local advocacy in collaboration with college and campus administration.
Farmers Branch
The Dallas College Brookhaven Campus President Dr. Linda Braddy supported the Dallas College Office of Sustainability staff Brandon Morton to advocate for renewable energy and strategic sustainability goals at the City of Farmers Branch committee meetings aligned with Brookhaven Campus goals.
Dallas
Dallas College senior executive leadership supported the Office of Sustainability staff Georgeann Moss, Lori Delacruz Lewis, Brandon Morton, and Office of Special Academic Programs staff Dr. Maria Boccalandro to advocate for City of Dallas' Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) at public meetings, some of which were hosted on the campuses. Dr. Boccalandro was selected for the Environmental and Sustainability Task Force (Sept 2020-Sept 2021), this task force was instrumental in the approval of the Urban Forest Master Plan, Revision of the Urban Agricultural Policies, and the approval of the Environment & Sustainability Commission structure.
Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, Dallas
The Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus President Dr. Joseph Seabrooks supported Sustainability Director now the Special Academic Programs Dean Dr. Maria Boccalandro (December 2014- December 2018) for selection to be a member of the Board of Directors and participated in the Transportation committee and public meetings to improve mobility and decrease air pollution.
Irving
The Dallas College North Lake Campus President Dr. Christa Slejko supported the Dallas College Office of Sustainability staff Brandon Morton to advocate for support of City of Irving Smart Cities and Open Data Policy at meetings with elected officials, city staff and business leaders, support of sustainability jobs training at the City Council Natural Resource and Transportation Committee, and sustainability practices at the Council's Green Advisory Board meetings.
Coppell
The Dallas College North Lake Campus President Dr. Christa Slejko supported the Dallas College Office of Sustainability staff Brandon Morton to advocate for sustainability goals in support of City of Coppell Vision 2040 with City officials and staff, and participated in public city meetings with local residents and business professionals. Dallas College Special Academic Programs Dean Dr. Maria Boccalandro was selected and appointed by the Mayor of Coppell to serve on the Board of the Future Oriented Approach to Residential Development (FOARD) Task Force (December 2019- December 2021).
Best Southwest Cities, 16 Cities from Southern Dallas County and Northern Ellis County
The Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus President Dr. Joseph Seabrooks supported Sustainability Director now Special Academic Programs Dean Dr. Maria Boccalandro to advocate and lead public meetings for local residents and business leaders on topics of sustainable economic development with members from the Best Southwest Cities that include City of Cedar Hill, City of DeSoto, City of Duncanville, and City of Lancaster.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
Dallas College engages many regional public policy efforts that advance sustainability. The college participates in regional meetings with the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Integration of Sustainability Efforts (NCTCOG-RISE) that advocate for policies in areas of green infrastructure and local workforce development and specific public policy sustainability initiatives such as Air North Texas. Dallas College participates with the Shared Air DFW Network to advance public awareness of air pollution and health impacts supported by Dallas County. Dallas College is a founding member of the United Nations University Regional Center for Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development of North Texas (RCE North Texas).
Dallas College is dedicated to advocate for various sustainable policies before the State of Texas. Dallas College always actively participates in the Texas legislative session. We partner with several stakeholders including healthcare, business, non-profits, and other institutions of higher education.
Dallas College manages the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in North Texas for the federal government. These SBDCs create jobs and generate revenue for the state of Texas.
Dallas College also advocates for a statewide and regional approach to help end poverty by passing the TRUE Bill (Texas Reskilling and Upskilling Through Education) that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs by partnering with community colleges and businesses to provide training for jobs in demand today and tomorrow.
Quality and affordable education is key to our students' success, which is why Dallas College has successfully advocated to pass legislation that allows community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees in nursing and early childhood education. https://www.dallascollege.edu/about/govt-affairs/pages/priorities.aspx
Generally, the legislation below collectively addresses areas of equity and economic sustainability and in some cases resilience response to natural disasters and human-caused disasters:
- General Appropriations (SB1)
- Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) (SB1102)
- Community College Finance (SB1230)
- Student Success Funding (SB 959)
- Dual Credit Programs (SB 1277)
- Tuition Rates (SB1531)
- Baccalaureate Degrees at Junior Colleges (HB3348)
- Public Information Requirements of HEIs (SB1677)
- Course Information Requirements of HEIs (HB1027)
- Dropped Courses in Times of Disaster (SB165)
- Military Leave for Serving during Times of Disaster (HB1589)
- Quarantine Leave for Peace Officers (HB2073)
- Mental Health Leave for Peace Officers (SB1359)
- Tax Exemption for Property Leased by Schools (HB3610)
- Permitless Handgun Carry (HB1927)
- Suicide Prevention Information on Student ID Cards (SB279)
- Nursing Students Course Credit for Providing Care in Times of Disaster (SB1856/HB4361)
- Self-sufficiency Fund for Job Training (SB770)
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Dallas College meets with members of congress throughout the year to advocate for access to quality education, to combat poverty, and economic empowerment. At Dallas College we believe in allowing student voices to be heard. Every year we invite three to five student leaders to travel to Washington, D.C. to share their community college experience.
Additionally, we advocate for affordable access to higher education, simplifying financial aid application, and additional funding for minority serving institutions.
Dallas College is also at the forefront of advocating for Workforce Pell, which would allow students to access Pell grants for short term workforce credentials and training.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy 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.