Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.28
Liaison Ciara Tennis
Submission Date Nov. 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Eastern Connecticut State University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments is a signature program of Second Nature which comprises more than 600 colleges and universities in every state and the District of Columbia who have committed to take action on climate and prepare students through research and education to solve the challenges of the 21st century. Second Nature has released the following statement of purpose:

Led by Presidents and Chancellors from a diverse array of higher education institutions, the Climate Leadership Network is committed to mobilizing the sector’s knowledge and practical expertise to accelerate global climate action, rapidly reduce carbon pollution, and increase institutional and community resilience to climate hazards.

https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2021/02-february/eastern-reaffirms-commitment-to-climate-as-nation-pivots.html

Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
1) National Network of Climate Leadership Campuses through Second Nature

2) CT Alliance for Campus Sustainability (has evolved into a virtual network sharing information through the Basecamp platform).

Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
No

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
In June 2021, Lynn Stoddard (Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy) presented on the Sustainable CT program and participated in a panel discussion virtually at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Annual Meeting, where the theme was sustainability. Every summer, one of COPLAC’s members hosts the Annual Meeting, organized around a specific theme. COPLAC colleagues from across the consortium come together for 2.5 days to discuss local initiatives, create networks, pursue collaborative possibilities, and explore the local area.

In addition to the President's leadership on the Second Nature Climate Leadership Steering Committee, staff and faculty actively participate in Second Nature's annual conference. The President, Director of Facilities, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, University Assistant supporting Eastern's Green Campus Committee, and a faculty member all attended and participated in the 2020 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. These individuals plus Vice Presidents and the Provost have participated in the virtual 2021 Climate Action Pursuit, hosted by Second Nature, and the virtual 2022 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, hosted by Second Nature and the Intentional Endowments Network.

https://secondnature.org/2020-higher-education-climate-leadership-summit/
https://secondnature.org/climateactionpursuit/
https://secondnature.org/2022-summit-page/

Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
No

A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
---

Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
ECSU President Nunez is the Chair of Second Nature's Steering Committee. Second Nature is committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education.

https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2021/02-february/eastern-reaffirms-commitment-to-climate-as-nation-pivots.html

https://secondnature.org/media/higher-education-institutions-urge-the-biden-administration-to-support-a-strong-2030-u-s-climate-target/

Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
No

A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
---

Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
Yes

A brief description of the peer review activities:
Eastern and Wesleyan University mutually reviewed each other's 2022 STARS submissions.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
For the summers of 2018 through 2021, the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern (ISE), through its Sustainable CT program, ran the Sustainable CT Fellows program. This program was a collaborative sustainability initiative that shared resources with CT's 9 regional planning agencies (Councils of Governments - COGs), to provide sustainability support services to all 169 towns in CT. Specifically, ISE recruited, selected, and paid 12 students from colleges and universities throughout CT to assist towns with Sustainable CT actions. The Fellows were embedded in the COG offices where the COG staff provided office space and daily supervision during the Fellows' full-time, 12-week placement.

Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://sustainablect.org/support-for-your-town/sustainable-ct-fellowship-program

Information for this credit provided by Lynn Stoddard, Former Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, and updated by Ciara Tennis, University Assistant for Climate and Sustainability Initiatives.

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.