| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.54 |
| Liaison | Kevin Miller |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
Goshen College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Kevin
Miller Gifts Officer Advancement |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A commitment to sustainability is one of three “distinctively Goshen” experiences highlighted on the Goshen College home page of its website. In 2017-2018, Goshen College launched three new undergraduate majors in sustainability - sustainability management, sustainability studies, and sustainable food systems. These three programs were created through a collaboration between the business department and the sustainability and environmental education department. These three programs share a sustainability core, which is a series of courses that are included in all sustainability majors. This sustainability core includes courses in entrepreneurship, economics, science, and sustainability and highlights the complexity and multidisciplinary problem-solving that is needed in sustainability. Additionally, Goshen College is one of a few colleges in the Midwest that champions sustainability through undergraduate academic programs. There are currently 20 students with a sustainability major and 6 with sustainability minors.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College is an 1,189-acre nature sanctuary located near Wolf Lake, Indiana. It is dedicated to:
Providing a natural sanctuary for northern Indiana’s plants and animals,
Providing environmental education for people of all ages, including undergraduate sustainability majors, two residential, semester-long programs in sustainability, and a graduate program in environmental education, and,
Providing a setting for re-creating opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit while not exploiting the land or excessively disturbing its ecosystems.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Public Engagement
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Rieth Village at Merry Lea is LEED Platinum certified building with solar panels and a wind turbine. Learning center at Merry Lea has solar panels too.
On-campus, some of the initiatives taken are:
- A variety of timers and motion sensors to control lights
- LED lighting conversions
- Tight Scheduling of offices and classrooms with temperature setbacks when not occupied
- Heating water temperature setbacks based upon outdoor temperatures
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) to slow pump and fan motors to avoid unnecessary water and air movement.
- Variable static air pressure reset in building air handlers based on building heating and cooling demands (further reduces fan motor speeds)
- Variable differential water pressure reset in building hydronic systems based on building heating and cooling demands (further reduces pump speeds)
- Variable Air Volume (VAV) terminal units to efficiently control room temperatures
- Destratification fans to bring warm air in high spaces down to the bottom of the room to improve comfort and reduce heating demands. (The most dramatic examples are the big fans in the RFC, but there are many smaller ones as well)
Ground source hydronic heat pumps to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels to heat buildings. (This is used in Apartments, RFC, Library, Umble Center and much of the Union)
- Solar panels on RFC roof to reduce utility electric load
- Solar hot water collector for preheating domestic hot water in RFC
Radiant heaters in Physical Plant
- Building pressurization control to prevent infiltration of unconditioned air
CO2 monitors to control the amount of outside air to be introduced into public gathering areas such as auditoriums and large meeting areas
- High-efficiency water boilers to reduce gas consumption
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Buildings
Energy
Grounds
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
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.