| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.07 |
| Liaison | Kate Witte |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2021 |
Keene State College
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 3.00 |
Caitlin
Holden Sustainability Engagement Coordinator Sustainability |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE, and AASHE STARS), American Democracy Project
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium; Ecovation Hub (green economy innovation) project in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts involving Keene State College, Antioch University New England, and Greenfield Community College (See: https://www.keene.edu/news/stories/detail/1500905272975/); Northeast Resource Recovery Association.
The Ecovation Hub offers the promise of regional higher education collaboration to support education and training for leaders skilled to support the green economy, especially the build environment. The partnership yielded the Green Building Leadership Institute in the summer of 2018 (https://www.keene.edu/news/stories/detail/1529691233031/). The Ecovation Hub educational partners are working together to establish a Scholar Ambassador Program that will provide an opportunity for students in good standing to enroll in specified green economy courses not offered at their home institution.
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
KSC hosted the first-ever Monadnock Region Natural History Conference in November of 2019. The conference was organized by the Harris Center for Conservation Education, KSC, Franklin Pierce University, and the Monadnock Ecological Research and Education Project out of Antioch University New England. This conference was a full day of presentations on local ecology, conservation, wildlife management, paleohistory, and more. KSC staff/faculty/students participated in and presented at the conference.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
Keene State College was invited to present our approach to sustainable energy and climate action at the recent Second Nature and International Endowments Network conference, "Climate Action Pursuits." KSC joined with its Siemens Industry Inc. partners in a Panel presentation entitled, "Leveraging Technology: Bold Planning and Steps to the Resilient, Carbon Neutral Campus of the Future." The KSC case study described our approach to setting aggressive sustainability goals and facing/overcoming barriers to implementing them. We discussed the creative vision and bold initial actions in implementing steps to achieve 100% renewable energy on campus by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. We focused the case study on a comprehensive energy vision that included demand-side management through advocacy and education, a guaranteed energy savings contract, and a solar power purchase agreement. We also described stakeholder engagement processes, the integration of academics with operations, and alternative financing.
In another example, Keene State College (KSC) named Dr. Karen Cangialosi, Professor of Biology, as its Open Education Faculty Fellow. Dr. Cangialosi speaks nationally at conferences, but also to resource centers that promote Open Education as central to supporting sustainability and social justice missions. One such organization where Dr. Cangialosi has presented a Case Study of KSC's approach to Open Ed for sustainability is QUBES (Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis). QUBES defines itself as "a community of individuals and organizations committed to accelerating STEM education reform." The organization creates a resource center "supported by our social-cyberinfrastructure and commitment to teaching quantitative skills" that works to ensure teaching is "effective, open, accessible, equitable, and inclusive." Learn more about Dr. Cangialosi's work at: https://karencang.net/keynotes-and-invited-talks/.
Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Director of Campus Sustainability Cary Gaunt currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the City of Keene's Energy and Climate Committee.
Keene State College prides itself on community engagement and many faculty, staff, and students serve on Boards, committees, etc. See EN-14.
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?:
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?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
KSC is part of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH), and collaborates closely with the other colleges/universities within this network. Particularly of note for 2020 is the collaborative efforts seen by all schools within USNH to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. All USNH schools developed and implemented a comprehensive education campaign and weekly testing requirements, as well as mask and social distancing requirements. Due to these efforts and inter-campus support, the KSC community was able to safely stay physically on campus and in community for the duration of the Fall 2020 semester.
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:
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.