Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.14
Liaison Kristina Hope
Submission Date Feb. 2, 2024

STARS v2.2

Knox College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Kristina Hope
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
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Sustainability committee(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The Sustainability Working Group consists of a group of students, faculty, and staff setting goals for and collaborating on campus sustainability efforts that align with the College’s Mission and the College’s Sustainability Values. The SWG will contribute to nurturing a culture of sustainability at Knox and will work together:

to assess our current operations in order to improve efficiency and coordination across campus.
to envision sustainability goals for the College that provide greater clarity and broader participation that align with the formation of the College’s Strategic Initiatives.
to make recommendations to further institutionalize ongoing and new sustainability initiatives on campus.
to develop a sustainability action plan for Knox College.
Members began meeting in 2023 to assess current operations and gather baseline data. As the group undertakes a holistic review of campus sustainability efforts at institutional, educational and individual levels, one of its primary objectives will be to create a Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan by Winter term 2025.

Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
The Sustainability Working Group is co-chaired by General Counsel and Vice President of Administration Bradley Nolden and Director of Sustainability Initiatives Kristina Hope. Representing Knox faculty in the group are Professor of Environmental Science Peter Schwartzman, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology William Hope, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Patricia Xi. Staff members joining the group are Pat Pendergast, manager of facilities, Corey Goff, director of athletics, Mike Alton, manager of dining, Aryn Smith, assistant director for student development, Mitch McCoy, director of catering, and Executive Assistant of Administration and General Counsel Emma Thompson. Student members are Teagan Springer ’25, and Alyssa Stringer ’25.

Sustainability office(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Office of Sustainability was created in 2012 when Knox College hired its first Sustainability Coordinator. In addition to running a number of campus sustainability programs and initiatives, the office provides institutional support and guidance on matters related to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
2

Sustainability officer(s) 

Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Kristina Hope, Director of Sustainability Initiatives/Knox farm

Institution-wide coordination 

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Sustainability Working Group meets monthly, to asses current operations and address issues of significance relating to campus sustainability. The VP reports to the President and senior staff of our meetings In recent years, the committee has created a set of sustainability goals for the campus to serve as support to the college-wide strategic plan. The SWG is tasked with creating a an ACTION plan for 2025.

The Director of Sustainability Initiatives coordinates between all campus departments to achieve institutional sustainability and resilience. In the past three years, this has included instituting a community scale composting initiative, returning to pre COVID campus processes such as There is NO AWAY Campaign at move-out, significant waste-reduction and improving the recycling collection program of conventional items and organics (including addressing contamination in all waste streams.

Optional Fields 

Job description (1st position)

Job title of the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description (2nd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Campus as a Living Coordinator

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job description (3rd position) 

Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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