Middlebury College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Jack
Byrne Director of Sustainability Integration Environmental Affair |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The Environmental Council (EC) is a standing committee that recommends policy, undertakes assessment and projects, educates the college community, and advises the President. The EC has worked on policy and outreach efforts related to management of college lands, environmentally preferred purchasing, energy, transportation, food, and carbon neutrality. This year's committees are focusing on phasing out single-use plastics, developing proposals for using the land around a new solar project as as community resource, and developing data dashboards for Middlebury's Energy2028 initiative.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Roughly 2/3 students and 1/3 faculty and staff. There are 25-30 members.
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Office of Sustainability Integration (OSI) at the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest develops, implements and supports sustainability initiatives at Middlebury College, striving for efforts that simultaneously achieve environmental, social, and economic goals throughout the campus community and college operations.
The OSI works with students, faculty, and staff in many different ways, from supporting independent research projects to working alongside administrators and facilities staff in the creation of green campus infrastructure such as the biomass gasification plant.
The OSI is also responsible for conducting an annual greenhouse gas inventory, which tracks Middlebury College’s carbon dioxide emissions. The OSI helps oversee progress on Energy2028.
The Global Food and Farm Program is also a program of the OSI. The GFFP coordinates the Middlebury College Organic Farm, Real Food Challenge, summer FoodWorks program, numerous student groups, events and special projects.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The Environmental Council has researched local food purchasing, whether biomass is carbon neutral, positive, or negative, and has aimed to educate the College campus about controversy surrounding the College bio-methane project.
Under our Energy2028 initiative, we also have a steering committee that is responsible for coordinating the initiative across the campus. In collaboration with our Climate Action Capacity Project, the steering committee organized a series of events during Earth Week to engage with the Middlebury community in advancing E2028's goals. This committee is also developing an energy justice framework to help guide the initiative's implementation going forward.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
This role oversees and organizes the Climate Action Capacity Project. Currently held by Minna Brown, this position ensures the implementation of steps and goals around this specific project.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
The role is currently filled by Sophia Calvi. This role oversees the programs offered and supported at the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest and the Environmental Affairs Department.
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
This role is currently filled by Natalia Schwien. This role oversees the Sustainability Solutions Lab, the Solar Decathlon houses, STARS reporting, the Environmental Affairs communications, and many other partnerships around campus and beyond.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.