| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.84 |
| Liaison | Natalie Sobrinski |
| Submission Date | June 6, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Muhlenberg College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Kalyna
Procyk Sustainability Coordinator Office of Campus Sustainability |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
President John Williams is on the Board of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone in Allentown PA and actively works with the City of Allentown. In this context he has encouraged exploration of sustainability principles including a pedestrain/ bike supportive development, building using energy efficient and renewable technologies, and incorporating SmartGrowth ideas of mixed use development and environmentally, socially and economically supportive development.
Various faculty and staff also serve on Environmental Advisory Committees, which are advisory committees to local government bodies. The college recognizes the importance of this by allowing faculty who use their professional expertise in service to the community as described above to count towards the expectations of faculty in the area of Professional Activity in annual assessments and for promotion and tenure.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Sustainability Coordinator Kalyna Procyk is actively advocating with regional planning authority, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, to include bicycle connections to municipal, county and regional bike networks, mass transit, jobs, and downtown areas that would also serve the Muhlenberg College community. The College also entered into a partnership with the Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority where the College provides free bus passes to students and discounted passes to employees in order to increase the use of public transportation and reduce single occupancy vehicle use on campus. LANTA has consequently modified select routes. These efforts are supported by Muhlenberg's top administrators.
Various faculty and staff also serve on Environmental Advisory Committees, which are advisory committees to local government bodies. The college recognizes the importance of this by allowing faculty who use their professional expertise in service to the community as described above to count towards the expectations of faculty in the area of Professional Activity in annual assessments and for promotion and tenure.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
President Williams has signed the Higher Education Carbon Pricing Endorsement. This endorsement urges elected officials, as a matter of international policy, to act on climate change. He advocates for a carbon tax as a solution for addressing climate responsibilities in the United States. https://www.ourclimate.us/higher_ed_initiative
Muhlenberg College also hosts the Social Research Social Justice Undergraduate Conference which includes analysis of sustainability and public policy.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Muhlenberg College is actively engaged in policy advocacy at the international level in several ways. First, President Williams has signed the Higher Education Carbon Pricing Endorsement. This endorsement urges elected officials, as a matter of international policy, to act on climate change. Second, the College hosts an annual United Nations speaker series connecting analyzing sustainability and public health, gender equality, terrorism, world food, refugees, global food and economics. The aim of this series to is educate faculty, students and staff regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and to encourage them to advocate at international levels where possible. Third, Muhlenberg College supports a series of international sustainable service learning projects. Some, like Dr. Niesenbaum's Sustainability in Costa Rica class, have advocated for better working conditions, environmental conservation and economic development.
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
Muhlenberg College supports conferences, workshops and forums to discuss issues of sustainability.
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.