Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.72
Liaison Robert St.Onge
Submission Date July 19, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

Okanagan College
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Curtis Morcom
Vice President, Corporate Services
Executive
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Does the institution have a sustainability plan that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of how multiple stakeholder groups were involved in developing the plan:

In April of 2009 the Okanagan College Sustainability Team lead by business professor Arnica Rowan submitted to the President a Short Term Action Plan for Sustainable Change. This was followed in May of 2009 with a report providing recommendations for a permanent sustainability structure at the college.

Community Input

In March, 2009, a qualitative survey was conducted over 6 days on the 3stepsforward.ca website. Open houses, advertisements across campus and directed marketing encouraged college staff and students to submit their ideas to make the college “more sustainable”, with a focus on “environmental sustainability.” 103 individual surveys were logged. As some groups filled out the survey together, an estimated 130 people contributed their ideas on how to make the college greener in each of the following areas:

Building Renovations and Operations Energy Conservation and Energy Alternatives
Transportation Waste Management
Food and Dining Campus Lands, Grounds and Wild Space
Purchasing and Equipment Classroom and Instruction
Curriculum, Learning and Research Accounting, Finance and Administration
Health, Wellness, Balance and Community

Following the survey’s results, Sustainability Team members met with key decision makers, experts in subject areas, and additional students throughout the institution to rate and prioritize the suggestions. Their task was to recommend a short-term action list of projects that are inexpensive, are easy to implement and have substantive positive environmental or social impacts.


A brief description of the plan’s measurable goals :


26 separate short term action plans were developed along with budgets and measureable goals.

Important longer terms goals were:

To sign the Talloires Declaration
To join AASHE and adopt STARS as a benchmark
To ensure that sustainability was incorporated in the Strategic Plan
To develop an administrative structure to advance sustainability
To embark on a more comprehensive sustainability plan


A brief description of how progress in meeting the plan’s goals is measured:

All of the 26 short term goals have been met or are in the process of being met

All of the long term goals have been met and the new sustainability plan will be completed this year.


The website URL where more information about the sustainability plan is available:
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The year the plan was developed or last updated:
2,009

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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