Ringling College of Art and Design
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

As part of the campus master planning effort, Ringling College commissioned Biohabitats to collect and analyze data on campus ecology, drainage issues, existing stormwater infrastructure, and landscape management practices on the Ringling College campus. The resulting comprehensive report entitled, Green Infrastructure Assessment and Framework, provides strategies and recommendations that align with the College mission and goals. This guidance provides the College with a pathway for moving forward with appropriate sustainable implementation strategies. Many of the observations, analyses, and recommendations are related to preserving, restoring, or creating green infrastructure throughout the campus. This framework was developed with input from faculty, staff and students serving on Sustainability Focus Groups.

In 2012, a subcommittee of the Sustainability Committee was formed to develop a Strategic Plan for Sustainability. The plan established goals, strategies and timeframes to achieve the goals.

The Strategic Plan for Sustainability established the following immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals:

Immediate Goals:
1. Define sustainability;
2. Increase awareness by promoting College’s commitment to sustainability;
3. Benchmark current sustainability efforts through STARS;
4. Communicate what the College is currently doing via an online outlet;
5. Build sustainability into the campus tour and orientation; and
6. Assess the status of “sustainability” in the curriculum.

Intermediate Term Goals:
1. Integrate sustainability into the campus culture;
2. Encourage and support student participation;
3. Expand inclusion of sustainability in the curriculum;
4. Develop methodologies for measuring achievements;
5. Increase sustainability outreach and partnerships with the community; and

Long-Term Goals:
1. Integrate sustainability deeply into the campus culture, curriculum and activities;
2. Become increasingly sustainable;
3. Reduce growth rate of energy needs by developing ways to generate alternative energy sources;
4. Reduce our ecological, carbon, transportation, materials and water footprints; and
5. Reduce VOC’s and toxic materials on campus.

As we assess our present sustainability performance through STARS to establish a baseline, the process has identified a number of ways to improve sustainability on campus in a measurable way. Progress is measured as goals are achieved. The Sustainability Committee monitors progress of established goals each semester.