Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.74
Liaison Kristyn Achilich
Submission Date May 11, 2021

STARS v2.2

Saint Michael's College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00 Kristyn Achilich
Director and Instructor
Center for the Environment; Education
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

1st Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Efficiency Vermont and Continuous Energy Improvement Campaign

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
The Continuous Energy Improvement (CEI) program is a multi-year project coordinated through the Center for the Environment at Saint Michael’s College in partnership with Efficiency Vermont. Institutional work with Efficiency Vermont around energy improvements and energy-efficient building design and construction goes back several years. Efficiency Vermont offers rebates, support, grants to the college to embark on continuous energy improvement and be aware of 21st century energy tools and systems. The overarching goals of the program
are to measurably reduce the energy consumption on campus and connect the campus
community to this process through educational opportunities and an engaging behavioral campaign. Supporting these goals is the mission of the Center for the Environment to evolve the culture of sustainability on campus and in the community as a legacy for future generations.

2nd Partnership

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Sodexo

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
With the coordination of the Center for the Environment, the college contracts with and collaborates with Sodexo, in order to provide the residential institution with healthy and sustainable food to the campus community. We work with Sodexo to identify and establish minimum purchases of local community sources of organic and sustainably-produced produce, dairy and meats. Sodexo works with the Center towards meeting institutional sustainability goals regarding composting, recycling and waste management. This collaboration was instrumental in decisions about providing compostable dinner ware and catering services during COVID.
https://www.smcvt.edu/about-smc/news/2020/october/powervine-smcs-energy-newsletter-autumn-2020/

3rd Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
UVM Extension

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
No

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
UVM Extension regularly works with the SMC Farm to ensure best practice in agricultural stewardship for nutrient cycling, erosion and runoff control, pollinator habitat, ecological production and food safety. The Farm contributes in a number of ways, specifically in managing some experimental plots for new seed variants.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
Casella Waste Systems has recently taken on our post-consumer compost hauling and they have worked diligently with us as a beta tester to make data collection and evaluation for reduced landfill impact easier to understand at the account level. During COVID we worked collaboratively with Casella to determine the optimum processes for waste minimization around compostable dinnerware.

Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
https://www.smcvt.edu/academics/center-for-the-environment/sustainability/current-projects/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Current and ongoing projects and partnerships.

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.