Seneca Polytechnic
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

1.Add sustainability as one of the core literacies Seneca will incorporate sustainability as one of its core literacies for students. This will be essential to having Seneca support sustainable outcomes within the learning community and beyond and will help graduates apply their learning in the world.
2.Integrate sustainability into the curriculum Integrating sustainability into curricular and co-curricular experiences across Seneca programs, through collaboration with faculties and schools, will enable Seneca to nurture the changemakers needed for tomorrow.
3.Develop multidisciplinary applied research opportunities among students and faculty. Multidisciplinary learning leads to a higher attainment of knowledge and provides varied perspectives on complex issues. Sustainability is an inherently multidisciplinary issue that can provide a platform for cross-disciplinary, immersive applied research projects that bring together diverse students and faculty to solve real-world challenges.
4.Grow immersive teaching and learning experiences on sustainability Embedding immersive sustainability teaching and learning experiences into all programs (including work-integrated learning and community-based projects) will broaden students’ understanding of sustainability related to their program of study, while enhancing their academic experience. These impacts can grow across Seneca by adapting existing initiatives and establishing new opportunities to embed sustainability throughout the curricula in various programs.
5.Build living learning lab opportunities Developing opportunities for students to interact with their virtual and physical environments as part of their sustainability learning journey will better prepare them to create positive change in the world. Seneca’s infrastructure and operations will further enable the immersive, multidisciplinary learning experiences about sustainability that are linked to many of the actions identified in this section.

These objectives are part of Seneca’s Sustainability Plan https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/content/dam/projects/seneca/about/sustainability/documents/seneca-sustainability-plan.pdf

1.Develop an external engagement framework that focuses on two-way partnerships that grow relationships over time. Partnering with industry and communities is necessary for continually growing our impact toward building a sustainable future. Establishing a framework to collaborate with external partners, based on reciprocity and a common cause, will enrich the learning experience at Seneca and leverage the strengths of the institution to benefit communities, locally and globally.
2.Develop a campus engagement framework that focuses on capacity-building and empowerment. Fully realizing our vision and goals requires effort across the entire Seneca community. Building capacity through engagement will empower everyone to take sustainable action. Whether it is the inclusion of sustainability across curriculum or in volunteer efforts, everyone has a role to play.
3.Develop a responsive communications strategy that informs and inspires action and ownership and which relays progress. Sustainability is a complex issue that requires an understanding of the global, long-term need for this way of thinking and acting. It also requires an understanding of what individuals and groups can do on a local level to make a difference. Communicating our successes and how members of the Seneca community can act within their spheres of influence will result in more activity and a greater impact on sustainability. The regular communication of Seneca’s sustainability wins, ongoing efforts and challenges will help encourage participation, knowledge sharing and cross-institutional collaboration.

These objectives are part of Seneca’s Sustainability Plan https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/content/dam/projects/seneca/about/sustainability/documents/seneca-sustainability-plan.pdf

1.Update the Procurement Policy to embed sustainability. Ensuring that the goals of sustainability are embedded in Seneca’s Procurement Policy provides an opportunity to achieve progress within Seneca’s operations—from new buildings to food services, to waste management and beyond. Formalizing sustainability as part of Seneca’s decision-making processes will make these issues a required part of every procurement decision.
2.Create a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan. To positively respond to our climate crisis, Seneca will establish a plan to reduce GHG emissions and manage emissions in the long term. This plan will include monitoring specific, measurable, science-based targets and strategies to reduce emissions generated by Seneca, its facilities, students and employees.
3.Increase the amount of locally/sustainably sourced food served. Food is an excellent entry point for exploring sustainability, as it affects all of us. Understanding our current food system and identifying ways to support local producers and sustainably sourced food will contribute to our vision and goals, while enhancing the health and well-being of our students and employees.
4.Update and implement a waste reduction and minimization plan. Reducing the waste that Seneca produces is an important aspect of sustainability and one that requires contributions from everyone in our community. By taking best practices from other postsecondary institutions and industry, as well as government legislation, Seneca can reduce waste by keeping products and materials in use for repeated cycles.
5.Establish an integrated planning process for new and existing spaces and facility renewals. With multiple campuses and a variety of facilities, establishing a consistent approach to embedding sustainability in Seneca’s built environment will help achieve our vision and goals.
6. Grow the sustainable commuting program. Growing our sustainable commuting program will provide a comprehensive set of initiatives to encourage the use of alternatives to single-occupancy and fossil-fuel powered vehicles. This will reduce our impact as people move to and from our campuses. Engaging with municipalities and community partners will help build the necessary infrastructure and programs to make our commutes as sustainable as possible. It will also complement the delivery of digital and hybrid learning opportunities and our new approach to flexible work—both of which will reduce the GHG emissions generated by Seneca.

These objectives are part of Seneca’s Sustainability Plan https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/content/dam/projects/seneca/about/sustainability/documents/seneca-sustainability-plan.pdf

A Shared Commitment with Responsibilities is a three-year plan to help guide the Seneca community to continue our work to embed reconciliation and inclusion within our culture, governance, spaces and the education we provide.

The five areas of focus in A Shared Commitment with Responsibilities are:

Education: including reconciliation and inclusion principles in program learning outcomes for students and in training for employees, starting with the Board of Governors and administrators.

People: hiring for academic, support and administrative positions focused on reconciliation and inclusion priorities.

Services: providing supports that are inclusive and reflective of our community Information: better understanding who we are and advancing the data available about the people who learn and work at Seneca.

Information: better understanding who we are and advancing the data available about the people who learn and work at Seneca.

Spaces: reflecting our diverse communities in our buildings, art and virtual environments.

Within these five focus areas, Seneca has identified 13 goals with deliverables for the next three years. The number of goals reflect the 13 phases of the moon, which are depicted in the pillars fronting our CITE building at the Newnham Campus.

Annually, we will report on our collective accomplishments while continually evaluating our objectives and pivoting as required.

Sustainability Policy - https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/sustainability-policy.html

Sustainability is a complex objective that goes well beyond the environment to include social equity, cultural vitality and economic responsibility.

Seneca has signed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord, a worldwide partnership to fight global injustice and advance the role of education in delivering the United Nation’s SDGs.

Signing the SDG Accord — which is hosted by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges' The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education — is the next step in our commitment to a more sustainable Seneca. Through the Accord, Seneca will work towards attaining the SDGs by 2030 and share sustainable best practices with other institutions which will be incorporated in an annual report.

Sustainability is a major theme in our highest guiding document. It is stated as a foundational pillar that guides our institution, actionable through the Sustainability Plan.