Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.07
Liaison Adam Maurer
Submission Date March 31, 2021

STARS v2.2

South Seattle College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 4.00 Adam Maurer
District Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Measurable sustainability objectives 

Academics

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
District Sustainability Plan: Goal 1: Identify sustainability related and focused course in course catalogs and listing(s) Goal 2: Increase number of sustainability focused courses 20% by 2020 compared to 2013 baseline Goal 3: All sustainability projects have a student learning component

Engagement 

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
District Sustainability Plan
Goal 1: Maintain an active college-level Sustainability Committee to help enact the District Sustainability Plan
Goal 2: Include a sustainability component into new student and new staff orientation Goal 3: Produce regular sustainability communications to the campus at large.

Operations

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
District Sustainability Plan: Goal 1: Surpass greenhouse gas reduction targets provided by the State Agency Climate Leadership Act, Goal 2: All new buildings will be constructed to at least a LEED Silver standard, Goal 3: Compared to 2019, reduce landfill waste 50% by weight by 2030, Goal 4: Meet Seattle 2030 District resource conservation targets (i.e. a minimum of 20% reduction in energy below the National median by 2020 with incremental targets, reaching a 50% reduction by 2030), Goal 5: Develop a District Purchasing Policy to purchase, when available, GreenSeal, EcoLogo, EPEAT Silver or higher certified electronics, and other third-party verified sustainable products.

Administration

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
As found in the 2017-2023 Seattle Colleges Strategic Plan
Goal 2: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Community
Strategy: Develop and Implement a diversity action plan
1b. Student Engagement by Subgroups (SOC= students of color)
2b. Retention Rate (fall to winter, by subgroups (HU= historically underserved))
3b. Completion Rate (four-year cohort, by subgroups (HU= historically underserved))
6b. Math Progression (from development math to college-level within one year, by subgroups (HU= historically underserved))
7. Ethnic and Racial Diversity of Faculty and Staff
11b. Staff Growth and Engagement

As found in the South Seattle College 2016-2021 Strategic Plan
Foster and Strengthen Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competency
a. Strategic Goal 1: Develop an interactive college-wide equity, diversity, and inclusion action plan with measureable outcomes and ongoing assessment
b. Strategic Goal 2: Continue to ensure that recruitment and hiring processes consider equity and inclusion

Part 2. Sustainability in institution’s highest guiding document

Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
Yes

The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
Minor theme

Optional Fields

The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
Yes

The formal statement in support of sustainability:
Seattle College District Policy Number 210: Environmental Policy: "The Seattle College District is committed to conducting business in an environmentally responsible fashion. It shall be the policy of the Seattle College District to:

1. Reduce the present and future risks of hazardous materials.
2. Comply with federal, state, and local laws pertaining to hazardous materials.
3. Promote the purchase and use of products manufactured using recycled materials.
4. Establish procedures to reduce waste in ongoing processes and to develop waste reduction procedures.
5. Establish recycling systems for non-hazardous materials.
6. Promote conservation of electricity and water.
7. Encourage conservation of fuels through the promotion of bus, van and carpool use, bicycles, and other alternative modes of transportation.
8. Increase the awareness of environmental issues and practices.
9. Develop, to the fullest extent possible, capital master plans and projects consistent with the provisions of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

The “responsible official,” for the purposes of the policy, shall be the chancellor, respective campus president/vice-chancellor, or designee. It shall be the responsibility of the “responsible official” to facilitate the preparation of a “Declaration of Significance/Non-Significance” and/or a “Threshold Determination”, as appropriate"

Board of Trustees – Revision & Adoption History
Adopted: 9/3/1991
Revised: 10/5/1993
Revised: 6/11/2009
Reviewed: 10/10/2013

The institution’s definition of sustainability:
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Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) No
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter No
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability No
SDG Accord No
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment No
The Talloires Declaration (TD) No
UN Global Compact No
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) No

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
South Seattle College signed and endorsed "America Is All In," which was released on December 12, 2020. It laid out high-level actions for the then incoming Biden-Harris administration. It called for an enhanced partnership across non-federal and federal entities and reaffirmed non-federal actors' commitment to climate action.

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
South Seattle College is part of the Seattle Colleges district. The Board of Trustees sit at the district level, with each campus having their own President's Cabinets and other similar decision-making bodies.

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.