| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 33.58 |
| Liaison | Jadon Hook |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
St. Lawrence College
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?:
A brief description of the central sustainability website (optional):
Our website will be developed and launched in the Summer of 2019
The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
Each month during the school a themed newsletter is sent out to the student and staff at the college. It is also posted on the colleges website
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
Does the institution have social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, interactive blogs) that focus specifically on campus sustainability?:
A brief description of the social media platforms that focus on sustainability:
The College has branded our sustainability outreach and programs a Footprint. Footprint has a facebook, Instagram and twitter page. Post include local events, college events and information on how students can improve their sustainability.
The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:
Does the institution have regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat?:
A brief description of the regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
Does the institution produce a vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability?:
A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
Does the institution have building signage that highlights green building features?:
A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :
In various locations around campus we have information about our energy consumption and green energy production. Pictures of signage in attachment
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
Does the institution have signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
We have banners with 'Over 70% of the food served in our Cafeteria is from Ontario' and we promote sustainable local businesses with 'Taste of SLC' and highlight the local farmers we support. Pictures of signage in attachment
The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
Does the institution have signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed?:
A brief description of the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
Does the institution produce a sustainability walking map or tour?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
We produces "Green Maps" for Students and Staff for each of our Campuses. They highlight sustainable initiatives and green choices around campus.
The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
Does the institution produce navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians (e.g. covering routes, inter-modal connections, policies, services, and safety)? :
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Does the institution produce other sustainability outreach materials or publications not covered above?:
A brief description of these materials or publications:
Footprint is sustainability initiatives at St. Lawrence College. Footprint is:
A forum for open discussion of sustainable issues at the college
An educational resource promoting sustainability awareness and understanding
A mechanism for action as St. Lawrence College formulates its long term Sustainability Plan
Find us on Facebook and follow our newsletter at www.facebook.com/footprintSLC
Post your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on sustainability at St. Lawrence College
Follow our weekly video and discuss our weekly thought piece
Stay current on our news and events
Footprint publishes a monthly newsletter full of information on how you can live a sustainable lifestyle at home and on campus. You'll find:
Daily tips and facts on sustainable living
Scheduled Footprint events
A monthly challenge to participate in
Click here to view our current and archived newsletters.
Student and Staff Programs
Where are we on the road to greater sustainability at the college, and what has already been done? Below you’ll find a listing of programs, initiatives and commitments which have already been undertaken. Some you can see daily around the college, while others operate quietly in the background. Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or by email at footprint@sl.on.ca.
Carpool Program
St. Lawrence College has introduced a new online carpooling program for students, staff, and faculty on the Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall campuses.Our program allows you to travel exclusively with SLC students, staff, and faculty, and is convenient, economical, and green. Sign up now at Carpoolworld.com/slccarpool.
Staff and Faculty Transpass Program with Kingston Transit
Join your fellow staff and faculty in sustainable transportation for less! Anyone can participate and as participation increases the monthly cost for the groups is decreased! Please see the attached FAQ for more information.
Green Fee
Did you know that $15 of your student fees each year are put directly into green projects? A Green Fee Advisory Committee exists on each campus and works with the student governments and Facility Management Services to implement sustainability related projects with these funds each year.
Some of these projects have included:
Extensive outdoor green space on all campuses and a skating rink outside of residence in Kingston
Free reusable plastic water bottles for incoming students
More ‘hydration stations’ around campus
Volleyball courts
Extensive re-landscaping on all campuses
Hydration Stations
This is a jazzy term for those taps that have been fitted onto water fountains around campus. They make it easy to fill a reusable bottle, so you can save money on bottled water and avoid putting more plastic into the waste stream!
We will be expanding the hydration station program on an ongoing basis. If you know a location that could really use one, or if a hydration station isn’t working properly, let Facility Management Services know.
Coffee Cup Recycling
It’s easy:
Empty any remaining liquid from your cup
Put the lid in the bin marked ‘plastics’
Put the cup in the bin marked ‘paper coffee cups’
Many recycling stations also have specific bins for coffee cups and lids
Launched as a trial in early 2011 and now an integral part of our recycling program! St. Lawrence College is one of the only post-secondary institutions in the country to have a coffee cup recycling program.
Composting
Composting is already done behind the scenes in the many kitchens that feed St. Lawrence students. We are able to divert useful organic waste from the trash stream, and cut down on our use of plastics. We are currently doing an extensive review of our waste program and looking at expanding our organics collection program tri-campus.
Pitch in SLC
The entire month of April 2011 was dedicated to sustainability awareness among students and staff on all 3 campuses. We had weekly challenges and prizes, daily green tips, volunteer clean up days, a reusable plastic water bottle campaign and a tricampus ‘turn it off’ hour.
The results? We reduced our electricity use by 10% during ‘turn it off’ hour. Scores of students and staff picked up free reusable bottles and now use them to avoid purchasing bottled water. Many more also made the choice to start bringing their own mugs and garbageless lunches. Campus offices developed standardized protocols for energy savings including double sided printing, an expanded recycling program and daily shut down procedures to cut waste when the office is empty.
Operational Programs
Annual Waste Audits
Did you know that every year in March, our Facilities Team sorts through campus waste bins to see how we’re doing? We use these results to reveal how to make our recycling programs bigger and better. Outcomes of past audits include the coffee cup recycling program, composting in kitchens on all campuses, and the pilot front of house compost program on Cornwall campus.
Back of House Composting
The 2007 trash audit revealed a huge amount of organic waste that could be put to better use. In response, composting began in all campus kitchens and 17000kg of useful organic waste is diverted from the garbage stream every year.
Energy Efficiency Audit
In 2007, St. Lawrence College invested 6.6 million dollars in an Energy Management Plan to reduce energy consumption, reduce energy costs and improve the overall building conditions for students and staff. The plan improved lighting, temperature and air quality and has resulted in an average overall energy savings of $585,000 annually. Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by over 1,400 tonnes - that’s equivalent to taking 375 cars off the road!
Solar Energy Projects – Kingston & Brockville
Solar panels are nothing new at St. Lawrence College, right? We’ve all seen the array at Energy House on Kingston campus, or on top of the Wind Turbine Technician building. But did you know that in Fall 2011, Kingston and Brockville campuses began construction of Ontario’s largest post-secondary rooftop solar installation?
The Kingston system sits on top of the main building and student residence, and provides 250kW of electricity with over 1200 solar panels. The Brockville project adds another 100kW with 440 panels. The combined systems will provide enough electricity to power 30 homes on average. This clean energy is fed into the provincial electricity grid, replacing energy from dirtier sources such as coal, and is expected to generate $280,000 annually for the College.
Not only that,but different tilt angles and hardware choices are being tested in the systems. This allows us to provide new and useful data to the solar industry on what works best, and gives our Energy Systems Engineering students the opportunity to monitor and observe how different design choices affect system performance.
Green Procurement Policy
St. Lawrence College has adopted the Environmental Responsibility and Energy Efficiency Policy which applies to all purchases made. We are becoming leaders in using environmentally friendly and energy efficient products, and contributing to the growth of green industry.
The mission of this policy is “to procure responsible environmentally friendly and energy efficient products and/or services wherever possible” and it outlines specific guidelines for doing so.
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability
In 2009, then-President Chris Whitaker signed an agreement with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges titled the Pan-Canadian Protocol for sustainability. In doing so, SLC has committed to maximizing its contribution to a sustainable future. The agreement has a few key elements:
Establish a sustainability policy
Develop an institutional sustainability plan that includes mechanisms for tracking progress
Incorporate sustainability practices in procedures and operations such as green standards for buildings, alternate energy sources, Energy Star certification for products, and energy efficient transportation
Stewardship Ontario Who pays for all the recycling that’s going on? As a member of Stewardship Ontario, St. Lawrence College reports waste and recycling numbers and pays fees according to each. This money helps fund Ontario’s recycling program.
Blue W Program
St. Lawrence College is registered with the Blue W program. Blue W is an international network for information on where to find drinking water. To be a member, a business must show that any member of the public can fill their reusable container with safe, healthy drinking water at no cost.
The website URL for these materials or publications:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.