| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.87 |
| Liaison | Rania Assariotaki |
| Submission Date | Feb. 21, 2023 |
The American College of Greece
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Ourania
Assariotaki Sustainability Manager Office of Public Affairs |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The following measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum are included in the ACG Sustainability Strategic Plan:
Nr. Courses with embedded sustainability principles (%) >20%
Nr. Courses with clear improvement on their sustainability content (%) >20%
Nr. Students participating in sustainability course subjects (major/minor) >10%
Nr. of sustainability immersive experiences >2
Sustainability Literacy Assessment - Graduate measurement >60% of population
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The following measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement are included in the ACG Sustainability Strategic Plan:
Sustainability Literacy Assessment - Graduate measurement >60% of population
Nr. of sustainable campaigns (according to 2.4 specifications) >2
Nr. of workshops >1
Nr. of students engaged in community service >20% compared to base year 2015
Nr. of hours dedicated to community service >10h/year/student
Nr. of staff who attended sustainability themed training >20% compared to base year 2015
Social media response (recorded visits) >100% compared to base year 2015
Web page visits – Sustainability themed >40% compared to base year 2015
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The following measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy are included in the ACG Sustainability Strategic Plan:
Cultivate a high performance, sustainable organizational culture based on transparency, mutual support, collegiality, and continuous improvement Strategy: establish collegial governance rooted in a highly functioning board, faculty and staff; assure externally competitive and internally equitable compensation
-A documented program with proper content to boost energy reduction awareness, commitment and contribution.
Expected outcomes:
• Informed users about energy consumption and its climate consequences.
• Better understanding of how energy consumption contributes to climate change.
• Better understanding of internal policies related to energy efficiency.
• Improved consumption behavior.
• Improved utility bills
-Use monitoring to:
• Control consumption trends and efficiency levels and adjust policies accordingly
• Increase education and behavior change around resource use on campus.
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?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
The following measurable sustainability objectives are included in the ACG Strategic Plan:
Cultivate a high performance, sustainable organizational culture based on transparency, mutual support, collegiality, and continuous improvement Strategy: establish collegial governance rooted in a highly functioning board, faculty and staff; assure externally competitive and internally equitable compensation
Tobacco Risk Education - 2025: 20,000 students in Greek schools to be educated by the ACG Institute of Public Health
ACG Community donations (supporting charities, NGOs etc) - 2025: 50,000USD
ACG Volunteer Hours (supporting charities, NGO etc.) - 2025: 60,000hrs
Financial Aid Recipients- 2025: 3,500
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
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?:
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?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
ACG's MISSION
to add distinctive and sustainable value to our students, Greece, american education, Hellenic heritage, and the global community through transformative teaching, scholarship and service ACG's VISION to develop the american University of Greece (when the constitution allows) as Greece’s premier, independent, non-profit university
ACG's CORE VALUES the american college of Greece is dedicated to integrating creatively: • american education best practices (e.g. liberal arts; holistic student development for global citizenship; sustainability; economic and social impact) • Greece’s unique intellectual and cultural heritage • campus ethos of mutual respect, responsible action and high achievement
https://www.acg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ACG_Strategic-Plan_Fall_2019_low-resolution1.pdf
ACG's Sustainability Vision
ACG aims to be a national leader in sustainability among academic institutions, by actively contributing to a more inclusive, socially responsible, financially viable and environmentally sustainable society.
ACG's Sustainability Mission
To raise awareness and engagement of ACG students with sustainability best practices and empower them to become knowledgeable, sensitized and responsible citizens of the world.
https://www.acg.edu/about-acg/sustainability-at-acg/
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Today, the fact that human activity impacts nature and climate in a harmful manner with direct consequences on the environment, society and the economy is an undisputed scientific reality. It is vital for today’s students -the leaders of tomorrow- to understand how sustainable development can reverse environmental degradation and the climate change spiral and mitigate their tremendous social and financial side effects.
Following US best practices and as also reflected in its President’s 2025 vision, The American College of Greece is gradually developing an ever-growing number of sustainability best practices. ACG is committed to systematically addressing issues from sustainability focus in academic programs and research and reducing its carbon footprint while improving its energy efficiency, to enhancing its social impact and increasing transparency and accountability in its daily operations
Our Vision
ACG aims to be a national leader in sustainability among academic institutions, by actively contributing to a more inclusive, socially responsible, financially viable and environmentally sustainable society.
Our Mission
To raise awareness and engagement of ACG students with sustainability best practices and empower them to become knowledgeable, sensitized and responsible citizens of the world.
https://www.acg.edu/about-acg/sustainability-at-acg/
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | --- |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | --- |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | --- |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | --- |
| SDG Accord | --- |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | --- |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | --- |
| UN Global Compact | Yes |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
UN Academic Impact
As of May 31st 2017 The American College of Greece serves as a member of the UN Academic Impact. ACG joined over 1000 academic and research institutions in more than 120 countries that are members of UNAI. In Greece, ACG is the fifth academic institution to be a member and the first and only one private.
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) established in 2010, is a global initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in promoting its global priorities, including peace, human rights and sustainable development through activities and research in a shared culture of intellectual social responsibility.
Each member institution is required to carry out at least one activity in support of UNAI and its ten principles during a calendar year and submit an annual report. These activities will also be highlighted in the UNAI Newsletter and on the UNAI website.
The UN Academic Impact Principles
A commitment to the principles inherent in the United Nations Charter as values that education seeks to promote and help fulfil;
A commitment to human rights, among them freedom of inquiry, opinion, and speech;
A commitment to educational opportunity for all people regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnicity;
A commitment to the opportunity for every interested individual to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for the pursuit of higher education;
A commitment to building capacity in higher education systems across the world;
A commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education;
A commitment to advancing peace and conflict resolution through education;
A commitment to addressing issues of poverty through education;
A commitment to promoting sustainability through education;
A commitment to promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the “unlearning” of intolerance, through education.
For the year 2017-2018 ACG has committed to systematically carry out at least five out of the ten principles i.e. 2,3,4,6,9 as listed above.
UNSDSN
As of 2018 The American College of Greece serves as a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) joining institutions and organizations, including universities, research institutions, foundations, civil society, in a unique network of problem solvers aiming at contributing to practical solutions for sustainable development.
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was established in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
In the context of our membership, we co-organized and hosted the first Symposium on Climate Change at ACG on April 3, 2019.
UN SDSN – Youth member
As of March 2018, ACG has become an official Member Organization of SDSN Youth.
SDSN Youth aims at working together with its Members Organizations in order to educate and empower youth globally to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provides opportunities for them to create sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
UN Global Compact
As of January 2019, ACG has become a member of the UN Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
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.