Vassar College
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

Vassar's Sustainability Plan was completed in 2008 although it is periodically revised. The Plan has not been formally adopted by the college, yet it is being used as a framework for planning, and some aspects have already been put into practice. The plan was developed by a group consisting of faculty, interns of the sustainability committee, and members of the administration. Each of the six chapters (Academics and Research; Energy; Buildings, Grounds, and Maintenance; Transportation; Recycling and Composting; and Food and Water) was written by subcommittees of the College Committee on Sustainability convened by one of the interns of the committee, and co-chaired by an intern and a member of the college administration or the faculty. After a short history of sustainability activities at Vassar, the individual chapters begin with a listing of current sustainability practices at Vassar in the area or areas addressed in the chapter. Goals are divided into short-term (1-5 years) and long term (5-10) time frames, and strategies are discussed for different goals. One major goal of the sustainability plan was to complete a greenhouse gas emission inventory, and to set reduction goals and adopt a plan to meet those goals. This has been accomplished (see PAE Credit 5), and now we will concentrate on other goals in the sustainability plan. Other major goals of the plan include integrating sustainability into the curriculum, researching alternative sources of energy, encouraging alternative transportation methods to and from campus, expanding composting locations on campus, and increasing the percentage of local foods provided by dining services.

inclusion of sustainability in the curriculum greenhouse gas inventory and reduction resource conservation increase alternative transportation increase recycling rate; move toward zero-waste increase percentage of local, organic, fair trade food

increase int he number of courses studying sustainability issues greenhouse gas inventory completed annually; 3% average annual decrease in ghg emissions for 10 years adopted as college goal use of fossil fuels decreasing local bus service to campus; encourage use of bicycles recycling rate up; zero-waste campaign beginning dining services committed to raising local, organic and fair trade products from 20-30%