Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.89
Liaison Marian Brown
Submission Date Dec. 13, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Wells College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Marian Brown
Director
Center for Sustainability and the Environment
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Wells College is a member of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, a coalition of municipalities and key stakeholders in the watershed of Cayuga Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes. Wells College is sited on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake and draws its drinking water from the lake. The watershed network recently updated the Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan, which includes the following Watershed protection goals and actions:  Minimize nonpoint source pollution of surface and groundwater.  Remediate existing water pollution and water quality degradation.  Preserve open space, wetlands and riparian areas for effective water quality protection.  Support economic activities consistent with watershed protection.  Provide programs to educate the public and public officials of issues pertaining to the watershed.  Implement comprehensive plans, zoning and natural-resource ordinances to support watershed protection.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Wells College's president, through our active participation with CICU (The Commission on Independent College and Universities in New York), has lobbied for higher education affordability, including raising the minimum and maximum award levels for the state Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and expanding support for proven opportunity programs (HEOP, STEP/C-STEP). President Gibralter was a member of a delegation of private institution presidents who traveled to Albany to lobby lawmakers to increase funding support for higher education institutions in the state.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
In Fall 2017, President Jon Gibralter signed Wells College on as a member instiution supporting the #PutAPriceOnIt campaign, which seeks to develop legislation and spur political action to put a price on carbon emissions.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Wells College's president, Jon Gibralter, as a charter member of Second Nature, has been a signatory to all national policy statements promulgated by Second Nature, including the most recent "We Are Still In" statement to the incoming Trump administration encouraging the United States to remain an active participant in the Paris Climate Accords, which is both a national commitment and an international commitment.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
none

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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