Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.03
Liaison Mike Evans
Submission Date May 28, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Williams College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
Yes

The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:

The Campus Environmental Advisory Committee is a group of faculty, staff, students, and administrators that serves as a forum for environmental policy at Williams. Advising the Vice President for Operations of the College, CEAC develops environmental resources and strategies regarding campus operations and planning. The goal is to improve Williams’ ecological impacts.


Members of each committee, including affiliations and role (e.g. staff, student, or faculty):

Nicolas Howe, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies (Chair)
Hank Art, Director of CES and the Environmental Studies Program, Rosenburg Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology, Emeritus
Rita L. Coppola-Wallace, Executive Director, Design and Construction
Mike A. Evans, Assistant Director, Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives
Sarah Gardner, Associate Director and Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Amy Johns, Director of the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives
Rosa Kirk-Davidoff, ‘21
Barron Koralesky, Chief Information Officer
Jenna MacIntire, Lecturer in Biology and Chemistry
Jessica Munoz, ‘19
Christina Tanna, ‘19
Robert Volpi, Director of Dining Services
Bud Wobus, Edna McConnell Clark Professor of Geology
Bob Wright, Executive Director, Facilities Management


Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) employee?:
Yes

A brief description of each sustainability office:

The Zilkha Center pursues sustainability at Williams in collaboration with many other departments and individuals on campus and further afield. They provide connections between those diverse groups; design and advocate for operational change; research, implement and share best practices. They incorporate education, knowledge sharing and opportunities for action in all that they do. They consider their work in the broader context – the world, our region, and our local communities. They actively seek out collaborations with peer institutions and partners to magnify their impact. And they continually review their efforts through internal reflection and collaborative partnerships, always seeking new methods and setting new goals that will keep them moving toward their vision.


Full-time equivalent (FTE) of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
3

Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Yes

Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Amy Johns, Director; Mike Evans, Assistant Director; Caroline Bruno, Sustainability Coordinator

Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution (e.g. a campus-wide committee or an officer/office responsible for the entire campus)?:
Yes

A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:

Over the past few years, the Zilkha Center (ZC) has focused on a number of big projects in the built environment, energy, and engagement in particular.

The Class of 1966 Environmental Center completed its performance year without fully meeting the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, however the building was Petal Certified and is undergoing further work to become fully certified - the Zilkha Center has overseen this process.

The Zilkha Center is coordinating a partnership with four other liberal arts colleges to plan and purchase from a utility scale solar facility that will provide 80-90% of campus purchased electricity.

Another main focus has been on reaching more of the community and at a deeper level of engagement. The ZC first year orientation program Root (focusing on sustainability, identity and social justice, started in 2015) has gained traction and enrolls more students each year - it has also aligned itself with further campus engagement opportunities through speakers and events and greater levels of coordination between the Zilkha Center and the Davis Center (the intercultural center, with whom the ZC plans and runs Root). This includes an installation of the Equity Drafting Table in order to get feedback and promote conversation about Equity in the Built Environment.

The Zilkha Center is engaging a record number of students through internships on campus - this year we have hired 30 students for either a semester or for the full year, and an additional 8 in the summer.

This year marks a new level of cross campus trainings on sustainability - the Zilkha Center staff have instituted trainings with Residential Advisors for first years and upperclassmen, Dining staff, Custodial staff, and new staff through Human Resources. To engage staff and faculty in a deeper and more meaningful way we have launched a Green Offices Program that encourages sustainability habits in the daily operations of staff offices and faculty departments.

The Zilkha Center is continually sharing best practices and our work with the broader community through conference presentations, including conferences hosted by NESSBE, NESEA, AASHE, ILFI, NECSC, and more.


Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Director of the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives

Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Assistant Director of the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives

Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Sustainability Coordinator

Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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