| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.66 |
| Liaison | Grace Afflerbach |
| Submission Date | March 8, 2024 |
Purchase College - State University of New York
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Grace
Afflerbach Sustainability Coordinator Facilities |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
The mission of the Sustainability Advisory and Outreach Committee (SAOC) at Purchase College is to establish a culture of environmental stewardship as a fundamental practice and priority for the college. The committee is responsible for advising the College Senate, campus administration, and other departments on institutional policies and practices to encourage sustainable operations; improving environmental literacy among students and employees; engaging with other higher education institutions both locally and nationally.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Non-academic staff voting members:
Christie Kennedy
Stella Kristensen
Els van den Bosch (Student Services Coordinator in Liberal Studies and Continuing Education)
Harrison McDonald (Administrative Assistant in Natural Sciences)
Non-academic staff non-Voting Members:
Ellen Arcara (Facilities Procurement Coordinator)
Collis Johnson III (Assistant Director of Mechanical Services)
Grace Afflerbach (Sustainability Coordinator)
Academic Staff (all Voting Members):
Allyson Jackson (Environmental Studies Professor)
Matthew Immergut (Sociology Professor)
Brooke Singer (New Media Professor and Committee Chair)
Raghnild Utheim (Liberal Studies Professor)
Hakan Topal (New Media Professor)
Students:
Maura Vanderputten
Ashley Friedman
Samantha Deturris
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The Sustainability Office is considered a department of Facilities Management and is comprised of the Sustainability Coordinator and Senior Energy Manager.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
In 2021, Purchase College joined the United Nations' University Global Coalition at the direction of the Sustainability Advisory and Outreach Committee (SAOC) with the support of the College's President.
Purchase's on-campus composter The Rocket was out of service for more than two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to its inactivity, The Rocket needed maintenance and With the support of the SAOC, Green Fee funding was allotted to help repair The Rocket. The Rocket became fully operational again in the Fall 2022 semester.
Similarly, the campus's native plant garden needed a lot of help and maintenance. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted/adjusted, students and SAOC members helped restore and reinvigorate the garden.
During the 2022-2023 school year, the SAOC and student body created strong opposition against a proposed grant berm project that would have destroyed old-growth forest on campus.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination 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.