| Overall Rating | Reporter - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Rebecca Jones |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Austin College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Peter
Schulze Director Center for Environmental Studies |
Does the institution have current and formal plans to advance sustainability in the following areas? Do the plans include measurable objectives?:
| Current and Formal Plans (Yes or No) | Measurable Objectives (Yes or No) | |
| Curriculum |
No
Date Revised: March 30, 2016
|
No
Date Revised: March 30, 2016
|
| Research (or other scholarship) |
---
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
| Campus Engagement | Yes | No |
| Public Engagement | No | No |
| Air and Climate | Yes | Yes |
| Buildings |
No
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
| Dining Services/Food | No | No |
| Energy | Yes | Yes |
| Grounds |
No
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
| Purchasing | No | No |
| Transportation | No | No |
| Waste |
No
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
| Water |
No
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
| Diversity and Affordability | Yes | No |
| Health, Wellbeing and Work | No | No |
| Investment | No | No |
| Other |
No
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
|
No |
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Curriculum:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Curriculum plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Curriculum plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Research (or other scholarship):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Research plan(s):
N/A
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Research plan(s):
N/A
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Campus Engagement around sustainability:
Every year the college hosts two events that seek to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of every student's experience. During the fall Austin College Thinking Green sponsors AC UnPlugged, an energy saving competition among residence halls. Each spring Austin College Thinking Green organizes GreenServe, a campus-wide day of green service work in the community.
Explained in our 2016 Climate Action Plan. http://reporting.secondnature.org/cap/1307/
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Campus Engagement plan:
None
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Campus Engagement plan(s):
Director of the Center for Environmental Studies and Director of Thinking Green Campus Awareness
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Public Engagement around sustainability:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Public Engagement plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Public Engagement plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Air and Climate:
Climate action plan publicly available at Second Nature website. Our revised climate action plan is based on three key elements: continued purchase of renewable energy credits to offset 100% of electricity consumption; an annual target of 0.75% reduction in electricity and natural gas consumption; and purchase of an incrementally increasing number of carbon offsets beginning in fiscal year 2025 to achieve carbon neutrality in fiscal year 2035.
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Air and Climate plan(s):
Our end goal is Carbon neutrality. We will measure the percent decrease in total campus emissions with regular greenhouse gas reports. Shift to offsetting of all electricity consumption with RECs from wind-generated electricity, standard monitoring protocol for indoor air quality, conversion to LPG-fueled lawn mowers.
4% reduction in total emissions from scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2020. 8% reduction by 2026. Climate neutrality by 2035. The college will continue to offset electricity consumption with purchase of renewable energy credits. We will also seek to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption by 0.75% per year. Our plan calls for initiation of carbon offset purchases in FY 2025 sufficient to reach carbon neutrality in 2035.
This plan will be reevaluated in five years, during FY 2021.
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Air and Climate plan(s):
This 2016 plan will be shepherded by the Director of the Center for Environmental Studies and the Director of the Physical Plant with the assistance of the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee. 5 College faculty, staff, and students will generate proposals for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee recommends promising proposals for adoption by the college administration
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Buildings:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Buildings plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Buildings plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Dining Services/Food:
N/a
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Dining Services/Food plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Energy:
Our shift to wind-generated electricity is almost complete, with almost all campus
electricity use offset by purchases of renewable energy credits. We estimate that 97% of
campus electricity use was offset with REC purchases as of FY 2015, and anticipate
reaching 100% within a year.
We have not met our targeted reduction in energy consumption, partly due to the
construction of a large new LEED Gold Certified science building, the IDEA Center.
However, our electricity and natural gas consumption per square foot of building space
have declined by 24% and 18% respectively since 2004.
As a consequence of the shift to wind-generated electricity, infrastructure and operating
efficiency improvements, and, to an unknown extent, encouragement of energy
conservation behaviors, the college’s greenhouse gas emissions declined 36% in just six
years from 2008 through 2014, despite a simultaneous 18% increase in the square footage of campus buildings.
We have a goal of continued purchase of
renewable energy credits to offset 100% of electricity consumption and an annual target of
0.75% reduction in electricity and natural gas consumption.
Details are written in our 2016 Climate Action Plan. http://rs.acupcc.org/site_media/uploads/cap/1307-cap_1.pdf
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Energy plan(s):
We have a goal of continued purchase of
renewable energy credits to offset 100% of electricity consumption and an annual target of
0.75% reduction in electricity and natural gas consumption.
A greenhouse gas emissions inventory (campus wide) is completed every other year to assess our progress. We will also seek to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption by 0.75% per year.
Details are written in our 2016 Climate Action Plan. http://rs.acupcc.org/site_media/uploads/cap/1307-cap_1.pdf
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Energy plan(s):
Director of the Physical Plant and Director of the Center for Environmental Studies
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Grounds:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Grounds plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Grounds plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Purchasing:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Purchasing plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Purchasing plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Transportation:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Transportation plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Transportation plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Waste:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Waste plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Waste plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Water:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Water plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Water plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance Diversity and Affordability:
Affordability: We will aim for a student body of at least 1,450—larger than
our current size but still well within our capacity—in order to stabilize our
financial health. We will create new revenue-producing programs that build
on our strength in liberal arts education. And we will launch a comprehensive
fundraising campaign that will move Austin College to the next level of
competitiveness and excellence.
Scholarship Expansion: By 2020, we will significantly increase the number of endowed and sponsored scholarships that we can make available to students with a primary focus on making Austin College more affordable for a wider range of students.
International Student Recruitment New partnerships with high schools abroad, as well as foreign government agencies and educational exchanges, will expand opportunities for targeted international recruitment. By 2020, we will enroll at least 20 students each year through these partnerships.
http://www.austincollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/StrategicPlan-2015-2020.pdf
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Goals to be complete by 2020. The measurable objectives are also outlined in the previous entry (outlining the written plans).
http://www.austincollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/StrategicPlan-2015-2020.pdf
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Diversity and Affordability plan(s):
Austin College.
2015 - 2020 Strategic Plan – “Adding Value to a Changing World” http://www.austincollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/StrategicPlan-2015-2020.pdf
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Health, Wellbeing and Work:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Health, Wellbeing and Work plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in Investment:
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the Investment plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the Investment plan(s):
A brief description of the plan(s) to advance sustainability in other areas:
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The measurable objectives, strategies and timeframes included in the other plan(s):
Accountable parties, offices or departments for the other plan(s):
n/a
Date Revised: April 7, 2016
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Does the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document include sustainability at a high level?:
A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning is available:
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.