| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.84 |
| Liaison | Noah Upchurch |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Catawba College
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Noah
Upchurch Senior Sustainability Specialist Center for the Environment |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Catawba College is a participant in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and is a signatory to Second Nature's President's Climate Leadership Commitments.
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
The College attends and has participated in the Appalachian Energy Summit, which is an event that builds and cultivates a network of energy innovators across policy and academia for the state of North Carolina and has been held annually since 2012. Since its inception, the Appalachian Energy Summit has brought together sustainability leaders to address energy and sustainability needs and share knowledge about breakthrough technologies impacting the clean technology and sustainability space. The Summit provides an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty of the College to work with their counterparts from colleges and universities across the state while keeping abreast of policy and technology changes that may benefit our campus and society at large.
More information about the summit can be found at: https://sustain.appstate.edu/initiatives/energy-summit/
The College has also participated in various other regional sustainability networks and collaboratives, such as the ACC Sustainability & Sports Conference and NCICU sustainability directors network.
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
The College presented and helped to convene the first NCICU Directors of Sustainability group at the NCICU annual conference in December 2023. Staff members of the College from the Center for the Environment presented on using effective sustainability benchmarking tools, resources for non-profit educational institutions to access direct pay federal tax incentives, and the development of North Carolina's green bank.
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
The College submitted a case study titled "Unanue Scholars Program: Improving College Access for Local Latina Students" in May of 2023. The case study outlines how the College provides junior Latina students from public high schools in Rowan County, North Carolina with a cost-free course at Catawba College and mentorship from Latina members of the College community. The program increases college readiness, provides a meaningful class experience, and develops a cohort of supportive scholar peers to support Latina youth in understanding that college is achievable and attainable.
Recent iterations of the Unanue Scholars Program have centered around a sustainability-focused course, designed to explore the interconnections of youth empowerment, ecofeminism, and the sustainability movement across the United States and Latin America. ENV 1110, Latinx Leadership: Youth, Indigeneity and Sustainability, connects Scholars to concepts of political ecology, leadership theory, environmental history and each concept’s intersections with Latina and Latino youth.
Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Joe Poston, Chair, Department of Biology, Professor of Biology:
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee (Committee Member), Scientific Council for Birds in North Carolina (Council Member).
Sue Calcagni, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science:
Carolinas Society of Environmental Toxicologists (Vice-President, Board of Directors).
Mercedes Quesada-Embid, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability:
NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee Chair (Executive Committee),
Reimagining America Project (Environmental Justice Commissioner), AASHE Advisory Council (Council Member), Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (Programs Committee Member), Actionable Science for Urban Sustainability (Executive Planning Committee Member).
Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
The College has served as a peer reviewer for the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point and York University. The College's staff have filled out a STARS 2.2 review template for each.
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations 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.