| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.94 |
| Liaison | Scott Morgan |
| Submission Date | Dec. 21, 2023 |
Evergreen State College, The
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Emma
Wright Graduate Sustainability Fellow Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
From the 2020-2023 Evergreen State College Strategic Plan:
Goal 1, Objective 2.3: "Develop new academic programs integrating multiple disciplines to develop the skills and capacities needed to solve real-world problems such as climate, public health, and racial injustice."
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
From the 2020-2023 Evergreen State College Strategic Plan:
Goal 1, Objective 5: Cultivate and sustain a campus culture that fosters a strong sense of personal belonging, and embraces and affirms all through open-hearted engagement, humility, and individual empowerment
Tactics:
1. Increase students’ sense of connectedness to each other and to the
Evergreen community
2. Using climate survey results, identify the aspects of campus climate that
undermine a sense of belonging and create barriers to an inclusive education; improve institutional
structures to promote transformational growth for all our students, particularly those underserved by
higher education
3. Design, develop, and execute interventions to strengthen equity, inclusion, and belonging for students,
faculty, and staff experience
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Evergreen adheres to state-mandated greenhouse gas emission-reduction goals, which includes measured targets for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in future decades.
https://www.evergreen.edu/policies/ghg
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=70A.45.050
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
From the 2020-2023 Evergreen State College Strategic Plan:
"Objective 5: Realize our commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice
Cultivate and sustain a campus culture that fosters a strong sense of personal
belonging, and embraces and affirms all through open-hearted engagement,
humility, and individual empowerment.
"Tactics:
1. Increase students’ sense of connectedness to each other and to the
Evergreen community
2. Using climate survey results, identify the aspects of campus climate that
undermine a sense of belonging and create barriers to an inclusive education; improve institutional
structures to promote transformational growth for all our students, particularly those underserved by
higher education
3. Design, develop, and execute interventions to strengthen equity, inclusion, and belonging for students,
faculty, and staff experience"
-
"Objective 3: Strengthen Evergreen’s financial position
Tactics:
1. Reallocate existing resources to support new institutional initiatives
2. Identify, develop, and engage in partnerships in support of objectives outlined above
3. Diversify and increase revenue by increasing enrollment (while maintaining comparative affordability
of an Evergreen degree), leasing space, and fundraising
4. Reduce costs and scale operations"
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
As an innovative public liberal arts college, Evergreen emphasizes collaborative, interdisciplinary learning across significant differences. Evergreen’s academic community engages students in defining and thinking critically about their learning. Evergreen supports and benefits from local and global commitment to social justice, diversity, environmental stewardship, and service in the public interest.
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
Evergreen's Accreditation Metrics Dashboard, Core Theme 3, Objective 2 - Environmental and social justice curriculum, "Sustainability—broadly defined to include topics such as ecology, consumption, sustainable design, sustainable business, social justice, environmental justice, environmental ethics, climate change, environmental health, conservation, and understanding the interaction of society and the environment—is present in nearly 70 percent of Evergreen’s programs."
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | No |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | No |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | No |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | No |
| SDG Accord | No |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | No |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | No |
| UN Global Compact | No |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
Core Theme 3, Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice, Objective 1 - Environmentally sustainable institutional operations (Evergreen's Accreditation Metrics Dashboard): "Carbon neutrality has been embraced as a long-term strategic goal of the college, and thus, efforts are underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The college has also committed to achieving zero waste, which requires reduced consumption overall as well as the use of more recyclable, compostable and renewable resources in order to divert waste from landfills."
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts 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.