| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.18 |
| Liaison | Cora Kenfield |
| Submission Date | July 27, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Vassar College
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Jeff
Walker College Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability |
Does the institution have a sustainability plan that meets the criteria for this credit?:
A brief description of how multiple stakeholder groups were involved in developing the plan:
Vassar's Sustainability Plan was completed in 2008 although it is periodically revised. The Plan has not been formally adopted by the college, yet it is being used as a framework for planning, and some aspects have already been put into practice. The plan was developed by a group consisting of faculty, interns of the sustainability committee, and members of the administration. Each of the six chapters (Academics and Research; Energy; Buildings, Grounds, and Maintenance; Transportation; Recycling and Composting; and Food and Water) was written by subcommittees of the College Committee on Sustainability convened by one of the interns of the committee, and co-chaired by an intern and a member of the college administration or the faculty. After a short history of sustainability activities at Vassar, the individual chapters begin with a listing of current sustainability practices at Vassar in the area or areas addressed in the chapter. Goals are divided into short-term (1-5 years) and long term (5-10) time frames, and strategies are discussed for different goals.
One major goal of the sustainability plan was to complete a greenhouse gas emission inventory, and to set reduction goals and adopt a plan to meet those goals. This has been accomplished (see PAE Credit 5), and now we will concentrate on other goals in the sustainability plan. Other major goals of the plan include integrating sustainability into the curriculum, researching alternative sources of energy, encouraging alternative transportation methods to and from campus, expanding composting locations on campus, and increasing the percentage of local foods provided by dining services.
A brief description of the plan’s measurable goals :
inclusion of sustainability in the curriculum
greenhouse gas inventory and reduction
resource conservation
increase alternative transportation
increase recycling rate; move toward zero-waste
increase percentage of local, organic, fair trade food
A brief description of how progress in meeting the plan’s goals is measured:
increase int he number of courses studying sustainability issues
greenhouse gas inventory completed annually; 3% average annual decrease in ghg emissions for 10 years adopted as college goal
use of fossil fuels decreasing
local bus service to campus; encourage use of bicycles
recycling rate up; zero-waste campaign beginning
dining services committed to raising local, organic and fair trade products from 20-30%
The website URL where more information about the sustainability plan is available:
The year the plan was developed or last updated:
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.