Sustainability Committee, Reports & Plans

The Sustainability Committee reviews, recommends and facilitates the implementation of policies and programs that advance sustainability and environmental justice across the Saint Mary’s Community, through education, research, community engagement and campus operations.

Sustainability Committee Charge

The committee is consulted on matters that have an impact on the College’s environmental footprint. The Committee initiates recommendations to the President regarding College operations, to the Academic Senate regarding academic curriculum and/or academic research for consideration through faculty governance structures, and to the Provost and Institutional Effectiveness Committee to track indicators of environmental justice and environmental sustainability across the College.

Primary Responsibilities

Function as the primary conduit for information and decision-making regarding environmental stewardship and sustainability on campus.
Proactively design and propose policies and initiatives that expand our campus commitment to climate action and environmental justice in research, curriculum, engagement and/or built environment.
Develop, recommend, support and sponsor academic programs, certificates, and co-curricular education activities that promote environmental awareness and sustainability as both an institutional and an individual responsibility
Monitor operations and practices on campus that directly affect the College’s use of resources and contribute to our environmental footprint.
Review annual assessments of the College’s sustainability efforts.
Update and maintain the College’s sustainability vision and values statement.
Develop action plans to promote greater awareness of sustainability, to increase campus sustainability over time, and to inform annual operating and capital budget processes.

Committee Membership

Two Co-Chairs:

One Faculty Member appointed by the President
One academic administrator (Dean or Vice Provost) appointed by the President

Members:

Sustainability Director
Campus Facilities Planning Committee Chair
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Vice President for Mission
Vice President for Student Life
Vice Provost, appointed by the Provost
Provost’s Council representative appointed by the Provost
Faculty Member from each School appointed by the Academic Senate
Staff Council Chair
Associated Student Senator, appointed by the ASSMC
Other Members of the Campus Community as appointed by the President.

Vision

Reflecting the values of equity, justice, and inclusion underpinning the global Lasallian, Catholic commitment to sustainability, we are committed to leadership and impact in environmental literacy and action to create an equitable future for all of humankind in harmony with nature. The animating vision of a more sustainable world cannot be achieved without considerable creativity, innovation, flexibility and resources. To achieve our sustainability objectives, we must:

Activities

Engage our community at all levels. Successful implementation of sustainability objectives will require the initiative to become a stated priority for all levels of the institution.
Conduct a transparent evaluation and planning process that defines tradeoffs and sacrifices in a conscientious fashion;
Assign clear measures to institutional and individual accountability and ensure that these measures are integrated into administrative review processes
Transform our built campus environment into a living laboratory for sustainable solutions
Maximize the College’s substantial intellectual resources – our own students, staff and faculty will generate some of the best solutions;
Build upon our unique curricular models to equip students with the knowledge and skills to tackle the most pressing environmental problems facing our local and global communities
Become a hub in the global sustainability knowledge-action ecosystem, beginning with the West Coast
Link our work to Saint Mary’s mission, recognizing that conducting our work and ourselves sustainably is consistent with the College’s aims and ideals.