Central College
Contact Information
Education and Research:
In 2008-09: the faculty voted unanimously to incorporate a Global Sustainability component into our new liberal studies core curriculum. Beginning in Fall, 2010, all students graduating from Central will have a minumum of 3 semester hours of course work or community-based experiential learning in Global Sustainability.
Central has also established a new Office of Sustainability Education in partnership with our nationally-recognized community-based service learning program.
The college has also established a bioregional professional teacher training and curriculum development initiative, the "Prairie Project' to provide resources for infusing sustainability education across the K-12 and college curricula of Iowa schools. Phase I (2010-11)will be a workshop for faculty members wishing to infuse sustainability education across the College's curriculum, via new courses or modules, service-learning, or community-based learning opportunities for students. Phase II (2011-12) will offer similar opportunities for area K-12 teachers. Intersections, Central's first year experience program, and a new Liberal Arts Capstone course initiative, will also incorporate sustainability into the common course plan for all incoming freshmen and graduating seniors, beginning in fall of 2010.
Central has also initiated a major interdisciplinary, student-faculty collaborative, community-based, energy and land conservation research initiative, the "Prairie Biomass Project," in partnership with City of Pella Municipal Electric. The goal is to study various combinations of prairie biomass, including switchgrass, to determine which combination might yield the best low-carbon, carbon sequestering mix, offer area farmers opportunities to convert some of their acres to "restored prairie" yet realize a profit from the sale of the biomass to the electric utility, while preserving and improving soil.
Campus Operations:
Central will open its 3rd LEED-rated building, a LEED Platinum Education and Psychology building, in August, 2009. The College already has a LEED-Silver science center and a LEED-Gold student residence hall. Central is committed to a LEED-Siver or higher policy for all new construction and major renovations.
Central is a charter signatory of the ACUPCC President's climate commitment and will be submitting its GHG mitigation plan on September 15, 2009. Central is partnering with the City of Pella Municipal Electric to jointly lower carbon emissions. Central has a solar-powered field station that actually generates a surplus of electricity back onto the grid. Central has a number of small solar installations on the main campus, in addition to an organic vegetable garden, used for teaching and all food is donated to the local food shelf.
Central is also committed to converting to an all-electric service fleet and has purchased hybrid vehicles for official College transportation. In conjunction with our GHg MItigation Plan, plans are also being developed to lower electricity and energy use by 10-20% over the current Institutional Strategic Plan Period.
Food service has committed to going trayless in the cafeteria, expanding food composting, and will phase-in purchase of a minimum percentage of locally-grown food, probably from 10-20%. Central has expanded its solid waste reduction and recycling efforts.
Students organized and participated in Focus the Nation, Power Connection, and are involved in networking with peers via UMACS (upper midwest area colleges for sustainability).
Greening athletic program initiatives are in the planning stages.
Administration and Finance:
Since 2006, Central has had an active, community-wide sustainability group, SUSTAIN, since 2005. It consists of roughly 10% of our College community, including over 80 students, 20 faculty, staff, and administrators. SUSTAIN coordinates project-specific sustainability working groups, who self-organize set their own targets and goals, and recruit members and resources.
Central has established an ongoing community-outreach partnership with the Pella Public School District, the "Pella Green Team." During its first year, the partnership allowed the comunity school district to save over $20,000 in diesel fuel for school buses, and obtained a grant from the Marion County Community Foundation, to enable each school in the district to start a recycling program.
Central College and Vermeer Manufacturing Corporation have entered into a LLC with the purpose of developing a shared commercial grade wind turbine project. Central is also exploring similar College-business sustainability partnerships with other Pella-based companies. Central is exploring a plan to share (redirect) waste steam generated by the City of Pella Municipal Electric, to reduce our purchase of electricity for heating and cooling.
Central includes “Sustainability” as one of our Customer Service Standards; Human Resources evaluates all College employees on this standard as part of their annual performance reviews. Central also has internal and community-based sustainability-service performance awards. Central College has dedicated office space in our new LEED-Platinum Education building for community partners who work with us on community-based service learning and sustainability projects.
In April, Central has organized its 3rd annual service day for the area; this outreach included 12-20 community-based sustainability projects, and an estimated 300 student, faculty, and staff volunteers partnering with community organizations. Central's nationally recognized community-based service learning initiative was recognized by the Carnegie Endowment as one of the best in the country; hundreds of Central students serve dozens of community partner organizations across central Iowa, including the greater Des Moines metro area (refugee populations, African-Americans, Hispanics). Central has also worked very hard to increase financial aid packages this year and has also held down tuition increases.
Central College has been blessed with a visionary sustainability champion in our President, Dr. David Roe. Dr. Roe has provided essential leadership and support from the top, role modeling and advocating for best practice. Mike Lubberden, our Director of Facilities Planning and Management, has been instrumental in many of the initiatives listed in this application: his passion and energy know no bounds.
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