Keene State College
Entrance Arch to KSC Campus, with Grounds GEM car Campus Category
Four year and graduate institutions under 5,000 student FTE
Contact Information
mary jensen
Campus Sustainability Officer
Education and Research
In 2009, Keene State College was granted approval to offer a new major that had been several years in the making; thus, SPEDI (Sustainable Product Design and Innovation) was born. This is a logical expansion of the Architecture and Safety Studies programs that have long featured sustainable building design courses, management courses grounded in sustainability principles, and safety studies courses that look for ways to reduce worker hazards. In May 2009, our Environmental Studies program was given status as a stand-alone program, and we will have four full-time faculty teaching in the science and policy concentrations. Previously, it had shared faculty from other arenas.
Several of our faculty and students have used the campus operations as case studies, including a management project to look at Scope 3 transportation numbers, the microbial content of our compost, and water testing on campus and in the community. A larger collaborative grant-funded project is studying the effects of diesel and biodiesel emissions on lungs. The project will continue to test campus and City of Keene vehicles that use 100% and 20% biodiesel. Our integrative studies program has begun to focus on sustainability as an organizing factor.
There have always been champions of sustainability on campus, starting from the faculty-led recycling program in the 1970s. The establishment of the Council for a Sustainable Future in 1996 and the ongoing support from the President’s Office validates any efforts that members of the Academic Affairs division choose to pursue in this arena. There has been a slow, organic growth in the number of courses focusing on sustainability or using it as an organizing factor. Windows of collaborative opportunity among departments are opening.
Our new CELT (Center of Excellence in Learning and Teaching) program will incorporate our new Coordinator of Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Engagement, (formerly the service learning programs) and work closely with our Community Service Coordinator to find ways to engage our students outside of the classroom in projects that will enhance classroom learning. It will also help develop a sense of place for students, who can otherwise spend their college years here and never truly get to know the community.
We also actively pursue outreach opportunities in the local community. KSC has the only LEED building in the county, and we lead tours and speak with organizations that are considering new buildings. We work with the City of Keene’s Cities for Climate Protection program, which offers opportunities for students to engage in local projects related to the environment. The student-led Campus Ecology group brings speakers and educational displays relating to sustainability to their less overtly educational events such as their annual Solar Fest music event.
Our Eco-Reps program is a peer-to-peer education program, which seeks to educate students about their personal habits and their impact on the environment.
Campus Operations
The establishment of the President’s Council for a Sustainable Future (PCSF) in 1996 pushed campus operations to become more sustainable. Our Systems Office participates in making sustainable building practices part of all capital projects. This office incorporates lessons learned from constructing LEED buildings (our Pondside III residence is LEED Silver) into all other building designs and practices. System RFP’s now include requests for information on whether builders are familiar with and can show examples of LEED building techniques, C&D recycling, and IAQ provisions in their proposals. Our new co-generation facility is the direct result of our Vice President for Finance and Planning’s willingness to consider a higher initial price tag and our System Construction Office’s willingness to manage a new type of project. We expect our contractors to read, understand, and practice the principles articulated in the KSC Sustainable Building Standards.
Our in-house staff has replaced incandescent lights with CFL’s and replaced older flush valves with new lower-flow versions. The trade supervisors actively look for opportunities to save energy, resources, and water where they can. Our Grounds Department was one of the first in the country to use biodiesel in its vehicles, and it uses Best Management Practices in maintaining our 70 acre campus and athletic fields.
Our practices are directly influencing local builders and suppliers. As a very large purchaser of supplies in our area, our requests for sustainable building products influences the regional supply chain, making it easier for all members of the community to find the expertise and materials they need to be more sustainable.
R.O.C.K.S. (Recycling on Campus at Keene State) has been in existence since 1970. Student workers are actively engaged, which helps them understand their own habits and those of their peers. As the program becomes more efficient, the waste we dispose of has decreased, and participation in our recycling efforts has increased steadily.
Our Purchasing Office is an important part of our efforts; their contracts ask companies vying to do business on campus for information about their sustainable practices. The Purchasing Office is currently looking at ways to reduce the bottled water and printers on campus.
We’re developing an Energy Master Plan, which highlights the changes we’ve made and focuses on ways to reduce our energy footprint, provide educational opportunities, and explore alternatives. We’re also taking a holistic look at our dining services. We’ve contracted with Sodexho for the past 3 years, and they have been a willing partner in our efforts. Researching food waste and the opportunities for more organic and local foods has lead to a much larger campus discussion about how we educate our students around food and food issues. This is leading to closer collaboration with our nutrition and dietetics programs, athletics, health and wellness, and related programs.
We have a free Green Bikes program, bus service throughout the City, and a nascent ride-share program. Excellent walking trails and a Rails to Trail branch that runs through campus offers more opportunities to get out of the car.
Administration and Finance
We are a public liberal arts college and, as such, strive to be accessible and affordable. Roughly 40% of each incoming class is the first generation in their family to attend college. It is a challenge to engage these students – they struggle just to manage the academic and social challenges any incoming student faces. However, many come from backgrounds where back-yard gardens, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation are still common.
Our planning process is incredibly inclusive. Many campus offices participated in developing our 10-year Master Plan in 2003. Campus charettes gave any member of the campus community the opportunity to participate in the planning process. Green space, sustainability, infill, delineation of campus areas, and a manageable timeline were all features in this Master Plan.
Our Human Resources Office has spent the past three years addressing financial inequities among employees, assuring that everyone who works here is treated fairly and equitably. There is an ongoing Finance and Planning Advisory committee made up of representatives from all divisions. We have a planning commons web site and a Planning Council for processing strategic initiatives from campus members and determining campus priorities. A sister process in the Budget and Resource Council processes the financial implications. Both councils work symbiotically and have been very effective at being inclusive, bringing out proposals new and old and helping determine the campus’s overall direction.
Our Diversity Director reports directly to the President and sits on our Cabinet. We deliberately encourage students with differing physical abilities to attend our flat, well laid out campus. The physical campus has been adapted to students with wheelchairs or who have visual difficulties.
Many within the administration and College staff are actively engaged in regional community governance. Many of us are involved in the current City of Keene Master Planning process and are on various City committees. We have campus members on transportation, housing, mental health, and other public, private, or quasi private committees throughout the region.
Many on campus realize that social justice and community engagement are important pieces of the overall sustainability pie.
