California State University, Chico 2006 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award Application
Category
Four-year and graduate institutions over 10,000 student FTE
Contact
Jillian K. Buckholz
Sustainability Coordinator
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA
(530)898-4335
jbuckholz@csuchico.edu
Governance & Administration
Committees:
- Campus Conservation Committee (CCC)
The CCC promotes awareness and participation through conservation and a variety of activities and projects including recycling, composting, material reuse, garbage compaction and waste reduction. - Rawlins Endowed Professorship of Environmental Literacy Advisory Committee
This advisory committee is comprised of community members and campus staff who are committed to the further development of the Environmental Literacy program and how to integrate environmental change throughout the campus and community.
Staff Positions:
- University Sustainability Coordinator
- Associated Students (AS) Sustainability Coordinator
- Bidwell Environmental Institute Environmental Programs Manager
- Ecological Reserves Manager
- Manager for the Built Environment, College of Engineering
- Director of Campus Sustainability for Business and Finance
- Rawlins Endowed Professorship of Environmental Literacy
- Provost and President who are committed to sustainability, please see attached article; http://www.aascu.org/public_purpose/july_august_06.pdf
Declarations:
- Signatory on the Talloires Declaration
Major Guiding Statements:
- Sustainability as the 6th Strategic Priority:
"Believing that each generation owes something to those who follow, we will create environmentally literate citizens who embrace sustainability as a way of living. We will be wise stewards of scarce resources and, in seeking to develop the whole person, be aware that our individual and collective actions have economic, social, and environmental consequences." - 2005 Master Plan states that "where possible, the campus will utilize construction materials that have been recycled, are made of renewable natural resources, minimize the use of non-renewable natural resources and minimize negative impacts upon the natural environment."
Organizational Memberships:
- Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
Other:
- Student Groups with a sustainability focus:
- Community Legal Information Center (CLIC) Environmental Advocates Program
- Environmental Action and Resource Center (EARC)
- Environmental Affairs Council (EAC)
- Residence Hall's Environmental Ambassadors
- The Alliance to Save Energy's Green Campus Program
- Seniors in Mechanical Engineering
- These students have constructed a mobile solar lab
- Plant Science Club
Operations
Energy:
- Facilities Management and Services:
- Thermal Energy Storage System, installed in 1992, allows the campus to decrease its electricity demand by 1.5 megawatts. The campus runs chillers in the evening when rates are low and then stores chilled water to be used the following day to cool university buildings.
- Installation of a photovoltaic array that will create 300 kilowatts of power on the roof of Acker Gym and Yolo Hall.
- The Green Campus Program:
- Initiated the first residence hall energy competition in the Spring 2006 semester between Shasta and Lassen residence halls.
- North State Renewable Energy (NSRE):
- NSRE is a non-profit organization that is a partnership with Chico State, government agencies, businesses, and activists in the Chico area which focuses on renewable energy projects on the Chico State campus and in the community.
Building:
- 3 LEED Certified Buildings in the design phase, Student Services Center, Wildcat Activities Center and the new Whitney Hall.
- The Green Campus Program at Chico State has worked with University Housing and Food Service to retrofit Konkow House #2 into a sustainable residence hall.
- Facilities Management and Services is integrating pervious concrete on campus, including 18 yards that has been poured outside of Langdon Hall.
Food and Dining:
- AS Catering uses reusable china dishes and flatware and offers the option of compostable dishes and flatware. AS Catering will cater events with locally, organically grown foods upon request.
- AS Food Service is working on integrating compostable plastics into the Marketplace Caf
