Sustainability at SCU
“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” Santa Clara University is dedicated to improving the environmental sustainability of our community. We are using a combination of Environmental Stewardship, Education, and Service to achieve this goal. Read our Comprehensive Policy on Sustainability.
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Santa Clara University seeks to lead and educate by example. To this end, the operations and infrastructure of the University are being transformed to improve conservation of resources and reduce the production of waste.
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Santa Clara University seeks to educate its faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others about Environmental Sustainability. We offer a variety of courses and seminars that explore the need for environmental sustainability and the means for achieving a more sustainable world.
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Santa Clara University faculty, staff, and students are involved beyond the classroom, bringing information about sustainability and practical solutions to the broader community.
Sustainability News and Events
 Office of Sustainability Formally Established at SCUFather Locatelli recently e-mailed the entire campus community regarding the formal establishment of the Office of Sustainability. Read the e-mail below:
Dear University Community:
As a Jesuit University, we are committed to fashioning a more humane, just, and sustainable world. The University’s adoption of the Sustainability Policy in 2004 institutionalized our commitment to improve our campus environmental stewardship, education, and outreach. A Sustainability Coordinator was hired in 2006 to foster campus collaboration and support University programs. The sustainability program has since grown from efforts of a few dedicated individuals to a demonstrated university-wide commitment. In fact, I signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in 2007, declaring that we will reach carbon neutrality.
Due to the efforts of numerous students, faculty, and staff, the University is now recognized as a leader in campus sustainability among institutions of higher education. You may have seen the recent acknowledgements by the Kaplan Guide and Princeton Review, or the Energy Innovator Award given by Silicon Valley Power. You might have also seen one of the many stellar student research projects focused on campus sustainability. The Solar Decathlon is also an excellent example of the University’s commitment to sustainable engineering and community outreach.
To further institutionalize our sustainability efforts, I am formally establishing the Office of Sustainability. Composed of the full-time Sustainability Coordinator (from whom you receive monthly e-newsletters) and undergraduate interns, the Office is located in the Environmental Studies Institute. The Office of Sustainability will continue to support campus efforts, coordinate initiatives, serve as the “clearing-house” for campus sustainability data, and represent University sustainability programs to the public.
Further to develop a culture of sustainability throughout the entire University community, I am also establishing the Sustainability Council to guide efforts of the Office of Sustainability. Members of the council are:
Lindsey Cromwell, Office of Sustainability
Joe Sugg, University Operations
Jeffrey Charles, Facilities
Tim Healy, School of Engineering
Geoffrey Bowker, Center for Science, Technology, and Society
Leslie Gray, Environmental Studies Institute
Sherry Booth, English, CyPhi RLC
Chad Raphael, Communication
Ken Manaster, School of Law
Ron Danielson, Information Services
Stephen Smith, Leavey School of Business
Jane Barrantes, Auxiliary Services
Deborah Lohse, University Relations
Laura O’Brien (’11), Associated Students
Amy Shachter, Provost Office
Please join me in celebrating our achievements in campus sustainability. Thank you for your support and your commitment to developing a culture of sustainability for all students, faculty, and staff at Santa Clara University.
Paul Locatelli, S.J. Oct. 27, 2008 - Sustainability Update, November 2008
Go back to high school!
Read this month's Sustainability Update
In this issue:
Green Highlight
Join the Solar Decathlon's Outreach Team and go back to high school!
News
Holiday Food & Fund Drive 2008
SCU Student Sustainability Convergence
Beth Tellman receives honorable mention for sustainability leadership
Campus Ministry's Matt Smith wins Green Lifestyle Award
Shade and Save with Our City Forest!
Events
CIE Global Entrepreneurship Week - Social Entrepreneurship Brown Bag Lunch
Emerging Topics in Engineering - Photovoltaic Technology
Eco-Friendly Holiday Workshop
Santa Clarans for Social Justice Meeting
What Can I Do?
Reduce: Eat local
Reuse: Use reusable dishware
Recycle: Eat the pie... recycle the pie pan!
Respect: Support your local economy
Read this month's Sustainability Update
- Campus Ministry's Matt Smith wins Green Lifestyle Award
The South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) recently announced the selection of its first annual “Green Lifestyle Contest” winners. Three winners were selected for their efforts of consistently bringing environmental values to their daily lives. The winners are Emily Johnston and Matt Smith of Menlo Park, Jason Bade of Foster City, and Kim Hartman of San Carlos.
Matt and Emily received a $100 gift certificate to a favorite local restaurant that participates in the business composting program, as well as a feature in the SBWMA’s quarterly newsletter, the “rethinker.”
Emily Johnston and Matt Smith produce only one small bag of garbage each week. They also use a worm composting bin, reusable shopping bags, recycle their water, shop locally and hang clothes to dry, among other actions, to reduce their impact on the environment.
The “Green Lifestyle Contest” was announced in the summer issue of the “rethinker” as a way to highlight and promote what residents in the area are doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle their waste, and other actions that reduce their own carbon footprint. The contest was open to all residents in the SBWMA service area in San Mateo County.
For more information on the SBWMA, please visit our website at www.RethinkWaste.org.
Congratulations Matt!
- Seniors team up to create Bronco Bikes
The Santa Clara
November 13, 2008. Student-run bike sharing program to provide cheap rentals.
Read the article.
- Beth Tellman, SCU senior, receives honorable mention for her sustainability leadership
Beth Tellman was selected has an Honorable Mention in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's (AASHE) 2008 Student Sustainability Achievement Awards program. The judges chose Tellman among a very competitive pool of applicants because they were especially impressed with her strong focus on the social dimensions of sustainability. AASHE is excited about the success she achieved through her persistence and they hope that other students can learn from and follow the wonderful example she has provided.
As an Honorable Mention, she received a certificate and was included in an article about all of the award winners in the October issue of Sustainability: the Journal of Record.
Brief summaries of the campus and student sustainability leadership award winners can be found in Sustainability: the Journal of Record. In addition, the full submissions for each award program (including the winning submissions) can be found at the following links:
About AASHE
AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development.
- Students: Help Green Local High Schools and Join the Solar Decathlon Team!
Register for ENVS 140: Sustainability Outreach
This course aims to deepen students' understanding of sustainability. Students participate in an outreach program designed to facilitate sustainable development at bay area high schools. Each high school's efforts will be a microcosm of sustainable development and a leadership learning experience for the high school students and SCU students - their mentors. Readings and in-class discussions will also enhance students' ethical understanding of sustainability. Nov. 19, 2008
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