The college continues its legacy of leadership in sustainability by modeling sustainability in its instructional program, curriculum, student and civic engagement activities, facilities and operations, land use planning and other practices.
The Sustainability Committee provides oversight for the college's sustainability initiative. This group consists of representatives from faculty, administrators, management, student services, public relations and marketing, information technology, and students.
In 2014-2015, the college updated its Strategic Direction and changed the focus for its sustainability initiative. For 2015-2016, the college provided priorities for implementing its Strategic Direction. For Sustainability, the District priority was the reduction of paper usage. The current status for all of the objectives for the Modeling Sustainability strategic initiative is below:
Initiative 5. Modeling Sustainability
Butte College embraces sustainability by engaging students, faculty, staff, and the community in dialogue and fostering sustainable practices and operations.
The college will develop and implement a Sustainability Plan to include the following strategies:
A. Providing educational opportunities in the area of sustainability by:
1) Developing and implementing courses, certificates and degrees in high demand labor markets. Current Status: The college's existing sustainability studies certificate continues. The current emphasis is on developing classes and programs that are aligned with the California State University, Chico engineering and construction management programs. The college hired a full-time, tenure track faculty member in Engineering that is taking a lead in this effort.
2) Supporting the development of new agricultural models as effective practices for students and the community. Current status: The Sustainability Resource Center has featured a Permaculture Design workshop series for the past 4 semesters and has hosted workshops and presenters to showcase new agricultural models. Many Ag classes have attended these presentations.
3) Increasing opportunities for campus internships that promote green practices. Current status: Student Life hired a permanent part-time classified employee to help coordinate efforts at the Sustainability Resource Center. The SRC is exploring how to incorporate more service learning and internship opportunities for fall 2016. Facilities Management currently has two student employees responsible for recycling.
4) Providing Professional Development for faculty and staff in the area of sustainability. Current status: Professional Development, in support of Student Life & the SRC, supports and assigns flex credit to many of the opportunities offered through that office including but not limited to workshops conducted during Campus Sustainability Days, Earth Day, the Permaculture Workshop Series and other related sustainability events. Further, flex workshops proposed for the fall and spring semester flex week are encouraged to contain a sustainability component when appropriate.
5) Conducting campus and community education. Current status: Student Life has a permanent part-time employee working in the SRC to increase campus and community opportunities for education and awareness. Kelly Munson is also working in coordination with the Butte Environmental Council and CSUC contacts to collaborate on community education projects.
B. Continuing to reduce the college’s carbon footprint and waste by:
1) Working with external agencies to provide public transportation options for students, faculty and staff. Current status: Facilities has been in contact with the Butte County Association of Governments to continue the dialogue about addressing this need for a public transportation option to the main campus. This will be difficult based on the location of the college off of the main routes between the various cities in the county.
2) Continuing to focus on reducing single passenger commuting practices. Current status: The SRC is working to publicize the benefits of ridesharing. We also have established 10 new charging stations on the main campus. We captured $120,000 from outside sources for establishing charging station infrastructure which requires a commitment to utilize stations for subscription services for 18-months (After term, can be used as the District directs.)
3) Educating faculty, staff and students on effective practices to reduce paper usage by methods such as emphasizing the use of MyBC and creating electronic forms for routine processes. Current status: There has been discussion in a variety of forums about focusing on the reduction of paper usage by changing processes and incentives. The college has purchased Image Now, a document imaging system that provides a capability to scan data into the college's Enterprise Resource and Planning System. Image Now also provides a capability to transition from paper intensive to paperless processes. The implementation of this system is underway. The college has yet to implement Share Point 2013 which will improve the functionality of MyBC. New copier contract renewals will be focused on reducing the college's paper usage. For instance, most computers are now routed to copiers which offer double sided printing (instead of personal desk jet printing).
4) Further reducing waste in Dining Services. Current status: Dining Services continues to move toward zero waste through the use of more efficient methods of food preparation, serving, and rotation. By insuring accurate product par levels overspending and waste can be avoided.
5) Monitoring greenhouse gases (GHG) and modifying the college’s practices accordingly. Current status: A second GHG inventory was conducted in 2011-2012. As expected, this inventory showed that electricity usage declined significantly as a driver of greenhouse gases and that the college's main source of greenhouse gases is commute to the campus by students, faculty and staff. The bus system provides transportation to the campus at .17 lbs. CO2/passenger mile while private cars are at .79 lbs. CO2/passenger mile.
6) Continuing to develop and implement energy conservation and alternative energy production. Current status: We now produce approximately 90% of the electricity consumed by the District. Several projects will be implemented in the coming years with funding provided by Prop 39.
C. Demonstrating environmental stewardship through water conservation by:
1) Significantly reducing the use of bottled water through education and accessible water stations. Current status: Facilities is systematically installing bottle filling stations as part of its scheduled maintenance program. Thirty –six stations have been installed to date.
2) Researching, and if feasible, using recycled water for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation. Current status: Dialog is beginning. The first potential project is rehabilitation of Pond 1 to capture storm water to use for irrigation.
3) Xeriscaping to enhance the beauty of the campus through native plants and eco-grasses. Current status: Over the past year approximately 16 acres of turf grass has been removed from the irrigation program, reducing the district’s water use by about 40%.
4) Focusing on campus water conservation and the elimination of water waste. Current status: Controllers have been replaced, but sprinkler heads remain inefficient.
Install electric vehicle charging stations
We received $120,000 from NRG EBgo and the District provided $16,193 to install infrastructure for 40 potential charging stations - 30 on the main campus and 10 at the Skyway Center.
Sustainability Program
These funds were used for a variety of projects supported by the committee, including:
The outcomes for Strategic Initiative #5 (Sustainability) are the outcomes for the Sustainability Committee.
This is not applicable to a campus committee.
"Modeling Sustainability" is a district initative (for the 2nd time). The Sustainability Steering Committee is focused on developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to achieve this intiative.
The Sustainability Committee conducts an annual Administrative Program Review with its unit plan.
In 2016-2017 we will focus on the following strategies to help achieve the "Modeling Sustainability" initiative:
- Educational Opportunities
- Waste Reduction
- Carbon Footprint Reduction
- Water Conservation
These strategies and details are listed below.
Strategy 1 - Educational Opportunities
Provide educational opportunities in the area of sustainability by:
1. Research the need for new sustainability related courses, certificates and degrees in high demand labor markets or that articulate to four-year institutions.
o Evaluate the expansion of the existing Sustainability Studies certificate into a Chancellor's Office approved Certificate of Achievement or AA
o Evaluate the creation of sustainable agriculture courses and programs on campus
2. Increasing opportunities for service learning and campus internships that promote sustainable practices.
o Revitalize service learning, internships and work experience tied to programming requirements and improvements to the campus and community (e.g., irrigation systems, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), composting, and other sustainability related areas).
3. Providing Professional Development for faculty and staff in the area of sustainability.
o Continue offering workshops and training during Flex week, Earth Day and Campus Sustainability Days tied to each element of the college's sustainability initiative (educational opportunities, reduction of carbon footprint and waste, and environmental stewardship through water conservation).
o Provide structured networking opportunities for faculty to collaborate about best practices for infusing sustainability into the curriculum.
4. Conducting campus and community education.
o Continue to expand campus engagement in Earth Day and Campus Sustainability Days.
o Continue to offer workshops and events on a variety of sustainability themes and topics throughout the year.
o Identify consistent content provider for the sustainability web page
Sustainability is part of the mission statement, one of the college's values and a strategic initiative. Infusing sustainability into the curriculum and the institutional dialogue is critical to making the mission, value, and initiative a reality.
Strategy 2 - Carbon Footprint Reduction
Continue to reduce the college’s carbon footprint by:
1. Continuing to focus on reducing single passenger commuting practices
o Collaborate with the SRC to support publicity efforts to promote carpooling.
o Continue to evaluate the bus system operation to look for opportunities to improve.
2. Monitoring greenhouse gases (GHG) and modifying the college’s practices accordingly.
o Continue conversations with Ag Dept. about bio fuels for campus fleet.
o Conduct a follow up greenhouse gas inventory in 2016-17.
3. Continuing to develop and implement energy conservation and alternative energy production.
According to the greehouse gas inventory of the college, 67% of our carbon emmissions come from cars & buses go to and from the college in addition to our on-campus fleet. Focusing on transportation to reduce our carbon footprint should be a focus for the college and thus the sustainability steering committee if we want to reduce our impact to the environment.
Strategy 3 - Waste Reduction
Continuing to reduce the college’s waste by:
1. Educating faculty, staff and students on effective practices to reduce paper usage by methods such as:
o Implement Image Now
o Implement Share Point 2013
o Update the college's website and MyBC and establish protocols for their use
o Inform and educate the constituency groups about the above mentioned projects and initiatives
o Emphasizing the use of MyBC and creating electronic forms for routine processes
2. Further reducing waste in Dining Services.
o Continue to focus on zero waste practices through the use of more efficient methods of food preparation, serving, and disposal.
Sustainability is part of the mission statement, one of the college's values and a strategic initiative. Infusing sustainability into the curriculum and the institutional dialogue is critical to making the mission, value, and initiative a reality.
Strategy 4 - Water Conservation
Demonstrate environmental stewardship through water conservation by:
1. Significantly reducing the use of bottled water through providing education, non-plastic alternatives for consumers and accessible water stations.
o Promote use of filling stations
2. Research, and if feasible, use recycled water for beneficial purposes such as
agricultural and landscape irrigation.
o Work with regulatory agencies to determine if use of recycled water is permissible.
o Evaluate the feasibility of storm water capture off existing buildings.
o Based on evaluation, rehabilitate pond 1 to store storm water for irrigation purposes.
3. Continue Xeriscaping to enhance the beauty of the campus through native plants and eco- grasses.
o Continue to implement the plan to transition existing landscape and turf to low/no irrigation landscape.
o Evaluate, and if feasible, implement state standards for irrigation (SB1881).
4. Focus on campus water conservation and the elimination of water waste.
o Continue to replace sprinklers and irrigation control valves with efficient components.
o Install water meters to monitor water usage and to provide a focus for future water reduction efforts.
Water conservation is a critical issue -- particularly in light of the ongoing drought in California. This future development strategy enables Butte College to provide leadership on this critical issue and to model appropriate behaviors to students and the community.
The District provides $5,000 each year to create and promote methods designed to decrease green house gases created by passenger cars traveling to and from the college, such as increaseing carpooling and bus ridership.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Sustainability | Operating Expenses | 11099110660013 | 55890 | $7,500.00 | $0.00 |
| Sustainability Program | This augmentation provides resources to maintain existing memberships, support educational events, and faculty development. |
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| 2 | Electric Vehicle Charging Station Outlets and Signage | Facilities | 110991101660013 | 56410 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Capture infrastructure matching funds for 10 electric vehicle charging stations | Install additional power outlets and signage on the main campus and at the Skyway campus to complete the existing infrastructure. Currently, we are nearly at capacity with current outlets. |
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