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Sustainability Advisory Group
Charge
The Sustainability Advisory Group is charged with supporting and promoting the adoption of sustainable practices on all campuses and with promoting sustainability education in the classroom and in the work place. As part of its work the team may suggest new initiatives for consideration by the President. The members are appointed by the President. Team membership consists of faculty, staff and students who share an interest in environmental issues and are committed to strengthening the college’s commitment to sustainable life and work practices.
The Group meets monthly during Fall and Spring semesters.
What's New
Check out our new blog, Sustainable Bucks. We are posting Green Minute videos, a new one every couple of weeks, to showcase the many things we are doing to increase the college's sustainability. We will also post updates on new initiatives.
Examples of What We are Already Doing
Curriculum
- Integration of Knowledge courses: INTG 285 sections Earth in Balance, Food and Sustainability, and Time and Environment.
- Examples of assignments - faculty who would like to submit an assignment, email the Team.
Operations
- Large containers for single-stream recycling with expanded list of recyclable materials containers at Newtown campus
- Three large compost tumblers transforming cafeteria food waste into mulch
- Encourage use of second side of used paper in printers
- Encourage double-sided copying
- Increased use of video conferencing to reduce employee travel among three campuses.
- Printing Action Team study to assess the environmental and financial impact of printing behaviors at the college.
Physical Plant
- Biophilia garden planted in Newtown
- Campus-wide lighting replacements and upgrades: ongoing project since 2003.
- Geothermal energy used for heating and cooling Lower and Upper Bucks Campus facilities, and new Linksz Pavilion in Newtown.
- Green roof in Upper Bucks Campus buildings
- Harvest lighting daylight sensing in the Linksz Pavilion and Gym to reduce use of electric lights
- Installation of occupancy sensors with all classroom retrofits as they occur
- Natural gas pipeline extension to Newtown campus during 2013-14 to eliminate reliance on #2 fuel oil
- Participation in Energy Load Shedding Program to even out peaks during heavy seasonal usage
- Require vendor waste stream reduction such as re-use of ceiling tiles and other materials during renovations
- Retrofits with hands free flush, soap, and water devices where possible
- Installed two solar powered roof ventilators
Procurement
- Replacement of standard lighting with CFLs
- Procurement of green-certified paper towels and toilet paper
- Encourage procurement to use green-certified vendors
Contact Us
Bucks County Community College is already doing many things to promote sustainability in its operations, but we can do more. If you have an idea, please send it to the Team via this form.
External Sustainability Resources
Association for the Advancement
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education has resources, news and wikis.
Association of University Leaders
The Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) supports sustainability as a critical focus of teaching, research, operations and outreach in higher education through publications, research, and assessment.
Getting to Green
Inside Higher Education blog: An administrator pushes, on a shoestring budget, to move his university and the world toward a more sustainable equilibrium.mall classes, personal attention and so much more.
Higher Ed Sustainability
Trends and New Developments in College and University Leadership, Academics and Operations from the National Wildlife Federation.