Campus Green Builder

Green Initiatives on Campus

Dr. Stephen Mittlestet, President of Richland College since 1979, is a leader on campus when it comes to promoting green initiatives. As mentioned by Mr. Eddie Hueston, Director of Facilities Management, Dr. Mittlestet is very much of a visionary when it comes to transforming the current campus into a green one and has been guiding the institution towards sustainability long before the term became popular. The administration takes the leadership role in introducing new ideas and discussing funding and implementation plans. Richland also benefits from the collaboration of Facilities Services who implements these efforts and the Sustainability Office that sets agendas for these sustainability initiatives. The following are a few of such initiatives that are taking place at Richland following the president’s advocacy and the support of the facilities office and senior administration:

• Reuse of all excavated soils is practiced during construction of any type on the campus. Rather than being shipped to landfills, excavated soils are used throughout the grounds, which have resulted in topography changes, landscaping and creation of green spaces that adorns the campus while also offering space for community gatherings.
• The recycling program has been growing for many years at Richland. The institution participated for the first time in the 2009 EPA RecycleMania event and was placed 2nd among Texas institutions. Recycling of paper, non-biodegradables and the use of lasting utensils such as potable water containers are highly advocated on the campus. Students and Facilities Services are actively involved in this program to make it a success. Discussions and updates of the 2009 RecycleMania events can be found at the RecycleMania blog. The institution also puts a lot of effort in educating students and staff about the benefits of recycling. Click here to learn more about the impact of recycling from RecycleBank.
• Water efficiency renovations have taken place throughout the campus buildings. For example, bathroom renovations, which include installation of 200 water-free urinals on campus, save 45,000 gallons of water per urinal per year on campus.
• The Facilities office has begun analyzing means to reduce operating cost throughout campus in off peak (vacations and summer) periods. The institution realized that, through reorganization of the locations of classes during the summer vacation, for example, many buildings could go completely “offline.” This kind of adjustment into building management practice will inevitably result in energy, maintenance and water savings for the institution. In addition, the “Thunion Report” was instituted in 1999 to identify key performance indicators that are evaluated on monthly basis to determine how the institution is performing vis-à-vis their constituents (students and faculty) as well as the campus energy consumption. Past reports can be found here.
• In addition, the institution also offers an educational opportunity, in the form of a course, which concentrates around sustainability and design.

Sustainability Commitment and Plan

In recent years, Richland College has begun a massive effort that highlights the institution as a leader in campus sustainability. The GREENRichland website is a hub where the visions, missions and commitments of the institution are outlined and whose progress can be viewed by all. The Green Richland group is a partnership with the Richland community that aims to develop and implement an action plan for moving the institution onto a path of environmental sustainability and for inviting others to join in this effort. “GREENRichland envisions a college community for which environmental sustainability is a way of life for staff and students, a benchmark for decision makers, an emphasis for educational programs, and a catalyst for collaborative global partnerships.”¹  Examples of how Richland is incorporating sustainability in the institution’s strategic plan can be viewed here.

Richland is one of the 90 institutions currently participating in a pilot of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Tracking System (STARS). The program is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities. A few of the goals are to provide a guide for advancing sustainability in all sectors of higher education as well as to build a stronger and more diverse campus sustainability community.²

An original signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), the institution is one of the twelve higher education institutions chosen to be part of Accelerating Campus Climate Change Initiatives, a collaborative project by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). With this selection come many benefits including:

• Assistance with developing a climate action plan that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• An opportunity to generate climate solutions and innovative ideas with peer campuses, RMI, and AASHE.
• Seed funding for implementation of high‐potential GHG emissions‐reduction projects on campus.

Richland’s 2008 GHG inventory was completed and a report was submitted to the ACUPCC. The background data for the inventory can be viewed here. The institution’s ACUPCC Implementation Profile can also be found here.
 

¹ Richland College. "GREENRichland: Vision, Mission, and Priorities." Retrieved July 15, 2009.
² Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. "Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)." Retrieved July 15, 2009.