Sustainable Institution

Sustain Champlain Committee

Founded in 2005 as the Post-Carbon Committee, the Sustain Champlain Committee is a group of faculty, staff and students who are interested in the environmental impact of Champlain College. Our goal is to discuss and develop strategies and recommendations that will help create a more sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly Champlain. Committee members are asked to lead by example, act as a liaison to their respective department/division, and speak on behalf of their role on campus. Membership and meetings are open to the Champlain community.

2011-2012 Key project: Assisting with creation of comprehensive sustainability plan for Champlain College (target date: 2020)

Process: At each meeting, group will receive background information on the topic, including past work completed, reports, plans, etc. and then group will brainstorm goals and specific, tangible outcomes with specific targets related to that topic in the immediate range (by 2015) and longer-term range (by 2020). Ideas will be collected, reviewed and prioritized by a smaller group.

Tracking and Assessment

Annual Reporting

Champlain College is a client of Sightlines, a facilities asset advisory firm that specializes in tracking sustainability indicators including energy, transportation, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions. Each year, Champlain submits our latest figures so that we can track our own progress, compare that to peer institutions, and set benchmarks as we move forward.

See the 2008 Report here.
See the 2009 Report here.
See the 2010 Report here.
See the 2011 Report here.

In 2008, Champlain College contracted Spring Hill Solutions to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the carbon emissions created from our facilities and operations. This report found that on a per student basis, Champlain College's emissions are some of the lowest calculated for colleges located in the northern United States.

The Sustainability Director also creates reports reviewing aspects of campus operations, such as copy paper procurement and waste statistics.

Awards and Honors

Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence (2012)

Inclusion The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges  (2012)

LEED Platinum for Perry Hall (2011)

Honorable Mention for Large Employer, Way to Go Commuter Challenge (2011)

LEED Platinum for Aiken Hall (2010)

Large Employer Award, Way to Go Commuter Challenge (2008)

Best Workplaces for Commuters (2008-2011)

Institutional Memberships

AASHE

Champlain College is a member of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. All Champlain College community members are able to access on-line resources as well as take advantage of other membership benefits.

VCSN

Champlain is also a participating member of the Vermont Campus Sustainability Network.  This group meets twice annually to share best practices from Vermont campuses and to collaborate on statewide initiatives.

USGBC

Champlain is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and has two LEED-certified buildings on campus.

EPA Energy Star

Champlain is registered as a U.S. EPA Energy Star campus.

Sustainability Director

The creation of this position in 2008 was based on a recommendation of the Sustain Champlain Committee. The Sustainability Director recommends strategies for carbon and waste reduction across college operations, facilitates student leadership around environmental issues, and is developing a comprehensive sustainability plan for Champlain College.

Contact:

Christina Erickson, Ph.D., Sustainability Director
Skiff Hall, Room 201 | Campus Mailbox #8 | 802-865-5449 | cerickson@champlain.edu