Photo by Joanne H. Lee
Santa Clara University’s
Center for Sustainability
2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS: By the Numbers: Sustainability at SCU Academics Engagement Planning and Administration Operations The Forge Garden Bronco Urban Gardens
3 4 5 8 9 12 16
Photo by Joanne H. Lee
This report synthesizes SCU’s progress in the 2015-2016 academic year. For historical information or more details, please visit www.scu.edu/sustainability *All photos by Center for Sustainability staff unless otherwise noted*
The Center for Sustainability advances academic and public understanding of the ways in which social justice and sustainability intersect by integrating principles of social, environmental, and economic sustainability into campus operations, academic and student life, and outreach programs. This report features highlights of our recurring events, programs, and campaigns this year.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF MISSION SUSTAINABLE A decade of #SustainableSCU This year marked a decade of Mission Sustainable. We celebrated by reminiscing and sharing “throwbacks” on social media—milestones that occurred—from hiring the first sustainability staff to forming the Center for Sustainability that we are today. Our Future on a Shared Planet, and New Initiatives The whole campus buzzed with excitement about Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment, “Laudato Si.” We co-hosted a multi-day conference regarding the Pope’s teachings and what they mean for SCU and Silicon Valley. Growth & Goals As SCU continued building toward our 2020 Master Plan, we saw increased demands on energy, water, and parking to meet the needs of our expanding population and building space. With SCU’s goal to become climate neutral by 2020* at the forefront of our minds, we spent the year developing programs to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We kicked-off the Campus Sustainability Investment Fund (CSIF) and selected five projects for implementation. We partnered with Transportation Services to improve SCU’s Transportation Demand Management programs (i.e. reducing single-occupancy car trips to and from campus). Our Team We are grateful to welcome two new staff members to our team: Katharine Rondthaler is our Forge Garden Manager and Lisa Martinez is our Bronco Urban Gardens Educator. Cara Uy did a remarkable job leading the Center most of this year, with the help of Rissa Yaw and Kayla Wells (Program Assistants), while Lindsey Kalkbrenner was away on maternity leave. We ware also excited to start our Forge Garden Internship Program (see p. 12). 4
Staff
2
Faculty Associates
2
Forge Garden Interns
9
Campus Sustainability Interns
Thanks to everyone for their continued support of the Center for Sustainability and more importantly, for continuing to build a more sustainable SCU. We are so proud of what SCU has accomplished these past 10 years, and can’t wait to see what we do in the next 10 years! *Our climate neutrality goal includes Scopes 1, 2, & 3, which includes emissions associated with natural gas and electricity usage as well as emissions associated with employee and student commutes and University-sponsored travel.
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BY THE NUMBERS
Converted
Waste diversion rate:
395
courses to include sustainability
1,101
Sustainabilityrelated courses offered
27%
Decrease in water used per person since 2005
Sustainability interns since 2006
5K run for the Energy Challenge
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engaged weekly at BUG Garden Clubs
1st
Energizer station for “Bike to Work Day�
pounds donated during move-out
Harvested
4,174 pounds of produce at The Forge Garden
130
Over Sustainability Liaisons
12,333
48 Kids
2,891
Visitors to The Forge Garden Farmstand
10,354
Moments of sustainability engagement
1st Light-Up
24%
41
13,072
kWhs conserved during the Energy Challenge
Photo by Joanne H. Lee
Reduction in materials landfilled vs. 2014
54%
GHG emissions reduced since 2007
21 Declared
sustainability minors
1,200 ft2 Of native grasses planted
59%
9 Campus
sustainability programs
4 Years of
personal compost pails
Photo by ESS Department
ACADEMICS Courses with at least one sustainability component:
1,101 45
Departments offer at least one sustainability-related course
Sustainability Across the Curriculum
About 24 percent of all courses offered at SCU have at least one sustainability component*. Building upon the Penstemon Project’s progress since 2007, our focus turned from engaging individual faculty, to supporting entire academic departments as they transform their curriculum. This year, Center for Sustainability Faculty Associate John Farnsworth took our model “Penstemon 2.0” on the road, and shared our methods with peers at other campuses.
Sustainability Minor
SCU undergraduates can now select a minor in sustainability. The interdisciplinary minor, easily accessible to all undergraduates, involves seven courses: two from each of the dimensions of sustainability (environment, society, economics) as well as an Action Learning for Sustainability course. Twenty-one students declared the minor in its first year.
* Courses with a sustainability component are focused on sustainability, incorporate a module on sustainability or a sustainability challenge, include one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrate sustainability issues throughout the term. These could be via discussions of equity, sustainable economics, or the environment. 2014-15 Classes
Undergraduate Graduate Total
Sustainability Focused
79
9
88
Includes Sustainability
903
110
1013
Total number of Sustainability Courses
982
119
1101
Total number of courses
3442
1378
4820
2015-16 courses were being inventoried at time of publication. Data analysis by Andie Filler, ’18.
Students choose 7 classes 2 in each category: Environmental Societal Economic
+ 1 Action Learning Course
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Bon Appétit Employee Training
Waste characterizations (see p. 11) have identified campus dining as one of our main areas in need of improved waste diversion programs. In the fall, we provided training for all Bon Appétit employees and followed up with check-ins at regular staff meetings. We collaborated with Dining Services by Bon Appétit throughout the year to develop new ideas to engage students and Dining Services staff in waste diversion. One such idea was setting up dishware collection in residence halls during Move-Out.
Presentations & Workshops
The Center for Sustainability supported other campus departments through presentations and trainings about integrating sustainability into their daily work and school life. Some highlights were supporting the School of Education and Counseling Psychology’s ExCel program, and Campus Ministry’s Christian Life Community.
7th Annual Energy Challenge
During the 7th annual Residence Energy Challenge, Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) conserved 13,072 kWh of electricity! In the “No-AC League,” Modern Perspectives RLC (Dunne Hall) took 1st place and the Loyola RLC (Sobrato Hall) won the “AC League” and also won “Most Enthusiastic.”
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We added the Light-Up 5K night fun run to continue momentum for the month-long challenge and to bring RLCs together. Participants turned off their residence hall’s room lights and ran around the campus wearing headlamps or glow sticks to light up their neon attire.
Off-Campus Housing Orientation (OCHO)
In efforts to reach our off-campus student population, we presented at the first-ever OCHO where we distributed off-campus living guides to all attendees. These guides included tips for reducing waste, water use, and energy use. We also promoted LOCALS, our off-campus Sustainability Liaison peereducation group.
SUSTAINABILITY LIAISON NETWORK Sustainability Liaisons are peer educators for sustainability and experts on how sustainability interplays with their respective groups. The Network is a resource and collaborative space for people who are interested in working/living more sustainably on and off campus.
over 200 actions
Sustainability Liaisons committed to this year, from creating a “tip of the week� for staff meetings, reducing food waste in the office, designing an eco-fashion outfit, sending students on a scavenger hunt for their first Farmers Market experience, or eliminating plastic water bottles and water cooler subscription service. They were responsible for over 3,000 sustainability moments with their
peers. Here are some highlights of Liaisons in action:
Committed to reducing impact of food choices by trying a vegan diet
Initiated a Staff Senate sustainability committee
Shared a sustainability tip-of-the-week at staff meetings
Hosted dialogues & reached over 300 people
Map Key:
Workplace Faculty LOCALS SEEDS SCOOPS
*35 Student clubs represented = 1 ind. = 2+ ind.
Constructed a farmers market scavenger hunt & held a discussion about local food systems.
* Spirituality Facilitators partnered with Community Facilitators for sustainability programs 6
The Sustainability Champion Awards are designed to recognize individuals or groups at SCU who go out of their way to develop a culture of sustainability. We celebrate their hard work and honor their achievements by awarding them at our end-of-the-year celebration.
Photo by Joanne H. Lee
SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS
Faculty: Ed Maurer, a member of the Civil Engineering Department and Faculty Sustainability Liaison, rides his bike to work, actively brings up new technology and ideas to the Center for Sustainability, and frequently encourages others to join him at local events like creek clean-ups.
Staff: Julia Claire Landry, Director of Graduate Student Ministry at Campus Ministry, ensures that sustainability is woven into her programming and events. She has integrated sustainability into Spirituality Facilitators’ practices and is a long-time Workplace Sustainability Liaison.
Student: Aaron Poor was the first ASG president (2015-16) to include sustainability in his platform, “community, sustainability, and snacks.” He always includes sustainability in conversation with student initiatives, especially off-campus. Aaron developed his own major to study sustainable business. Group: The Food and Agribusiness Institute (FAI) educates students in the functional areas of management with the application of modern business practices to food and agribusiness firms. FAI creates awareness among students with food-related events and global travel. This year, they partnered with the Center for Sustainability to include The Forge Garden and other urban farms/gardens in their activities and research. Collaborative Project: The Laudato Si Conference Planning Committee hosted a conference about Pope Francis’ Encyclical, “Our Future on a Shared Planet: Silicon Valley in Conversation with the Environmental Teachings of Pope Francis.” The two-day event attracted hundreds of students and community members, and featured speakers including Cardinal Peter Turkson, Dr. Gretchen Daily, Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, and San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo.
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Sustainability Liaison: Justin Wojcik, Resident Director for the Loyola RLC is a Workplace Sustainability Liaison. He uses a personal compost pail, was instrumental in Loyola’s win of the annual Energy Challenge, served as a panelist in the Eco-Fashion Show, and enthusiastically attends Sustainability Liaison events and field trips such as the Advanced Water Purification Center Tour in April.
PLANNING & ADMINISTRATION Campus Sustainability Investment Fund
The CSIF was created to encourage students, faculty, and staff to innovate solutions that move SCU toward Climate Neutrality by reducing campus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Selected project submissions must reduce: energy use via conservation or efficiency transportation emissions associated with student & employee commute or University-sponsored travel landfill waste and/or water consumption The CSIF Committee consists of representatives from Associated Student Government, Fossil Free SCU, the Environmental Studies and Sciences department, the University Finance Office, the Communication department, Utilities, and the Center for Sustainability. Five projects were approved, with implementation dates during the 2016-17 academic year. In-suite compost collection for University Villas Food Recovery Network food donation transportation support via Zipcar LED lighting in Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center Lighting controls in Kenna Hall and Lucas Hall Solar water heating for Dunne Hall
Progress Towards Climate Neutrality
We partnered with Transportation Services to develop Transportation Demand Management strategies to reduce single-occupancy vehicles commuting to campus. SCU hosted a forum for the Valley Transit Authority (VTA) to discuss Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). We partnered with Human Resources and Transportation Services to host our first “Bike to Work Day” Energizer Station for bike commuters: 85 people stopped by on their commute to work. Our net greenhouse gas emissions (scopes 1 and 2) have decreased to a little over half (54.28%) of the emissions produced in 2007, the year we set our climate neutrality goal.
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Conference (AJCU)
SCU hosted the 2016 annual conference which brings facilities, public safety, and sustainability professionals from 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. to share best practices in their respective fields. Our theme was “Celebrating Our Past While Constructing Our Future.”
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OPERATIONS
The Share Shelf
Becoming a Tree Campus
Starting as a pilot program in January 2015 in the Shapell Lounge, the Share Shelf is now a self-run kiosk with over 200 users. This program is a physical location for students, faculty, and staff to give, take, and share school and office supplies for free. The goal of this program is to reduce new purchases and divert usable materials from the landfill.
We began the process of becoming a member of the Arbor Day Foundation’s “Tree Campus USA” by planting the first of forty new trees and developing a Tree Care Plan.
Mitigating the Drought
As the California drought continued, we partnered with Facilities to explore ways to further reduce water usage in campus landscaping. In addition to keeping 4 out of 6 of our fountains turned off, we planted 1,200 square feet of California native field sedge (Carex praegracilis) across several locations. This pilot test helped us demonstrate the growth rate and aesthetics of native grasses to help Facilities determine future planting locations.
Kennedy Commons Lives On
Though the Commons at Kennedy Mall was demolished this year to make way for improvements to Dunne Hall, the building’s sustainable design features live on throughout campus. Design features that were tested in Kennedy Commons can be seen in any building built after 2006, including the Learning Commons, Locatelli Student Activities Center, Graham Residence Hall. 9
OPERATIONS
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THE FORGE GARDEN “I love being able to share what I’ve learned with volunteers and Farm Stand patrons. I’ve learned so much this year; being able to work alongside Katharine in the garden has really helped me find my passions and what I actually want to do when I grow up.” – Allison Carmody, ‘17
Forge Garden Internship Program
Our new Garden Internship program teaches students not only urban agriculture skills but also how to be leaders within their communities. Interns pick an area of interest to specialize in (such as compost or greenhouse management). The intern team meets biweekly to discuss readings on urban agriculture topics like Integrated Pest Management and crop rotation. Interns share their knowledge with student volunteers during drop-in volunteer hours. Interns design, promote and lead the studentfocused Forge Friday event series.
Research at the Garden: Highlights
ENVS 132 Agroecology class: Students mulched three garden beds using newspaper, hay, and leaves, with a fourth bed as the “control.” The class found the control bed had significantly more weeds than the others. They concluded the bed with leaves had the least weeds and greatest growth. UCSC insect biodiversity project: The Forge Garden is a participant in the ongoing research of Peter Bichier from UC Santa Cruz. Bichier is looking at urban garden bird and insect diversity. This year, the team identified 42 distinct species of bees and 13 species of ladybugs across the 18 gardens surveyed. Their research has identified various gardening techniques to create a more suitable habitat for insects and birds such as growing large groupings of flowers rather than scattered flowers.
Courses at the Garden
Thirteen academic departments and programs held classes at The Forge Garden, including biology, child studies, communication, engineering, English, environmental studies and sciences, religious studies, sociology, and theatre and dance.
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VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT: Erin Fox, ’19 Erin (bottom left) began volunteering at the Forge for a Critical Thinking & Writing class assignment. She soon became a Forge regular, attending the Harvest Party and Garden Gifts for the Holidays workshop. She brought her friends to Forge Friday events and became a Sustainability Liaison.
BY THE NUMBERS Volunteers:
659
Volunteer hours:
1,335
“Because of the opportunities and relationships I forged at the Garden, I have now found a way to give back to my community, practice sustainability, and find fulfillment within myself.” - Erin Fox, ‘19 13
THE FORGE GARDEN
Forge Advisory Board
2015-16 marked the first year of The Forge Garden Advisory Board. The Advisory Board consists of faculty, staff and students that are committed to The Forge Garden’s mission. The goal of the Advisory Board is to promote and advocate for The Forge Garden in the SCU community and to support mission and plans of The Forge Garden.
Workshops
We continued to focus on urban agriculture workshops while expanding our workshop series to include cooking and craft topics. Some topics included: container gardening with herbs, growing a winter garden, gardening for native bees, beekeeping, herbs to cure the common cold, lip balm and herbal salves, vermicomposting, and cheese-making.
Workshop Highlight
Garden Gifts for the Holidays: Students, staff and faculty celebrated the holiday season while sipping hot cocoa and making garden crafts including succulent cork magnets, lavender sugar scrub, lemon rosemary herb salt, pressed flower cards and painted rocks. Participants’ friends and relatives appreciated the handmade gifts from the garden!
FORGE FRIDAYS
An event series for students Events included: Guided Meditation Make-Your-Own Sun Tea Farm to Fork: Salvadorian Food Open Garden Jam Session Color Your Way to Calm Flower Crowns Succulent Pots Yoga 14
“The Forge Garden has not only been a great jumping-off place to connect with the local food system and build a backyard garden, it has fed my family, let my daughter pick its strawberries, provided flowers for our kitchen table, and always given so generously of all it has in food, in knowledge, in community. I am continually grateful for The Forge Garden and the people that make it the kind, living place it is.� - Lindsey Witlock
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BRONCO URBAN GARDENS “It was great collaborating with BUG to bring Garden Club to my CORAL students…I enjoy the fact that my students were exposed to something different that they normally don’t do during the school day.” - Elvia Casas, CORAL Site Supervisor
SCU Faculty and Students at BUG Sites In addition to building stronger relationships in the schools’ communities, BUG collaborated with SCU faculty and students to complete new projects and increased participation of SCU undergraduates through Arrupe Placements.
Arrupe Placements Garden Clubs Grow
BUG’s garden-based education programs blossomed with greater emphasis on our afterschool programs at Washington Elementary and Gardner Academy in San Jose. We partnered with extended-day care programs like Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL), and opened Garden Club to K-5th graders. BUG Garden Clubs moved to a small-group structure to maximize the use of SCU student involvement as well as increase one-on-one time for the young children participating. SCU students led lessons and activities and took turns as BUG Garden Leads.
BUG school gardens hosted 24 Arrupe Placements last year, connecting SCU undergraduates with students at Washington and Gardner schools. Participants appreciate having the opportunity to engage with kids through play, while teaching them about food and health.
SCU Project Highlight: ENGR 110
A team of engineering students, practicing both consulting and engineering skills, designed and built tools to enhance the teaching aspects of BUG’s school gardens. The group built an amazing mobile cold-frame unit with storage to be used at BUG sites.
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BRONCO URBAN GARDENS
Kids Garden Club
Building a Garden at Homesafe
The idea was sparked by Lisa’s weekly produce deliveries to our neighbors at Homesafe. As she delivered produce to the residents, they invited her into their kitchens and taught her about what they cooked, how they’ve gardened and what they were interested in growing for their meals. After some discussion and outreach, mothers, children, students and the Homesafe children’s advocate all came together to fill 7 large half-barrel containers with soil and starts from The Forge Garden.
Bronco Urban Gardens continued our Saturday program for children and mothers living in Santa Clara Homesafe transitional housing. BUG strengthened the overall experience for both the children and undergraduate Arrupe volunteers by piloting a different Garden Club design and opening up the program to children in the community. SCU staff and faculty with young children were encouraged to stop in and see what the Saturday program was all about.
“My child, who is usually reluctant to eat anything that isn’t covered in frosting, has actually tried and enjoyed many healthy foods. The kids have greatly increased their knowledge and interest in growing healthy foods… The children and adults are very excited to observe, grow and eat what they have planted.” – Nicole, mother at Homesafe
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2015-2016 ACTIVITIES EVENTS:
Campus Sustainability Day Eco-Fashion & Art Show The Energy Challenge Mission Sustainable Challenge Sustainability Celebration Sustainability Champion Awards Sustainability Summer Series Swap for Good Waste Characterizations The Forge Garden Drop-in Volunteer Hours Forge Fridays Farm Stand Garden Workshops Harvest Party Plant Sales
PROGRAMS:
Bronco Urban Gardens Campus Sustainability Investment Fund Data Collection & Reporting The Graduation Pledge The Forge Garden The Lending Library Living Laboratory Projects Database Personal Compost Pails The Share Shelf Sustainability Internship Program Sustainability Liaison Network Sustainability Topic Interest Groups The Sustainability Update Terracycle waste diversion
PROJECTS:
Eco-Tray promotion SCU’s drought response Tabling at University events Transportation Demand Management Where do you take your Mission Sustainable?
In Loving Memory of Joe Sugg
This year we lost Joe Sugg, one of our greatest champions. As Assistant Vice President, University Operations, Joe was instrumental in developing and defining SCU’s approach to sustainability. He co-chaired our first Sustainability Taskforce which led to the development of our first Sustainability Policy (2003) and hiring of our first staff (2006). He was a steadfast advocate for sustainability, integrating the Center for Sustainability within University Operations to ensure systemic structural support. Joe was also a main driver behind development of The Forge Garden. We are grateful for his lasting contributions to sustainability at SCU, and for his leadership at Santa Clara University as a whole. 18
Connect with us:
Varsi Hall, Room 202 sustainability@scu.edu www.scu.edu/sustainability Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @SustainableSCU #SustainableSCU