Environmental Sustainability Committee

The mission of the Environmental Sustainability Committee is to promote sustainability at Hudson Valley Community College by encouraging the conservation and efficient use of natural resources on campus, initiating projects that reduce the College’s environmental impact and to educate the College community in the concepts of sustainable living and demonstrate the economics and other benefits of sustainability.

The Environmental Sustainability Committee will:

1. Evaluate, monitor and report on our use of energy and natural resources,
2. Research and identify ways to:
   1. use energy and natural resources more sustainably by reducing consumption,
   2. decrease the production of waste and hazardous materials, and
   3. invest in sustainable technologies,
3. Enhance the health and diversity of campus ecosystems by promoting:
   1. protection of natural areas,
   2. landscaping with native species, and
   3. integration of sustainable design principals into the built environment,
4. Encourage environmental inquiry and institutional learning by incorporating environmental sustainability into the teaching mission of the College.

Green Office Practices

Committee Structure
The Committee will be comprised of representatives from all groups on campus that have a role to play in implementing the sustainability plan. Subcommittees would be formed for each of the major areas in our work plan. Members would evaluate current practices and policies, gather data for benchmarking, make recommendations for improvement and raise awareness around the issues they are working on.

We will reach out to the following departments/organizations as well as solicit membership from interested students, faculty and staff:

• Physical Plant
• Faculty Student Association
• Food Services
• Student Senate
• Department Chairs
• Instructional and Information Technology
• Business Office
• Academic Senate
• Student Clubs and organizations, such as the Environment Club and Phi Theta Kappa
• Union organizations

The efforts of the Sustainability Committee will be communicated by an Administrative Liaison Committee comprised of:

• A College Vice President
• The Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Committee
• A faculty representative from the Committee
• A student representative from the Committee