The Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC) serves as a forum to share, discuss, and take action around campus and community sustainability issues. From September-April, monthly meetings cover topics ranging from transportation, waste reduction, energy, and community sustainability from campus and community experts. Once established, the meeting schedule will be announced here.
The Advisory Council on Stewardship and Sustainability (ACSS)
In September of 2008, Psychology Professor Monica Bartlett began laying the groundwork for reviving a group of students, faculty, and staff to address environmental issues on campus. Monica partnered with Philosophy Professor Brian Henning, who had experience creating and organizing a stewardship committee at his former institution. Throughout the fall of 2008, the group met regularly to discuss organization, purpose, and duties.
It was known that many projects/classes/research aimed at reducing waste and cutting energy consumption were already happening at Gonzaga. The hope of this group was to gain knowledge about what was already happening on campus, celebrate it, and identify new projects and ideas for the institution to implement.
Then President Robert Spitzer, SJ officially approved the creation of the Advisory Council on Stewardship and Sustainability (ACSS) and its Steering Committee on January 29, 2009. In October of 2010, President Thayne McCulloh signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and officially charged the ACSS with the responsibility of implementing the Commitment.
Duties
- The ACSS reviewed current and proposed projects and policies concerning energy use, waste disposal and recycling, water use and quality, water and air emissions, air quality, conservation, land use and preservation, biodiversity, and sustainability.
- The ACSS worked collaboratively to make recommendations to the President, the Cabinet, and the Director of Sustainability. The ACSS was ready to engage with other individuals or groups on campus who are or become involved in sustainability projects.
- The ACSS assisted the Gonzaga Student Body Association in vetting proposals submitted to the Green Fund program.
- The ACSS helped increase environmental awareness and education on campus. The ACSS was meant to assist the Director of Sustainability in maintaining oversight and implementation of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
In 2015, the Steering Committee of the ACSS voted to dissolve itself so that the Director of Sustainability could assemble an organizational structure that was consistent with their vision. From this foundation, the CSC was created.