American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 2

Introduction 3

ACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingForm 4

CarbonAudits 5

GHGMitigation 8

Currentmeasures 8

Futurestrategies 11

Educational,ResearchandCommunityOutreachEfforts 12

Financing 15

TrackingProgress 16

ClimateNeutrality 17

Appendix1:InsideRio,Volume10No.12008

Appendix2:ACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingForm

Appendix3:ACUPCCReportingSystemInformation

Appendix4:LeadershipCouncilMembership

Page 3 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 2 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan

AcknowledgementsRioSaladoCollegeistotallycommittedtothetriplebottomline(3BL)ofsus-tainability:sociallyjustandequitable,economicallyrobustandenvironmentallyviable.ThisisdemonstratedinthefactthatsustainabilityisoneoftheCol-legescorevalues;isGoal8oftheStrategicPlan,Rio2012;andissupportedbyemployeesthroughvolunteerprograms,suchasPay30Forward.TheClimateActionPlan,though,focusesmainlyontheenvironmentalpieceofsustainabil-itythrougheffortstoreducetheCollegescarbonfootprint.

Whileallemployeessupportsustainability,itwouldnothavebeenpossibletoproducetheRioSaladoCollege2009ClimateActionPlanwithoutthecontribu-tionsofthefollowingindividuals:

2009 Climate Action Plan ContributorsTheOfficeofthePresident Dr.LindaThor,President

Administration*ToddSimmons,VicePresident,BusinessandEmployeeServices

*VernonSmith,VicePresident,TeachingandLearning

LeadershipCouncil(seeAppendix4formembershiplisting)

Faculty*ShannonCorona,PhysicalSciences

BeatrizCohen,Counseling

CollegeStaff AlanTorvie,ArchitectandSustainabilityConsultant

DanielleTomerlin,SustainabilityConsultant

GenevieveWinters,Director,Research,PlanningandDevelopment

ChristyFlora,InstitutionalResearchAnalyst

*ElizabethCole-Fay,ProjectCoordinator

*RichardEspinoza,Director,Facilities

*DorothyStrait,Director,SiteOperations

LindaBird,ExecutiveAssistant

KevinBilder,Director,MarketingandPublicRelations

MatthewFreed,GraphicDesignerII

*SharonKoberna,Dean,AdministrativeandEmployeeServices

* DesignatesamemberoftheRioSaladoCollegeSustainabilitySteeringCommittee

IntroductionRioSaladoCollege(RioSalado)isoneofthe10collegesintheMaricopaCountyCommunityCollegeDistrict(MCCCD),whichisthelargestcommu-nitycollegedistrictinthenation.RioSaladohastheuniquedistinctionofbeingtheMaricopaCollegewith-outwalls.Mostoftheinstructionisconductedon-line(distancelearning),withinbusinessesorpublicinstitu-tions,orinvariouscommunitycenters.

RioSaladoisoneoffivecollegesintheMCCCDthatwereCharterSignatoriestotheAmericanCollegeandUniver-sityPresidentsClimateCommitment(ACUPCC)in2007.Thiscommitmenttoreducethecarbonfootprintsofthememberinstitutionsandtoseekclimateneutralitymandatedcertainrequirementsandstrategieslead-ingtosubmittalandexecutionofaClimateActionPlan.

TheRioSaladocarbon footprintisthesumofgreenhousegas(GHG)emissionsgeneratedbythestudents

andstaffoftheinstitution.Theseemissionsincludesixdesignatedgasesandrefrigerants,butareprimar-ilycarbonbasedfuelsandelectricitygeneratedfromfossilfuels,andpri-marilycarbondioxide.ThemeasureofgreenhousegasesisexpressedasCO2equivalents(CO2e)andmeasuredinmetrictons.InordertoquantifyandcompareGHGemissionsforcolleges,theACUPCCreportstonsofCO2eperfull-timeequivalentstudent(FTE).TheACUPCCrequirementsincluded:

WithintwomonthsoftheImple-mentationStartDate,establishaninstitutionalstructuretoguidethedevelopmentandimplementationoftheClimateActionPlan.

WithintwomonthsoftheImple-mentationStartDate,select2ormoreTangibleActions,selectedfromalistof7options,tobeinitiatedandcompletedwhilethelongtermClimateActionPlanwasbeingdeveloped.

WithinoneyearoftheImplemen-tationStartDate,andannuallythereafter,completeaninventoryandpublicreportongreenhousegasemissions(CarbonAudit).

WithintwoyearsoftheImplemen-tationStartDate,developaClimateActionPlanthatincludesatargetdateandinterimmilestonesforachievingclimateneutrality.

Onanongoingbasis,makepubliclyavailabletheinstitutionalstructure,greenhousegasinventory,ClimateActionPlan,andprogressreports,byprovidingthemtoAASHE(As-sociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityinHigherEducation)forpostinganddissemination

ThisClimateActionPlanincludesasummaryofthefindingsoftheRioSaladocarbonauditoffiscalyear2007/2008greenhousegas(GHG)emissions,andthecurrentmeasuresandproposedstrategiestoreducetheRioSaladocarbonfootprint.

Page 5 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 4 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan

ACUPCC Two-Month Reporting FormInstitutional StructureWhentheCollegesubmitteditstwo-monthreportingformitdesignatedtheLeadershipCouncil,whichincludesthePresidentandVicePresidents,Deans,AssociateDeans,FacultyChairs,andstaffandstudentrepresentationastheinstitutionalstructurewiththeresponsibilityforimplementationoftheClimateActionPlan.TheLeadershipCouncilisalsochargedwithadvancingallformsofsustainabilitywithinthecollege.

Carbon Audits2007-2008TheCarbonAuditforfiscalyear2007/2008wascompletedandthereportsubmittedtotheACUPCCinSeptember2008.ACarbonAuditforfiscalyear2008/2009isbeingcompleted,andwillbesubmittedtoACUPCCinSeptember2009.TheCarbonAuditwillberepeatedandsubmittedeachyear.

TheuniqueeducationaldeliverymethodprovidedbyRioSaladoresultsinoneofthesmallestcarbonfootprints(GHGemissionlevelsperstudent&staffpopulation)ofallthecollegesanduniversitiesthathavereportedto

ACUPCC Tangible ActionsRioSaladosubmittedtheACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingFormonNovember15,2007,whichindicatedthree(3)oftheoptionstobeaccomplishedbytheCollege.TheTwo-MonthReportingFormincludedthefollowingTangibleActions:

Action #2: Adopt energy efficient appliance purchas-ing policy

RioSaladoimmediatelyinstitutedapolicyrequiringthatallnewappliancepurchasesbeEnergyStarrated.

Action #4: Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all staff, stu-dents, and visitors

ThisActionrequiredeitherfreeorsubsi-dizedtransitpassesorfreecampusshuttles.ThroughtheMCCCD,RioSaladoprovidessubsidizedtransitpasses.

Action #5: Purchase or produce 15% of electricity from renewable resources

BothutilitycompaniesthatprovideservicetoRioSaladofacilitiesgenerate/purchasepercentagesoftheirelectricityfromrenew-ablesources.SaltRiverProject(SRP)cur-rentlyincorporates5%andwillincreasethatpercentageto15%by2020;andArizonaPublicService(APS)incorporates2%andwillachieve15%by2025.RioSaladoantici-patesreaching15%by2020.Inadditiontopurchasingrenewablepower,RioSaladoisinvestigatingsolarandotherstrategiesforon-siterenewablepowergeneration.

date.TheGHGemissionlevelof.9metrictonsofCO2eisapproximately24%ofthenationalaverageforcommunitycolleges.TheonlyotherinstitutionsreportingtoAASHEthathavesimilarcarbonfootprintsalsoprovideonlyorpredominantlyon-linedistancelearning.

Themajorityofinstitutions,includingRioSaladoCollege,usedtheCleanAir/CoolPlanet(CACP)CampusCarbonCal-culatortodeterminetheGHGemissionscreatedbytheirphysicalplant,students,andstaff.

The UnIqUe edUCATIonAl delIvery meThod ProvIded by rIo SAlAdo reSUlTS In one of The SmAlleST CArbon fooTPrInTS...

Page 7 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 6 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan

Insummary,theexceptionallysmallcarbonfootprintgen-eratedbyRioSaladosfacilities,staff,andstudentsistheresultofRioSaladoseducationaldeliverymodalitiesandteachingmethods.

Online Distance Learning:

Onlinedistancelearningisaverysustainabledeliverymodality.Therearetwomainfactorsforthis:theneedforfacilitiesisminimizedandcommutingisnegligible.

Facilities-BecausethemajorityofRioSaladosstudentsareonlinelearners,theneedforclass-roomsandotherinstructionalspaceiselimi-nated.RioSaladosbuildingsconsistprimarilyofadministration,facultyoffices,informationtech-nologyfacilities,andothersupportstaffspaces.

Commuting-Commutingmilesandtheresul-tantfuelconsumptionareminimal.Commutingtoattendclassroomsessionsiseliminated,andevencommutingforadvising,registration,tobuyandsellbooksatthebookstore,topaytuitionatthecashiersofficeandothercentralofficefunc-tionsisoptional.Allstudent-relatedservicesareavailableonline.Commutingisonlyrequiredformid-termandfinalexaminationsatconvenientcollegelocationsformostcourses.

Off-Site Teaching:

AnotherlargesegmentofRioSaladosteachingisdoneoff-siteforemployeesofcorporateandgov-ernmentalpartners,anddualenrolledhighschoolstudents.ThesedeliverymodalitieseliminatetheneedforCollege-ownedfacilities.

EducationServicePartners(ESP)-Theinstruc-tionoccursduringworkinghoursand,therefore,thecommutingmileageforthesestudentsisnotreportableforcarbonfootprintpurposesbyRioSalado.Itischargedtotheemployersincetheinstructionoccursasaresultofthestudentsemployment.Rioprovideslearningopportuni-tiesforover50majorcorporations,militarybasesandgovernmentalagencies.

Dualenrollmentsites(highschools)RioSaladohasdualenrollmentprogramscounty-wideat53highschools.Theinstructertifiedhighschoolteachers.Studentsearnbothhighschoolandcollegecredit.Asaresult,commutingmileageiseliminatedforthisinstructionaldeliverymodal-ity.

Incarceratedre-entryRioSaladooperatesanoccupationaltrainingprogramthroughtheAri-zonaDepartmentofCorrectionsforinmates.Thetrainingconsistsofworkforce-basededucation(WBE)andlife-skillsinstruction.Thesestudentsdonotcreateanycommutingemissions.

TheGHGemissionsarecalculatedbythreesources(scopes):

Scope 1 Emissions

Defined-directemissionsoccurringfromsourcesownedorcontrolledbytheinstitution,includingstationaryandmobilecombustionandfugitiveandprocessemissions.

Manycollegesoruniversitiesowncentralpower,steam,chilledwater,orco-generationplants(fixedcombustion),butRioSaladosprimaryScope1emis-sionsarethos