Background

We will work to achieve more sustainable practices as an institution, encourage sustainable initiatives at the College and in the community, and provide increased opportunities in sustainability education while encouraging good citizenship and global awareness by all.
And so reads priority #11 within MxCC’s 2011-2016 Strategic Plan in support of our college’s overarching goal to provide an engaging environment conducive to lifelong learning and the development of citzenship and broad interests amongst our community. The Strategic Plan is scheduled for updating in 2017.

MxCC’s Strategic Plan is found here.

 

Middlesex Community College (MxCC) signed the American College and University Presidents’ College Commitment (ACUPCC)* on April 16th, 2012. As part of this signing, the college committed to provide a series of reports and develop a plan for achieving climate neutrality in the future.

In January 2013, the college commissioned the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University to conduct a Facilities Benchmarking & Walkthrough Survey, utilizing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star-Portfolio Manager. The results of this survey were used by the Institute to create MxCC’s first Greenhouse Gas Inventory during the Fall of 2013, which was submitted to the ACUPCC on January 15, 2014.

MxCC’s Greenhouse Gas Reports are accessed here.

The process to create the college’s first College Action Plan was a systematic one. Since the signing, the President’s Climate Action Response Team (PCART) has met on a regular basis to discuss the results of the various energy and facilities reports conducted for the college as well as to review model Climate Action Plans from various other colleges and universities to generate ideas for our plan. The group also benefited from insight from veteran ACUPCC members from Wesleyan University and Eastern Connecticut State University as well as input from the community. A draft plan was presented to to the college community for feedback during a Fall 2014 professional day, and made available electronically throughout the Fall semester. In addition, comments were formally requested from each of the six standing committees of the shared governance system. The Plan was presented to College Council for endorsement in January 2015, and formally submitted to ACUPCC shortly thereafter.

MxCC’s Climate Action Plan is found here.

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*In October, 2015, the ACUPCC was rebranded. The ACUPCC is now named the Carbon Commitment. The network of all signatory institutions, including MxCC, is called the Climate Leadership Network. For more information, visit www.secondnature.org.