SUSTAINABILITY
COUNCIL
for SUSTAINABLE FUTURES Team Focuses on Embedding Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability into Stan State’s Culture By Gina Oltman
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ears of making small changes to reduce her family’s environmental footprint has taught Michele Gordon that sustainability is like a river – individual raindrops, once united, become a powerful force. It’s a concept the Chemistry Department instructional support tech enjoys seeing in action at home as her family adopts more sustainable habits. When she learned in 2020 that Stanislaus State’s Council for Sustainable Futures was accepting applications to fill newly added seats, she was quick to apply, eager to see the concept work on a larger scale. “Of course, it’s a little different when you translate it to a larger scale, like from a household to a campus situation,” said Gordon. “But it’s still one raindrop at a time, and all the raindrops make a river.” The council, on which Gordon now serves as a staff representative, is an 11-member advisory team dedicated to embedding the concepts of STA N M AGA Z I N E
environmental, social and economic sustainability into the values of Stan State. With a focus on education and environmentally friendly practices, it aims to foster awareness, understanding and a culture of sustainability on campus and in the local community. In recent years, the council has led, facilitated and supported a range of initiatives, basically creating a river of sustainability one drop at a time. Examples include nearly eliminating plastic straws in campus dining areas, extending and connecting campus bike paths, bringing numerous speakers to campus, blending sustainability topics into curriculum and championing an ongoing effort to meet more of the campus’ energy needs with solar power. To support its efforts, the University has become an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and has earned a silver rating through AASHE’s Sustainability, Tracking and Rating System (STARS).
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Council membership reflects the campus community. Seats are filled by students, administrators, faculty and staff members, allowing the council to hear a range of perspectives when discussing issues. “We don’t just deal with environmental sustainability. We are also looking at social justice and environmental justice in terms of sustainability,” said Jake Weigel, associate professor of art, who is in his second year on the council as a faculty fellow. “So that’s where it becomes really important for everyone to be represented at the table. We need different perspectives. One person might think differently than another person about sustainability. We need to understand those perspectives so we can grow the conversation.” Weigel says the diversity of council membership, as well as ongoing connections with previous members, helps council members reach out across the campus when they need feedback on an idea or expertise in a certain field.
