Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
www.scu.edu

Contact:
Lindsey Cromwell, Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
Phone: 408-554-2369
lcromwell@scu.edu
www.scu.edu/sustainability

Santa Clara University (SCU) is dedicated to ensuring that every student, faculty, and staff member develops a "culture of sustainability." SCU adopted a Sustainability Policy in 2004 that devotes the university to sustainability through stewardship, education, and outreach. This commitment is highlighted in SCU’s strategic plan as one of its Future Directions. As a Jesuit university, SCU's mission is for its students, staff, and faculty to be engaged with society and be committed to fashioning a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

SCU has also dedicated itself to sustainability by signing the American College and University President's Climate Commitment and committed itself to emissions reductions 20 percent below its 1997 levels by 2010, which is an overall decrease of 34 percent from 2006 emissions. SCU is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and is a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

SCU has a full-time Sustainability Coordinator, four sustainability interns and one recycling intern.

Water conservation and water use efficiency is at the forefront of SCU’s environmental stewardship initiatives. The following are a few highlights of our water conservation programs. For more, see http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/stewardship/water.cfm

		More than 85 percent of SCU’s 104-acre campus landscape is irrigated with recycled water. In 2008, SCU consumed 157 acre-feet of reclaimed water through South Bay Water Recycling. For more about water recycling and South Bay Water Recycling visit http://www.epa.gov/region/water/recycling/ In addition, SCU strives to reduce watering needs by using drought-tolerant plants where appropriate.
		SCU reduced non-irrigated potable water consumption by 16 percent since 2001. In 2001, SCU consumed roughly 71 gallons of non-irrigation potable water per gross square foot of building space. That was reduced to about 60 gallons in 2008.
		More than 200 waterless urinals have been installed throughout campus (replacing all flushable urinals) saving 40,000 gallons of water per year for each urinal according to the manufacturer’s literature. SCU is pilot testing dual-flush toilets in some women’s restrooms which are estimated to use 2/3 less water than "conventional" flush toilets. And, toilets in the campus Learning Commons are dual-plumbed so they are flushed with recycled water.
		Low-flow shower-heads which use 2.5 gallons per minute have been installed in about 95 percent of residence hall showers. SCU replaced top-loading washing machines with front-loading models reducing water consumption by 35 to 50 percent and saving about 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of water per unit per year.

Santa Clara University is reducing energy demand, improving energy use efficiency, and increasing support for and reliance on renewable energy sources while working toward carbon neutrality. SCU encourages energy innovation through a comprehensive and collaborative approach among the campus community. Students are encouraged to share ideas and input with campus administrators. For example, marketing students assessed the potential energy reduction, costs, and benefits of giving each campus resident an energy saving power strip that senses when a computer is not in use and automatically shuts off peripherals. Other students are conducting an undergraduate research project to test the suggestion and determine savings to the university. Among major renovations initiatives are:

		Retrofitted the HVAC systems in the campus bookstore, a 25-year-old multicultural center, and an electronics laboratory utilizing a rebate of more than $109,000 from Silicon Valley Power.
		With the help of $9,000 rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric SCU implemented boiler change outs in its Energy Center realizing 190,000 BTU/hr in energy savings. The money saved there-by will be used to fund more energy conservation projects.
		Installed a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system, projected to produce an average of 80,300 kilowatt-hours annually. This array has resulted in $125,000 in rebates from Silicon Valley Power. SCU is also the largest contributor to Silicon Valley Power’s Green Power program, purchasing an equivalent to the annual output of three and a half large-scale wind turbines, representing 11,256 megawatt-hours of renewable energy.

Although SCU strives to purchase sustainable materials composed of recycled, reused, and certified sustainable content, a de-centralized purchasing system makes it difficult to establish and account for such a campus-wide policy.

When constructing new buildings, SCU considers indoor environmental quality (i.e. acoustical performance, increased ventilation, low-emitting materials, daylight and views, thermal comfort, mold prevention). All paints and adhesives are low VOC, (volatile organic compound) and cabinet substrates are low VOC and formaldehyde free. SCU has begun to use raised-floor systems in their new buildings which provides flexibility to adapt to future needs, but also reduces renovation costs and material use without having to readjust electrical and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. For more details, visit http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/stewardship/building.cfm

Santa Clara University’s commitment to sustainability is incorporated academically by utilizing the operation and structure of the campus for experiential learning. The Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project (SLURP) helps students integrate residence life, research, and sustainability. SLURP participants live together, take joint classes, make lifestyle choices and conduct research that examines and influences campus sustainability. Find out more about SLURP at
http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/education/slurp.cfm and more about the infusion of sustainability into other academic areas at
http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/education/academics.cfm

Santa Clara also strives to embed sustainability in the curriculum. The Penstemon project is a peer-led workshop to help faculty develop a new class or modify an existing one around issues of sustainability. While the goal of this project has been to increase sustainability-oriented classes, a stronger campus community has emerged as a result. Sustainability will also be an important part of our new core curriculum. For more about sustainability and academics at SCU, visit http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/education/index.cfm

A group of staff, faculty, and a students representing the Office of Sustainability, University Operations, Facilities, School of Engineering, Center for Science, Technology, and Society, Environmental Studies Institute, English, CyPhi RLC, Communication, School of Law, Information Services, Leavey School of Business, Auxiliary Services, University Relations, Associated Students, and the Provost Office; make up the SCU Sustainability Council. This council guides the initiatives of the Office of Sustainability.

Santa Clara University recognizes that sustainability is a moral imperative as human behavior may compromise the well-being of future generations therefore sustainability is part of SCU’s social justice mission. Jesuit universities, and higher education in general, can play a critical role in engaging students with sustainability in an empowering way and can help society to overcome related global challenges.

SCU Students have numerous opportunities to become involved with sustainability on campus. They may choose to live in the CyPhi Residential Learning Community, focused on sustainability and the arts, participate in campus events, join student groups like the GREEN Club, Net Impact, or Bottom Line and Beyond, work on the Solar Decathlon project, as well as other awareness initiatives. For more about sustainability related student groups and activities, visit
http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/education/studentorganizations.cfm

Santa Clara University also helps the local civic community make the connection between the operation of the college, sustainability, and Catholic social teaching.
A Sustainability Decathlon was created in 2007. SCU students mentor local high school teams as they build sustainability infrastructure and awareness on their high school campuses, while gaining leadership opportunities and extracurricular academic experience as they learn and teach their peers about sustainability. Ten categories are emphasized in this multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary activity: science and technology, food and agriculture, social responsibility, interpersonal communication, technological communication, conservation, human solidarity, environmental relationships, leadership and education, and green-living, As students become involved in this student-led project, they become positively invested in both their high schools and their communities. Find out more at http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/service/decathlon2009.cfm

Santa Clara University partners with Sustainable Silicon Valley, a collaboration of businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations that are identifying and addressing environmental and resources pressures in Silicon Valley. SCU also works closely with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a local organization dedicated to addressing major public policy issues affecting the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley.

The Office of Sustainability is assisting the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in the development of a sustainability plan.

Managing the reduction, recycling, and reuse of such waste, SCU Facilities operates the University's recycling and waste program. Items are collected from campus buildings and taken to the Facilities Yard for sorting.

Of the 3,248,320 lbs. of waste collected at Santa Clara University in 2008, 30% (994,500 lbs.) was recycled, composted, reused, donated, re-sold, or otherwise diverted from landfills. Managed by SCU Facilities, items are collected from all campus building and sorted on campus. In addition to plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper/cardboard; electronics, batteries, cell phones, ink cartridges, compact fluorescent light bulbs and other metals are recycled. An undergraduate recycling intern also facilitates the recycling program by providing instructional and educational materials to facilitate proper recycling habits through RecycleMania, the sustainability website, posters, magnets, online FAQ, etc. See http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/stewardship/recycling.cfm
SCU’s Applied Technology and IT Service Center replaces about 600 computers every year, and through a special packaging arrangement with Dell Computers SCU has reduced related packaging by half. Smaller packages with multiple computers allows Dell to increase shipping density which reduces fuel and related carbon emissions due to product transportation. It also speeds up deployment time, and reduces the amount of time spent unpacking.

More than 20 percent of food expenditures are from local food sources (grown and processed within 150 miles of Santa Clara University). Santa Clara University Dining Services by Bon Appétit purchases local produce as a rule; 50% local produce up to 80% seasonally; using guidelines set by the Bon Appétit Farm to Fork program. Imported produce (sourced outside of North America) is strongly discouraged. Additionally, local bakeries and coffee roasters are used for any outsourced items needed. Dining services by Bon Appétit sustainable seafood, antibiotic-free meats (vegetarian-fed hamburger), cage-free and certified humane eggs. Vegan options are offered for every meal period. Biodegradable catering and to-go containers/utensils are offered for customers who cannot eat on-site.

Santa Clara University works to reduce transportation-related emissions by encouraging employees to use public transit by selling employees 25% discounted tickets. A carpool program offers free on-campus parking for faculty, staff, and students that share rides. Use of personal vehicles is discouraged as first year students are generally not allowed to have parking permits and other students, faculty, and staff must buy parking passes for a limited amount of spaces on campus.