Delta College President, Jean Goodnow receivesSecond Nature’s 1st Annual Climate Leadership Award for Outstanding Individual Climate Leadership. Award recipients were recognized at the 4th AnnualAmerican College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment Summit in Denver, CO on October 12th.
President Jean Goodnow has been making sustainability a strategic imperative by integrating it into Delta College’s (MI), educational, administrative, and operational activities. In 2007, President Goodnow signed the ACUPCC and convened a Sustainability Task Force. In 2008, she assembled a college-wide Green Summit during which sustainable concepts were introduced and input from the campus community was invited. As a result, Green Fridays, a four-day work-week, was piloted. Green Fridays has been established as a successful measure of carbon reduction and expanded each year.
In early 2009, the College Board of Trustees passed a recommendation to elect sustainability as a Guiding Principle. This prompted the college’s Accreditation Steering Committee to identify sustainability as an Academic Quality Improvement Process (AQIP) and was added to the AQIP Action Plan in 2008/09 and in 2009/10. The integration of sustainability throughout the accreditation process has steadily progressed with its adoption as a Systems Portfolio Distinctive Objective in the 2009/10 academic year. In 2010/11, sustainability will take a leading role as an Institutional Strategic Action Plan. Delta College convened an academic sustainability team to begin the development of a sustainable curriculum. Sustainability-related courses are debuting in the fall 2010 semester. An ‘Introduction to Sustainability’ course is being launched and serves as the foundation of the Sustainability Certificate Program.
Dr. Goodnow has immersed Delta College in the vision of the Great Lakes Bay region, as well. As an integral member of the ‘Visions of Green’ network, she was instrumental in bringing together stakeholders to expedite local and statewide efforts to preserve the natural corridors between tri-county recreation areas. She is a strong proponent for developing partnerships in business and industry, especially in the emerging alternative energies. Clickhere to learn more about President Goodnow and Delta College’s sustainability efforts.
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