Student Environmental Sustainability Committee (SESC)

Information Sheet

Who we are: The Student Environmental Sustainability Committee (SESC) is an independent, student-run committee

at Niagara College focused on sustainability. We formed at the Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) campus in

January of 2011 through the joint efforts of Niagara College Environmental and Business students. The

committee is comprised of about a dozen student members from a multitude of different Niagara College

programs, including: Environmental Management and Assessment (EMA), Business Operations

Management, Environmental Technicians, and Marketing. Collectively, we represent the concerns and

interests of the entire student body at the college with regards to environmental sustainability.

SESC Mission Statement: The mission statement of the Student Environmental Sustainability Committee (SESC) is as follows:

“To make Niagara College a leader in environmental stewardship by promoting environmentally

sustainable policies and practices on campus. The SESC is dedicated to working proactively with

College Upper Management and the College community to both develop and meet sound environmental

objectives and targets. The Committee’s work shall focus on identifying policies that promote the most

efficient use of College resources, to coordinate and consolidate sustainability efforts on all campuses,

and to increase the overall awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability at Niagara

College.”

Why the SESC Formed: The SESC was formed in response to some serious concerns and student dissatisfaction regarding Niagara

College’s current environmental sustainability status. The following list outlines some of these concerns:

• “Sustainability” is listed under the College’s official “Vision and Mission Statement”, which can

be found on the school’s website. However, Niagara College does not currently have an

Environmental Management System (EMS) or Environmental Policy Statement: There is no

documentation or webpage outlining the school’s environmental sustainability efforts, policies,

goals and objectives, accountability, monitoring, reporting, or plans for continual improvement.

• Niagara College offers several different environmental programs (including Environmental

Management and Assessment, which is Eco-Canada Accredited and one of the premier

environmental management programs in Canada), but upper management does not practice some

of the lessons that the school itself teaches, such as implementing an efficient waste management

program or creating a transparent environmental management plan to work off of. We feel that

Niagara College should be a leader with regards to these issues.

• Competitor Mohawk College just created a comprehensive environmental sustainability program

in 2010 and is leaving Niagara College way behind. Mohawk has created a page on their website

dedicated to outlining their environmental sustainability plans, policies and practices, as well as

goals and objectives. Their web page is transparent, providing information on: an environmental

management plan, waste audits, carbon emissions, ride sharing programs, educational awareness,

community projects, and much more. Mohawk’s new environmental sustainability page can be

viewed at:

http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/environmental-sustainability.html

• 2011 waste audits carried out at the Niagara College NOTL campus by Environmental

Management and Assessment graduate students revealed that the waste diversion rate (amount of

waste diverted from landfill by recycling programs) for the main building was approximately

36%, and just 15% for the Niagara Culinary Institute (NCI) Building. This is rather dismal when

compared to the diversion rate of Competitor Mohawk College, about 61.5% (Waste audit readily

available on their website, carried out by Alan Brewis Waste Consulting, 2010).

• There is currently no organic waste collection program at Niagara College, especially in the

Niagara Culinary Institute building, where enormous amounts of organic waste is sent directly to

landfill.

• There are currently no recycling bins in many of the college classrooms, and classrooms generate

the largest volume of waste in the entire school (as determined by annual waste audits at the

NOTL campus, carried out by graduate students in the Environmental Management and

Assessment program). This has created large amounts of waste being sent to landfill, from

otherwise recyclable materials.

• Niagara College has signed the Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability developed by the

association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC). The goal of the protocol is to: “Provide

member institution leaders with an opportunity to share best practices on incorporating

sustainability principles in vision statements, missions, core values, strategic plans, priorities,

policies, operations, procurement strategies and ethical investments, as well as to learn how staff

and students have become eco-conscious citizens and agents for change in their communities.”

Signatories to the Protocol agree to: “provide leadership to their internal and external

communities and to maximize their contribution to a sustainable future.” By voluntarily signing

this protocol, Niagara College has an obligation to improve its current sustainability efforts and

strive to be a leader going forward.

What the SESC is Doing:

The SESC is currently spreading awareness at Niagara College and in the community with regards to the

importance of environmental sustainability at the college. One of our main objectives is to rally the entire

student body and faculty to the environmental sustainability cause. SESC engages the students and

faculty in many different ways: by talking to classes directly, by setting up our awareness board in the

school hallways, by using our SESC Facebook page, and by handing out SESC information leaflets. The

SESC also works in close coordination with Niagara College’s student council (SAC)

SESC members have weekly meetings to discuss new strategies, events, opportunities, and concerns.

Recently, several SESC members have had a constructive meeting with Niagara College President, Dan

Patterson, where we brought our concerns and goals to his attention. The SESC informed Dr. Patterson

that we are committed to working proactively with the College to develop sustainable policies and

practices. A new sustainability committee has recently been announced by Dr Patterson. The SESC will

be carried on permanently by students at Niagara College as the students’ voice with regards to College

sustainability matters.

SESC’s Goals: 1. We insist that Niagara College creates and implements an environmental management

program/plan before the new school year (September 2011), which shall include: policies,

practices, baseline studies, objectives and targets to be met, accountability, monitoring

procedures, and transparent reporting and communication (i.e. an up-to-date webpage).

2. We insist that Niagara College creates and fills a job position for an “Environmental

Sustainability Coordinator” before the next school year (September, 2011). This person would

be charged with developing and upholding an environmental management plan for the entire

College. They would coordinate all sustainability efforts and report directly to upper

management. This person must also have a significant environmental background/experience,

so that they are capable of carrying out all relevant tasks.

We feel that these goals are not unrealistic for the College at the present time, and are the absolute key

elements to starting a successful environmental management program. Once these elements are in place,

the SESC will be better positioned to aid the College with its sustainability initiatives by providing

student insight and useful resources.

SESC’s Key Messages:

• Niagara College needs to create and implement an environmental management plan ASAP; as we

cannot risk falling even further behind (We need to be a leader!). The college needs to hire a

qualified individual with an environmental background to coordinate all sustainability efforts and

report to upper management- currently, the College has no such position in its hierarchy.

• Niagara College prides itself on student satisfaction (they are rated #1 in student satisfaction over

the last 6 years). However, there are many students, faculty, and employees that have expressed

there dissatisfaction with Niagara College’s current environmental sustainability efforts.

Operating in a sustainable way not only benefits the environment, but it also reduces the use of

resources and saves money.

• Members of the SESC truly love Niagara College. Our school’s programs and faculty are some

of the best in the industry, if not the best, and we don’t want anything to detract from that fact.

We want our college to be a leader in environmental sustainability going into the future, and are

committed to working proactively with upper management to develop and implement a strategy

going forward, as well as provide the necessary resources.

• The SESC is currently in constructive talks with Upper Management at Niagara College. We are

committed to helping however we can, but in the end, it is up to Upper Management to make the

significant changes required to work towards sustainability. Dan Patterson, President of Niagara

College, has confirmed that an official Sustainability Committee will be formed at the College,

which is an excellent start. This committee shall have representatives from head management,

faculty, Facilities Management, SAC, as well as the SESC

• We encourage Niagara College to further utilize the skills of its students and highly

knowledgeable and qualified faculty for purposes of improving environmental sustainability on

campus. Students and faculty at the college can provide much support and many different

resources for creating and implementing an environmental management plan. We’re here, and

we’re all willing to do our part to help Niagara College move forward!

���� Environmental Management and Assessment graduate students currently carry out

annual waste audits for the College facilities. They are also capable of carrying out

energy audits, compliance audits, carbon audits, and the development of an

Environmental Management System (EMS).

���� Similarly, Business students are readily available to aid with organizational components

and cost-benefit analyses.

• Creating a transparent environmental management plan has become increasingly important for

businesses and organizations to convey to their stakeholders. Students, faculty, and employees

will receive a boost in morale, and the school will be more attractive to prospective talent going

forward. Mohawk College’s environmental management plan is an excellent example of this, and

should be one to emulate.

• The College needs to start by addressing some of the key, simple issues with regards to

environmental sustainability (the “low hanging fruit”), such as developing a basic plan, putting

blue boxes in classrooms, implementing an organic waste collection program in the culinary

building, and creating a transparent webpage for stakeholders. Further objectives and targets

should follow as part of continual improvement.

SESC’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/keepourcollegeclean

The SESC has its own Facebook page where members post current information on sustainability issues at

the college: facts and figures, work being done, and upcoming events. The page is complete with the

SESC’s mission statement and concerns. It is through this forum that the student body, faculty,

employees, and general public are encouraged to ask questions and post their comments/concerns with

regards to sustainability at Niagara College. SESC members continually monitor and update the page;

addressing concerns and answering questions where appropriate. The SESC Facebook page currently has

over 500 supporters and is growing rapidly.