Okanagan College scores silver medal for sustainability

Okanagan College Media Release

The largest community college in B.C.’s Interior has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability with a silver STARS ranking from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The ranking makes Okanagan College the first community college in B.C. to receive this recognition, and places the college among 22 Canadian educational institutes that have put sustainability at the forefront of their mandate. The assessment applies to all four campuses in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton.

Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton said one of the key aims of the College for 2010-2015 is to become a leader in sustainability, and this designation acts as a critical benchmark for that objective.

“This new designation supports our greater vision for Okanagan College – that we serve, lead and anticipate the social, economic and environmental needs of communities,” Hamilton said.

STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

The program requires that participating institutions assess their sustainable practices in the areas of education and research, operations, planning, administration and engagement, and innovation.

The College received STARS recognition for numerous practices and innovations including:

· The treated effluent water and heat recovery system at the Centre for Learning in Kelowna

· The use of a crusher to safely and efficiently dispose of Compact Florescent Lights

· Offering sustainability courses in 12 departments.

The silver rating was assessed prior to the completion of the College’s Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewal Energy Conservation, one of the world’s most sustainable buildings, located in Penticton. Now complete, the net-zero water and energy building will make a considerable contribution to the College’s sustainability efforts. (FortisBC also recognized Okanagan College with two awards for its outstanding achievements in energy efficiency and for its leadership and commitment to innovation, conservation and sustainability at its annual PowerSense awards event held earlier this month.)

More than 250 institutions have taken part in the STARS program, which ranks participants with a Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rating.

The AASHE was founded in 2005 to help coordinate and strengthen campus sustainability efforts, and to serve as the first North American professional association for those interested in advancing campus sustainability.

For more information about the STARS assessment program, visit stars.aashe.org.