Washington College

About Washington College

Sustainability

Sustainability integrates the world's social, economic, and environmental well-being with the long-term ecological vitality of the Earth.

Your revolution starts here. At Washington College, students are immersed in a culture of learning that explores the relation of human society with the biosphere. From the classroom to the residence halls, the awareness of our connection to the environment is strengthened by our campus location, nestled amid farmlands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Ecological Programs

Eco-facts

Presented by the Student Government Association and Student Environmental Alliance.

Initiatives

Dining Services

Dining Services operates with a variety of ecological considerations.

Shoes for Ghana

Since 2008, WC SIFE has been collecting gently used tennis shoes to give to a non-profit organization called PPPF Africa. The shoes are shipped to Ghana and sold to street vendors, thus keeping them out of landfills for awhile longer and stimulating the Ghanaian economy. The money raised by selling the sneakers is used to purchase sustainable farming supplies, animals, plants, irrigation system and training for Ghanaian families, thus improving their quality of life and standard of living while preserving local rain forests. Last year WC SIFE reached its initial target of 600 shoes, which allowed it to adopt one Ghanaian family.

Community Garden Boxes

Beginning in summer 2009, WC SIFE placed Earth boxes with local Food Pantry clients to enable them to supplement pantry food with fresh vegetables with a minimal carbon footprint.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

"Chester" and "Sassafras," the first Washington College buildings to utilize "eco-friendly" geothermal heating and cooling, opened for student occupants in Fall 2008. The three-story buildings each house a hundred students in suites and semi-suites. See how the energy efficiencies work (PDF).

Sustainability in the Curriculum

In 2007, President Emeritus Baird Tipson, signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Part of the commitment is for Washington College to take several steps in pursuit of carbon neutrality. In Fall 2007 the President's Climate Action Committee was formed at Washington College. Within two years of signing the pledge Washington College must develop an institutional action plan, which will include "Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experience for all students". To address the education goal a subcommittee on sustainability in the curriculum was created.

Mission Statement

Educating for a sustainable future calls for integrating knowledge from many disciplines, so that Washington College students have the tools they need to be decision-makers and stewards of the world. One of the overarching principles of sustainability is the link between ecological and social values. Environment and culture are closely interconnected. Changes to one affect the other. By managing natural and cultural resources over the long term—and understanding how people manage their behavior—we can preserve the Earth for generations to come.

Faculty Experts

Green Your Dorm Room

Each student has a part to play in making our campus more sustainable. Here are some easy ways to green your dorm.

• Turn off the air conditioner when you are not in the room or use a fan instead.
• Put a box for recycling in your dorm-room or suit common room so it is more convenient collect recyclables without making a trip down the hall.
• Unplug appliances like printers, microwaves, chargers, etc when not in use because they take up energy even when they are not turned on.
• Use energy star appliance such as your refrigerator and microwave.
• Buy second hand so new materials do not have to be used.
• Buy local instead of shipping items across the country—also consider getting storage in the summer instead of having items shipped home.
• Use compact florescent light bulbs instead of conventional—especially avoid halogen torchiere lamps because they use hundreds of watts of electricity.
• Do not throw old batteries in the trash—recycle them at OIT in the basement of Smith—also use rechargeable batteries.
• Only do your laundry when you have a full load.
• Pay bills and check your bank statements online—most college students check their emails more often than their mailbox anyways.
• Print papers double sided.
• Read documents online instead of printing them—you can even highlight these using programs like word.
• Use reusable cups, plates, and utensils in your dorm.
• Use the back of old papers as scratch paper.
• Use a water filter such as a Brita instead of drinking from a plastic water bottle.
• Use reusable bags when going to the store.
• Use reusable mugs at when getting coffee or other drinks.
• Put your computer on sleep or hibernate when you are not using it.
• Take shorter showers—turn the water off when you shaving or scrubbing.
• Do not leave the water running while brushing your teeth.
• Use natural light instead of electricity when possible.
• Look for greener detergents and cleaning products—especially phosphate free ones because phosphates end up in the Chester River and can lead to bad water quality.

Dining Services

Cage Free Shell Eggs

Only Cage Free Shell Eggs are offered in our serveries. Washington College Dining Services is committed to taking a stand on animal welfare by offering only HFAC

Sustainable Seafood

Chartwells has partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program to assure that all seafood served in our accounts comply with strict sustainability requirements.

Zero Trans Fat Oils

Only Zero Trans Fat Oils are used on our campuses.

Fair Trade Organic Certified Coffee

We Offer Only Fair Trade Organic Certified Coffee in our residential dining venues.

Compost our Kitchen Scraps

Project Greenthumb focuses on composting.

Chicken Free of Hormones and Antibotics

We offer ONLY Antibiotic Free Poultry on our menus. Our purchasing guidelines are set up so that we only serve chicken and pork that has been produced with restricted use of these drugs, especially as a growth additive in feed.

rBGH-Free Dairy

Our Milk is rBGH FREE! We serve fluid milk from cows that have been certified to be free of the artificial grown hormones rBGH and rBST.

Fresh Produce

We Use Only Fresh Vegetables that are prepared in batches at the last possible minute and served in the smallest possible vessels to ensure that our customers enjoy the freshest tasting foods.

Student Environmental Alliance

The Washington College Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) is a student-run organization on campus. It promotes sustainability on campus and within the community, and works with various outside organizations to help promote sustainable practices. SEA welcomes all majors and disciplines to join at weekly meetings and events. SEA primarily focuses on:

• Promoting awareness of local, national, and international environmental issues and concerns
• Environmental education
• Keeping a record of accomplishments to provide for future SEA generations
• Providing a group that fosters personal environmental well-being
• Positively impacting the Washington College, Chestertown, and outside communities through its environmental initiatives