UC Clermont

UC Clermont Sustainability

UC Clermont is a local leader in reducing the impact of a large-scale organization on our pristine environment. We partner with faculty, staff, students and the wider local community to improve recycling efforts, to reduce consumption and to increase awareness of the impact of every day decision on the future of our planet.

UC Clermont 'Green List'

Going green matters. Since 2000, UC Clermont College has been dedicated to making steady, sustainable improvements to reduce the campus’s environmental impact and carbon footprint. These initiatives and projects include:

  • Bottle fillers (water fountains) to reduce one-time use plastic bottles; stainless steel bottles provided for every full-time faculty and staff member
  • White roof placed on the Edith Peters-Jones/Snyder Buildings to reflect sunlight, reducing cooling costs
  • HVAC upgrades and optimization to reduce electricity consumption and carbon footprint.
  • Nature trail added to campus
  • Wetlands Reclamation Project to improve/reduce runoff and erosion through South to West entrance road corridor into existing ponds; Pollinator garden added to the Wetlands area in 2021
  • Clean energy purchases
  • Campus oil recycling
  • Community garden
  • Replaced lighting with LEDs in all buildings; motion-sensors added to lights in campus classrooms and closets
  • Prioritize natural lighting in campus planning
  • New windows in Edith Peters-Jones Building
  • New blinds that provide better sun/heat blockage and better light penetration
  • Highly energy efficient power supplies in campus personal computers
  • Restroom upgrades: Install low-flow motion flushers on urinals, faucets with motion-activated units and hands-free paper towel dispensers throughout campus
  • Elimination of “vampire taps” in campus instructor podiums – reduced electrical use
  • Pay-For-Print student printing – reduced campus paper consumption by more than 80 percent
  • Consolidated faculty/staff printers and copiers
  • Consolidation and elimination of campus servers
  • Planted nearly 100 trees on campus since 2000
  • Winter salt-use reduction
  • Conversion to 100-percent wind energy via the American Electric Power agreement in 2018

Sustainability Committee

The Sustainability Committee’s mission is to establish a college-wide community that functions sustainably now and for future generations, uses economic and environmental resources efficiently, and promotes the cooperative efforts of faculty, staff and students in a way that fosters social justice in partnership with others at the University of Cincinnati as well as in the wider Clermont community.

Get Involved
  1. Membership
    1. Associate Director of Maintenance & Operations or one (1) full-time staff appointed by the Associate Director of Maintenance & Operations.
    2. Sustainability Coordinator from Planning, Design & Construction or one (1) staff member appointed by the Sustainability Coordinator from Planning, Design & Construction
    3. Three (3) full-time faculty members; elected at large
    4. Three (3) staff members; elected at large
    5. Three (3) students; appointed by the remainder of the committee
  2. Voting
    1. All Committee members shall be voting members.
    2. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of all members with the exception of student members. A simple majority of those present and voting shall be sufficient for passage of any issue, including the amending of these bylaws.
  3. Officers
    1. The Committee shall elect a “Chair” and a “Secretary” from its members. The Chair is responsible for creating the agenda for each meeting and an annual report. The Secretary will keep minutes of the proceedings.
  4. Terms of Office
    1. The Associate Director of Maintenance & Operations and the Sustainability Coordinator from Planning, Design & Construction are permanent members of the Committee. Faculty and Staff members will serve staggered two year terms, with the exception of one faculty member and one staff member being elected for a one-year term for the 2018–2019 academic year. Student members will serve one year terms.
    2. Faculty and staff members shall be elected for two (2) years. After two (2) consecutive terms they shall not be eligible for re-election for two (2) years.
    3. Conflict of Interest
      1. If a committee member determines he/she has a conflict of interest in a particular case under discussion, he/she shall not be present for the discussion or the vote. If more than one member has a conflict on the same issue, the Faculty Senate shall appoint a sufficient number of alternates to achieve a quorum.
      2. The Committee shall consider, on an individual basis, charges of conflict of interest which may be brought before the Committee by any of the full-time faculty, administrative staff or student body. If it is determined that there is a conflict, the Committee shall proceed as described above.
    4. Removal of a Member Before the End of a Term
      1. Provisions for removal of a member before the end of a term will be considered on an individual basis by the members of the committee. A request for removal of a committee member may be brought before the committee by any member of the college full-time faculty.
  5. Charge
    The Committee shall:
    1. Recognizing our obligation as a cutting edge educational institution, the Sustainability Committee’s mission is to lead the college in the practice of being socially, economically and environmentally responsible in our daily actions and long term planning. We will promote and facilitate the cooperative efforts of faculty, staff and students, in a way that fosters social justice, in partnership with others at the University of Cincinnati as well as in the wider Clermont community. We will meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
    2. The charge will be fulfilled by:
      1. Determining what issues most concern the UC Clermont campus community by conducting surveys and acting as an incubator where Cougars can collaborate on ideas and concerns.
      2. Reporting results and make recommendations of findings to student government, staff council, faculty senate and the Dean.
      3. Engaging students through service projects and development of student internships.
      4. Filing tri-annual STARS reports beginning in January 2019 as this program is the most effective way to assess progress in achieving sustainability on the Clermont campus.
  6. Conduct of Affairs
    1. Meetings will be held at least three (3) times a semester. Other meetings may be called as necessary by the Chair or a quorum of the Committee.
    2. The Committee will deal with other matters as designated by the Dean, Faculty Senate, or Staff Council. A current copy of the updated PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES for this committee shall become a permanent attachment to these BYLAWS.
    3. Five (5) faculty and staff members, in any combination will constitute a quorum.
    4. The Chair shall be responsible for submitting an Annual Report to the Dean, Faculty Senate and Staff Council.
  7. Interpretation
    1. Where either a procedure or administrative question arises that is not covered by the Clermont College SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE BYLAWS or the Committee’s PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES, the Committee shall follow the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont College guidelines.

Committee Chair

Headshot of Karen M Mathis

Karen M Mathis

Assoc Professor, CC Biology

215M CLER MCDONH

Links

Learn about UC Uptown's Sustainability efforts.