A National Leader in Sustainability
Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our land use, our curriculum,
our facilities and operations, our student activities, and in our leadership.
40 Years of Environmental Stewardship
Pathway to Sustainability
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Legacy
Leadership
Commitment
Planning
Implementation
Land Use
Recycling
Facilities
Transportation
Energy/Solar
Curriculum
 Student Involvement
 Recognition
Our Legacy
From the purchase of the first 300 acres in 1968, to our current stewardship of
928 acres, Butte College has steadfastly focused on effective environmental
management of the land and resources entrusted to its care.
The college and surrounding land
was designated a Wildlife Refuge by
the Board of Trustees in 1973.
Our Legacy (continued)
Butte College is unique among
California Community Colleges
because:
Function as a self contained city;
Manage own water system;
Maintain own sewage treatment
facility;
Operate the largest community
college bus transportation system
in the state;
Occupy over 110 buildings &
facilities;
Produce own electricity and
became grid positive in 2011;
Possess numerous awards as a
national leader in Sustainability.
Leadership
There were five catalysts that started Butte College on the road to
becoming a national leader in sustainability:
Tradition
Board of Trustees
American Democracy Project
Sustainability Champions
Presidential Leadership
College Sustainability Structure:
Sustainability Steering Committee
Faculty Sustainability Committee
Commitment
Sustainability is included in our
Mission Statement
Board Policies
Core Values
Strategic Plan
Mission Statement
Butte College provides quality education, services, and
workforce training to students who aspire to become
productive members of a diverse, sustainable, and global
society. We prepare our students for life-long learning
through the mastery of basic skills, the achievement of
degrees and certificates, and the pursuit of career and
transfer pathways.
Core Values
Students First
Excellence
Diversity in Community
Communication
Accountability
Sustainability
Board Policy #6666 – Energy & Sustainability
The Board delegates to the Superintendent/President or designee the authority to develop
practices and procedures that continue the legacy of leadership in sustainability in all areas
of the college, including instruction, operations, construction, facilities, land use, energy
conservation, and environmental integrity. The Energy and Sustainability procedures will
include goals and guidance for all facets of the college that ensure the evolution of best
practices in sustainability.
“Modeling Sustainability”, Strategic Direction
Maintain Butte College’s leadership in sustainability
Integrate sustainability into the curriculum by developing new courses, increasing
the number of courses with a sustainability component, and using multi‐disciplinary
approaches to link these courses
Continue working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2015
Certify new buildings (Arts and Student/General Services) and selected existing
buildings to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard
Develop and implement strategies to attract sustainable industries and provide
students the skills they need to succeed in the emerging green economy
Continue to improve sustainability awareness at Butte College
Focus on the social equity part of triple bottom line
Sustainable Land Use Management
Clear Creek Riparian Restoration Project utilizes goats for
riparian restoration. The goats consume over 90% of the
non-native vegetation and weeds.
Dining service
waste is fed to over
30,000 red wiggler
worms, and worm
castings are then
used to fertilize our
growing fields.
Biofiltration Wetland Education
Learning Laboratory (BeWELL)
Project offers students in
Mathematics, Engineering, and
Science Achievement (MESA) an
opportunity to work as interns on a
real-world project by monitoring
campus storm water runoff, and
calculating the results necessary to
biofilter the chemicals.
Land Use (continued)
Agriculture Department has
obtained organic certification on 26
acres where fruit, lettuce, hay, and
wine grapes are grown.
Our Wildlife Refuge offers “live”
classroom settings that further
student learning.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Meet the state standard to divert over 50% of our waste
stream from the landfill, and recycled approximately
90% of our waste last year.
Operate an extensive program recycling paper, cans,
bottles, scrap metal, hazardous waste, and much
more.
Dining Services composts 1,500 pounds of food
waste each month, and recycled or recyclable
materials are used for napkins, plates, food
containers, and more.
Facilities
Exceed California Title 24
energy efficiency
requirements by at least 15%
on all our projects.
Arts
Received numerous
environmental awards with the
construction and remodel of
several new energy efficient
buildings.
Arts building was the first educational building in Northern California awarded LEED Gold
Certification. Student & Administrative Services gold certification currently pending.
SAS
AHPS
Facilities (continued)
Chico Center
New and remodeled facilities incorporate
numerous energy efficient features:
lighting with occupancy sensors,
products made of recyclable
materials,
energy efficient HVAC systems,
water saving devices such as low
flow toilets, automatic faucet shutoff sensors, and more.
Implemented a reduced work
week to increase savings by
decreasing facilities usage
without negative impact to our
students.
Chico Center and Learning
Resource Center (LRC) have also
been recognized as meeting
sustainable energy requirements.
LRC
Environmentally Friendly Transportation
Operate the largest community college
transportation system in California, helping to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by keeping
over 1,500 cars off the road daily. Buses are
biodiesel compatible and several operate
using natural gas.
Planning with the county to provide a bicycle
path to the college.
Provide students programs to assist
finding ridesharing opportunities.
Offer carpool
parking spaces,
as well as spaces
for alternative
fuel, hybrid, and
fuel efficient
vehicles.
Solar, Solar, Solar
At the suggestion of Trustee Lou Cecchi in
2004, began researching the use of solar to
power the college. Seven years later, made
history as the first college in the nation to
become 100% grid positive.
Solar Phase I (above), a four acre ground
mounted project consisting of over 5,700
panels supplying 25% of our electricity
needs, was completed in 2005.
At the completion of Phase II (above &
right) in 2009, became the largest solar
campus in California with 45% of our
energy generated from ground, roof, and
covered parking panels.
Solar (continued)
Upon completion of Solar Phase III in
June 2011 (ribbon cutting below),
Butte College became home to more
than 25,000 solar panels. Savings
generated by eliminating an electric
bill allows the college to invest these
funds toward student learning.
With the completion of each successive solar
and building project, the college received
rebate checks from PG&E in excess of $6
million.
Solar Phase III (largest installation) includes
numerous arrays of shaded, covered parking and
walkways at the Chico Center and main campus.
The campus generates energy equivalent to
removing over 600 automobiles from the roads,
or enough electricity to power more than 900
homes annually. We will recognize over $150
million in savings over the next 30 years.
Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum
Infusing sustainability courses into
curriculum, career & technical
education programs, and
workforce development has
remained a high priority.
Implemented a Sustainability Studies Certificate program.
Implemented a Green Building Certificate Program offering
green building courses and workshops using campus buildings
and solar arrays as learning labs.
Automotive Department partnered with PG&E to develop a
statewide Electric Hybrid Vehicle training program.
Utilized a grant from the Workforce Investment Board to
develop training programs for displaced workers in areas of
solar design and installation, green building, and energy
fundamentals
Chico Energy Pioneers focused on Building Performance
Certification using 100 homes.
Campus ponds built using training and equipment from heavy
equipment class.
Student Involvement and Outreach
Student-led sustainability events and clubs include,
Earth Day, Campus Sustainability Day, Energy
Awareness Fair, Campus Clean-Up, Student Alliance for
Sustainability, Friends of the Refuge, and more.
The Associated Students
Campus Sustainability
Resource Center (below)
opened in 2008 and
functions as a source of
information to learn
about various topics
related to sustainability.
Our graduates are invited to
don a green tassel and pledge
to, “explore and take into
account the social and
environmental consequences
for any job I consider and try to
improve these aspects in any
organization for which I work.”
The American Democracy Project
fosters partnerships between
community colleges and
universities, focusing on issues
that create student involvement.
Butte College and CSU, Chico
formed a partnership and selected
sustainability as their theme.
Awards and Recognition
2011 - Received PG&E rebates totaling approximately $6 million
.
2011- Received Higher Education Energy Efficiency Partnership Best Practices Award for
Food Composting
2010 – Recipient of PG&E Integration Award recognizing institutions that combine
successful energy conservation projects with projects resulting in decreased
consumption of electricity from the grid.
2009 - Arts Building awarded Higher Education Energy Efficiency Partnership Best
Practices Award in New Construction HVAC Design & Retrofit.
2009 – The only educational institution to receive the National Green Power Leadership
Award from the Environmental Protection Agency.
2009 – Received National Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher
Education (AASHE) Campus Leadership Award.
2009 – Accreditation Commission commended the college for its “stewardship and
leadership in environmental sustainability and integrating this important domain into
student learning and campus planning”.
2008 – Grand prize recipient of National Wildlife Federation’s “Chill Out: Campus
Solutions to Global Warming”, honoring schools ahead of their time for sustainability
efforts.
2004 – Recipient of Chico Rotary Environmental Awareness Award.
The culmination of these accomplishments would not have been possible
without the collaboration of numerous entities. Butte College would like to
thank all of the individuals, businesses, and partnerships throughout the
campus, community, state, and country for their assistance and cooperation
as we realize our vision by becoming the “Best and most Sustainable
Community College in California”.
Information and Data as of June 2011