Mission & Sustainability at BHCC

To advance sustainability, environmental conservation and scholarship on sustainability topics and to help prepare the next generation of leaders in a new clean energy economy. We seek to position Bunker Hill Community College as a vanguard of the field and help make the environmental, social, health, and economic benefits of sustainability a reality on our campus and around the world to better serve our diverse community.

Bunker Hill Community College has a longstanding commitment to sustainability. In 2007, President Mary Fifield signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and formed the President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee as an advisory committee to carry out the mandates associated with being a signatory of the ACUPCC. Since 2007, BHCC has furthered its commitment by developing and implementing plans to improve the performance of campus buildings, meet greenhouse gas reduction goals, and support a culture of sustainability for our students, faculty, and staff. The College has also included in its long range goals the commitment to "Cultivate College-Wide Sustainability Initiatives."

Some of our achievements to date include:

• LEED Gold Certification of the 48,000 square foot Health and Wellness Center constructed in 2009 under version 2.2 of the United States Green Building Council's green building program.
• Institutional policies such as the Temperature Setpoint, Green Building, Green Car Parking Permit Policy, Energy Star Purchasing Policy, and Waste Minimization to help reduce heating and cooling loads, to establish minimum standards for college building projects and to reduce unnecessary waste at the College.
• Periodic Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reporting to the ACUPCC.
• Completion of energy conservation and efficiency projects outlined in the BHCC GreenpactClimateActionPlan.
• Student Sustainability Club.
• BHCC faculty integrated sustainability within courses throughout the curriculum.
• BHCC faculty, staff, and students launched the Urban Garden Project and developed the Farm Share to promote sustainable agriculture.
• In 2011 Professional Development Day for all faculty and staff was focused on sustainability as a theme.

BHCC has received praise for its sustainability efforts including: a National Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, a non-profit organization dedicated to making sustainable living the foundation of all learning and practice in higher education. The 48,000 square foot Heath and Wellness Center received the 2008 Green Design Concept Award from Education Design Showcase.