February 6, 2026

Earlier in the quarter, the executive team received a letter from the Sustainability Committee about the future of our commitment to this important value. With the sunset of the Bachelor’s in Sustainable Practices, the committee was concerned that we may be walking away from this value.

We are not.

The Bachelor’s program launched in 2015. Per state mandate, Bachelors’ programs at community colleges are to be self-sustaining. Cascadia gave the program 10 years to reach its full potential. Unfortunately, it never reached a critical mass of interested students to pay its way. There were certainly a lot of faculty and staff dedicated to the program’s success. As our first Bachelor’s program, we launched with fanfare and supporting marketing materials. We advertised consistently at high schools and fairs. Initially, there were companies like Microsoft and McKinstry who were eager to be involved. However, a multitude of employers with available jobs seeking our graduates did not materialize. Nor did the student interest. For sure, we have successful graduates in the field because of their education at Cascadia, but not the volume that could sustain the program.

So where do we uphold this value now? Please know that long before the Bachelor’s program, we had a commitment to sustainability in all its forms. That has not changed. It was pointed out by the committee that “Sustainability” and “Environmentalism”” are not the same thing. We agree. Many of the initiatives below are about environmentalism. True “sustainability” comes from when we talk about the intersection of behaviors that affect the environment and how these behaviors adversely affect marginalized populations. While this education may not exist in the upper 300 and 400-level courses of a Bachelor’s program anymore, we encourage all faculty who teach a sustainability-designated course (SU) to continue the teachings around this concept.

In the academic arena…

• There remains academic integration with sustainability-designated courses (SU) and the ability to get a Sustainability Concentration on any degree.
• We created a 2-year Water Resource Management Program that has an associated Technology Advisory Committee.
• Programming around Earth Week, Crows, and Muck will continue as long as we have willing partners in the faculty and staff.

In campus operations…

• We insist on paper reduction methods, like Canvas-posted syllabi, not printing Board packets, and storing notes/minutes/agendas digitally. As well, QR codes, electronic transcripts, and paperless communications are the norm.
• We lean into our composting, recycling, and waste reduction efforts with appropriate bins in office and hallways (i.e., the “triple bins”).
• We insist on energy efficient lighting in all buildings and water-saving toilets.
• We work side-by-side with the campus Grounds department to support efforts with the food forest, pollinator gardens, no-mow areas, and pesticide-free campus.
• We continue to report sustainability data and carbon-neutral data to the appropriate entities.
• We are responsible under the Clean Climate Act to also update campus infrastructure to be more sustainable.
• Our 3 day-on-campus and 2-days-remote “schedule” helps with sustainability as well as its other benefits. Fewer cars are on the road.

In Student Life and Student Success Services…

• Free water bottle programs have existed and are planned for the future.
• Support services are available via Zoom, saving student auto trips to campus.
• There is a norm to “recycle first”, like with campus decorations or office supplies.
• Giveaways are useful/functional rather than wasteful.
• Purchases involving compostable plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, etc., in bulk for clubs and programs are the norm.
• Text alerts are a norm to notify students of leftover food to reduce waste.
• There is a focus on sustainability features during campus tours for prospective students.

We should all take a moment to contemplate how the on-going initiatives above actually affect the lives of our employees, students, and environment. That’s sustainability. We should also think about what more we can do in our workplace and with our students.

Like with all our values and commitments, leadership assists in paving the way for the collective voice and action of our employees. We stay committed to the course. The action items, initiatives, suggestions, and people-power to fuel this voice (in this case, around sustainability) must come from all of us however. Each one of us is responsible for initiating sustainable efforts and inspiring our departments and students to do the same. The executive team will do what we can with the resources we have to further those ideas when they are for the good of the campus, our students and social justice. We hope the Sustainability Committee can maintain the pledge they articulated to us:

“The Sustainability Committee pledges to work collaboratively with the administration to:

• Preserve and expand sustainability-related designations and courses within all disciplines;
• Support and coordinate student- and faculty-based sustainability projects and outreach;
• Sustain our partnership with UWB and other regional networks to share best practices; and
• Uphold Cascadia’s national reputation

And leadership will do what we can and provide the resources when available to assist with that pledge. This includes promoting the position of Assistant Director of Natural Science Labs to a Director of Labs & Sustainability as we search for a permanent employee for the position in Spring Quarter.

We are not walking away from this value just because we no longer have a Bachelor’s program. Our value in Sustainability did not emerge out of the program; rather, it emerged because we had 15 years of sustainability as a core value. That does not change.

Shoutouts

A Shoutout from Eric to the Sustainability Committee: Stephan Classen, Getachew Eshete, Denise Michaels, Ana Nina, David Ortiz, Jaime Rocco, Midori Sakura, Shahrzad Tehrani.

Shoutouts can be sent to FLShoutout@cascadia.edu.