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Campus Assessment FAQ
What are the areas you assess?
Good Company's assessment will examine all aspects of sustainability
performance as described in the Technical Manual of the Sustainable Pathways
Toolkit, Good Company's indicators document. This includes 20 core indicators,
10 supplemental indicators, and two big-picture snapshots.
How long does it take?
Depending on availability of staff, the assessment and all deliverables
can be completed in four months from the signing of the contract.
How much time is required of us?
The assessment is designed to carry a minimal burden on staff time. Based
on previous work, we estimate that the time burden will be less than 60
total hours for university/college personnel.
Can we turn this into a learning opportunity for students?
Most definitely! Here are some examples of what we can do:
GHG Inventory and Transportation Survey: Good Company will guide
2-3 student interns and 1-2 faculty advisors in creating and implementing
a transportation survey and completing a greenhouse gas inventory of the
campus.
Energy and water use: communication system for campus users. Good
Company will guide 2-3 student interns in creating an effective and engaging
reporting system to raise awareness among campus users about their energy
and water use, and the accompanying financial costs and environmental
impacts.
Green purchasing: handbook, guidelines and/or product lists, with
cost-benefit analysis. Good Company will work with business office staff
and 1-2 student interns to develop a campus-specific set of purchasing
guidelines and an accompanying product list for hard-to-find alternative
products. The focus will be on cost savings, and will include cost-benefit
analysis of products where appropriate.
Print charging analysis: Good Company will work with business
office staff and 1-2 student interns to look at the system of printing
fees for students, and assess alternative systems, potential cost savings
and potential waste reduction benefits.
Waste stream analysis: Good Company will work with facilities
staff, with the help of 1-2 student interns to analyze the campus' waste
and recycling system. This would involve analysis of:
- Volume and content of waste stream
- Recycling infrastructure
- Behavior patterns of campus users
This would conclude with cost-benefit analysis of recycling and waste
processes and projects, with a sensitivity analysis based on major parameters,
such as market prices for recyclables, local tipping fees, and participation
by campus users.
What does this mean to faculty and staff?
Good Company's sustainability
assessment is a valuable tool for effective management and clearer stakeholder
communications.
How did Good Company develop the assessment?
Good Company has developed a clear and concise set of indicators that
summarizes the sustainability
performance of a university or college campus. The first step in this
process was the identification of clear criteria for selecting and articulating
indicators and benchmarks. The result is indicators and benchmarks that
are both meaningful and feasible.
- A meaningful indicator is one that captures a significant impact.
- A meaningful benchmark is a high bar that represents significant progress
within a particular indicator.
- A feasible benchmark is a reasonable expectation of performance for
a given indicator.
- A measurable indicator is one that involves relatively little effort
and expense for information gathering.
Measurability, as we mean it here, requires a high degree of consensus
and transparency.
What happens after the assessment?
After completion of the bulk of information gathering, Good Company will
seek feedback from selected members of the campus community. The people
in the group will be pre-arranged with the contracting party. It is our
experience that few individuals participate significantly in this stage,
but most value the fact that they are involved. Their inclusion sets an
important foundation for the eventual reception of the report and recommendations.
The assessment includes three deliverables:
- Summary report and recommendations
- Final presentation(s) on campus to staff, faculty, and/or students
- Future benchmarking data (available for 36 months from the completion
of the assessment, as the group of participating campuses expands)
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