EUGENE, Ore. — As part of an expanding national effort to support environmentally sustainable practices, programs and job training at the nation's almost 1,200 community colleges, Lane Community College is one of five exemplary community colleges, and the only one on the West Coast, to be presented with an American Association of Community College (AACC) Green Genome Award today.
The Green Genome Awards, created by AACC's Sustainability Education and Economic Development Center (SEED) are evaluated in four key areas critical to holistic green college transformation: community engagement, governance, program design and delivery, and strategic partnerships. Lane Community College is recognized specifically for governance. Lane's dedication to sustainability is highlighted in its focus on infusing these concepts into the structure of college policies and procedures, which has allowed Lane to apply principles of sustainable economics, resource use, and social institutions to learning and working environments.
Lane will be awarded $7,500, a set of state-of-the-art Bahco brand Snap-on tools that will benefit sustainability activities such as Bike Lane which loans bikes to students; plus horticulture equipment for use in the college's Learning Garden. The awards are sponsored by Snap-on.
"We try to look at decisions that we make and everything we do through a sustainability lens" said Lane President Mary Spilde. "What's this doing for the environment? What's it doing for the economy? What's it doing for social justice? What is it doing for learning? Every part of the campus is an opportunity to practice sustainability."
Other winners of this prestigious award include:
• Gateway Technical College, Wisconsin (Strategic Partnerships)
• Greenfield Community College, Massachusetts (Overall)
• McHenry County College, Illinois (Community Engagement)
• Moraine Valley Community College, Illinois (Program Design & Delivery)
"AACC is thrilled to recognize colleges like Lane Community College that have not only prepared a skilled workforce, but have also become change agents in regional efforts to develop a green and sustainable economy," said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC President and CEO. "Through the SEED Center, AACC is providing community colleges an important roadmap to connect and integrate campus sustainability practices and clean economy-related education and workforce development."
About SEED
AACC's Sustainability Education & Economic Development Initiative, SEED, advances sustainability and green workforce development practices at community colleges by
sharing innovative models and free resources to increase the capacity of college leaders, faculty, and staff to build the green economy. The SEED Initiative was created in partnership with ecoAmerica and has received support from the Kresge, Flora Family, and Surdna Foundations and corporate partners Snap-on and Pearson Higher Education. www.theSEEDcenter.org
About the American Association of Community Colleges
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation's more than 1,100 community, junior, and technical colleges and their more than 13 million students. Community colleges are the largest and fastest growing sector of higher education. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AACC has been in operation since 1920. For more information about AACC and community colleges see www.aacc.nche.edu
For more information about Lane Community College—
• www.lanecc.edu/Newsroom
• www.twitter.com/LaneNews
• www.facebook.com/LaneCommunityCollege
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