Environmental sustainability

In May 2007, Hollins University became a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Agreement. As such, Hollins has documented its greenhouse gas emissions and developed a plan in May 2009 for reducing campus carbon emissions Strategic Plan for Carbon Reduction (PDF). This plan sets a target of 15% reduction of greenhouse gases over the next five years with an annual goal of 3%.

Priorities for 2009-10 include revisions to the institutional policies that guide our efforts, implementation of a "green" fee to help support environmentally focused projects, and the development of a sustainability pledge to engage the campus community in hands-on ways to achieve our goal.

Cool Citizen Award

Hollins has been named a winner of one of the inaugural "Cool Citizens Awards," presented by the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition. The awards recognize individuals, organizations, and companies that have had the greatest impact toward reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are recognized to be a principal cause of global climate change. This year's awards recognized work that has been done since the coalition's inception in 2006 through the present, and nominations were submitted by coalition members. Hollins was honored in the Non-Profit category for embarking on a program to make its entire campus "carbon neutral" and was the first establishment of its magnitude in the Roanoke Valley to measure its carbon footprint. The university hosted a film festival, "Putting a Chill on Global Warming," that served as the kick-off for a local campaign promoting responsible energy use, and has brought to the area notable expert speakers on the subject of global climate change and sustainability.