Minutes:

1. Introductions
Attendees introduced themselves and described why they think they were invited and why they came.

2. Purpose
Matsen discussed the purpose of the Committee noting that the college uses a lot of this community's resources and that Lane could be a model of appropriate stewardship of those resources. Matsen described some steps toward sustainability that the college is already taking including replacing motor pool vehicles with gas/electric hybrid cars. Matsen also explained that the College's Executive Team is recommending to the Board that the college hire an Energy Analyst with performance goals in energy savings. Matsen noted that efforts toward sustainability could be cost effective.

Matsen expressed her commitment to working towards sustainability at Lane. Beginning July 1, 2004, Matsen will be directly supervising Hayward and the sustainability group, which will include the Surplus Property/Recycling Coordinator and the Energy Analyst. Matsen also noted that Sonya Christian, Associate Vice President for Instruction, is very interested in helping implement sustainability in instruction and participating on this Committee.

Matsen briefly reviewed a draft Vision for Sustainability that she prepared. The vision statement describes a vision of Lane moving beyond making incremental steps to a Lane that takes a more comprehensive and transforming approach towards sustainability. She asked participants to provide any comments or suggestions.

• a method of harvesting or using resources so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged;
• not spending your principal;
• having a reverence for our planet and nature; and
• taking care of nature everything is interconnected.

Burns expressed that humans are one of the resources that must be treated in a sustainable manner. Winslow discussed the college's composting project as the perfect example of sustainability. We are reducing garbage and making a beneficial product, while teaching staff and students about composting and sustainability. Oroyan noted that sustainability is relevant to everything we do. Geyer expressed that education is needed to help people understand the implications of not moving toward sustainability. Matsen pointed out a sustainable borrow-use-return economic model that is preferable to the traditional unsustainable model take-make-waste. These models are discussed in the meeting handout A primer on sustainability.

4. Celebrate! & Other Areas to Work On
Matsen highlighted the list of current sustainable practices at Lane that are included in the draft Vision for Sustainability document. She asked participants to add additional current practices to the list. The current practices list, including additional items suggested during the meeting can be viewed here. Participants next generated a list of other areas to work on. This Things To Do list can be viewed here.

5. Recruit & What's Next?
Matsen asked participants to note on the meeting sign-in sheet whether they are interested in continuing to be involved in this Committee and whether they can make a commitment to helping the college move toward sustainability.

• Learn about sustainability using experts and common reading.
• Conduct an assessment of where the college is now to help in determining standards and measurable goals.
• Develop a framework.
• Participants briefly discussed meeting frequency and times.
• Matsen proposed that members meet for an initial 3 to 4 hour session to educate ourselves on sustainability and to begin doing assessment and planning. She suggested that the meeting could take place in the late afternoon/early evening and that there may be funds available to pay overtime to classified staff.
• Determine levels of commitment.
• Matsen noted that members could have different levels of commitment that could range from being part of a core planning group that probably spends more time on sustainability to attending meetings, providing input, and/or helping to implement sustainable measures in members' own departments.
• Determine how the Sustainability Committee will fit into the governance system.
• Participants briefly discussed how the Committee would be structured. The Committee may be a standing Committee under the College Council. Matsen suggested that Committee membership remain open to anyone.

Attachments (2)
Current Sustainable Practices
Future SustainabilityProjects

Minutes prepared by: Jennifer Hayward
Reviewed by: Marie Matsen
Date: April 26, 2004