Sustainability Values and Planning
EcoMesa brings together and celebrates our campus-wide efforts to advance environmental justice and to center equity as we prepare for the challenges that climate change will bring for our students, staff, faculty, and community.
Mesa's Strategic Plan - Mesa 2030 - includes the goal of Stewardship:
Mesa College will develop and sustain processes that prioritize environmental justice and sustainability, reduce Mesa College's carbon footprint, and allocate its human, physical, technological, and fiscal resources around the goal of increasing student access, success, and parity in outcomes across racial/ethnic groups and all disproportionately impacted groups.
We hope to advance this goal in many ways. Reach out if you'd like to be involved in these efforts!
STARS Report and Climate Action Plan
In January 2023, Mesa submitted a report to the Sustainability, Tracking, and Rating System (STARS) developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). While it was not a rated report, we are proud to have established baselines we can use for sustainability action.
Mesa College developed and, in April of 2024, approved a Climate Action Plan based on the STARS framework developed by AASHE.
Mesa College Climate Action Plan - approved at PCAB 4/16/2024
Student Club and Governance Committee
TerraMesa
TerraMesa is Mesa's Student Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Club.
Environmental Sustainability Committee
The purpose of the Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) is to provide a forum for campus-wide efforts to improve environmental sustainability, and to develop and coordinate the implementation of Mesa’s Climate Action Plan. The committee will collaborate with relevant governance groups and provide recommendations to the President’s Cabinet.
Green Pledge and Green Fund
Mesa Green Pledge
In order for Mesa to meet its sustainability goals, it is necessary for every entity within the college to take action to work towards a more environmentally sustainable future. In 2023, students and employees at Mesa developed the Mesa Green Pledge and began sharing it with the campus. This pledge empowers Mesa groups like clubs, committees and departments, to prioritize environmental sustainability through specific actions.
We invite everyone to read and discuss the pledge, and to encourage groups you are involved with to agree to take the steps it sets out. Join your fellow Olympians and encourage your Mesa group to take the pledge and begin working towards a more sustainable future for Mesa College!
Mesa Groups Committed to the Green Pledge:
- TerraMesa Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Club - Fall 2023
- Environmental Sustainability Committee - Fall 2023
- Mesa Resource Development Office - Fall 2023
- Mesa Design Club - Fall 2023
- Architecture and Environmental Design Department - Fall 2023
- Mesa Law Club - Fall 2023
- The Office for the School of Arts and Languages and the School of Humanities - Fall 2023
- Mesa College Associated Students - Fall 2023
- The Multimedia Club - Fall 2023
Mesa Green Fund
The Mesa Green Fund was founded by students of Mesa College and is dedicated to improving campus sustainability. The Mesa Green Fund empowers student leaders to build coalitions with faculty, administration, and classified professionals to address the ever-increasing threats of climate collapse and environmental injustice.
Your support for the Mesa Green Fund will help us identify, fund, support, and oversee projects to reduce energy, water, and resource waste, increase resources on campus for student projects, and improve campus environmental education.
Sustainability in Teaching, Research, and Training
Mesa faculty teach a wide variety of courses that center and incorporate sustainability, and the college supports research about and training in sustainability through a variety of initiatives.
The college offers an AA in Sustainability and a Certificate of Achievement in Sustainability. In addition, courses across the curriculum that center or incorporate sustainability topics (including environmental sustainbility, environmental justice, and/or climate change) have been identified with one or two LEAF icons in the online SDCCD course registration system.
Finally, members of the Mesa community are involved in a wide variety of other sustainability teaching, research, and training initiatives.
- SEEDS (STEM Engagement for the Enrichment of Diverse Students) and the Sustainable Food Futures Program
- Strengthening Our Roots
Leaf Courses
SDCCD is using the criteria developed by the Association for the Advanced of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in its course designation system:
- 2-LEAF Courses are “sustainability-focused” according to the following description by AASHE:
To count as a sustainability course, the course title or description must indicate a primary and explicit focus on sustainability. The course title or description does not have to use the term “sustainability” to count as sustainability-focused if the primary and explicit focus of the course is on the interdependence of ecological and social/economic systems or a major sustainability challenge such as climate change. - 1-LEAF Courses are “sustainability-inclusive according to the following description by the AASHE:
If the course title and description do not unequivocally indicate such a focus, but it is evident from the course description or syllabus that the course incorporates sustainability challenges, issues, and concepts in a prominent way, the course may qualify as course that includes sustainability (a.k.a. sustainability-inclusive).
Students interested in identifying courses and sections of courses that center or incorporate sustainability can search for these courses on the SDCCD online course registration system. On the search page, click on "more options" and then choose the "class attributes" filter. You'll see options to view "1-Leaf Sustainable" and "2-Leaf Sustainable" courses.
Faculty who are interested in earning a LEAF designation for their course should contact Michelle Rodriguez at mrodrigu@sdccd.edu for information about the process.
Events and News
Each year, Mesa celebrates "Campus Sustainability Month" in October and Earth Day in April. Events are hosted by TerraMesa and the Environmental Sustainability Committee; and funded by TerraMesa, Associated Students, the Constance M. Carroll Humanities Institute, and California Law Pathways.
Follow @sdterramesa on Instagram for more information.
April - Earth Day Events
- April 22nd - Earth Day