About SAVES

About

Dickinson SAVES (the Society Advocating Environmental Sustainability) is a group open to students, faculty, staff, and administrators who are interested in sustainability and want to help guide the College's sustainability efforts. It also serves as a common meeting place for those with ideas and those with the power to make decisions.

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Mission

The mission of Dickinson SAVES is:

to work together as an alliance of faculty, staff, students, and alumnicommitted to improving Dickinson College's environmental footprint, and make informed recommendations about how to do so. Dickinson SAVES will seek to integrate environmental accountability, both qualitative and quantitative, into all aspects of the College's present and future activities and plans. Additionally, Dickinson SAVES is dedicated to creating an environmentally aware community of engaged citizens, and promoting this Defining Characteristic of the College.

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History

Dickinson SAVES originally began as the Comission on the Environment (COTE). COTE started in 1991 as a presidentially-appointed committee. In 2006, COTE became Dickinson SAVES and became a group open to the entire campus.

COTE's originally mission was to “…serve as a forum to facilitate coordination between the agencies and groups relevant to carrying out environmental projects at Dickinson, and serve as well as an information-gathering group to advise the College community of methods and practices commensurate with effective environmental projects.”

Timeline

1991 -- The Beginning

“… it occurred to me that the best way to ensure the preservation of at least part of DARE's legacy and promote environmentalism on campus was to "institutionalize" it, much like ALLARM had done in the area of acid rain. In other words, I was looking for college-supported mechanism to facilitate environment-related efforts on campus (not just recycling) and to incorporate environmental concerns into the college decision-making process. From here, it seem obvious to me that the best way to do this was establish an all-college committee, similar to several that already existed on campus, such as the Committee on Planning and Budget. Fortunately, with a few amendments such as calling the Committee a Commission, the President of the College and a number of other influential faculty and administrators agreed.”
Greg Barnes, Class of 1991

The formation of the President's Commission On The Environment was announced.
Proposal Accepted:
A proposal to organize this new Presidentially- appointed commission came from DARE following its consideration of the idea with a number of faculty and administrators, including Treasurer Michael Britton and Professors Daniel Bechtel and Candie Wilderman.

Charge of the Commission:
“…serve as a forum to facilitate coordination between the agencies and groups relevant to carrying out environmental projects at Dickinson , and serve as well as an information-gathering group to advise the College community of methods and practices commensurate with effective environmental projects.”

Membership:

Letter's of appointment were sent from the President to chosen members of the Dickinson Community.
Faculty members (including at least one representative of the Environmental Studies Program), academic professionals, administrators, and students (including at least one representative of DARE -Dickinson Advocating Resourcefulness with the Environment).

Chair- Don Santostefano, Director of the Physical Plant

Institutional position regarding the environment that was adopted:
“The students, staff, administration and faculty of Dickinson College are committed to improving and protecting the environment. To this end, the campus community is prepared to dedicate it resources – the knowledge, expertise, skills and time of its people; its ability to communicate to an extended community; its available facilities and its assets. This policy is intended to produce a long-term change in the methods by which the campus community interacts with the environment.”

1994

Chair – Ken Shultes, Director of Physical Plant
“Breathing new life into the President's Commission on the Environment” – recruitment to reinvigorate the Commission began. President Fritschler sends out more letters of appointment.

Environmental survey conducted about how Dickinson community members rate various environmental concerns such as chemicals, recycling, pesticides, paper use, energy conservation, and water use.

Structure of Commission changed to include one representative from each environmental group on campus attend COTE meetings. Discussed inviting heads of departments to specific meetings to educate them on how environmental sustainability relates to their department.

Discussion held about how administration needs to be more involved

2001

Chair – Mike Helm, Director of Purchasing and Auxiliary Services

2002

Discussed need for a logo and mission statement

Updated brochure of environmentally active groups on campus

2004

Chair -- Laura Walters, Sustainability Coordinator

Again, discussion of need to have more involvement from faculty and staff

Developed COTE logo

Began conducting summer meetings

Attended Strategic Plan meetings and developed a proposal for Environmental Sustainability to be elevated to a Defining Characteristic. You can read the full proposal here.

Created COTE T-shirts made on misprinted shirts turned inside out

Distributed COTE environmentally-themed decks of cards

Launched a new COTE website

Purchased and distributed green reusable coffee mugs to all students, in collaboration with the Bookstore, Dining Services, and Facilities

2006

Chair – Becki Walker '06, Sustainability Specialist

Distributed remainder of COTE cards, and most of shirts.

Reorganized group with a new mission statement and new name: Dickinson SAVES (Society Advocating Environmental Sustainability)

Worked to conduct a Campus Sustainability Assessment Framework and Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Overhauled Dickinson SAVES and Sustainability Department websites.

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