Sustainability Initiatives
Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ has one of the largest solar canopy parking lots in the Northeast, totaling nearly 1MW and providing 10 percent of the College’s electricity needs. There is an additional rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the Raymond J. Bourque Arena that provides around 10 percent of its electricity use, and new solar panels on the College's parking garage. Our composting, recycling, and waste management plan diverts more than half of materials from the waste stream each year, and is supported by an undergraduate student work-study program. An on-campus garden provides fresh vegetables for our dining hall and an opportunity for students to learn firsthand about growing and harvesting produce. Our new buildings and existing spaces are being designed and constructed or renovated with a focus on energy savings, water conservation, and healthy materials. Sustainable practices are evident in everything from the food we eat, the water we use, and the buildings and land where we work, live, and study.
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Decarbonization & Renewable Energy
- Annual greenhouse gas inventories are completed to track the College’s emissions and measure reductions, according to our status as a signatory to the to reach carbon neutrality.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ’s 1 MW solar canopy parking lot provides electricity to three residence halls- Stoneridge, Marblehead, and Bayview.
- The Raymond J. Bourque Arena has a 157 kW solar rooftop PV array, providing power to both the Hockey Arena and the Center for Nursing and Health Professions.
- New solar panels have been added to the College's parking garage, covering about 30% of the annual electricity use for the Wax Academic Center and Hempstead Commons.
- The College pursued a wind feasibility study and continues to review potential renewable opportunities on campus.
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Green Building
- Buildings and infrastructure throughout campus have been retrofitted or are being constructed with energy-efficient LED lighting and controls.
- The Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business and Ginger Judge Science Center is a model of green design with lighting, temperature control, ventilation, and water fixtures to maximize efficiency.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ was awarded the MassCEC grant under the Commercial-Scale Air-Source Heat Pump Program for the implementation of a VRV system in the Samuel L. Wax Academic Center.
- A green roof is located on the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts, which serves to absorb and treat stormwater, reduce the urban heat island effect, and provide green space.
- The College participates in Demand Response programs to help contribute to a more reliable grid system by managing peak demand, and to lower energy costs.
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Climate Preparedness and Campus Resilience
- The majority of Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ’s coastline is protected by a newly improved seawall, designed to deflect wave force in order to protect our campus from storm damage and flooding.
- Stormwater discharge is slowed through the campus lakes and rain gardens.
- Permeable pavement was utilized in Lot 12 to limit runoff into surrounding sensitive area.
- The City of Beverly, Mass., and Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ are working to understand coastal resiliency and climate vulnerabilities.
Health and Equity
Students, staff, and faculty interact with our campus and local surroundings daily. We have a key role in ensuring their personal well-being and health. Whether it is the opportunity to explore the campus through hiking trails, offering sustainable food options, or incorporating healthy materials into our indoor spaces, helping to create a healthy community is vital.
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Equity & Wellness
- The Sustainability Office hires a student Research & DEIB Fellow each year to help develop strategies focused on making sustainability work more equitable and inclusive on campus, and to integrate DEIB into our campus operations.
- A student-led Environmental Justice Working Group, made up of faculty, staff, and students, works to create action for environmental justice in our local community; the founding student was recognized nationally as an award finalist for this work by AASHE.
- The Wellness Center on campus works to address both physical and mental wellness needs of students.
- The College has been consistently rated one of the top places to work in higher education in the region.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ’s three miles of trails offer a great place to explore. Witch Lane provides a relaxing and educational hike with glimpses of large rocks scraped up from the Laurentide Ice Sheet and human-caused forest succession.
- Employees are encouraged to participate in local Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs to support local food systems and increase employee health with locally produced, nutritious foods.
- Faculty and staff receive free access to athletic facilities on campus.
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Food and Dining
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ partners with Sodexo to offer complete vegetarian options for every meal.
- The Center for Inclusion and Belonging features a small food & hygiene pantry for Gulls in need of these items.
- We use sustainably harvested Red’s Best fish, fair-trade coffee and tea, and a large percentage of our produce comes from local sources.
- Students and staff manage two raised beds on campus, where they tend to the garden and harvest produce, which has included everything from cherry tomatoes to kale, lettuce, cucumbers, garlic, carrots, beets, radishes, sage, basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
- In 2010, we started a tray-less program in the dining hall and reduced food waste by 30 percent.
- Since 2012, we have eliminated the use of thousands of Styrofoam containers through the use of reusable to-go containers. Students who wish to take out food can provide a deposit for a reusable container, and they can return the used container for a clean one on their next visit.
- The subscription service allows all Gulls to take advantage of leftover food from events, reducing food insecurity on campus while also reducing food waste.
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Healthy Materials
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ is expanding the use of green cleaning products and technologies.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ is exploring pilot opportunities to purchase furniture that complies with the Healthier Hospitals Initiative Safer Chemicals Challenge: Healthy Interiors.
- Materials utilized during new construction and renovations are reviewed.
Campus Operations
As part of the College’s Facilities Management, we will work to enhance our facilities and operations in a manner that conserves resources and reduces waste. We will work to institutionalize operations and improve our community’s health while reducing our impact on the climate.-
Procurement
- We partner with the College’s business office and outside vendors to review options and prioritize sustainable purchasing.
- College-wide procurement guidelines are being developed.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ uses Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified copy paper and FSC certified paper and soy inks for College publications.
- Biodegradable supplies are utilized for some automobile repair products.
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Transportation
- We encourage students to consider using , a shared car program available on campus and located on level 5 of the parking garage. Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ students can create a membership account and register Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ as their location to receive a discount off the monthly fee.
- Bike racks are located throughout campus, and there are three miles of trails for recreation.
- Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ is located near historic Cabot Street, which is lined with restaurants and shops.
- The (MBTA) makes it easy to travel around the region, and Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ is a short ride to the Beverly Depot where you can take the commuter rail () into Boston.
- We provide daily shuttles from our main campus to downtown Beverly, local malls, and the commuter rail. This off campus shuttle service, also used for some special events, is run by Joseph's Transportation, who has partnered with to plant a tree for every 100 miles driven!
- We provide six electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on campus, located on the ground floor and levels 2 & 3 of the campus parking garage.Only EVs are allowed to park in these spots, and can charge at a low rate of $0.50/hour.
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Landscaping and Grounds
- Fifteen percent of the campus is organically landscaped, paying special attention to areas like our beaches and the Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ Lakes.
- Our staff and volunteers are always working to fight back invasive plants with natural methods, as well as native plant species wherever possible.
- Our campus features apple trees, pear trees, and two raised beds that provide herbs and vegetables to the dining hall.
- Compost from the dining hall is used in the garden beds, creating a full circle food production.
- Managed by the student Beekeeping Club, we host two beehives on campus located behind the Samuel L. Wax Academic Center to support local pollinator populations and educate our community about their significance.
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Water
- Low-flow fixtures are utilized across campus to reduce water use.
- 50 filtered water bottle fill stations (and counting) across academic, administrative, and residence buildings provide an alternative to single use water bottles. This program will continue to expand until each building on campus has at least one water bottle fill station.
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Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Waste is diverted via single stream recycling, composting at all dining locations, and specialty recycling streams such as plastic film, electronic waste, books, mattresses, tires, cooking grease, and more.
- Campus waste diversion rate annually averages over 50%, meaning Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ is able to prevent over half of the waste produced from landfills.
- We are piloting office composting in administrative and academic buildings to capture food waste from faculty and staff, and are also piloting undergraduate composting in residence halls with summer students.
- Electronic waste is collected across campus and sent to a local R2 Certified facility.
- Used tires are collected and repurposed for local communities.
- Up to 94 percent of construction waste is diverted from landfill for projects on campus.
- Books are collected and donated through Better World Books.
- The first Cradles to Crayons donation bin located on Massachusetts’ North Shore is hosted on campus. This bin, along with a Red Cross bin, are located in Lot 28 to facilitate reuse and recycling of textiles.
- The College Cleanse Move Out Donation Collection initiative recovers between 5,000-8,000 lbs of items donated for reuse at the end of each academic year. These items- books & school supplies, non-perishable food, clothing & shoes, and dorm supplies/housewares- are then donated to local shelters, thrift stores, and community organizations, both giving the items new life by diverting them from the landfill while providing needed resources and items to people in the community.
- Learn more about traditional and specialty recycling, as well as composting, at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ on our Recycling at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ page.
Look for these signs around campus:
Experiential Learning
Following the mission of the College, we will work to develop and support firsthand opportunities for student involvement. We will drive student engagement that utilizes the campus and surrounding community as a living lab.-
Courses and Curriculum
- The Sustainability Office supports student research projects and thesis work by providing resources and data to students and faculty.
- We integrate sustainability across disciplines and work with faculty and deans to develop programs, such as our new MBA and ABA Sustainability Concentration programs.
- Further education is provided through guest lecturers, events, and programming in classes of varying disciplines and as campus-wide opportunities.
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Living Lab
- Living lab opportunities are provided to apply learned skills in settings on campus and in the local community.
- Student Sustainability Fellows are hired to help develop and implement initiatives and programs, and help the Office of Sustainability with important tasks such as data entry and analysis, communications and outreach, programming, research and DEIB incorporation, and waste management.
- Student Sustainability Fellows are hired to help develop and implement initiatives and programs focused on procurement, athletics, student activities, and dining. These students help the Office of Sustainability with important tasks such as data entry and analysis, communications and outreach, programming, research and DEIB incorporation, and waste management.
- Work-study students assist with recycling collection across campus.
- We partner with the student-led Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ Environmental Society, the Beekeeping Club, Outdoor Adventure Club, and many other student groups on campus.
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Partnerships
- The Sustainability Office is a resource for students to help connect them with sustainability-focused internship opportunities, and continue as a resource during their internships.
- Partnerships are developed with likeminded organizations, such as Green Beverly, Beverly Waste Reduction Committee, Salem State and Gordon College, and New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
- The Office of Sustainability highlights a selection of interesting jobs and internships related to sustainability on our website below, as well as in our monthly newsletter, to expose students to the wide variety of careers available in sustainability to students of all majors.
Sustainability Jobs and Internships
Sustainability is an inherently multi-disciplinary field. At the Office of Sustainability, it is our goal to connect students to meaningful job and internship opportunities that cater to their specific interests while supporting sustainable development.-
Internships
Title Application deadline Description
Open until filled The DefaultVeg Student Ambassador Program is for changemakers who want to bring the global DefaultVeg movement to their university. Anyone is welcome to join with any level of experience. Equipped with essential tools and guidance, ambassadors are empowered to engage in constructive dialogue with key stakeholders, including dining staff, student clubs, departments, cafes, and campus restaurants, to advocate for the adoption of plant-based defaults.
Neighbor to Neighbor Rolling Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts is a power-building and grassroots organizing group that is dedicated to making democracy work for all. Environmental Justice is just one of many focuses N2N takes on. Neighbor to Neighbor is very willing to take on interns and is very flexible both in terms of hours and role opportunities. Contact Gabriel Cohen-Gilnick at gabe@n2nma.org or by phone at 401-603-6058 for more information. Rolling Student PIRGs are actively looking for campus internships. This entails giving students the opportunity to take their education out of the classroom and do hands-on work to make an impact on causes they're passionate about. Current campaigns for student PIRGs include but are not limited to, 100% Renewable Energy campaign, Break Free From Plastics campaign, Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics on Factory Farms campaign, Save the Bees campaign, and the Zero Hunger campaign. Interns are eligible to get course credit in a variety of departments depending on your campus. Rolling The Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program is matching college students and recent graduates with an employer for a Mass-CEC sponsored internship. Three sessions are offered per year: spring (January-May), summer (June-August), and Fall (September-December). March 5th The Maria Mitchell Association offers a variety of internships at the Aquarium, Natural Science Museum, Observatories, Mitchell House, Administrative Office, and in the Summer Discovery Education Programs. Qualified undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students studying marine biology, the natural sciences, astronomy, education, history/art history/historic preservation, non-profit development, and communications and marketing are invited to apply.
Open until filled The intern will support the Environmental Services Section by reviewing MassDOT projects statewide to ensure compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. Duties may include reviewing project construction plans, analyzing project areas using ArcGIS, evaluating projects against environmental regulations, reviewing and developing permit applications, and performing occasional field work.
Open until filled The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (the Trust), an agency within the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General Office, provides cities, towns and other eligible borrowers throughout Massachusetts with below market rate loans and grants for water infrastructure projects. Applicants interested in working with the Trust will work independently on a research project related to water infrastructure and governmental finance.
Open until filled Solaris Renewables is looking for part-time and full-time interns to join the Marketing team in the Fall, Spring, and Summer seasons. Marketing & Communications Interns mainly assist with content creation for our social media channels, website, and blog under the direction of the Content Marketing Specialist.
Open until filled TRC is seeking highly motivated and diverse GIS Interns for the Summer 2025 intern program. This is a paid full-time position. Anticipated duration will be from June through August 2025 (flexible). This position has the potential to transition into a Full-Time role upon graduation. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Project Managers and Team Leaders and partner with engineers, scientists, and technologists.
Rolling Seaside Sustainability is a nationally recognized, award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to community engagement, public education, and environmental conservation. Seaside aims to be a leader in environmental and STEM educational programs and recognition initiatives. The internship program welcomes all members of the community – regardless of age or nationality – to help others build and nurture a relationship with their environment and seascapes. February 7th Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites seek an intern to research, refine, and deliver bilingual interpretive programs while continuing active outreach efforts with local Latinx community groups. Throughout the summer, the intern will expand existing programs and build connections within the Latinx community, specifically in El Punto, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood adjacent to Salem Maritime. The intern will collaborate with identified community contacts while establishing new relationships with leaders and organizations in Essex County. They will also represent the park at community-organized events and outreach programs.
February 7th This internship position involves collaborating closely with Lowell National Historical Park staff and local organizations, including the Coalition for a Better Acre, the Latinx Center for Community Empowerment, and the International Institute of New England, among others that serve Lowell's Spanish-speaking communities. The intern will help create opportunities to connect Lowell’s history and resources to the Latinx populations settling in the city today.
March 10th The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission is seeking Seasonal Trail Crew members for the 2025 summer season from May-September ($15-17/hr depending on experience, 40-hour week). Start and end dates are flexible. The Land Bank manages over 4000 acres of conservation land across the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Seasonal Trail Crew members support the Land Bank’s year-round stewardship staff in maintaining existing trails and boardwalks, constructing new trail, and implementing habitat management goals.
March 10th The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission is seeking Seasonal Trail Crew members for the 2025 summer season from May-September ($15-17/hr depending on experience, 40-hour week). Start and end dates are flexible. The Land Bank manages over 4000 acres of conservation land across the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Seasonal Trail Crew members support the Land Bank’s year-round stewardship staff in maintaining existing trails and boardwalks, constructing new trail, and implementing habitat management goals.
March 10th The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission is seeking three ecology interns for the 2025 summer season from May-October ($17/hr, 40-hour week). Start and end dates are flexible. The position supports the Land Bank’s ecologist and livestock manager with ecological surveys and the restoration grazing program on over 4000 acres of conservation land owned by the Land Bank.
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Jobs
Title Application deadline Description
Open until filled The Ipswich River Watershed Association is seeking a motivated Part-Time Curriculum Development Assistant who will assist with the development and implementation of a new science enrichment program targeting seventh grade classrooms. The Curriculum Development Assistant will report directly to the Environmental Educator. Candidates should have three years of experience or demonstrated success in curriculum coursework. Open until filled The Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse District is seeking a motivated and environmentally conscious Project Manager who is interested in pursuing a career involving the responsible management of solid waste & recycling as valuable resources.
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Professional Development Opportunities
Title Date Description Rolling Join Leading Green for their upcoming virtual LEED Green Associate trainings this fall. The course comes with 400 realistic practice exam questions, study guides, and live assistance from LEED AP+ staff. Register by January 12th This 15-week Climate Advocacy Certificate Program is for anyone interested in learning and applying CCL’s methods for climate action. Participants learn how to lobby their members of Congress, use social media for climate advocacy, write and submit letters-to-the-editor, perform grassroots and grasstops outreach, and more.