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The core mission of Harvey Mudd College is the education of its students. One aspect of such education is the demonstration by its actions of the College’s concern for, and protection of, its physical environment. To accomplish this, the College must be a responsible steward of the environment. As such, the College will seek to:

• Reduce the rate at which it contributes to the depletion and degradation of natural resources,
• Increase its use of renewable resources, and
• Incorporate concepts of sustainability into the academic and daily affairs of the College.

In order to achieve these goals, the College will develop priorities and implement decisions regarding sustainability impacts of each area of College activity. To achieve this, the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees shall appoint a Sustainability Committee composed of representatives of all stakeholder groups in the college community:  

Sustainability Committee Structure

I.) Duties and responsibilities

The charge of the Harvey Mudd College Sustainability Committee shall be to set goals for the College’s sustainability program and provide oversight of that program.

The duties of the Sustainability Committee are as follows:

• Within one year, complete a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from all college activities, and update this inventory every other year thereafter
• Within two years, establish an institutional sustainability plan, including:
  
  
  • Meaningful carbon emissions target levels and deadlines
  • An action plan and set of intermediate goals for achieving the carbon emissions targets
  • Plans to improve the sustainability of the College’s electricity and water usage, waste disposal and recycling, and new construction
  • A set of recommendations for actions to heighten awareness of environmental issues within the academic and student life that complement the College’s educational goals
  • A list of possible opportunities for the expansion of research and clinic projects dealing with sustainability
  • A set of mechanisms for progress-tracking and accountability
  • Other actions and institutions necessary to further sustainability at the College
• Oversee the implementation of the College’s sustainability plan, working with the various stakeholder groups in the HMC community
• Create an action plan for working with CUC and the other Claremont Colleges on sustainability issues, and work to effect any consortium-wide institutions needed to this end
• Make regular reports to the President and Board of Trustees on the College’s progress in implementing its sustainability program
• Publish a formal account of the progress of the College’s sustainability program every two years   

In establishing and implementing a sustainability program for the college, the Committee will endeavor to evaluate potential decisions in light of the College’s “quadruple bottom line” (economic, environmental, and social impacts and the HMC Mission Statement). The objective of this analysis shall be to select activities that can be shown to have a “positive payback” to the College in one or more of these dimensions.

II.) Membership

The Committee shall consist of one representative appointed from each of the following groups:

• Board of Trustees
• Faculty
• ASHMC
• Facilities and Maintenance
• Business Affairs Office
• Alumni Association

The Committee may appoint additional members up to a maximum of ten. All terms are for two years, with the exception of the ASHMC-appointed member, whose term is one year; there are no term limits.

The Committee shall meet as a whole at least twice per semester. Sub-committees shall be appointed as necessary.

III.) Review and Governance

The Board of Trustees shall review the scope and structure of the Sustainability Committee every five years.