Sustainability Council (SC)

The Sustainability Council (SC) is the premier forum for advancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability at West Chester University. Students, faculty, staff, and community members work together on SC subcommittees and task forces to implement initiatives such as sustainability in the curriculum, zero waste, carbon neutral transportation, sustainable development, and community outreach. Everyone is welcome to attend SC meetings and join our subcommittees to help WCU meet the pressing demands of 21st century society... you are invited!

 SC Vision Statement

Our vision is to cultivate a campus community that thrives on the principles of sustainability. We practice, promote, and advocate for a campus culture and institutional structure that embody a deep respect for the natural world, social equity, and economic justice for all.

Join the SC

Anyone can join the Sustainability Council! The WCU community can simply navigate to the Sustainability Council Sharepoint site and click to add themselves as members. You will then receive all email communications from the SC including meeting invitations. Or, you can email SC Chair, Aliza Richman to join. Faculty, staff, and students meet monthly to connect and lead the University in its sustainability efforts, aligning with WCU's Strategic Plan and WCU's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.

• SC Chair
  Aliza Richman
• SC Vice Chair
  Matt McMahon
• SC Secretary/Treasurer
  Megan Schraedley

Attend an SC meeting

SC meetings are open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community neighbors. Learn more at The Next SC Meeting page of the SC Sharepoint site.

Join a Committee 

Email the chair of the committee you're interested in joining directly.

Transportation Committee

Chair: Jessica Schedlbauer

Statement of Purpose

This committee supports transportation initiatives on the WCU campus that will (1) reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to commuting and travel and (2) provide the WCU community with better commuting and travel choices. Specifically, the committee works to advance transportation initiatives outlined in WCU's Climate Action Plan, with the goal of bringing campus to carbon neutrality, in coordination with members of the university and surrounding community.

Sustainable Food Systems Committee

Chairs: Ashlie Delshad and Jeanie Subach

Statement of Purpose 

The Sustainable Food Systems Committee is focused on promoting sustainability at WCU in the following areas: food systems and the university’s organic vegetable gardens.

Working Groups

a. Food Waste Management – chaired by Ashlie Delshad
b. Sustainable Food Purchasing – chaired by Jeanie Subach 

Curriculum Committee

Chair: Cheryl Wanko

Statement of Purpose

The Curriculum, Teaching & Learning committee of West Chester University’s Sustainability Council recognizes that the process of educating for sustainability should engage everyone in the WCU community as teachers and learners. The purpose of the Curriculum, Teaching & Learning committee is to initiate and promote the development of sustainability-related academic programs, professional development, scholarship, and peer-to-peer student learning with the aim of infusing sustainability throughout the campus community. The ultimate aim of the committee is to create a culture of sustainability at WCU that embraces a shared commitment to teaching and learning for sustainability.

Zero Waste Committee

Chair: Gretchen Studlien-Webb

Statement of Purpose

The committee's purpose is to work to eliminate waste from the University in order to move the University toward a zero waste outcome. Work to achieve this goal shall include education of the campus community as well as the incorporation of more efficient waste reduction, composting and recycling programs campus-wide.

Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee

Chair: John Pisciotta

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Scholarly & Creative Activities committee is to encourage and support faculty, staff, and student collaboration in and across all disciplines, colleges and divisions of the University on all matters relating to sustainability. We seek to address two central challenges:

How do we make WCU institutional data easily and broadly available to any member of the WCU Community for the purposes of research and development of best practice?
How best do we raise the quality, breadth and visibility of scholarly and creative activities at WCU?

Campus Trees and Green Spaces Committee

Chair: Rodney Mader

History

West Chester University Campus Tree and Green Spaces Committee was established within the Sustainability Council in 2012 as part of the process to secure ‘Tree Campus USA’ designation. Tree Campus USA® is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management, and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. To achieve the designation, West Chester University (WCU) met and continues to meet Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project.

Statement of Purpose

The vision of the WCU Campus Tree and Green Spaces Committee is to advocate for the maintenance, restoration and expansion of the urban forest on campus. The forest is an integral part of the campus environment and one that is directly correlated to the recruitment, retention and education of our students. As a living laboratory, it provides educational and aesthetic value along with critical ecosystem benefits. The vision is to increase the campus urban forest diversity and canopy cover to maximize carbon sequestration, habitat for Eastern Deciduous forest organisms, storm water management, and other environmental benefits.

Buildings and Energy Committee

Chair: Matthew McMahon

Students for Sustainable Action (SSA)

President: Ella Messner

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of SSA is to encourage all students to participate in campus-wide sustainability efforts by providing a student-centered environment for discussion and collaboration. By bringing different student organizations together to collaborate, divide, and conquer on projects, we can achieve the common goal of advancing sustainability at WCU.

We have four campus gardens!

North Campus

The North Campus Outdoor Classroom, Laboratory, and Demonstration Garden promotes the use of native plants and organic gardening. A three-season organic vegetable garden, green wall, warm season grasses, water feature, rain barrels, rain garden, container gardens, assortment of berry plants, fruit trees, hugelkultur bed, and on-site composting demonstrate a variety of sustainable gardening and landscaping techniques. It is behind the Science Complex next to the Planetarium.

South Campus 

The South Campus Demonstration Garden is a three-season organic garden producing vegetables, fruits, herbs, and pollinator friendly flowers. It is located within the South Campus Apartments between buildings 837 and 835. The garden serves as a means for the university to promote sustainable agriculture, combat food insecurity on our campus and in our community, and it serves as a pedagogical laboratory and recreational space.

Tanglewood

Located behind the President's residence at Tanglewood.

Natural Pigment and Dye Garden

Established in the summer of 2019 outside of the E.O. Bull Center, our newest garden features plants used to make natural pigments and dyes for use by instructors and students in WCU’s Art + Design Department.

Everyone is welcome to use the gardens by contributing to the compost bins, picking fresh fruits and vegetables, or just sitting and watching the birds. If you’re interested in learning more about the gardens or volunteering, visit the garden website or email the gardens.

Join a Student Organization!

There are many ways to get involved in sustainability initiatives here at WCU. Student organizations create the foundation on which sustainability initiatives can thrive and grow. Whatever your passion in sustainability may be, WCU has a club for you. Chances are your major’s department is already involved with sustainable activities on campus! If your major’s department isn’t involved, join a club anyway, and start discussing how you and other students can get to work!

Sustainable Fashion Club
Sustainable Living Yoga Club
Environmental Health Club
Food Recovery Network
Veg Out
Net Impact Club
Geography and Planning Club
Outdoors Club
Food Systems Management Club

Find a Job in Sustainability!

Learn more about finding careers in sustainability in this Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar from March 2024.