Dear Evergreen Community,<\/p>\n
We wanted to provide an early update about some important transitions underway for the Center for Climate Action and Sustainability<\/span><\/a>. A more formal in-depth announcement will be coming soon, but we felt it was important to share this\u00a0initial\u00a0overview\u00a0now\u00a0so our campus partners, students, and community collaborators have time to understand and prepare for the changes ahead.<\/p>\n Beginning this winter and continuing through\u00a0spring\u00a0quarter (until June), we will be\u00a0operating\u00a0in a transitional mode\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0current Center for Climate Action and Sustainability (CCAS)<\/b> transitions into The Climate Center<\/b>.<\/p>\n This shift reflects our desire to simplify our identity, clarify our mission, and take stock of what is working well and what needs to be strengthened. During this transition stage, we will be conducting program evaluations, refining our core services, and preparing for a \u201c2.0\u201d launch of sustainability at Evergreen beginning after June.<\/p>\n The biggest change will be our funding model.\u00a0The Climate Center will become a hybrid unit combining elements of the former Office of Sustainability<\/b>\u00a0(under Facilities\/Operations)\u00a0with the\u00a0current\u00a0academic-\u00a0and\u00a0community-facing programs of CCAS.<\/p>\n This hybrid structure will allow us to:<\/p>\n Half of our work will directly support the campus\u2019s long-term sustainability operations and infrastructure, while the other half will\u00a0maintain\u00a0our academic engagement, outreach, and public service programming.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most of our public-facing programming will continue with only modest adjustments to our capacity. For example:<\/p>\n A major emphasis of Sustainability at Evergreen 2.0 will be helping the institution move toward a renewed and integrated sustainability vision. This includes:<\/p>\n The current Director of CCAS will be transitioning into full-time teaching in the MES Program. During this transition:<\/p>\n This position will continue to\u00a0maintain\u00a0community partnerships and public-facing workshops, while increasingly helping campus units design and implement sustainable operational practices.<\/p>\n We will\u00a0maintain\u00a0our advisory and liaison roles with several campus groups and committees, including the Clean Energy Committee (CEC), the Campus Sustainability Council,\u00a0Space-Land Use Group (SLUG),\u00a0and various academic pathways. We will also continue\u00a0facilitating\u00a0student-led sustainability projects, supporting internships, and collaborating with off-campus partners across the\u00a0South Sound region\u2014focusing on\u00a0youth education, community climate programming, and K\u201312 curricular development.<\/p>\n As part of our transition, we are gathering feedback from students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community collaborators who have worked with us. We would\u00a0greatly appreciate\u00a0hearing from you\u00a0about:<\/p>\nTransition to \u201cThe Climate Center\u201d\u00a0<\/h2>\n
A Hybrid Model: Facilities + Academics\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
Programming Changes & Continuity\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
Sustainability Action Plan & Campus Initiatives\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
Leadership Transitions\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
Continued Student Support & Advisory Roles\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Feedback & Participation\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n