<ny of you may (not) have heard about STAs, sustainability assistants. STAs are student workers who work on a wide range of sustainability initiatives on campus. The title explains the job well, but there is uncertainty of what exactly the STAs do; understandably so, since “sustainability initiatives” is a very broad term.
Unlike SWAs or peer leaders, much of the work that STAs do is often behind-the-scenes. Each STA focuses on a couple tasks depending on personal interest. Here is a rundown of the projects being worked on this term:
• Waste Management: examine and analyze Carleton’s waste stream, expand recycling and composting and work with Bon Appetit
• Procurement/Purchasing: evaluate current purchasing practices to make Carleton a more sustainable consumer, draft “green procurement” policy for Carleton and develop incentive programs for this
• Energy Conservation: coordinate energy audits for campus buildings and houses, potentially start a student “energy audit team” (Contact us if interested!) and research and analyze data to prioritize energy conservation projects
• Data Management: create a central database system that collects all campus energy usage, assist with quarterly energy reports and assist with greenhouse gases inventory
• Green Roof: revitalize the current green roof in Hulings-Mudd link
• Education/Outreach: coordinate campus-wide events and work a new, more comprehensive website
• Green Office Program: install a certification program to encourage departments and offices to be more “green”
Amber Kim ‘14
Sustainability Assistant