Sustainability at RCCD
The Board of Trustees adopted
Board Policy 5775 - Sustainability & Environmental Responsibility in January 25, 2011 which states “The Riverside Community College District recognizes its responsibility to exercise environmentall stewardship and to economically manage the use of buildings, land and natural resources. It is the intent of the district to create a set of operating principles and guidelines in the execution of its responsibilities to facilities’ design and operation; campus management and teaching and learning, thereby minimizing negative environmental impacts of activities under its control and oversight.”
Sustainability Committee Members
District Office
Hussain Agah - Associate Vice Chancellor
Mehran Mohtasham - Director of Capital Planning
Bart Doering - Facilities Development Director
Marisa Yeager - Director, Government Relations
Myra Nava
- Classified Representative
Moreno Valley College
Fabian Biancardi – Professor, Academic Senate
Kemari Wofford – Student Representative, College Students Association
Majd Askar - Vice President, Business Services
Ron Kirkpatrick - Director, Facilities M&O
Laurie Crouse – Classified Representative
Norco College
Maxwell Murphey - Associate Faculty, Academic Senate
Isaac Nunez - Student Representative, College Students Association
Michael Collins - Vice President, Business Services, Business Services Office
Steven Marshall - Director, Facilities M&O
Jeff Buch - Classified Representative
Riverside City College
Garth Schultz – Associate Professor, Faculty Association
Tonya Huff – Professor, Academic Senate
Jordyn Villanueva - Student Representative, College Students Association
Albert Jaramillo – Student Representative, College Students Association (Alternate)
Vacant - Vice President, Business Services, Business Services Office
Robert Beebe - Director, Facilities M&O
Peter Lomas
- Classified Representative
RCCD Sustainability & Environmental Responsibility Planning – 20201201 BOT Presentation
Sustainability/Climate Action Planning
Sustainability Engagement Chart
2021
Kick-off Meetings
The Riverside Community College District started their Sustainability and Climate Action project with a series of kick-off meetings with the District Sustainability Committee and each of the college’s President’s Cabinets. In these sessions the district’s consultant, DLR Group, defined an Integrated Planning Approach, outlined the deliverables and started the process of engagement.
Values Sessions
In this series of workshops, DLR Group hosted eight sessions of their VALUES workshop. The VALUES framework was developed by DLR Group to uncover stakeholder’s priorities towards User Experience and Sustainability. Within the framework there is a variety of topics that allowed stakeholders to prioritize impact areas related to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Visioning & Listening Sessions (Open House)
During the Open Houses, DLR Group used the District’s top VALUES to generate a conversation around Decarbonization and Climate Justice, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Water and Eco-systems and Health and Well-being.
Prioritization Sessions
In this series of workshops, DLR Group worked with the District Sustainability Committee and sustainability tasks forces or committee at each of the colleges to dig deeper into the goal setting process. DLR Group conducted a crosswalk of sustainability frameworks compared to the VALUES uncovered and then started to outline goals for short, mid and long-term goals around the VALUES or Impact Areas. This series of workshops included Report Out sessions to each college’s Resource Council and President’s Cabinets summarizing the work of Fall 2021.
2022
District
Moreno Valley College
Norco College
Riverside City College
California Community Colleges
Clean Mobility Option (CMO) Initiative
The Clean Mobility Options (CMO) is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, improve public health, and improve the environment. CMO aims to improve access to clean mobility options in underserved communities that are safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable to increase mobility equity, improve local air quality, increase zero-emission vehicle adoption, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and advance workforce development in clean transportation.
The CMO Voucher Pilot Program provides funding for zero-emission car sharing, carpooling/vanpooling, bike sharing/scooter sharing, innovative transit services, and ride-on-demand services in California's historically underserved communities.
The District, in collaboration with EViaShare Solutions, LLC, submitted a Community Transportation Needs Assessment (CTNA) application to CMO to access grant funding to conduct a needs assessment of car sharing opportunities at the District's three colleges. On July 30, 2020, the District received notice from CMO that its CTNA application had been approved for funding in the amount of $49,530.
In May 2021, the District conducted two (2) virtual workshops and launched a CTNA Survey for all students, faculty and staff at District.
Solar Planning Initiative
In alignment with Board Policy 5775 - Sustainability/Environmental Responsibility, the District is looking to invest its resources for on‐campus renewable energy sources, specifically, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System, and develop a districtwide solar plan at all its sites to achieve its economic sustainability, social sustainability, and environmental sustainability goals. This initiative will go in three different phases:
LEED Certified Buildings
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the world’s largest rating system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED project certification addresses the following elements: integrative process, location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation and regional priority. LEED certification projects are done through LEED Online which is administered by USGBC.
The following Measure C Bond Measure Construction Projects received LEED Certifications:
Student Academic Services
Moreno Valley College
LEED Silver Certification
Occupied: 2013
Architect: DLR Group
Operations Center
Norco College
LEED Silver Certification
Occupied: 2013
Architect: Hill Partnership
School of Nursing & Math and Science Complex
Riverside City College
LEED Certification
Occupied: 2012
Architect: GKK Works
Henry W. Coil and Alice Edna Coil of the Arts
Riverside City College
LEED Silver Certification
Occupied: 2016
Architect: LPA, Inc.
Dr. Charles A. Kane Student Services & Administration Building
Riverside City College
LEED Silver Certification
Occupied: 2016
Architect: HMC Architects
Culinary Arts Academy/District Offices
Riverside City College
LEED Silver Certification
Occupied: 2016
Architects: LPA, Inc.
Prop 39 Plans
Proposition 39, The California Clean Energy Jobs Act, passed by the voters in 2012, provides funding for energy project implementation in the CCC system for qualifying projects. RCCD leveraged $4,484,854 from the State plus additional $228,0943 local fund for energy efficacies projects at Moreno Valley College, Norco College and Riverside City College, which have reduced the energy for districtwide facilities by 2,408,756 kW/h annually.