Endicott Campus Sustainability Plan
Solving the climate dilemma is a global challenge but it starts locally. At Endicott, sustainability is not just a buzzword but a guiding principle that influences everything we do. From reducing our carbon footprint to promoting diversity and inclusion, our Sustainability Plan encompasses a wide range of initiatives designed to make our College a leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
As a coastal institution, the importance of addressing climate change and preparing for its impacts is deeply felt across our campus. That’s why we’re committed to achieving net zero emissions by our 100th anniversary in 2039. Through decarbonization, renewable energy projects, and climate preparedness efforts, we will work towards this ambitious goal while also ensuring the resilience of our campus in the face of environmental challenges.
Endicott College was founded on the principle of education grounded in experience and, true to our roots, we will expand our sustainability-focused courses, create more opportunities for hands-on learning through living lab experiences, and foster deeper partnerships with local organizations to tackle real-world sustainability challenges.
Developing this Sustainability Plan was a collaborative effort that demonstrates the passion, commitment, and collective intelligence needed to address today’s challenges and I am confident that this Sustainability Plan will serve as a guiding light for our institution in the years to come.
Together, we will build a more sustainable future for Endicott College and future Gulls.
Sincerely,
Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D.
President
Endicott College
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A Commitment to our Climate
As part of the commitment to the vision of the Campus Sustainability Plan, President Steven DiSalvo signed Endicott onto Second Nature’s Presidents’ Climate Leadership Carbon Commitment, confirming the College’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible.
The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments provide frameworks to advance campus climate action. While Endicott will determine its own goals and actions, the key steps needed to fulfill the intention of the commitments include annual evaluations of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as continued measurement, demonstration of progress, and review of our journey towards carbon neutrality. In signing, President DiSalvo demonstrated incredible leadership by joining a network of over 400 higher education institutions working to create significant impact at their institution and beyond.
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A Sustainable Foundation
In the Fall of 2024, Endicott College published the first Campus Sustainability Plan. The Plan will serve the operations of the 235-acre Beverly, Mass., campus, extending across all of its buildings and stakeholders to provide a strategic foundation to achieve Endicott’s sustainability goals and vision, while aligning with the overall mission of the College.
The Plan was developed through an iterative and collaborative process led by Endicott’s Campus Sustainability Committee, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and President’s Council. Input and feedback were incorporated from diverse subsets of faculty, students, and staff across the campus who made up the Sustainability Committee, over multiple years of planning and dialogue. The Plan is a living document that will provide a sustainable roadmap and guide until 2030, when the Plan will be reassessed and updated to seek out new sustainability opportunities and build on existing successes. The plan will establish accountability for institutionalizing sustainable action and the ability to report and benchmark against internal and external baselines.
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Engagement
The four pillars that are the focus of this plan include Climate & Energy, Health Equity, Campus Operations, and Experiential Learning.
Each core category focuses on building upon the strengths and addressing the weaknesses of the College to achieve our sustainability goals and create a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable campus community. The goals were designed to focus our operations on specific, measurable targets, and each individual goal represents an important target for the College to achieve. The Objectives under each pillar outline strategic commitments to meet and exceed our goals, while Actions reflect specific strategies to be taken with respect to each commitment.
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Implementation & Reporting
The implementation of Endicott’s Sustainability Plan is the responsibility of each member of our community. Institutional action will be the result of numerous partnerships and collaborations that address each sustainability pillar accordingly from the top-down or bottom-up.
Universal support will be necessary to achieve the goals put forth. Data Collection and benchmarking will be continual, using verified mechanisms such as the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The Office of Sustainability Will issue an annual Sustainability Report updating the community on the College's Progress toward implementing the objectives detailed in this Plan and the overall status of our goals.
Climate & Energy
Understanding and combating climate change is integral to our coastal institution. Adaptation and resilience are important considerations as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and precipitation events become more frequent and intense. Mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing campus energy use and greenhouse gas emissions is a top priority.
Endicott’s emissions reduction strategy focuses first on energy use reduction and efficiency measures, followed by decarbonization, green building, and renewable energy. Throughout this process, it is important that we are preparing our campus for the future both in terms of decreasing fossil fuel dependence, and resilience.
Health & Equity
Whether it is the opportunity to recharge and explore the campus through our hiking trails or beaches, offering sustainable and healthy food options, or incorporating healthier materials into indoor spaces, helping to create a healthy community is vital. Endicott has a key role in ensuring personal well-being and health while supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We must work to make our campus more representative of the world in which we live.
In addition to focusing on the College’s impact, we recognize that low-income and marginalized communities often bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harm and lack access to environmental resources and benefits. By embracing sustainability, we aim to contribute positive social, economic, and environmental solutions that can address environmental injustices and create a more equitable community.
Campus Operations
The responsible operation of our facilities is fundamental to our financial soundness, conserving resources and reducing waste as the College continues to expand and grow. Institutionalizing sustainable operations will improve our community’s health while reducing our impact on the environment.
Though the scope of this pillar is broad, from waste and water reduction to responsible purchasing and grounds management, each action will have lasting impacts to make our campus a cleaner, safer and more efficient environment for human and natural inhabitants.
Experiential Learning
Following the mission of the College, this plan will help to develop and support firsthand opportunities for student involvement. It will drive student engagement that utilizes the campus and surrounding community as a living lab. Living lab opportunities will create replicable, sustainable solutions that students can take with them as they assume their own careers and lives beyond Endicott.
Experiential education about sustainable practices cannot be achieved by those at Endicott alone- partnerships with local nonprofits, municipalities, businesses, and surrounding higher education institutions will be crucial to graduating informed global citizens ready to create positive change.
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2023–24 Committee
Carly Thibodeau, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability (CHAIR)
Emma Lacey, Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability
Paul Belski, Director, Dining Services, Sodexo
Andy Brody, Professor, Interior Design, School of Visual & Performing Arts
Charlotte Colella, Endicott College Class of 2024
Maren Found, Endicott College Class of 2026
Angela Gulino, Art Director, Communications & Marketing
Lauri Rawls, Director, Community Service
Mariah Slocum, Administrative Coordinator, Admissions -
2022–23 Committee
Carly Thibodeau, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability (CHAIR)
George Anderson, Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability
Paul Belski, Director, Dining Services, Sodexo
Andy Brody, Professor, Interior Design, School of Visual & Performing Arts
Charlotte Colella, Endicott College Class of 2024
Maren Found, Endicott College Class of 2026
Angela Gulino, Art Director, Communications & Marketing
Kelly McKaig, Endicott College Class of 2024
Lauri Rawls, Director, Community Service
Mariah Slocum, Administrative Coordinator, Admissions
Noelle Sweder, Residence Director, Residence Life -
2021–22 Committee
Carly Thibodeau, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability (CHAIR)
Paul Belski, Director, Dining Services, Sodexo
Anna McAllister, Faculty Department Lead and Professor, School of Business
Kelly McKaig, Endicott College Class of 2023
Lauri Rawls, Director, Community Service
Mariah Slocum, Administrative Assistant
Noelle Sweder, Residence Director, Residence Life -
2020–21 Committee
Anthony Michetti, Director, Office of Sustainability (CHAIR)
Paul Belski, Director, Dining Services, Sodexo
Todd Comen, Dean, School of Hospitality Management
Adeline Fullaway, Endicott College Class of 2022
Rick Gagnon, Director, Physical Plant
Jennifer Hilton, Director and Assistant Professor, Applied Behavior Analysis Programs
Jessica Kaufman, Associate Professor, Biotechnology & Bioengineering, School of Arts & Sciences
Christopher Kinkade, Area Director, Residence Life
Mark Kulakowski, Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities & Recreation, Athletics & Recreation
Josh Lynch, Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Physical Plant
Anna McAlister, Associate Professor, Marketing
Lauri Rawls, Director of Community Service
Kevin Renz, Associate Dean of Interior Design & Interior Architecture, School of Visual & Performing Arts
Andrea Rhoades, Adjunct Faculty, School of Social Sciences, Communication, & Humanities
Abigail Robinson, Endicott College Class of 2021
Caitlyn Sievers, Endicott College Class of 2023
Mariah Slocum, Administrative Assistant
Olivia Virgin, Endicott College Class of 2022
Gabrielle Watling, Professor, School of Arts & Sciences
Anna Wetterhorn, Assistant Director of Admission, Office of Admission
Meghan Wrenn, Sustainability Coordinator,Office of Sustainability -
President’s Council