Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.19
Liaison Mark Youndt
Submission Date May 30, 2021

STARS v2.2

Skidmore College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Mark Youndt
Director of Sustainability for Academic Affairs
Management and Business
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
Skidmore supports several sustainability-focused community efforts, including:
- the development of sustainable transportation infrastructure, including dedicated bike lanes on roadways and a city-wide bike share program;
- the development of the Palmertown Trail network, a proposed 13-mile multi-modal trail network surrounded by thousands of acres of conserved land;
- the Pitney Meadows Farms, a proposed community farm in Saratoga Springs that would preserve 168 acres of agricultural land in Saratoga Springs.

Additionally, faculty and staff across the college participate in community groups with missions to advance social, environmental, and economic sustainability within the Captial Region.

Regional advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
Skidmore has supported and benefitted from several New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) programs, such as NY-Sun and Reforming the Energy Vision Campus Challenge, to promote clean energy efforts in the state. The College has invited government officials to several ribbon-cutting ceremonies celebrating the development of large-scale renewable energy projects to show support for statewide programs and policies that incentivize renewable energy generation.

National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Skidmore has long supported higher education funding policies that make postsecondary education accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds.

President Glotzbach attended a meeting with other college presidents and leaders in business, government, and philanthropy at the White House to explore ways to increase opportunities for low-income and disadvantaged students by scaling up successful approaches. President Glotzbach attended this meeting in part because Skidmore's Opportunity program is regarded as a national model and is one of the first programs to place equal emphasis on increasing access and ensuring academic success through its rigorous pre-freshman experience and comprehensive advising program.

http://www.skidmore.edu/news/2014/0115-glotzbach-to-attend-white-house-summit.php

President Glotzbach also signed the Letter from Higher Education Leaders on Climate Action to express Skidmore's commitment to climate action.

International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
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Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.