Citrus College Reaches For the Green Standard

While several community college campuses throughout California have pursued large, splashy green projects such as solar arrays, Citrus College is being recognized for its grass roots environmental efforts.

Back in October, the Pasadena Convention Center hosted the 2010 Green California Community College Summit, a chance for community college students to “engage with the leaders of this movement, or to get up to date on the programs, projects, policies and technologies that are fueling it,” according to its website. Hosted by the nonprofit group Green Technology, Citrus College took the Green Campus Leadership Award, lauding the school’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

In reality, the award was formal recognition for a group on campus, called the Green Team, which began in June 2008. The team was initiated by Citrus College’s Director of Workforce Development, Dr. Kim Holland, but has since expanded to include representatives from all the campus’ interests, including students, faculty and professors.

“We discuss resources and efforts on campus,” explained Holland. “When I sent out the first newsletter, I got an amazing response from people who wanted to get involved. The reason we got an award is because so many people on campus are interested.”

The Green Team has been involved with numerous projects around campus—almost too many to count. Among the highlights have included gardening and composting projects in conjunction with the cafeteria, coordination with the Measure G building projects keeping them to green standards, offering solar prep classes, a recycled-water sink in the ceramics department, and many others. Additionally, Alec Loors, the founder of Kids-vs-Global-Warming, was recently welcomed for a talk at the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

The team’s current pet project is in reducing waste in regards to textbooks, and, like most of its initiatives, is multifaceted. The effort began in June 2010 and focuses on two factors: cost to students, and impact on the environment. It includes sub-projects such as customized book modules, digital e-books, book rentals, and donations of older editions, among others.

“What’s happening to the publishing industry is sort of mirroring what’s happening to the music industry,” explains Holland, citing a student survey conducted last fall in which 73% of students surveyed admitted not buying a textbook for a class due to cost. “That’s frightening to us. The textbook is an integral part of the transfer process,” as the University of California and California State systems base community college courses’ transferability based on a given course’s textbook.

"What I'm looking at is textbook sustainability, period," said Manager Eric Magallon of the Citrus College bookstore, who has been working there for 25 years beginning as a student worker fresh out of high school. "The goal is to make it broad in a variety of different ways. Not all instructors teach the same, not all students learn the same. Whatever form of textbook is wanted for a class, as long as it's approved, we cover all the ranges."

But beyond simply making an environmental impact, the Green Team represents a chance for Citrus College students to take pride in their campus, and receive training in an industry which expanded by 36% in California from 1995 through 2008, as reported by USA Today. Citrus also recently received a $25,000 grant from Sempra Energy for scholarships for students seeking training in the green sector.

“I just think it’s really cool that our campus has something like the Green Team,” said Karlyn Bradley, Associated Students of Citrus College Treassurer, and recent Green Team volunteer for the Alec Loors event. “It’s keeping our campus updated and current.”

The Citrus College Green Team meets irregularly but posts a monthly newsletter on its website, available through Citrus College at www.citruscollege.edu. Anyone interested in more information about the Green Team can contact Kim Holland at kholland@citruscollege.edu.