Clark Atlanta University – Janille Smith-Colin – 2014

Goals 

Janille Smith-Colin was asked to help Clark Atlanta University (CAU) move closer to meeting the requirements of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Smith-Colin’s work focused on the following three areas: reorganization of the Sustainability Council, Climate Action Plan (CAP) development and implementation and greenhouse gas emission data correction.

Solutions

Smith-Colin collaborated with the consultant team to draft the CAU CAP. She then outlined implementation steps for selected goals and objectives of the CAP. Through interviews with Sustainability Council members, Smith-Colin identified challenges to the organizational success of the Council and proposed a restructuring of the Council that would facilitate the implementation of the CAP.

Working directly with staff at the central utility plant at CAU, Smith-Colin obtained emissions data that had been omitted from the dataset originally reported to the ACUPCC. She then worked with the professor responsible for generating the campus Carbon Footprint to begin the process of rectifying the original GHG emission report.

Potential Impact

The contributions made by Smith-Colin provided CAU with clear steps for moving the CAP from plan to implementation. New relationships have been formed between CAU staff and central utility plant staff ensuring improved data transmittal and quality control practice and a roadmap for restructuring the Sustainability Council that incorporates existing proposals for an Office of Sustainability has been created.