Going Green

Discover the meaning of green at SUNY Sullivan.

Geothermal heating and cooling system

We've been incorporating sustainable energy practices into our campus for many years now. We installed a geothermal system in 2002 to heat and cool our buildings. We added low-flow plumbing to conserve water. We also retrofitted our lighting and utilized vending machine “misers” to save electricity as well as put in exterior solar lighting to brighten a walking path leading to our baseball and soccer fields. We even started an organic community garden; a project initiated by our Honors Program students.

Our commitment to sustainability doesn’t end there. We leased college land to a Manhattan-based company, Environmental Technologies LLC, which is constructing an innovative new 1.25-megawatt vertical shaft wind turbine near the entrance to campus. We anticipate this turbine will provide hands-on learning opportunities for our students while generating clean energy for the college.

Together these and other efforts help reduce our energy costs, make our facilities more efficient and minimize our impact on the environment. But wait, there’s more.

SUNY Sullivan is quickly becoming a leader in green education. Our Green Building Maintenance and Management associate’s degree program is laying the foundation for a new “green collar” workforce. Our Environmental Studies program offers a science-based approach to tackling today’s complex ecological issues. We even have non-credit workshops and courses to expand your personal or professional green-related skills.

With an eye to the future, the hub of green thinking at SUNY Sullivan will be our new Center for Advanced Sciences and Technology (CAST) building. Planned for the edge of campus next to the proposed Green Technology Commercial Park, this building will serve as home for all of our renewable energy and science-based academic offerings. In addition, it will incorporate the latest in green design principles, making it a national showpiece that teaches its occupants about sustainability in more ways than one.

Adjacent to the CAST building will be the planned Green Technology Commercial Park, a series of shovel-ready sites for light manufacturers and distributors of green technology products. This unique endeavor will link higher education with business and government, providing our students with internship opportunities as well as encouraging economic growth and development in the region.

You, too, can discover the meaning of green at SUNY Sullivan. For more information, check out some of the environmentally forward organizations that we’re involved with.

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities
The Catskill Institute for the Environment
Sullivan Renaissance