Division of Business Affairs

The Office of Sustainability has finally launched a long-awaited campaign to promote the use of water refill stations on campus. The Tap That Campaign aims to promote refilling reusable water bottles and reducing plastic bottle waste on campus.

During the summer of 2012, brainstorming began to bring awareness to the delicate issue of having access to clean drinking water for all faculty, staff, and students at the College. The name of the campaign was discovered by Jen Jones, Facilities Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. She noticed what other universities in the region were naming similar campaigns. Graduate Assistant Ashlyn-Spilis-Hochschild ensured that there were two generations of incoming freshman who would be receiving reusable water bottles from the Office of Sustainability before making the campaign official.

In order to support this initiative, the Office of Sustainability began installing water refill stations on campus. The first refill station was installed in 2012. Each refill station dispenses filtered water and is easy to operate. Censors recognize when a bottle is placed beneath the water source and automatically turns on. As soon as the bottle is removed, the water turns off.  There are now 13 stations located around campus. The newest unit is the first outdoor station, located just outside of 6 Green Way.

Aaryne Elias, Business Affairs and Facilities Planning

Briefly describe your role.

I serve in two roles. As Facilities Planning Coordinator, I manage the capital project planning system and write proposals in order to gain state-level capital project approvals. I also manage the space database, consult on space issues, and serve as liaison to CHE, the General Assembly, and the Governor’s office on facilities issues. As Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, Steve Osborne, I research and compile information on a variety of issues to prepare the EVP for meetings and presentations. I also manage his calendar and the Division’s main office.

What is the function of your department?

Facilities Planning is responsible for developing and implementing the long‐range facilities plan, including property acquisitions, new construction, and major renovations.

How long have you been working at the College?

It will be two years in August.

What brought you to the College?

I was finishing my Master of Public Administration degree through Clemson and was looking for a professional position in the public sector, preferably in Charleston.  When a position in the Business Affairs office opened up, I jumped at the chance to get my foot in the door of my alma mater.

What do you like most about your job?

Since working in Facilities Planning, I have developed a new appreciation for all the hard work and resources that go into maintaining our beautiful campus. It is really neat to be able to see the physical manifestation of our capital projects, and it’s rewarding to know I played a tiny part in making them happen.

What are some of your favorite memories from the College?

I have so many great memories of my time here as a student – interesting speakers, challenging assignments, and fun social events. I really like the idea that my work contributes to the experiences of future generations of students.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I spent seven years in the hospitality industry, which fostered my love for dining, cooking, wine and food in general.  I love to travel and experience different cultures.  I also like to read, particularly creative non-fiction.

What is something that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?

The year before I joined the CofC staff, I was living and working in Tirana, Albania as a public diplomacy intern at the American Embassy.  I worked on community outreach initiatives in conjunction with the local schools and civil society organizations. I also managed the embassy’s social media outreach, which included tweeting under the name of the Ambassador.

On Thursday, April 10, the Office of Sustainability hosted a “How to Quick Pickle” Workshop during the 2014 Sustainability Week. The workshop was facilitated by chef RJ Dye and all produce was provided by Ambrose Farms.

Participants could choose from asparagus, carrots, green strawberries, and beets. A variety of spices were available for use, including peppercorn, cardamom, and ginger. Quick pickling eliminates the fermentation process typically associated with pickling. The process of quick pickling is becoming common practice among restaurants as it is easy and can extend the life of produce.

Dixie Plantation, 862 acres of hardwood forests and salt marshes nestled along the Stono River and Altantic Intracoastal Waterway, was bequeathed to the College of Charleston Foundation by the late naturalist John Henry Dick.

The property is currently used for water research, specimen collection, and environmental studies.

Since 2010, many improvements to Dixie Plantation have been completed.

The former barn on site was demolished and a new, modern building took its place. The exterior of the building mimics the former barn and the interior features an open floor plan. The barn will be used as a gathering venue for those interested in learning about and continuing the conservation work of John Henry Dick. The space will also accommodate student groups until the labs are available.

A studio, which houses a museum for John Henry Dick, was constructed and features historical artifacts from his personal collection. In addition, a 4.3-mile interpretive trail was created. Other features include ponds around the property and an heirloom garden.

Facilities for sustainable teaching and research for the sciences and liberal arts are currently a work in progress. Two separate labs and a water system are in the construction phase. The water system will include domestic water supply, ensuring drinkable water is available for the community.

Throughout the renovation process, Roland Craft has served as the Dixie Plantation caretaker.

For more information about the history of Dixie Plantation, visit dixieplantation.cofc.edu.

Leslie McKellar

The College gains a long-awaited presence on King Street.

Formerly Barton’s Gift Shop, 327 King will soon be converted into “The College Corner,” a high-end gift shop – for alumni, current students and their parents, and visitors to Charleston.

The new store will have three windows on George Street and the interior will be reminiscent of an old shop with exposed bricks on the wall. The entire building will be painted a beautiful gray. Eventually, the College plans to re-open the original entrance to the Sottile – located under the marquee.

Unlike the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Calhoun Street, The College Corner will sell items such as golf shirts, leather briefcases with “College of Charleston” on them, and College of Charleston jewelry. It will also feature scarfs with gates on them and a variety of other gift items. No t-shirts, sweatshirts, textbooks, or magazines will be sold at this location.

For people wanting to see the campus, staff at The College Corner can literally point them down George Street to the Office of Admissions.

Construction is currently expected to finish at the end of July, with an opening date around the start of the 2014 school year.

From April 7 to April 12, 2014, the Office of Sustainability will facilitate events on campus for the third annual Sustainability Week.

Monday 4/7

“Green Infrastructure, Groundwater, and the Sustainable City Pattern” with Dr. Larry Band

4:00 p.m. – New Science Center Auditorium

Hosted by the Masters of Environmental Studies Program

Sustainability and Greek Week Kickoff Event

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Stern Gardens

Free fun, food, and games to celebrate the start of Sustainability Week and Greek Week. The event will include a local food cook-off competition with the Greek organizations, sustainable photo booth sponsored by Lowcountry Local First, transportation expo, and outdoor games.

Tuesday 4/8

Campus Waste Audit by Alliance for Planet Earth

6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Cougar Mall

Hosted by Alliance for Planet Earth, the annual Cougar Mall waste audit sorts all of the waste of one dumpster at the College to determine the amount that could have been recycled or composted.

Wednesday 4/9

Local Food Pop Up Restaurant with Dining Services

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Cougar Mall

Featuring locally source food from GrowFood Carolina, Dining Services is sponsoring a Pop Up Restaurant in Cougar Mall from 11am-1pm.

Dr. Vandana Shiva Keynote Discussion: “Earth Democracy and Ecofeminism”

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Alumni Memorial Hall

Join the Office of Sustainability on Wednesday, April 9th at 5:30pm to welcome internationally renowned author and speaker Dr. Vandana Shiva to the College of Charleston. The keynote speaker of the College’s annual Sustainability Week, Shiva is a social and environmental activist that has authored more than twenty works on issues of globalization, gender rights, justice, ecofeminism, and agriculture. Holding degrees in both physics and philosophy, Shiva has earned global recognition for her work to promote sustainable practices, as well as the protection of biodiversity and the rights of local communities. The private reception for this event is hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center.

Thursday 4/10

How to “Quick Pickle” Workshop

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Office of Sustainability

Learn how to keep fresh vegetables longer by quick-pickling local produce. Hosted by Cait Etherton of Ambrose Farms and RJ Dye, this workshop will be held at the Sustainability Office (284 King Street). The Office of Sustainability will supply all materials. Space is limited; please RSVP on the Office of Sustainability Facebook page.

Friday 4/11

Urban Garden Workday: “Seed Saving and Planting by the Lunar Cycle”

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Political Science Courtyard

Attendees will learn the importance of seed saving and the positive effects of planting by the lunar cycle. We will also have a special focus on oral traditions and native practices. This event will take place the day after Dr. Vandana Shiva’s lecture; apply her discussion at our urban garden!

Relay for Life Event

6:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. – Johnson Hagood Stadium

Relay For Life is a fundraiser event put on through the American Cancer Society. College students from all universities in the Charleston area join teams and fundraise together to reach an total event goal which is donated the the American Cancer Society. The Office has sponsored a team, Sustain CofC, which invites all who are interested in sustainability/public health/ environmental health to join our team and come out for a rousing night of fundraising. To sign up go to relayforlife.org and search Sustain CofC. There, you can sign up to be a member of the team ($10) or just come to the event and show your support!

Saturday 4/12

Spring into Service Event with the Center for Civic Engagement: Oyster Habitat Rebuild with SCORE

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Students will restore oyster beds with a local organization, sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement. Transportation is provided. Please email volunteer@cofc.edu to register.

GrowFood Carolina Workshop

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – GrowFood Carolina

Learn how to grow fruit in small places with Kimberly Douglas, Sara Clow, and Sharon Coke of GrowFood Carolina. Vertical espalier and grafting techniques for fruit trees will be discussed. The event will be held at GrowFood Carolina (990 Morrison Drive).

Sam Jones, Budgeting and Payroll Services

Briefly describe your role.

I am the Associate VP for Budgeting and Payroll Services. I am responsible for the operations of the Budget Office, Position and Assignment Management, and the Payroll Office. Additionally, I act as support to the VP for Fiscal Services and the EVP for Business Affairs, as well as a liaison to the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

What is the function of your department?

The Budget Office is responsible for managing the projection and allocation of all revenues and expenses for the College. Additionally, we handle the management of all positions (often referred to as lines) and making sure that the funding for the positions is tied to the correct department and accounting information. We also manage the assignment of individual employees to these positions, or, in the case of student and temporary employees, to the appropriate department, enabling all employees to be paid. The Payroll Office is tasked with the actual generation of pay for all employees.

How long have you been working at the College?

In May, it will be 22 years.

What brought you to the College?

I had moved out of public accounting and the private sector, and was working in higher education at The Citadel. A friend told me about a position that had opened at the College and it seemed like a much better fit in terms of environment for me. So, I applied, and the rest is twenty-two years of history.

What do you like most about your job?

The genuine relationships that I’ve been able to make over the years.

What are some of your favorite memories from the College?

My first six months at the College which were spent in the corner of Priscilla’s office; “extra-extra-lumpy-black-and-whites” from Jack’s Café; all of the departmental birthdays and holiday celebrations; watching Budgeting and Payroll Services evolve into the valued, respected and phenomenal team that it is.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I love travel, working in my yard, good friends, good food, and good wine. Those are not necessarily listed by order of importance!

What is something that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?

I enjoy cooking for my friends. About once a year I host a formal dinner; something that really isn’t done anymore. Two favorites come to mind.  One was on Halloween so while it’s occurring in the formal dining room, with all the trappings, everyone is dressed in the most outrageous costumes. My most elaborate meal was a six-course New Year’s Eve dinner. The place setting included printed menus, six plates, one bowl, one champagne / sorbet saucer, five forks, four knives, two spoons, five glasses, and Venetian masks individually selected to match the personality of each guest. It was a lot of work but a LOT of fun!

Construction in the New Science Center began in January 2013. The build out of the New School of Science and Mathematics includes the construction, furnishing, and outfitting of eight teaching labs, six research labs, two classrooms, twenty six offices and supporting spaces for the Geology Department. The area involved is approximately 19,000 square feet. The construction is Phase II of a two-part project. Phase I included the construction of the New School of Science and Mathematics building and offices, labs, and classrooms, which was completed in 2010.

The newly built out space includes all support systems such as heating and air conditioning, laboratory casework tables, hoods, lab air, electrical power and lighting, network cabling and connections, projectors, screens, computers, and monitors. The new spaces will significantly improve the current facilities that are being moved from Rita Hollings Science Center and enhance both teaching and research.

Construction on the second floor wrapped up just before Christmas. Furniture and IT components were installed during the holiday break 2013-2014. Occupancy and use of the newly completed space began in the spring semester 2014.

On March 15, the Office of Sustainability will launch Synergies, a biannual online publication.

Synergies is a natural extension of what the Office of Sustainability was created to do – engage the Charleston community. By focusing energy on the College, there have been advances in campus sustainability. Students have led the way in generating energy, waste, water, and cost savings for our campus, creating partnerships and relationships, and exploring our identity as community members and citizens. Now, our students are again leading the way forward to extend our sustainability community beyond campus boundaries. We have an immense opportunity to capture the energy and expertise of everyone in our community and to build something that is much greater than the sum. Our students are creating synergies to face the challenges of tomorrow.

Building sustainable communities requires communication and interconnectedness; by engaging in difficult conversations and sharing with one another our experiences, aspirations, setbacks, and successes, diverse members of our community can accomplish far more than could be accomplished alone. This is synergy. While centered at the College and driven by students, Synergies will reach across boundaries to facilitate this sort of connection that is necessary for a sustainable future. The purpose is to grow synergies in Charleston, around the Lowcountry, and throughout the region.

Synergies will contain a variety of content topics and formats. Topics will run the gamut of sustainability issues in our region and bring in a variety of perspectives from the community. The Office of Sustainability is interested in interactions between local restaurants, Lowcountry farms, and regional labor. The Office wants to know what sustainability means to artists, engineers, and to the tourism industry. Most of all, readers will be given boundless opportunities to further discuss, explore, ruminate, collaborate, and create change.

The publication will contain four general formats:

1. Articles will cover our hard stories and will cover current events and policy, scholarly research, and the like.

2. Features will be comprised of shorter pieces generally centered around various perspectives on a theme and really aiming to show, rather than just tell, about sustainability.

3. The Opinions section will hone in on individual voices regarding specific topics and will often serve as a jumping off point for more in depth explorations.

4. Expressions will be a wonderfully free-form section that allows artists from around the region to communicate sustainability in creative ways.

Synergies will be a biannual publication released in March and October. Issues will be tied together throughout the year by posting on the Synergies Blog, facilitating online discussions and debates pertaining to current and future content, and running online competitions that all serve to build a real community around regional sustainability.

On February 24 and 25, the College launched a campus-wide training on harassment and discrimination prevention for faculty, staff, and graduate students employed by the College. Eight live sessions were held, four for staff members and four for faculty members. Over 1,600 faculty and staff members attended these sessions.

The training program provides information about legal obligations to ensure compliance with laws prohibiting sexual harassment/assault and other forms of discrimination and harassment. In addition, the training informs employees of their rights and the resources that are available if discrimination or harassment is experienced.

For many years, a growing number of colleges and universities around the country have required some or all of their employees to receive some form of sexual harassment prevention training. Beginning this semester, the College will adopt the national best practice to protect the members of our community. Current College policies can be found at www.policy.cofc.edu.

Margolis Healy and Associates, a national campus safety and security compliance company, delivered a customized program for the College. The training program focuses on the policies and procedures of the College. The goal is to ensure all members of the campus community know how to meet mandated requirements and are able to assist in preventing and responding to reports of discrimination or harassment.

For current employees unable to attend one of the live sessions, online discrimination prevention training must be completed by May 19, 2014. The online program will be available beginning Monday, March 24.  The full, online program must be viewed from start to finish in order to fulfill the training requirement, and employees who complete the online program must verify in writing that they viewed the program and understand the material as presented. Separate online training programs will be available for faculty and for staff/administration. Information about completing the online program will be emailed to all faculty, staff, and administrators by March 24.

After May 2014, all new employees will be required to complete the training program within the first 60 days at the College.

Please contact the Office of Human Relations and Minority Affairs at 953.5758 with questions about the training.