Annual Report 2025
The Sustainability Engagement Institute develops educational opportunities and systems-change for a more sustainable, just future. We engage in initiatives that create economic vitality, promote well-being, protect the environment, and uphold social justice. Our work during fiscal year 25 (July 2024 – June 2025) advanced this mission in impactful and exciting ways.
Our 2025 Impact at a Glance
Sustainability Action Plan (SAP)
SEI led the assembly of the SAP Annual Progress Report for fiscal year 2024, a requirement written into the 2017 Sustainability Action Plan, and an important effort for the President’s Sustainability Council. As an institution, we completed or made progress on 67% of the SAP’s 132 objectives related to sustainability in academics, co-curricular programming, and operations. Some highlights include:
- 73% of academic departments offer sustainability-focused or sustainability-inclusive courses,
- The Sustainability, Equity & Justice Fund grant program distributed over $200k to 20 student-led projects,
- Western began construction on its new coast Salish-style longhouse, which will be finished in late fall 2025, and
- Kaiser Borsari Hall was completed at the end of 2024, designed to exceed LEED standards for energy use, carbon emissions, and other sustainability factors.
Outreach and Engagement
SEI staff are frequently asked to present on our work in classes across campus. This year presentations happened in the following:
- Environmental Speaker Series: “Sustainability is More than Just Recycling: How the SEI is Working Toward Systems-Change"
- Food Security Planning Studio (UEPP 415, 19 students)
- Marketing and Sustainability (MKTG 384, Spring, 26 students)
- Marketing and Sustainability (MKTG 384, Winter)
- Short “Class Raps” introducing SEI in 27 courses in 10 different departments (reached 1164 students)
- SEI staff presented at monthly new faculty/staff orientation (92 new faculty and staff)
SEI’s role in Earth Week included hosting the inaugural Earth Week Fair in Red Square, which included participation from 35 groups, hosting a Climate Stories Night event at the Underground Coffeehouse, and providing outreach for events hosted by other groups that week. The Climate Stories night was made possible through collaborations with Western’s Communications Department and Bellingham Storytellers Guild.
Staff Development
A special thank you to staff Kate Beck, Meli Bernal, Cole Burk, Gabby Laipenieks, Zinta Lucans, Lindsey MacDonald, Arun Shrestha, Linda Sterling, and Grace Wang for their commitment to advancing sustainability on Western’s campus, and to making the world a better place for all. (Cole Burk not pictured)
