Governor's Compact

Program Overview

Welcome to the Illinois campus Sustainability Compact. The goal of the compact is to encourage universities and colleges within the state to incorporate sustainability Into their campus operations, academic and research programs, student activities and community outreach. An institution may pledge at any level provided It has Implemented a sustainability program that meets the preceding requirements. The institution may remain at a participation level as long as it continues to make progress toward its commitments. If the institution achieves each of the goals for a given level, it may apply for higher recognition level at any time. As a compact participant, an institution is expected to report annually to the GGCC on the progress it Is making toward achieving the program goals.

Click here for the full Compact Agreement

DACC has achieved the silver standard recognition level of sustainability goals- {C}

Rain Water Collection System

Danville Area Community College, in its continuing sustainability effort, installed a revolutionary RainXchange System for capturing, filtering, and re-using rainwater on the DACC campus. Installed in July 2011 at the DACC Greenhouse, the RainXchange System collects rainwater to subsidize water usage for watering greenhouse plants and turf greens.

The RainXchange System combines a decorative bubbling rock water recirculation feature with a sub-surface rainwater harvest storage system, capable of holding 1000 gallons of rainwater. The RainXchange system stores the collected water underground to maintain the integrity and beauty of the landscape. By reusing rainwater, the College will reduce water bills which include sewer charges and will alleviate demand on municipal water systems. Rainwater is extremely rich in nutrients to irrigate landscape, reducing the need for fertilizer and chemicals. Finally, reusing rainwater limits the waste of the planets’ freshwater resources through usage and pollution.

The rainwater collection system was funded by a $5,000 grant from the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN). IGEN is a partnership of 48 community colleges working to grow Illinois’ green economy, providing employment opportunities and healthy communities for all. IGEN is a continuously growing network of community colleges looking to develop a new kind of partnership with each other, with local employers, and within their communities. The purpose of the network is to combine the power of community colleges, businesses and the local community to stimulate the states’ green economy by focusing on the critical problems we can solve together, but cannot solve alone.

Click here to download the RainXchange Brochure

Tobacco Free Campus

DACC is committed to providing its staff and students with a safe and healthy environment. To this end, Danville Area Community College will be a tobacco-free campus as of August 1, 2012. Reasons we are moving toward a tobacco-free campus include:

• The exposure to second-hand smoke at building entrances and exits
• The desire to ensure clean air for all who come to campus
• The presence of underage students on campus
• Tobacco litter throughout campus grounds

Click here to read more about DACC's Tobacco Free Campus Initiative

LCD Monitors

Throughout campus DACC has installed numerous LCD monitors to display upcoming events and important dates/meetings for students and bring awareness to campus/community events. To further DACC sustainability efforts, periodic “Green Bytes” are displayed to bring awareness to recycling, climate and environmental impacts.

Hydration Stations

The DACC Sustainability Center is excited to announce the installation of five new “hydration stations” on campus, bringing the total number of stations on campus to six! Thanks to a grant from the Illinois Green Economy Network students, faculty and staff have free access to filtered water and the college is able to reduce its environmental impact by limiting the amount of waste created by single use water bottles. The water bottle refill stations resemble traditional water fountains but have an additional “shelf” area to set your bottle for no-touch refilling in less than ten seconds. In addition, the refill stations provide a count of the number of water bottles that have been averted from the landfill. There is a ticker on each station with a message that reads: “Helped eliminate waste from XXXX disposable plastic bottles.” Since installation last fall and this month, DACC has eliminated over 13,600 plastic bottles from the landfill. Next time you are thirsty, grab your environmentally friendly reusable water bottle and refill it at one of the following locations on campus. What you do matters: save your money, save our planet and save your health!

Mary Miller Center (3 locations) - East Side of MM GYM (parking lot side) near restrooms; West Side of MM GYM (campus side) near restrooms and Lower Level of MM near racketball court entrances and restrooms

Technology Center - near restrooms and vending machine area

Student Union - near vending machines

Clock Tower Center - near entrance on North end of building next to elevator