The goal of the Climate Action and Campus Plan was to provide a flexible framework to align financial resources with the Strategic Plan in service to the Mission, Vision and Values of Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC). The project was funded by a grant provided by the American Indian College Fund.

The strategic plan outlines three priorities related to campus expansions and/or improvements, including:

• Increase energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and reduce the college’s environmental footprint.
• Expand the use of alternative energy options.
• Expand college programs, including: Early Childhood Education, Business Administration, Behavioral Science, and Dakota Studies, Vocational Certificate offerings.

The Climate Action and Campus Plan was created through a series of workshops to achieve the SWC’s strategic plan. Based on analysis of the climate and existing strategies and infrastructure in place, the team co-created a resiliency plan outlining 18 strategies for SWC to become a net zero campus and live out their vision. Strategies included:

• Deep retrofit of existing facilities to reduce energy consumption by 30%
• Three acres of solar fields to generate 1,387,342 kwh energy and one additional wind turbine for net zero energy
• Four cisterns to capture on site water for reuse
• Two acres of prairie restoration for 534 pounds of carbon sequestering
• Walking trails, gathering and recreation quads for community socialization and mental health
• On site faculty neighborhood to recruit and retain additional faculty to support growing programs

In addition, design guidelines for future additions were outlined, payback and operational cost savings were analyzed, and implementation strategies were provided in a report to aid SWC to fund raise and achieve their regenerative goals.