91短视频 was among 173 schools nationwide named , based on commitments to greening every level of their operations 鈥� from energy usage to recycling to food sourcing to curriculum.

鈥淥ne of the things that makes 91短视频 different is that sustainability at 91短视频 is not just a grassroots effort,鈥� said professor in a recent interview with 91短视频 news services. While there are certainly such efforts on campus, the commitment to sustainability has developed as a result of official 91短视频 support.

Key step was staffing

The creation of a recycling coordinator position in 2005 was a big step along the way. , who held that position for five years until becoming 91短视频鈥檚 coordinator, worked to increase campus community awareness of recycling.

He started by tracking what 91短视频 was already doing. He found the campus recycled about 20% of its waste. He and his work-study students introduced better signage about recycling, as well as new color-coded bins into residence halls, academic buildings and faculty offices to make proper waste disposal easy and convenient. Lantz-Trissel also included recycling education in the first-year orientation program. Now, nine years later, the percentage of waste that 91短视频 recycles is closer to 50%.

As far as Lantz-Trissel knows, 91短视频 is the only university that picks up recyclables entirely by bicycle. This came about through a cost-saving decision, he said, when the pickup truck used for recycling rounds needed a new clutch: 鈥淭o replace the clutch was going to be $650. I said that for $550 I鈥檒l get a bike and trailer and you can sell the truck.鈥�

Recycling by bicycle

91短视频 agreed to give recycling by bicycle a try, although his supervisor was skeptical that it would last more than six months.

鈥�91短视频 is the perfect size for using bikes and trailers,鈥� said current recycling crew leader . 鈥淭he geography of the campus also helps considerably.鈥�

Freed collects the majority of 91短视频’s recyclables from uphill sites, enabling him to coast down to where these need to be deposited for trucking away. 鈥淲e actually don鈥檛 carry any heavy loads uphill鈥t鈥檚 mainly just good brakes to keep the loads from running away from us,鈥� said Lantz-Trissel with a laugh.

The recycling crew consists of at least one work-study student who is always 鈥減assionate about what they are doing,鈥� said Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淭hey like getting on a bike and peddling around recycling.鈥�

Earthkeepers club

Besides the recycling work-study position, the heaviest student involvement with campus sustainability efforts comes from the environmental club .

鈥淲e get volunteers to collect compost from the cafeteria Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,鈥� explained co-president and senior Melinda Norris.

鈥淵ou have to have people who are reliable,鈥� in order for collecting compost via volunteers to work, said Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淚 have never talked to another university who has students that have been that committed to composting鈥sually it ends up failing and people in the facilities end up handling it.鈥�

Other Earthkeepers projects include providing clotheslines in residence hall laundry rooms, sponsoring Food and Farming Week (a week of cafeteria meals in the fall based around local, in-season foods), and installing timers on the campus tennis courts that turn the lights on for a designated time-frame.

In the spring semester, Earthkeepers helps the recycling crew in 鈥�,鈥� an annual intercollegiate recycling competition. 91短视频 has placed in the top 25% each year.

Presidential support

sits on the board of the and has signed the statement.

Recently, 91短视频 became one of the first 25 institutions of higher education in 10 states to commit to 鈥�,鈥� aimed at reducing or eliminating the use or generation of hazardous substances.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the 91短视频 community鈥檚 commitment to increased sustainability, though, is the .

鈥淓ach institution seeking reaffirmation of Accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP),鈥� states the website for the. 鈥淭he QEP describes a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined topic or issue(s) related to enhancing student learning.鈥�

For 91短视频, that topic has been strengthening 鈥渃are for God鈥檚 creation by enhancing our knowledge, values, and actions鈥� and increasing 鈥渟ustainable practices at the university.鈥�

Campus-wide through QEP

The QEP 鈥渉elps spread sustainability to students who would not necessarily be drawn to that,鈥� said Yoder, a member of the Peace With Creation committee.

The plan moves sustainability beyond the committed students who are already on the bike collecting recyclables and in the cafeteria helping with composting. The plan invites the community as a whole to participate, with the faculty encouraged to weave sustainability lessons and themes through their curricula as much as possible.

Students are urged to bicycle or walk instead of driving locally. In recent years, they鈥檝e help tend the university鈥檚 five beehives, four produce gardens, and dozens of fruit trees, with the results sometimes ending up in .

For information on the full range of 91短视频鈥檚 sustainability efforts 鈥� including solar energy panels and LEED-certified residence halls 鈥� visit 91短视频鈥檚 .

Katie Jantzen, co-leader of , said the overall goal of the mini-grants was to encourage the campus community to think more proactively about steps they can take to initiate efforts.

“We see these projects as a way of helping to support sustainability initiatives on campus that may not otherwise happen due to lack of funds,” said Jantzen. “Selection was based on the impact the project would have on the 91短视频 community, student initiative, feasibility of implementation, and a diversity of ideas.”

Changes around campus

Projects to receive funding include a $400 grant for an LED theater light fixture for the Technical Theater class; $250 for compost bins in 15 lounge and kitchen areas across campus, submitted by , web content manager and strategist; $125 to purchase local food to reinforce learning in a food writing workshop, submitted by , assistant professor in and the departments; $125 for compost bins in residence halls, submitted by sophomore Christine Baer; and a $100 grant for raspberry hedges as edible landscaping near Northlawn residence hall, introduced by the .

“We hope that our funding can be the initial impetus to get many of the projects off and running as they expand in scope and influence,” said Jantzen.

Winning projects were selected by a committee composed of , sustainability coordinator, , Earthkeepers faculty advisor, Jantzen and co-leader Josh Kanagy and members of Earthkeepers.

Earthkeepers, and the quality enhancement plan sponsored the mini-grants.

91短视频 Earthkeepers

The mission of Earthkeepers is to encourage, simplify and implement environmentally friendly practices around the campus community by following Christ’s example of holistic redemption by pursuing sustainable attitudes and practices, according to their website. In addition, Earthkeepers have helped fund composting and recycling programs, edible landscaping and The Bicycle Cooperative.

More information on Creation Care Council and sustainability practices at 91短视频 can be found at .

“A model for other colleges.”

That’s how the 91短视频 Quality Enhancement Plan was described by a visiting reaffirmation team from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in early March.

“Peace with Creation: Environmental Sustainability from an Anabaptist Perspective” is the title of 91短视频’s Quality Enhancement Plan or “QEP.” The plan was evaluated during 91短视频’s once-every-10-year review. Some 800 schools are part of the SACS commission, and a QEP is required for each reaccreditation process.

Dr. Michael Johnson of the Commission commented enthusiastically about the QEP on behalf of the nine-person review team representing eight colleges and universities.

Creation care will be significantly integrated across 91短视频’s curriculum as part of the plan, strengthening (or complementing) 91短视频’s already strong commitment to sustainability in areas of energy use, recycling and facilities development.

The QEP seeks to unite the Anabaptist peace tradition with an interdisciplinary framework of principles for sustainability as set forth by Dr. Anthony Cortese of Second Nature, a nonprofit organization. These principles include:

• The health of all current and future humans and other species;
• The fairness, equity, stability and security of human cultures and social systems;
• Economic opportunity for all current and future humans; and
• Ecological diversity and integrity.

The focus is on undergraduate level learning around these themes. Learn more about sustainability at 91短视频

91短视频 focus is unique

“The 91短视频 QEP focus…is a unique and precedent setting initiative,” wrote Dodd Galbreath, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Practice at Lipscomb University and lead evaluator of the QEP.

The March 1-4 on-site reaccreditation visit, chaired by Dr. Mark Smith of Rhodes College, resulted in a strong affirmation of 91短视频’s undergraduate programs.

“This affirmation of what we do and how we operate is significant,” notes 91短视频 Provost Fred Kniss, Ph.D. “Our QEP is a place where our core values as a university can intersect with a pressing issue for the global community.”

The Quality Enhancement Plan on sustainability will be implemented over the next five years. The first step in implementation is to include sustainability themes in several courses in 91短视频’s general education program, including all first-year writing and Bible and religion classes, and cross-cultural programs.

Details of the plan are available online at www.emu.edu/qep. A full copy of the visiting committee’s exit conference report is available on request by contacting BJ Miller, 91短视频 Institutional Research at bjmiller@emu.edu or (540) 432-4304.