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Sustainability spotlight
Planning for a sustainable KU
KU has begun the early stages of developing a comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan for the Lawrence campus. The goal of the plan is to provide direction for the university to become more environmentally, economically and socially responsible. In her 2010 Earth Day proclamation, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little announced that the plan will help the university assess our current status, develop strategies for minimizing our environmental and social impacts and establish a system for measuring our progress as we strive to create a more sustainable campus.
The Center for Sustainability, in conjunction with an appointed Sustainability Advisory Council, will be responsible for coordinating the planning process and developing implementation strategies for the plan. The 16-member advisory council includes university faculty, staff and students, and staff from the auxiliary enterprises and KU Endowment. Members of the council are:
Danny Anderson, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Chuck Crawford, director, Enterprise Infrastructure and Security, Information Technology
Christina Holt, associate director for Community Tool Box Services, KU Work Group for Community Health and Development
Diane Goddard, vice provost for administration and finance
Nona Golledge, director, KU Dining Services
JD Loudabarger, assistant athletics director
Chris Martin, chair, Student Environmental Advisory Board
Jack Martin, deputy director, University Communications
Celeste McCoy, president, KU Environs
Megan Ritter, vice president, Student Senate
Diana Robertson, director, Department of Student Housing
Joshua Rosenbloom, associate vice provost for research and graduate studies
Dale Slusser, assistant vice president, KU Endowment
Barry Swanson, interim associate vice provost for operations, administration and finance
Ilya Tabakh, doctoral student, environmental engineering
Doug Riat, director, Facilities Operations
Tom Waechter, assistant director of planning and programming, Design and Construction Management
The Sustainability Advisory Council will provide administrative guidance to working groups, which will inventory existing resources, establish goals in key focus areas and develop strategies for integrating the tenets of sustainability into operations, education, research and campus life. Working groups are being established to address administration, planning and development, built environment, campus grounds, community engagement and outreach, curriculum and research, energy, procurement, student life, transportation and waste reduction.
Anyone interested in contributing to the Campus Sustainability Plan is encouraged to attend one of the upcoming hour-long visioning workshops, taking place Oct. 19, 20 and 21. The Center for Sustainability will also be presenting information about the plan as part of the Campus Sustainability Day celebration Oct. 22. For additional information and opportunities to participate, visit sustainability.ku.edu/Plan/ or contact the Center for Sustainability at sustainableplan@ku.edu.
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