While it may be assumed that institutions of higher education follow sustainable practices on their campuses, Thompson and Green (2005) indicate that few institutions have a comprehensive plan of sustainability led by top campus administrators. Top-level administrators have many day-to-day demands and campus structural challenges that hinder them from implementing sustainable practices throughout all levels of campus. As a result, these institutions are wasting energy and resources. By implementing more sustainable practices, institutions could benefit from cost-savings as a result of the initiatives (Thompson & Green, 2005).
The American College Personnel Association (2008) charged its more than 7500 members to educate faculty, staff, and students about sustainable practices in an effort to implement efforts on campuses nationwide. Forty-two institutions of higher education in the state of New York have joined together and signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The details of this commitment include minimizing greenhouse gas emissions by conserving energy and utilizing renewable resources (Shea, 2008). Other efforts in the state of New York include making sure new buildings meet standards set forth by the United States Green Building Council and also rank well in the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) system (Shea, 2008). If other states could follow New York's statewide coordinated efforts, they may also be able to save funding by implementing sustainable practices on college and university campuses.
References
American College Personnel Association (2008). Toward a Sustainable Future: The Role of Student Affairs in Creating Healthy Environments, Social Justice, and Strong Economics. Retrieved from http://www2.myacpa.org/docs/publications/ACPA_Sustainability_Monograph.pdf
Shea, S. B. (2008). Green U: New York colleges share a common school color. The New York Conservationist. Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/external_link_maincontentframe.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.44
Thompson, R. & Green, W. (2005). When sustainability is not a priority: An analysis of trends and strategies. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 6(1), 7-17. doi: 10.1108/14676370510573104
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