Sustainability

Last month faculty and staff Zoomed in for a workshop led by the Climate Change Resilience Committee (CCRC).

The event brought together more than 30 faculty and staff from across campus who have been working to make IU Southeast and its operations more environmentally sustainable.

The CCRC is the core leadership team now organizing and focusing many diverse projects.

The workshop focused on gathering ideas and input for the Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report II. Participants took a group approach to identifying strengths/assets and vulnerabilities at IU Southeast, with focus areas including the campus ecosystems, economics, community outreach and more.

Previous work by co-chairs Todd Grote and Rob Poff and their teams on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report helped participants understand the source of campus emissions, and to identify and prioritize greenhouse gas reduction strategies.

At the end of the workshop, people had a better idea of ultimate goals and next steps. Many of these next steps will involve gathering more information and working out sustainable management plans for areas like energy consumption, maintenance and purchasing.

The priorities established by the CCRC will be given to Chancellor Wallace and directed into future IU Southeast strategic plans.

In order to communicate our dedication to sustainability, to recognize ongoing efforts and to give our colleagues and students more resources, Academic Affairs is taking the lead in creating our first dedicated sustainability website, which will debut at the beginning of the fall term.

There is always room for you to add your ideas and energy to sustainability. To see how you can get involved, contact EVCAA Ryan, ryanka@ius.edu.