ERIC Number: EJ920028
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0882-7249
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
National Trends in Sustainability Performance: Lessons for Facilities Leaders
Jones, Kristy M.; Keniry, L. Julian
Facilities Manager, v25 n2 p44-49 Mar-Apr 2009
For most facilities leaders, sustainability is nothing new. The authors have observed repeatedly over several decades that administrative and facilities staff have often taken the lead in initiating many of the most effective and visible efforts on campuses to dramatically curb energy use and waste and to contain costs, even during times of rapid growth. It was not particularly a surprise to the authors, therefore, when the findings of their new study, "Campus Environment 2008: A National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education," released last August, revealed campus operations as leading the effort to "green" America's colleges and universities. It also identifies a few missed opportunities and areas where facilities and other leaders on campuses are planning to do much more. The study, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International for the National Wildlife Federation, evaluates sustainability performance at 1,068 two- and four-year colleges and universities in 50 states and focuses on three areas: curriculum, management, and operations. Its purpose is to explore the extent to which college and university leaders value environmental performance and sustainability and are putting these values into practice. It also aims to glimpse beyond the anecdotal evidence into nationwide trends across all types of campuses, large and small, public and private, in all regions of the country. The authors not only report on current activity and performance, but also compare these trends with their 2001 study. Other studies by peer groups, looking in different ways at select colleges and universities, have emerged since 2001. Taken together, these surveys provide varied lenses through which to view the vast and complex subject of campus leadership for sustainability, and they signal the growing interest in this topic.
Descriptors: Evidence, Campuses, Program Effectiveness, Sustainability, Trend Analysis, Operations Research, National Surveys, Energy Management, Educational Facilities Improvement, Facilities Management, Program Evaluation, Performance Factors
APPA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers. 1643 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 703-684-1446; Fax: 703-543-2772; e-mail: appa@appa.org; Web site: http://www.appa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Assessment of Educational Progress
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A