A Survey of Sustainability Practices and Energy Consumption Reporting at
Virginia Peer Institutions
Zander Pellegrino
Committee on Sustainability
Summer
2013
Introduction
Background Information and Relevant Context
Climate scientists argue that sustained atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)
exceeding 350 parts per million (ppm) places the world at risk for hazardous
warming (Hansen, et al, 2008). The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which
operates the Mauna Loa Observatory, reported in April 2013 that atmospheric
carbon dioxide exceeded 400 ppm for the first time in human history (Bump, 2013).
The number of 400 ppm is a symbolic and alarming level, and indicates that efforts
to reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and return to a target of 350
ppm (or less) have not had a significant effect. Research interests are shifting from
investigations of the anthropogenic link to rising air and water temperatures to
developing innovations that allow humans to adapt to a world in climate crisis.
Universities are uniquely situated to provide leadership in the field of climate
change - as the activities of conducting research, developing inventive solutions,
forwarding conversation and debate, and educating students to become
knowledgeable and engaged citizens are consistent with the mission of higher
education. Universities are known, and importantly for this controversial issue,
trusted, for generating research and serving as centers for coordination and
innovation. In 2012 Dr. George Basile, a scientist at Arizona State University Global
Institute of Sustainability, stresses the importance of knowledge generation and
dissemination for the future of sustainability:
“… having the knowledge and the information out there that can be trusted
and getting it to the right people becomes critical to how sustainability is
framed…Again the university becomes central because this is a place where
knowledge is shared, where people do have trust, and where trusted
information comes out.”
As greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, universities have an opportunity
to serve as leaders in energy practices and sustainability innovation.
Purpose of the Research
The purpose of this research project was to collect information about
sustainability operations and institutionalization, and energy consumption from
peer institutions in Virginia. The information will be used to help meet challenges
identified in the William & Mary Strategic Plan FY2014-2018, including:
Provide the administrative resources and infrastructure required for a
university in the 21st century.
Become a model of sustainable operations.
The Strategic Plan FY14-18 focuses on sustainability in relation to operations
improvements in energy efficiency, but can go further to formulate and build a
comprehensive approach to sustainability at William and Mary. In this paper, I
present information about sustainability practices and energy consumption data
from peer institutions, make recommendations to strengthen William and Mary’s
institutional sustainability structure, and suggest using a national reporting system
to focus and inform future sustainability initiatives, priorities and policies.
Research Project
Overview
The background and purpose provide the context and justification for this
survey of energy consumption and sustainability practices at Virginia institutions of
higher education. The next section describes the research method and procedures,
including the data collection process. This will be followed by the Results section,
describing the outcomes of the qualitative interviews and quantitative data
collection. The Recommendations and Conclusion sections close the paper.
Method
The purpose of the project was to collect information about sustainability
operations and recording practices from Virginia peer institutions and report the
information to the W&M Committee on Sustainability. The information collected
includes both qualitative (review of archival records, information from on-site visits
and tours, and responses from structured interviews) and quantitative data (review
of archival records, website review, and current survey data).
Energy reporting and sustainability interview guide development. In order to
collect the needed information from other colleges and universities, I developed a
semi-structured interview guide, the Energy Reporting and Sustainability Interview
Guide. The questions generated were based on a review of the climate change
literature, reports and policies internal to the College of William and Mary (ex.
President’s Policy on Sustainability, Greenhouse Gas Inventory Update for the
College of William and Mary, Addressing Global Environmental Challenges: A White
Paper on the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching at the College of
William & Mary, etc.), discussions with W&M Committee on Sustainability
leadership1, recommendations from state and national climate change and
sustainability organizations, and the W&M Strategic Plan FY14-18. In addition, the
development of the interview guide was informed by recommendations from
qualitative research methods literature, including the importance of devising a
semi-structured interview guide with open ended questions and a variety of probes
and follow-up questions (Patton, 2002; 2003). The use of a semi-structured
interview guide corresponds with the research objective of obtaining in-depth
descriptions of other institution’s sustainability efforts, including specific
descriptions of successes and lessons learned. This approach permitted cross-case
comparability of the findings. A copy of the Energy Reporting and Sustainability
Interview Guide is shown in Appendix A.
Participants
A purposive sampling approach was used to identify the most qualified
informants for interviewing. Through referrals to colleagues from W&M personnel,
personal contacts with other students and faculty, and exploration of university
websites, contacts were identified at Virginia Commonwealth University, George
Mason University2, James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University, and
the University of Virginia.
Procedure
Special thanks to Mr. Dan Patterson, Mr. Patrick Foley, and Dr. Dennis Taylor for
their expert information and advice.
2 No response was received from George Mason.
1
Interviews were conducted by phone and in-person over an 8 week period.
Each informant was contacted by phone or email to confirm that they were the
appropriate informant, briefed on the purpose of the study (this sometimes
included sending question via email prior to the interview time), and scheduled at a
convenient time to complete the interview. As a result of the review of the
literature, examination of W&M archival records and reports, and interviews
conducted with W&M advisors, four topics were identified to structure the
reporting of the data and research findings:
W&M Institutional Structure and Curriculum
W&M Operations Sustainability Initiatives
Peer Institution Energy Data
Peer Institution Best Practices
On-site tours were completed with faculty, students, and/or staff sustainability
representatives at EMU and JMU. A summary of the data sources by topic is shown
in the Table 1.
Table 1 Research Project Topic and Data Sources
Data Sources
Research Project Topic
W&M Institutional Structure
and Curriculum
W&M Operations
Sustainability Initiatives
Peer Institution Energy Data
Interview
Review of
with Key
Records
Informants
WM
X
Review
Site
of
Tour
Websites
X
WM
X
X
JMU
VCU
UVA
X
X
Peer Institution Best Practices
EMU
JMU
VCU
X
X
EMU
JMU
The data collection process for each topic, detailed information about the interview
informant’s position and contact information by institution, names of records and
documents (internal and external to the institution), and specific website names and
URL’s can be found in Appendix B.
Results
W&M Institutional Structure and Curriculum
The results of the interviews and record reviews clearly demonstrate that
William and Mary’s institutional structure promotes effective, but isolated
sustainability initiatives. Administrators, faculty, staff and students all work on
sustainability projects within their sectors. The Strategic Plan reports the following
accomplishments related to sustainability:
Substantial improvement in sustainability and national reputation; Recyling;
Eco-Ambassador Program; Sustainability Fellowships; Storm-water
management plan; Carbon-footprint reduction plan for 2011-2030. Plans for
phased renovation to achieve energy efficiencies and reduce waste streams;
Competitive investment fund for resources that leverage efficiencies.
While commendable, there is no mechanism for the above activities to be integrated
or sequenced to maximize their impact. Another example of reporting that is not
linked to systemic change, and closely related to this research project, is that while
the College’s Facilities Management Department tracks institutional energy
consumption these data are not currently compared with peer institutions nor are
they part of a long-term sustainability strategy that includes operations, as well as
academic and curricular activities.
The Committee on Sustainability (COS) serves as the current mechanism for
integrating administrative, faculty and student efforts, yet opportunities to increase
integration exist even here. For example, COS does not track eCO2 reduction from
Green Fees projects or eCO2 emissions avoided from existing energy efficiency
measures. In comparison to other universities, W&M does not currently appear to
have sufficient staff, with corresponding authority, to implement a more integrated
tracking and data dissemination program.
The most recent published assessment of sustainability in the curriculum
and faculty engagement with sustainability occurred in 2009. It is expected that the
establishment of the Commonwealth Center for Environment and Energy will
strongly advance faculty engagement and curricular activities. The Commonwealth
Center for Environment and Energy’s website has improved the appearance and
usability of the course listing of classes with attention to sustainability (courses
must reflect at least 15% of their content is related to sustainability to be listed).
Operations Sustainability Initiatives
Projects and plans for reducing eCO2 emissions and increasing energy
efficiency exist at William and Mary, but are not tracked nor systematically
distributed. Dan Patterson, W&M Energy Manager, reported that he prioritizes
projects by payback and impact; currently increasing energy efficiency in lighting is
the most cost effective option. Initiatives are funded through Operations funds and
COS Green Fees. The Green Fees are disbursed to projects with priorities varying
from energy efficiency/eCO2 reduction to student research. Based on interviews
with Patterson and Dr. Taylor, COS will explore a comprehensive strategy for
investing Green Fees and cost effectiveness for eCO2 reduction will be considered. I
observed that differing priorities combine with diverse funding sources to
complicate tracking of overall energy savings and costs avoided at William and
Mary. Facilities Management tracks some of these data annually, but they are not
regularly incorporated into the Green Fees administration process. Currently,
sporadic and minimal tracking of Green Fees cost avoidance occurs.
Peer Institution Energy Data
The following tables compare energy consumption and greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions with other Virginia institutions. Figure 1 shows total energy
consumption for 2012 for WM, JMU, UVA and VCU.
Total Energy Consumption FY
2012 (btu/gsf)
148000
146000
144000
142000
140000
138000
136000
134000
132000
130000
128000
126000
WM
JMU
UVA
Figure 1: Total Energy Consumption FY 2012 (btu/gsf)
VCU
Figures 2 and 3 compare the greenhouse gas emissions for 2003 to 2010 and
2003 to 2012 for WM, JMU and VCU and WM, JMU, VCU and UVA, respectively. The
conversion factors used by the University of Virginia differ from those used by Dan
Patterson at W&M and the other institutions. This makes greenhouse gas emissions
data (eCO2) from UVA less comparable than energy consumption data (btu/gsf).3
Total GHG Emissions FY 20032010 (MT eCO2) WM JMU VCU
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
2003 2004
2005
2006
WM
JMU
2007 2008
2009
2010
VCU
Figure 2: Total GHG Emissions (MT eCO2) WM JMU VCU
The UVA values for Fig. 1 were provided by Cheryl Gomez and the values for Fig. 3
were provided by Andrew Greene.
3
Total GHG Emissions FY 20032012 (MT eCO2) WM JMU UVA
VCU
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
WM
JMU
VCU
UVA
Figure 3: Total GHG Emissions (MTeCO2) WM JMU UVA VCU
A comparison of GHG emissions for WM, JMU and VCU by square foot is
shown below.
GHG Emissions per Gross Square
Foot (MT eCO2/1000 ft^2)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
WM
JMU
2007
2008
2009 2010
VCU
Figure 4: GHG Emissions per square foot (MT eCO2/1000 ft^2) WM JMU VCU
Figures 5 and 6 compare GHG emissions for WM, JMU and VCU per student
and per person respectively.4
4
“Person” includes part time and full time students, faculty and staff.
GHG Emissions per Student (MT
eCO2/full time student)
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2004
2005
2006
WM
2007
JMU
2008
2009
2010
VCU
Figure 5: GHG Emissions per student (eCO2/full time student) WM JMU VCU
GHG Emissions per person (MT
eCO2/person)
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
WM
2007
JMU
2008
2009
2010
VCU
Figure 6: GHG Emissions per person (eCO2/person) WM JMU VCU
Peer Institution Best Practices
The findings from interviews with key informants, review of documents and
websites, and completing on-site tours revealed a number of common practices,
strategies, and observations. All informants emphasized the importance of (and
challenge of) coordinating and integrating sustainability efforts across campus,
conducting on-going evaluations of activities, the need for an institutional home, and
soliciting broad based administrative, faculty, staff, and student support as crucial to
creating a successful sustainability program. In addition, each representative
referred to the challenges of creating an atmosphere where faculty can readily see
the relevance of sustainability issues to their discipline. Reporting to external
organizations was cited by JMU and EMU representatives as instrumental in helping
them gain regional and national recognition and craft sustainability work in a more
diverse and coordinated manner. Specifically, each named their membership in the
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a
significant support for their efforts (due to increased access to data and program
recognition). In addition, they endorsed participation in AASHE’s Sustainability
Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) program. The STARS website
describes the program as “a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and
universities to measure their sustainability performance.” STARS, which requires a
membership fee, has over 251 participating institutions including EMU, GMU, JMU,
UR, VCU, and VT in Virginia. The STARS reporting format is used to assess
institutional aspects of sustainability ranging from operations to education and
research in order to facilitate knowledge management and incentivize sustainability
practices. Dr. Christine-Joy Brodrick-Hartman of JMU described STARS as a holistic
reporting system that can be molded to fit JMU’s needs, noting that JMU gains
sustainability recognition and prestige by reporting to a national organization, has
access comparative schools data to evaluate progress, and can glean new ideas from
the information they are provided as a member. EMU’s informant Jonathan LantzTrissel also strongly recommended the AASHE STARS program and stressed the
importance of reporting at the university level to an external source. Trissel cited
the benefits of the AASHE STARS program as increasing sustainability prestige of
school and gaining access to peer institution data on eCO2, energy, size, and best
practices. The STARS’s website notes the user can define parameters to find sister
schools (geography, population, heating days etc). Member institutions can view
the best practices being pursued by others and initiate dialogue to assess the
feasibility of a particular activity at their school. EMU and JMU also named the
American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) as
another avenue for standardized reporting and development.
In addition to identifying common themes, the qualitative case-comparison
method permitted the identification of distinctive strategies at each institution.
EMU. A unique contribution from EMU is to track student sustainability
literacy. Sustainability literacy is a university-wide and curricular-based priority
that is embedded in the current EMU strategic plan. The institution is using their
Quality Enhancement Plan to implement their efforts and have developed an
assessment for sustainability literacy that can be given to student cohort groups at
different times throughout their education to track the effectiveness of their
educational efforts. The sustainability assessment is included in Appendix C.
JMU. JMU cast an inventive and broad definition of sustainability as a natural
resource and stewardship issue. This permitted sustainability to be relevant to
facility operations, student organization, and academic units. JMU also provided
faculty education and support to incorporate sustainability issues in their
coursework and research then provided awards and additional support to select
faculty to further develop their courses. Another unique idea discussed was
measuring sustainability success by what JMU students do when they leave the
college. Dr. CJ Brodrick-Hartman mentioned that most of the impact of JMU’s
sustainability education occurs once students leave their campus.
The tour of JMU demonstrated their significant investment in aggressive
branding of the JMU environmental stewardship program and logo. Environmental
Stewardship banners were prominently hung on lampposts along the main
thoroughfare and on trash receptacles. A
website review of JMU’s Office of
Environmental Stewardship and
Sustainability (OESS) showed that the
office is responsible for facilitating implementation of JMU’s 18th defining
characteristic, “The University will be an environmentally literate community whose
members think critically and act, individually and collectively, as model stewards of
the natural world,” thus integrating it into the mission and structure of the
university. Useful logo items were given to incoming freshmen, such as an eco-bag
to be used as a recycling container in dorm rooms. In addition, a significant
commitment to managing the waste streams at their source through prominently
and attractively positioned “waste stations.” Each station was clearly marked with
instructions about what could be discarded, recycled and composted.
VCU. VCU’s sustainability program collaborates closely with outside
organizations and integrates sustainability initiatives at the university. The VCU
Sustainability Committee, headed by Dr. Jacek Ghosh, frequently coordinates with
public and private Richmond institutions on sustainability education and project
implementation as well as occasionally serving a consulting role. An annual energy
and sustainability conference furthers the relationship with the Richmond
community and enhances information exchange with other organizations. VCU
utilizes external funding sources to secure energy projects with longer payback—
such as solar panels. The focus on working with many organizations outside of the
VCU community serves to enhance the college’s sustainability reputation and
provide their students with practical applications to their academic interests. Dr.
Ghosh emphasizes the importance of faculty involvement and ownership.
Sustainability leadership at VCU developed as needs for specialized faculty
knowledge arose. Dr. Ghosh stresses that committees with diverse faculty and staff
representation enhance sustainability efforts by drawing upon and accessing many
areas of the college community. Internal coordination is also a VCU priority. The
campus of over thirty thousand has just one student group exclusively devoted to
environmental issues: Green Unity 4 VCU. As the name suggests, the group has a
social justice and community service focus. Streamlined communication, initiative
development and outreach are results of having only one group.
Recommendations
Climate change is a global issue that is best combated by an integrated,
informed and interdisciplinary approach (Karowe, Docherty, & Koretsky, 2012). To
assert its place as an institution committed to sustainability in its academic mission
and operations, the College of William and Mary must strengthen existing
administrative and facilities management structures, streamline communication,
and promote collaboration between different sectors at The College and with its
local and global partners.
The recommendations reflect the collective guidance and exemplary
practices from the literature, professional organizations, internal and external
documents describing sustainability practices and energy consumption, qualitative
and quantitative findings from the interviews with representatives from W&M and
peer institutions, extensive website reviews, and on-site tours. The
recommendations include suggestions to enhance existing administrative
structures, address facilities management and operations, build faculty and student
knowledge and engagement, and increase curricular initiatives. The
recommendations include to:

Elevate the Committed on Sustainability as the visible institutional home for
sustainability at W&M
o Link the COS mission directly to the W&M strategic plan elements and
provide authority for COS to operate in a collaborative manner across
facility management, energy operations and academic units
o Continue development “signature” events such as Earth Week and
consistently hold to increase awareness

Build on Spring 2012 Eco Ambassador project that
investigated consistent branding of sustainability initiatives at
W&M

Support Facilities Management to improve energy planning coordination
with COS
o Recommend hiring a controls engineer to the Facilities Management
staff . (This is cost effective compared to the cost of hiring an outside
consultant to develop a plan)

Create a university-wide comprehensive and diverse data collection and
reporting system administered through COS and Facilities Management
o Establish active membership in AASHE and utilize STARS

Create a communication strategy to enable administrative
decisions can use current emissions and energy data

Disseminate eCO2 reduction data from energy efficiency
increases and emissions avoided

Disseminate AASHE STARS data from impact of sustainability
practices
o Coordinate with CCEE to revise and re-administer 2009 academic
sustainability audit to obtain comparative and new data
o Track Green Fees eCO2 reduction either through the Eco Ambassador
program or positions internal to Facilities Management

Coordinate sustainability programs and initiatives between the Committee
on Sustainability, the Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment
and student organizations
o Share AASHE and STARS data to create a personalized reporting
program for W&M that is meaningful and useful for educational and
operational decision-making. Link evaluation data to programs
o Maintain awarding of financial support for proposals for faculty and
student generated initiatives

Host a sustainability conference at W&M. Consider collaborating with other
institutions; ex VCU and the City of Williamsburg
o Develop additional conferences or speaker series which highlight
W&M talents and expertise, such as Sustainability and International
Relations, Sustainability and Security, Ethical Leadership and
Sustainability, etc

Support the development of sustainability curricula that maps across
discipline and program requirements
o Consider prioritizing sustainability education and integration in
review of General Education requirements
o Consider strategies to measure sustainability knowledge and
practices; ex, EMU sustainability literacy survey to track student
growth and effectiveness of education programs

Create mechanisms for faculty development and engagement (CCEE)
o Develop and coordinate a coherent strategy for faculty development
and rewards that addresses faculty teaching, service, and research
demands

Align faculty activity report with realistic workload and course
credits, ex, negotiate release time for sustainability activities

Adopt “faculty affiliates” (Consult with JMU Center for Faculty
Innovation) and establish sustainability interest groups and
roundtable series through CCEE

Create Faculty Development Plan with CCEE and COS
leadership (e.g., assign mentors, create interest groups,
provide funding for conference attendance, designate
sustainability research teams, etc)
o Incorporate sustainability activities in promotion and tenure
consideration


Recognize sustainability accomplishments and activities
Conduct college and departmental discussions to produce departmental
sustainability plan

Support interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching, research, field
experiences, and for faculty and students
o Establish on-going collaborative relationships with students and
faculty in other institutions on sustainability initiatives

Coordinate to promote shared activities, class assignments or
joint meetings, or the creation of new interdisciplinary classes,
such as Environmental policy and Global Security or
Environmental issues and Social Unrest, Sustainability and
Behavior Change, Early Childhood Education and the Natural
World

Promote student outreach to other disciplines or institutions
for Earth Week, conference presentations and attendance,
speaker series, interdisciplinary research fair, etc
o Utilize the working relationship with Williamsburg City and
Williamsburg School to co-sponsor sustainability awareness and
education activities

Sponsor Earth Day activities, speaker series, community
workshops, etc
Conclusion
As William and Mary seeks to expand its identity as leading liberal arts
institution, the college must work to intentionally integrate sustainability in its
operations, curriculum, and research. The college possesses the human capital and
institutional infrastructure to generate advances in sustainability-focused education
and practices; however, interdisciplinary collaboration and more targeted research
and reporting are necessary.
Consistent and standard reporting helps the “energy community” in the same
way shared publications disseminate knowledge and enhance collaboration in the
scientific community. The recommendations offered cross college organizational
lines, for example, recommendations for facilities management, as well as for faculty
and student education and engagement. This is a deliberate effort to reduce the
detrimental effects of fragmented and uncoordinated efforts and promote a more
integrated, cross-sector, interdisciplinary approach.
Effective sustainability measures are products of institutions that capitalize
on their identity and strengths and coordinate with a broader network and
community. Integration of sustainability across strategic goals, administration and
facilities operations, faculty engagement, student life, coursework and curricular
requirements, research endeavors, and outreach initiatives must occur if William
and Mary is to retain its position as a leading institution in liberal arts education.
The climate crisis that necessitates we address sustainability issues also affords us
an opportunity for global leadership, an opportunity to institute a culture change to
address climate change at the College of William and Mary.
References
Bump, P. (2013). So Much for 350: The atmosphere's carbon dioxide tops 400. The
Atlantic Wire. Retrieved from
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/04/atmosphere-carbondioxide-tops-400-parts-per-million/64692/
Edmonds, L. & Patterson, D. (2010). Greenhouse Gas Inventory Update for the
College of William and Mary. Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/sites/sustainability/documents/GHG%20report%
202009.pdf
Hansen, J., Sato, M., Kharecha, P., Beerling, D., Berner, R., Masson-Delmotte, V.,
Pagani, M., Raymo, M., Royer, D, & Zachos, J. (2008). Target atmospheric CO2:
Where should humanity aim? The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, 2, 217231. DOI: 10.2174/1874282300802010217
Karowe, D., Docherty, K. & Koretsky, C. (2012). Interdisciplinary Approaches to
Climate Change: Research and Training. Retrieved from:
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&
context=research_events
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (2003). Qualitative research checklist. Retrieved from
http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/archive_checklists/qec.pdf
Sustainability Professional. (2012). Sustainability. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 5, 4.
Retrieved from:
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/SUS.2012.9951
Taylor, D. & Manos, D. (2010). Addressing Global Environmental Challenges: A
White Paper on Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching at the
College of William & Mary. Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/sites/ccee/_documents/white_paper_05-11-2010.pdf
William & Mary Strategic Plan FY2014-2018. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/strategicplanning/
_documents/strategicplan_fy14_18_040413.pdf
Appendix A
Energy Reporting and Sustainability Interview Guide
I. Greetings
Remind contact of my role
Purpose of the questionnaire
How information will be used and reported
Collect name, title, office or department, and email contact information
Name
Email
Phone
Title
Office
II. History of sustainability efforts
The first part of our discussion is to learn your institution’s history of sustainability
efforts. Tell me about how the work began…
(May prompt with queries about early champions, persons of influence, where it is,
and has been, organizationally housed. May explore connections between
operations and academic structures, curricular developments, special programs,
student organizations, etc.)
Tell me about how the work became part of the institutional structure
(May prompt and probe regarding diverse organizational placement for the work,
sources of past, current, and future funding)
III. Data Collection and Reporting
Describe the types of data that are collected, where it is reported, and how is it used
(May prompt and probe regarding cost avoidance or savings, internal and external
structures for reporting)
Collect specific information about energy consumption and eCO2 reportingdetermine equations and formats for reporting - May require contacting a
different person.
IV. Lessons Learned
Tell me about the successes and challenges you have experienced
What are the distinctive initiatives your school has (or plans to) accomplish related to
sustainability?
V. Conclusion - wrap up and thanks
What else is important for me to understand about your program?
Appendix B
Institutional Structure and Curriculum
To assess sustainability infrastructure at William and Mary,
interviews were conducted with Dr. Dennis Taylor (Committee on Sustainability CoChair) and Patrick Foley (Sustainability Fellow). I also conducted a review of
sustainability related university documents, student research papers, and published
webpages. Significant documents included: W&M Strategic Plan FY14-18, W&M
Planning Steering Committee FY12-13, Recommendations, Sustainability Academic
Audit (Midelfort & Swaddle, 2009), Addressing Global Environmental Challenges: A
White Paper on Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching at the College
of William and Mary (Taylor & Manos, 2010).
Helpful webpages included:
Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment
http://www.wm.edu/sites/ccee/
Campus Sustainability Roadmap
http://www.wm.edu/sites/sustainability/documents/sustainabilityroadmap.pdf
Green Fees Proposal Project
http://www.wm.edu/sites/sustainability/getinvolved/submitproposal/index.php
Committee on Sustainability
http://www.wm.edu/sites/sustainability/committeeonsustainability/index.php
W&M Operations Sustainability Initiatives
To assess W&M Operations Sustainability Initiatives I conducted interviews
with W&M’s Energy Manager, Mr. Dan Patterson, reviewed W&M’s energy
consumption data including the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Audit and Facilities
Management webpages.
Peer Institution Energy Data
To gather energy consumption data from peer institutions I contacted Energy
Managers and sustainability officials at selected Virginia universities. Metrics
included: greenhouse gas emissions (eCO2) and energy consumption (btu). These
data are presented per capita and per area. Per capita data demonstrate how
efficiently an institution utilizes its human resources and per area data indicate the
energy efficiency of the institution’s facilities. I collected information from the
University of Virginia (UVA), James Madison University (JMU) and Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU). One GMU staff member in the Office of
Sustainability referred me to the Energy Manager but I never received a reply from
the appropriate party. I consulted with David Neuman, Architect for the University
and Chair, Committee on Sustainability, Cheryl Gomez, Director of Energy and Utilities and Andrew Greene, Sustainability Planner (UVA), Abe Kaufman, Energy
Conservation & Sustainability Manager (JMU), Carl Beckelheimer, Energy manager,
Physical Plant Department, Parker Long, Sustainability Reporting and Outreach
Coordinator (VCU).
List of contacts for Energy Use Data
JMU
Abe Kaufman Energy Conservation & Sustainability Manager
Email: kaufmaat@jmu.edu
VCU
Carl Beckelheimer Energy manager, Physical Plant Department
Email: cebeckelheim@vcu.edu
UVA
David Neuman, Chair, Committee on Sustainability
Email: djn6b@Virginia.EDU
Cheryl Gomez, Director of Energy and Utilities
Email: clg9y@Virginia.EDU
Andrew Greene, Sustainability Planner, Office of the Architect
Email: ajg5k@virginia.edu
Peer Institution Best Practices
To investigate sustainably practices, student and faculty engagement, and
institutional integration at selected Virginia universities I conducted in-depth
interviews with key sustainability personnel and reviewed sustainability web pages.
Interviews were informed by online documents and reports from peer
universities. While the specifics of the interviews varied by contact, I asked about
consistent themes during the in depth interviews. I interviewed Dr. Christine-Joy
Brodrick (JMU), Dr. Jacek Gosh and Wyatt Carpenter (VCU) and Johnathan LantzTrissel (EMU). Other personnel served as informants to provide follow up or
focused information about sustainability at their respective institutions. Personnel
contacted in this capacity included: Towana Moore, Maria Papadakis (JMU), Parker
Long (VCU) and Bryce Yoder (EMU). I toured university facilities at JMU and EMU.
List of contacts for Peer Institution Best Practices
JMU
Dr. Christine-Joy Brodrick
Email: brodricj@jmu.edu
Additional Information: Towana Moore, Dr. Maria Papadakis
VCU
Dr. Jacek Gosh
Email: jghosh@vcu.edu
Additional Information: Wyatt Carpenter, Campus Sustainability
Intern and Green Unity 4 VCU
Parker Long, Sustainability Reporting and Outreach Coordinator
EMU
Johnathan Lantz-Trissel
Email: jonathan.lantz-trissel@emu.edu
Additional Information: Bryce Yoder, Student
Appendix C
EMU QEP QUESTIONNAIRE
Consider the following statements about the relationship between humans and the
environment. Please indicate the degree to which you agree with these statements by
filling in one of the circles in each row.
Strongly Mildly UnsMildly
Strongly
Agree
Agree ure
Disagree Disagree
1. We are approaching the limit of the





number of people the earth can
support.
2. Humans have the right to modify the





natural environment to suit their
needs.
3. When humans interfere with nature, it





often produces disastrous
consequences.
4. Human ingenuity will insure that we





do NOT make the earth unlivable.
5. Humans are severely abusing the





environment.
6. Human actions contributing to





environmental degradation are sinful.
7. The earth has plenty of natural





resources if we just learn how to
develop them.
8. Plants and animals have as much right





as humans to exist.
9. The balance of nature is strong





enough to cope with the impacts of
modern industrial nations.
10. Despite our special abilities, humans





are still subject to the laws of nature.
11. The so-called “ecological crisis” facing





humankind has been greatly
exaggerated.
12. A person can be completely devoted





to following Jesus without actively
taking care of the environment.
13. The earth is like a spaceship with very





limited room and resources.
14. Humans were meant to rule over the





rest of nature.





15. The balance of nature is very delicate
and easily upset.
16. Humans will eventually learn enough
about how nature works to be able to
control it.
17. If things continue on their present
course, we will soon experience a
major ecological catastrophe.
18. Caring for the environment is an
important part of being a Christian.















19. What is your definition of “environmental sustainability”?
20. List three things individuals can do to promote environmental sustainability.
Questionnaire administered to all first-year students during orientation. Modified
from:
Dunlap, R. E., Van Liere, K. D., Mertig, A. G., & Jones, R. E. (2000). Measuring
endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: A revised NEP scale.
Journal of Social Issues, 56, 425–442.
College Writing In-Class Writing
Please read the following paragraphs from EMU news articles published
online within the last two years. Then respond to the prompt that follows.
. . . Students were provided three recent EMU news items illustrating a breath of
sustainability related initiatives or projects by the university community . . .
Writing Prompt:
 Think about the first time you became aware of the idea of sustainability.
 Where were you?
 Describe your surroundings?
 How did you experience this awareness?
 How does it connect with your beliefs about the world?
 How do the news items above relate to your awareness of sustainability? Are
some more relevant to your understanding of sustainability than others?
 Do you see your understanding of sustainability affecting your choices while
at EMU?
RUBRIC FOR ACADEMIC MAJOR ASSESSMENT
Learning Outcome 4: Integrate the principles of sustainability within the student’s
discipline.
Exceeds
Meets
Does not meet
Criteria
expectations
expectations
expectations
3
2
1
Identification of a
Identifies an
Identifies an
Does not identify
sustainability issue appropriate issue;
appropriate issue; an appropriate
within the
provides an
provides an
issue or
discipline
accurate, clear, and
adequate
description is
complete
description,
incomplete
description,
including works
and/or
including works
cited.
inaccurate; or
cited; presents the
omits citations.
issue in a creative,
significant, and/or
concise way.
Analysis of the
Issue is thoroughly
Issue is adequately Issue is not
issue
and fairly analyzed
and fairly
analyzed or
and the analysis is
analyzed.
analysis is
particularly
incomplete,
insightful and/or
superficial,
creative.
and/or biased.
Presentation of
A particularly
A solution or
A solution or
solution or
creative or
course of action is course of action
sustainable course
innovative solution
presented and the is not presented
of action
or course of action
solution/course of or the
is presented and the action is
solution/course
solution/course of
applicable to the
of action is
Score
Conclusion
(projected impact
of solution or
course of action)
action is applicable
to the issue.
Conclusion is logical,
persuasive, concise,
and unique.
issue.
Conclusion is
logical and
persuasive.
Total Score:
incongruent
with the issue.
Conclusion is not
provided or
conclusion is
illogical.