OWU Sustainability Plan

Official, November 2017

(revisions underway, Spring 2022)

Our sustainability plan was developed by Ohio Wesleyan’s Sustainability Task Force and approved by the administration in November of 2017. The plan is the culmination of three years of hard work and many more years of foundational work by students, staff and faculty. The plan features four major goals each with sub-goals. For each section there are sub-goals that need administrative support and others which can be accomplished by the grassroots bottom-up system of students, faculty, and staff. This systematic, grassroots approach is a strength of the program at Ohio Wesleyan. The plan itself, rather than including externally imposed and inspired goals, is customized to Ohio Wesleyan and its particular circumstances. Small schools like Ohio Wesleyan do not always have the funds and personnel to start big flashy projects but that does not exclude us from making a real difference. The customization process involved dozens of meetings but it took advantage of the wealth of expertise at Ohio Wesleyan. Going forward the plan may serve a few critical roles in our activities. Most obviously, the plan offers a framework for future efforts. It creates a centrality and direction to sustainability initiatives. It gives a clear vision for future accomplishments. In addition, the plan can serve as a source of information and awareness for those not actively involved or those beginning to be involved in these initiatives. The plan will make sustainability part of the conversation for major university projects. Finally, the plan is a reminder that the University endorsed these efforts. Referencing the plan can help encourage compromise and collaboration by stakeholders that may initially hesitate. The University has a responsibility to be a leader in the community and we present this plan as a significant step forward.

The plan will be revised as needed in the future.

Download a PDF (here) or view (below):

The Draft OWU Sustainability Plan (above) is the product of the following efforts:

Spring 2015: Geog 499 Sustainability Practicum: students compiled a 40 page sustainability document, including past and current projects along with future goals. A PDF of that document is here.

Spring 2016: Geog 499 Sustainability Practicum + Sustainability Task Force (STF): Revised the 40 page document into a focused, four page plan with shorter and longer term goals. A PDF of that document is here.

Fall 2016: Student Emily Howald conferred with administrators, staff, faculty and the STF to significantly revise the four page draft Plan so that it contains viable actions and goals that have institutional buy in. A PDF of that document is above, and here.

Spring 2017: Geog 499 Sustainability Practicum: students circulated the plan to and met with Buildings & Grounds, Chartwells, major faculty committees, WCSA (OWU student representatives), and faculty for revisions and a pledge of support. A case for support for the plan is here.

Summer 2017: Emily Howald created another updated version based on conversations with President Rock Jones. That copy is here.

Please send any and all comments to John Krygier or comment on this page.