Environment Working Group - Draft Discussion Paper

Sustainability Retreat, August 2005


Introduction
The Environment Working Group members included John Balling, Executive Director WITS; Bob Collin, Senior Research Scholar, Public Policy Research Center; Mary Collins, Administrative Assistant, CLA Admission; Beth Delmar, General Manager, Bon Appetit; Joy Fargo, Administrative Assistant, Student Academic Grants and Awards; Chuck Meyers, Head Painter, Physical Plant; Susan Smith, Professor of Law; Dean Wentworth, Botanical Gardens and Greenhouse Curator; and Karen Arabas, Associate Professor of Environmental and Earth Sciences and facilitator. Our Working Group's task, as defined by the Sustainability Council, was to help guide the Council in future deliberations about how Willamette might approach the environmental aspects of sustainability.

In preparation for the retreat, working group members brushed up on some basic concepts of ecology critical to sustainability, including the roles of interdependence, systems thinking, cyclical flow of resources, cooperation, partnership, flexibility, and diversity within both ecological and human systems. We also familiarized ourselves with the "Ecological Footprint", a tool that has been developed to assist individuals, organizations, communities, and even countries in assessing or measuring their environmental impact.

The group elected to work through two tasks. First, we chose to broadly examine the concept of Sustainability as it applies to Willamette and the environment. Second, we considered a vision of Willamette 20 years from now, what it would take to achieve that vision, the projects that come out of that vision, and to identify short cuts and obstacles to implementing those projects. The Environment Working Group can be characterized as very outcome oriented, and it was most interested in developing a framework to support some very concrete projects. As a result, our draft discussion document is a detailed account of a dozen or so projects and it follows a format that mirrors our deliberations:

The Environment Working Group began by examining some elemental assumptions about Willamette necessary to a discussion of sustainability, focusing on our future trajectory and decision-making. Next we developed a broad set of goals or conditions necessary to successfully identify and integrate the critical environmental components of sustainability. Finally, we compiled a list of long-term and short-term strategies and tools for achieving these goals.

Assumptions
We discussed a few basic assumptions that appear to be critical to a discussion of sustainability: the nature of growth and change at Willamette, and our decision-making model.

1. Growth and change will both continue to occur at Willamette in terms of space, people, and resource use.

2. We also assume that Willamette has operated and will continue to operate under an adaptive model of management and decision-making in which goals are identified, and strategies and a workplan are derived to help implement the goals. Following implementation, feedback is used to determine the success of the project and the institution may choose to adapt its goals and strategies.

3. It is our further assumption that at Willamette, adaptation is predominantly informed by economic and educational feedback: Willamette has typically minimized economic impact and maximized commitment to its educational mission, often ignoring ecological and equity feedback.

2. Use a principle of inclusive involvement of stakeholders,

3. Create a culture of sustainability literacy and instill the value of sustainability on campus and in the wider community.

4. Use sustainability as a vehicle to help maintain and improve our University's competitive position.

Stratagies and Tools
Below we list and begin to develop some of the strategies and tools to achieve these goals. Note that we consider both long-term and short-term strategies and that for the most part each strategy or tool addresses all the goals. Cognizant that these strategies need further refinement, we sketch each idea, its justification, and identify some challenges to implementation. Several ideas we did not sketch out, but include here as part of our list of ideas. There is no particular ordering to these strategies and tools.

1. SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL (LONG-TERM)
Idea. In order to make any improvements regarding the environmental impact we have as a University we must appraise our current impact as well as our structural ability to implement any changes. In short, our community should initiate an ongoing series of Sustainability Appraisals. These Sustainability Appraisals must include data regarding our physical environment (the most visible and symbolic example of which is our Mill Stream, but which also includes our non-permeable sidewalks and the halting of wildlife migrations by 12th and Winter Streets), the governance and managerial processes we will expect to embrace and make decisions according to a new set of values, and the flow of energy and materials through our campus (not just our power bill, but our publications for external audiences, and the paper of our letterhead). The appraisals must also take into account what harmful substances we require our employees to use, and we urge that this research be done using the OSHA provided material safety data sheets.

These appraisals should be published on the University's internal web and disseminated electronically across campus, especially to those people who make decisions that touch upon our environmental impact. They should include a basic summary including a list of areas where we believe our campus might make the most immediate improvements, and this basic summary should become part of the next Professional Development Day. We encourage any and all classes to find ways of incorporating Willamette's environmental impact into curricula and independent study projects.

Justification. Our motivation in asking for a continuing series of appraisals is fueled by the conviction that all or part of our campus is performing below the standard of sustainable behaviors that Willamette is called to embrace. In revealing immediate and long-term opportunities for improvement we must be available for conversation with those persons or departments who seem to be placed in the heart of change, especially of those persons or departments that are invested, financially or emotionally, in ways of conducting business that have not been evaluated according to their sustainability. Each member of the Willamette community is valuable, and it will be best for Willamette to find the way to bring each member's abilities and perspectives to bear on the problems posed by non-sustainable practices. The stewardship of the initial Appraisal and its ongoing renewal will be the work of at least one full-time employee.

Challenges. The appraisal should and will show strengths and expose weaknesses in Willamette's current environmental practices. Exposure of some weaknesses could result in internal criticism, external embarrassment, and legal liability. On the other hand, transparency in our quest for sustainability may be of paramount value. In designing the appraisal product and process, and in using the appraisal as a first step in an adaptive planning and management process, the University needs to make deliberate, conscious choices about transparency as opposed to confidentiality. For example, it may be possible to prepare the appraisal in such a manner that the University could invoke EPA and DEQ environmental audit policies, but not the Oregon environmental audit privilege or attorney/client privilege. The University could choose to prepare an environmental audit assessing compliance with law based on data from the appraisal, but prepared separately and in a manner that will maximize the University's ability to maintain confidentiality and assert privilege. In any event, the University should consult counsel to assess any legal risks from undertaking the appraisal.

2. IMPROVE, NOT JUST MAINTAIN OUR ENVIRONMENT (LONG-TERM)
Idea. Willamette's baseline appraisal or footprint will allow us to identify areas in which we can ameliorate our negative environmental impact on air, water and land. For example, one might replace exotic, non-native landscaping schemes with low maintenance, native landscapes. Another example is to include student input into what the Martha Spring Botanical Garden could offer them in terms of enhancing their education by providing resources for projects and experiments.

Justification. Focusing on native landscaping with both an educational and aesthetic purpose provides a variety of advantages some of which include:

• lowering landscape maintenance costs;
  
  
• lowering landscape maintenance costs;
  
  
• improving educational opportunities for community members;
  
  
• enhancing plant diversity;
  
  
• creating new habitat for native species;
  
  
• creating aesthetically pleasing landscape (including art and sculpture).

Challenges.

• Some may find exotic and non-native plantings aesthetically pleasing.
  
  
• There may be resistance to a change in our current landscape plan.
  
  
• Initial cost may be high.
  
  

3. CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT WILLAMETTE (LONG-TERM)
Idea. A center specifically devoted to sustainability would facilitate the efficient, economical, and equitable development of these important external and internal organizational changes. It would provide a designated unit within Willamette to coordinate interdisciplinary research projects with available funding sources and internal expertise. Such a Center would allow for adaptive management responses to changing circumstances in the internal and external environments of Willamette. Such a Center would also allow for adaptive management responses to information from internal sustainability appraisals. Lastly, its website would provide all interested parties with timely information about Willamette's leadership in the area of sustainability.

Justification. Because of the overarching, interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, a single place on campus is necessary to coordinate and develop programs, policies, practices related to sustainability. The goals and strategies of sustainability at Willamette are developing rapidly - in the classroom, administrative and physical plant offices, and among the students. This reflects growing national and international focus on sustainability. In order for Willamette to continue to compete with other excellent, small liberal arts colleges, it must also address important emerging issues that train students, faculty and staff to be the leaders of tomorrow. Sustainability is such an issue.

Challenges. Organizational changes present many challenges and opportunities that need to be carefully managed. The opportunity exists for Willamette to become a leader and a model of excellence in higher education on the issue of sustainability. The challenge is to organize and disseminate developments in sustainability here. Current centers, such as the Center for Public Policy Research, have broad foci, while this Center would specifically focus on sustainability in an ongoing manner.

Interdisciplinary research is a significant internal challenge, yet it is fundamental to concepts of Sustainability. Some of the external challenges are the development of more resources for sustainability projects, the marketing of sustainability at Willamette to prospective students of excellence, and the development of appropriate advisory committees.


4. PURCHASING POLICY (LONG-TERM)
Idea. Willamette's purchasing strength can be used to educate its community about sustainability and about the necessity of being good stewards for our fellow humans and for the earth's resources. Some tangible ideas might include:

• Bringing together a group of committed community members to set recommended guidelines for purchasing and to set a percentage goal of sustainable purchasing and assess the introduction of companies and services under the framework of these guidelines.
  
  
• Using preferable purchasing practices with companies that are environmentally sustainable (wood sources for furniture, post consumer products for custodial needs, local organic food products, etc). Also, establishing a priority on using products and services from suppliers who have fair labor practices.
  
  
• Developing an informational web site for purchasing. This site would have information on companies and that are thoughtful about the impact of their products on the earth and their treatment of their human resources. This site would also contain a database for the Willamette community to add information, evaluations and comments on products for continued growth and information sharing.
  
  
• Providing training for the Willamette community on green purchasing options, resources, and impacts.
  
  
• Creating a supplier check-in process for regularly used companies on an annual basis to assess growth in regards to sustainability.

Justification. As a large consumer of such products as paper, computers, printers, copiers, office supplies, research supplies, building materials, paint, furniture, clothing, food, cleaning supplies and much more, we would like to approach these purchases with an awareness of sustainability. There may be short cuts to creating such a policy, including: finding out what other colleges and universities have done to implement a sustainable purchasing policy; putting out "the word" that we are looking for these types of supplies and companies so that local companies know to come forward with information that is not always easily accessible.

Challenges. A variety of challenges arise when formulating and implementing any new policy. Some of the potential issues with a purchasing policy include:

• Sustainable purchasing can be cost prohibitive.
  
  
• Community members may feel like they are being told "what to do"
  
  
• It takes time to identify other sustainable companies
  
  

5. COMMUNITY GARDEN (LONG-TERM)
Idea. Create a community garden that would serve both the Willamette community and its neighbors in Salem.

Justification. There is a growing interest on campus among students, faculty, staff and administration to create a community garden. This garden might fulfill a number of interests including not the least of which is to create a link to Willamette's neighbors (Bush Elementary School and the surrounding neighborhoods) through shared gardening, food security, nutrition education, and environmental education. Another interest expressed by students is their desire to grow and cook their own food. In fact, the results of the Kaneko Commons eco-charrette included plans for a community garden and co-op.

Challenges. Careful research will be required to determine what resources are needed and what time commitment is needed to make the project successful. Who would take care of the garden in the summer months when school is out and a major source of labor and interest (students) dissipates? Where will the garden be sited? Who are the stakeholders?

6. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL WORKSHEET (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Develop a Project Sustainability Appraisal Worksheet to encourage faculty and staff to consider the environmental implications of their work projects. The basic goal of the worksheet would be to encourage all of us, before starting a project, to ask ourselves two simple questions:

• What resources will I be using? Paper, electricity, toner, water, chemicals (type and amount used), time, (mine and my audience-a poorly written memo or e-mail might require two additional memos and replies for clarification).
  
  
• Is there a way to use less?
  

Justification. This would not be a "permission slip" or a "monitoring device," but a means to heighten our awareness of the impact of our every day actions on the sustainability of our campus. Perhaps a more palatable option would be to simply develop these questions and send it to staff (e-mail!) and encourage them to think through these issues instead of asking them to fill out a form.

Challenges.

• Form may be considered an infringement on personal liberty and a sign of distrust.
  
  
• Additional time required to go through the steps before beginning a project.
  
  
• Fear of what the results would show.
  
  

7. PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Develop programs for students, faculty and staff to raise their awareness of the impact their use of resources has on our sustainability as a community. This might take a number of forms depending on the audience. For example:

• Have Opening Days and ECOS leaders educate incoming and continuing students about: the University position supporting sustainability; ideas and tips for students to lead a more sustainable existence; information on how to be "paper conscious"
  
  
• Have a representative of the Sustainability Council speak at one of the monthly classified luncheons on tips for cutting down on the use of resources in their jobs (includes office workers, housekeeping, maintenance and grounds staff). Human Resources could make this a topic of a "Lunch and Learn." This might also be a topic for Professional Development Day.
  
  
• As a company with an already established programming infrastructure, Bon Appetit could be used as a resource for sustainable programming on campus. Some ideas would be:
  - A program on Genetically Modified Organisms in the spring
  - Continued education on sustainable seafood sources
  - Supplying resources on buying local (local produce stand on Fridays in the café, local farmer's markets and "you picks", a foodshed map in Goudy pinpointing where our food is coming from).

Justification. It's important to have some formal opportunities for the Willamette community to learn about sustainability so that we can continue to raise awareness.

Challenges. Resistance to change, inconvenience, fear of monitoring.

8. DEVELOP BUSINESS CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. The Sustainability Council should begin the process of building a business case that will indicate how sustainability contributes to Willamette's fundamental mission and how it can be used to improve the University's competitive position among institutions of higher education. The economic benefits of sustainability should be clearly stated. How sustainability can be used to enhance Willamette's distinctiveness should be explained. The case should briefly describe the steps the University needs to take to realize its sustainability goals. Sustainability cannot be seen as an "add-on" or a "nice-to-have." It should be clear to everyone in the community that sustainability is a core value and critical to the success of the institution.

Justification. One outcome would be the production of a brief document describing Willamette's commitment to sustainability. Messages in other media, e.g. Powerpoint or DVD, might also be created. This business case would be used to attract donors and funding agencies. Aspects of it would appear on Willamette's web site and be included in materials for prospective students. It could be used in presentations provided to groups in Salem regarding Willamette's role in the community. A clearly articulated business case will provide a basis for a shared understanding of the importance of sustainability to the University.

Challenges. Resistance to change.

9. CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY DAY ON OCTOBER 26, 2005 (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Campus Sustainability Day is planned nationwide for October 26, 2005. It is a day of activities, speakers and informational displays educating students, faculty and staff about their sustainable choices. We hope to use the resource of students in already established groups on campus to help with ideas, energy and time. Potential activities include:

• Webcast - participate in a national interactive web cast of sustainability experts as a program on campus.
  
  
• Educational Sessions- representatives from the Willamette Sustainability Council might speak about where we are as a community at Willamette.
  
  
• Displays- organize visual displays representing usage/waste of resources such as air, gas, food, etc.
  
  
• Interactive Point- create a table in a visible location (UC, Goudy, Jackson Plaza) for comments and questions. This table would also provide statistics on campus sustainability and would draw on student group assistance.
  
  
• Practices on Campus- encourage campus services to focus on sustainability that day (i.e. food in café, paper usage at library, advertisement of sustainable purchasing in Willamette Store).

Justification. This is an easy opportunity for Willamette to publicize our current efforts regarding sustainability.

Challenges. Organizing this event will require a quick mobilization of resources (time and money).

10. IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE COMPLETED/ONGOING/FUTURE PROJECTS (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Create a culture of sustainability literacy on campus by identifying and promoting projects related to sustainability that we have completed, are ongoing, or are projected for the future. The Sustainability Council maintains a web presence that should become the proper home for news regarding sustainable practices on campus. This should include Willamette's immediate and long-term goals for improvement as well as resources anyone can use to begin to participate or develop other sustainability-oriented efforts. In addition all the talents, knowledge, and expertise of the members of the Willamette community that can contribute to projects should be identified. Immediately this will include writing search engine tags so that this website comes up when one searches the Willamette web for "sustainability". Other ideas include:

• linking other appropriate group websites to the Sustainability webpage
  
  
• developing a new category for the Master Calendar using "Sustainable" to describe appropriate events.
  
  
• getting articles on sustainability in the Collegian, Inside Willamette, the Scene, and the Lawyer

Justification. This will be a necessary next step in order to infuse our campus culture with sustainability literacy and to bring the next group of interested persons into the conversation. There are a variety of ways to achieve this including increasing web presence, and reaching out through internal campus communications, as well as alumni and parent communications.

Challenges. Time and effort.

11. INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO CAPITAL FUND CAMPAIGN. (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Incorporate Sustainability into the Capital Fund Campaign before it goes public. This would require some immediate action including:

• Checking capital fund timeline and plans;
  
  
• Identifying funding required for sustainability projects (remember that we should be modest at this stage);
  
  
• Articulating business case for sustainability as a strategy to remain competitive in a dynamic and demanding business environment; make ethical case for sustainability given University's mission;
  
  
• Reviewing and identifying currently planned projects that can be characterized as sustainability projects or include sustainability aspects into currently planned projects;
  
  
• Identifying critical sustainability funding needs that might be added into capital fund campaign;
  
  
• Identifying potential donors with interest in sustainability aspects of currently planned projects or new sustainability projects;
  
  
• Securing necessary permissions for incorporating sustainability into campaign;
  
  
• Working with University Relations/Communications on supporting materials required to incorporate sustainability into campaign.

Justification. We must have a mechanism to provide ongoing resources to support Willamette's sustainability initiative.

Challenges.

• Immediate action is required.
  
  
• It may be difficult to obtain buy-in from University beneficiaries of currently planned projects to assure that characterization or inclusion of sustainability aspects into their projects is acceptable and to assure that any additional projects to meet critical sustainability funding needs do not compete in an unproductive manner with currently planned projects.
  
  
• It may be necessary to avoid undue burden/conflict with those responsible for implementing campaign, given late entry.
  
  
• It's important to assure that projects and supporting materials do not create backlash among potential donors identified for currently planned projects.

12. PRINTING FROM COMPUTERS (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Beginning in the fall of 2005, WITS will monitor the number of pages printed by each member of the community to printers on campus. WITS will create a method by which paper usage of each individual can be compared to that of other members of the community and displayed on the individual's computer at the time a print job is submitted. WITS will also develop a method that will allow the setting of quotas on the number of pages printed per unit of time. Once individuals exceed that limit, charges could be applied to an account attached to a student, department or grant funded project. When the software system is functional, it will be run in a monitoring mode for a period while the community will have an opportunity to discuss the implications of various limiting schemes and implementation parameters. Following the period of comment and analysis, the system will be put into full operation and monitored for both the environmental and cost savings realized by the University.

Justification. With the increasing amount of material available on-line, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of pages that are printed at the University. The typical reason given is that it is easier to read or edit a document in paper rather than in electronic form. Students, faculty and staff all participate in this trend, and as evidenced by the amount of paper that finds its way to the recycle bins, much of this is being wasted. The result is that the consumption of supplies associated with printing is rising steadily. The increased costs for the expansion in printing are being borne by individual departments throughout the University. Campuses throughout the United States that have adopted print management solutions have realized significant reductions in the number of pages printed on institutionally owned computers.

Challenges. Because WITS plans to institute this change, the major challenges of infrastructure and cost have been addressed. One potential challenge is push-back from printer users on campus.

13. RETREAT 2006 (SHORT-TERM)
Idea. Hold another retreat in the summer of 2006.

Justification. Most retreat participants felt that the retreat offered an excellent opportunity to become immersed in sustainability issues. In particular the cross-sector nature of the participants (i.e. staff, faculty, students and administrators) was important. A retreat in 2006 would allow the Council to continue expanding the number of people involved and provide the time to concentrate on critical issues.

Challenges. The first retreat was funded by a Hewlett Grant awarded to the Sustainability Council. A source of funding will need to be secured for a second retreat, as the Sustainability Council does not currently have a budget that will cover a similar 3-day retreat (approximate cost for 40 people was $6000).

14. SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE - APRIL 2006 (SHORT-TERM)

15. IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS (ONGOING)

16. ACHIEVE THE SMALLEST ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF ANY COMPARABLE LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION IN THE US (LONG-TERM)

Conclusions
Our lengthy discussion of Willamette's environmental impact and potential strategies and tools that might help ameliorate that impact uncovered many possibilities, as is clear from the range of ideas reflected in this draft discussion paper. There were also a number of issues we were not able to resolve during our retreat time, and we wish to note them here.

First, there was debate and discussion around defining the scope and boundary of the projects undertaken by the Sustainability Council and the Willamette Community. While it seemed obvious that our scope certainly must include practices undertaken at Willamette, it was not clear how to talk about projects and opportunities for research or participation in other processes that can support sustainability in the world at large.

Second, we were not satisfied with our discussion of the "principle of inclusiveness" (see goals) and feel it needs further attention.

Finally, our group struggled with the issues of top down policy vs. volunteerism as ways to move forward. Perhaps there are some areas in which we can rely only on volunteerism, but others in which we need clearly articulated policy. A related discussion point was whether policy is necessarily top-down or bottom-up or both. At any rate, there was often discussion on which mode would work best in a given situation.

The Environment Working Group would like to thank you for the time you've invested in learning about our efforts. Feedback on any portion of this draft discussion document is most welcome. Please see the main web page for e-mail links where you may send your comments.