A four-step process that has awakened The Pennsylvania State University to its ecological impact and is moving it toward sustainable resource-use policies is presented as a general model for ecological reform in universities.

  1. The first step was to frame the problem by conducting a high-profile ecological assessment of the institution using sustainability indicators.[1]
  2. This created both the justification and the momentum necessary to persuade the university to adopt an ecological mission.[2]
  3. Next, a detailed ecological and economic analysis of a university facility was made to establish concrete socio-techno solutions[3]
  4. That could then be extrapolated to form specific sustainable policies for the entire university - to implement Green university policy.

For a detailed discussion of these steps see: "Getting It Done: Effective Sustainable Policy Implementation at the University Level." Joshua M. Pearce and Christopher F. Uhl.(2003). Planning for Higher Education 31(3): 53-61. open access

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. "The Penn State Indicators Report." 2000. This report gauges sustainability, or lack thereof, at Penn State using 33 sustainability indicators. [1]
  2. "Penn State's Emerging Ecological Mission." 2001. Green Destiny Council. This document lays out a comprehensive ecological mission for Penn State. [2]
  3. "The Mueller Report: Moving Beyond Sustainability Indicators to Sustainability Action at Penn State." 2001. This study reveals how the "ecological footprint" of Mueller Biology Building could be reduced by half while saving $45,000/year. [3]
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Created August 29, 2008 by Joshua M. Pearce
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