Southern Polytechnic State University

Sustainability Steering Committee

Meeting notes:  25 April 2007

Attendees: Dr. Julie Newell (Social & International Studies), Prof. Scott Tippins (Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology), Prof. Robert Thacker (Management), Prof. Kathryn Beddette (Architecture), Prof. Bob Tango (Architecture), Prof. John Mench (Construction Management), Dr. Yar Makarechi (Construction Management), Dr. Bernice Nuhfer-Halter (Social & International Studies), Mr. Jim Cooper (Recruiting, Marketing, and Alumni Relations, Mr. Patrick McCord (Vice President for Business & Finance), Dr. Zvi Szafran (Vice President for Academic Affairs), Mr. Charles Barrett (student, Construction Mangement), Dr. Lisa Rossbacher (President)

The meeting began with introductions and brief statements of each attendee’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.  (These statements will be posted on a website that will be created to communicate information about this sustainability initiative.)

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment has two new signatories from Georgia:  Georgia Institute of Technology and Kennesaw State University.  The only two charter signatories in Georgia are SPSU and Life University.

The group reviewed the requirements of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

• Those present agreed that The Sustainability Steering Committee will serve as the primary institutional structure for development and implementation of the comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality.
• Mr. John Mills and his colleagues in Facilities Management will take the lead in developing the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (target date:  March 2008).
• The Committee will need to consider further how to inventory greenhouse gas emissions associated with commuting and business-related air travel (future agenda item).

Comments and general brainstorming included discussion of the following ideas:

• The University should investigate the cost/benefit of “pool” vehicles that are hybrid or electrical powered.
• The Interface lecture series (fall 2007) and International Forum (spring 2008) will focus on topics of the environment and sustainability.
• Reviving the “bathtub races” has been suggested, but with electrical power as the fuel source.
• Old (perhaps donated) cars could be retrofitted as electric vehicles.
• Electrical vehicles on campus could be recharged using solar panels.
• The cost of sustainability needs to be balanced with basic survival issues for some socio-economic groups, raising issues of environmentalism and social justice.
• Orientation programs for new students could include information about conservation, recycling, and other activities that support sustainability.
• Academic Affairs could consider creating a minor in sustainability.
• SPSU could compile all campus policies and procedures related to sustainability into a single document, referred to as “The Green Book.”
• A summary of all academic courses related to sustainability could be compiled as part of “The Green Book”

Next steps:

1. Each Steering Committee member will forward a brief statement (reflecting the comments made at today’s meeting) to President Rossbacher, to be posted on a new web page documenting SPSU’s activities toward sustainability.
2. Each Steering Committee member will also forward suggestions for “low hanging fruit,” representing ideas that will be relatively easy to implement and have a high return on the investment.
3. Each Steering Committee member will forward information to Dr. Julie Newell (jnewell@spsu.edu) on existing courses that address issues related to sustainability.
4. Each Steering Committee member will respond to Ms. Dianne Wilcher (President’s Office) after she distributes a list of possible dates for Steering Committee meetings over the summer.
5. The Steering Committee will meet four times over the summer;  the meetings will be publicized to campus and open to the entire University community. Each meeting will include a 30-minute informational seminar, with the topics and experts listed below.  Every effort will be made to create podcasts of these seminars and make them available on the web.
1. LEED – Prof. John Mench
2. Solar energy – Prof. Scott Tippens
3. Energy use on campus – Mr. John Mills
4. Why reduce, reuse, and recycle – Dr. Julie Newell