With just one meeting last year, the Sustainability Task Force is regrouping, and one project being discussed is to develop a comprehensive plan of programs to accomplish.
Former coordinator Sean Kinghorn had hoped to create such a plan, but was unable to before his departure.
With no coordinator, students may play a leading role – John Krygier, a geology and geography professor, hopes to offer a spring seminar course focused around making the plan.
“I think that would be fine and would be a really valuable contribution,” said Laurie Anderson, the current task force chair. “I think a sustainability plan would have things like what is our top priority to do with more resources.”
The plan would help the task force decide a course of action if they don’t receive additional resources or funding from the university or outside sources, Anderson said. The plan would create more transparency, informing potential funding sources how their money would be used and improving chances of donations or grants.
Former chair Shari Stone-Mediatore added, though, that students shouldn’t be expected to do all the work on their own.
Creating a sustainability plan is a key step for the university to actively participate in the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, another item on the task force’s agenda and the reason the group was founded.
Special report: OWU Sustainability 