Ball State University, IN Endorsement of Sustainability
Type: Policy
Status: Adopted on 4/25/02
Source File: http://www.bsu.edu/senate/media/pdf/sustainability.pdf
Text:
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY’S SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT
Vision:
State University seeks to be a campus where:
- All students, faculty, and employees are provided opportunities to become literate in the environmental, social and economic interactions of human and biophysical systems;
- Such opportunities are made available through strong undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional-specialization, faculty development and staff training offerings that provide diverse opportunities for learning;
- Collaborative faculty and student research on related issues is encouraged and supported;
- Development of university leadership and expertise is seen as a continuous, participatory process of learning that contributes to local and regional sustainability efforts, fostering links with other institutions;
- Understanding and concern for sustainability issues provide the foundation for a dynamic sense of campus cohesion and community;
- The University’s practices reduce both the consumption of materials and energy and the emission of pollutants to their lowest levels possible, without decreases in the level of education, scholarly work, and services provided.
Commitment:
We, the Ball State University community, affirm our commitment to protect and enhance
the environment through our learning, research, service, and administrative operations. We
seek to foster a community that sustains ecological systems and educates for
environmental awareness, local action, and global thinking. We seek to incorporate
environmental principles and environmentally responsible practices as fundamental and
integrated components of all BSU operations and programs. Our fundamental principles
are to:
- Incorporate environmental concerns as a significant priority in university decision making;
- Seek alternative practices and procedures to minimize negative impacts on the environment;
- Conserve natural resources and restore environmental quality;
- Protect the biodiversity of our region and serve as a living laboratory and habitat for local species;
- Consider the social, economic and environmental impacts of Ball State University’s operational policies and foster a participatory process in developing these policies.
Our decisions and actions will be guided by the University’s Mission Statement, reflective of the University’s resources, and informed by the University’s Strategic Plan. As a learning institution, we recognize that planning for sustainability will be an evolving practice.