AN ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT AT WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

AN ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT AT WINTHROP UNIVERSITY Annual Report for Fiscal Year July 2002 - June 2003 Peter Phillips and Marsha Bollinger Background: In conjunction with the activation of two new majors at Winthrop University, a BS in Environmental Sciences and a BA in Environmental Studies, an evaluation began to examine past practices and the current state of the campus in terms of recycling, energy use, and transportation patterns. An environmental audit of the campus appears quite timely and will have a positive impact both on campus life and on the lives of our students as they leave Winthrop. This audit will provide a baseline of data and is setting the stage for a series of actions that will promote the concept of sustainability on our campus. Activities: 1. Two students and two faculty members met with and gathered information from Winthrop’s Facilities Management unit on the current recycling program and the impact it has had on the reduction of the campus waste stream to the local landfill, on energy consumption patterns and their relationship to renovations and physical plant upgrades. 2. The same group collected information on walking/biking/driving habits of students, faculty, and staff in relation to the campus. Data were collected from an on-line questionnaire sent to the campus community. The questionnaire is attached. 3. The same questionnaire also surveyed the same target audience regarding their recycling ...