Washington State University Sustainability Initiative

Type: Policy

Status: Adopted on 11/15/05

Source File: http://www.wsu.edu/~forms/PDF/EPM/EP24.pdf

Text:

Executive Policy #24

VISION
Washington State University seeks to provide an exemplary teaching, research, and outreach environment that fosters the conservation of natural resources, supports and enhances social responsibility, addresses community and economic development, and follows environmental, social, and economic practices.

POLICY
Washington State University is committed to improve its performance in sustainability in all areas of operations to meet the needs of current generations without impairing the ability to meet the needs of future generations. Washington State University will develop appropriate systems for managing environmental, social, and economic sustainability programs with specific goals, objectives, priorities, and processes. In addition, Washington State University will continue to support the present Environmental Management System and its principles to manage environmental challenges on the Pullman Campus and extend them to other WSU campuses and locations. This policy will help Washington State University meet its responsibility to prepare students, staff, and faculty to proactively deal with the environmental, social, and economic challenges facing humanity.

SUSTAINABILITY AND UNIVERSITY GOALS
Washington State University seeks to continually improve and increase its capacity to teach, and conduct research and outreach in sustainability and is committed to practice sustainability and environmental management system principles to support the following WSU Strategic Plan goals:

1. Offer the best undergraduate experience in a research university by providing curriculum content and choices to incorporate the teaching of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

2. Nurture a world-class environment for research, scholarship, graduate education, the arts, and engagement by becoming an active member of the global sustainability community.

3. Create an environment of trust and respect in all we do with a concerted effort to understand, enact and promote sustainability principles.

4. Develop a culture of shared commitment to quality in all of our activities through the implementation of sustainability and environmental management system practices.

PRINCIPLES
The incorporation of sustainability principles will increase awareness of environmental, social, and economic sustainability; create an institutional culture of sustainability; educate for environmentally, socially, and economically responsible citizenship; foster sustainability literacy for all; practice institutional ecology; develop interdisciplinary collaborations; involve all stakeholders; and support the goals and objectives of Governor's Executive Order 05-01.

Environmental management system principles will be implemented through the University's operations and facilities; be utilized to plan, design, construct, and operate WSU facilities; provide a framework to monitor progress and continual improvement to meet environmental regulations; be utilized to meet sustainability and pollution prevention goals which follow the hierarchy of prevention, recycling/reuse, treatment and disposal; and be documented, implemented, maintained, and communicated to its employees and the public.

IMPLEMENTATION
To realize the maximum potential to Washington State University, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders will form a collaborative team to develop the sustainability programs. The Sustainability/Environmental Management System Sub-Committee of the University Health and Safety Committee, along with the Sustainability Initiative Coordinator and Environmental Management System Coordinator, will provide the leadership and guidance in the planning, development, organization, and implementation of the programs supporting the Washington State University Sustainability Initiative.