TCU named leader in sustainability efforts
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Fort Worth, Texas
5/5/2011
by Nancy Bartosek, TCU MagazineTCU has long been associated with purple, but in recent years the university has embraced green in a big way — and was rewarded in April for its efforts with inclusion into The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges, 2011 Edition. More than 2,000 colleges were reviewed for their environmentally responsible practices, from which the magazine’s editors and their partners at the U.S. Green Building Council selected the 311 best in the nation.
Some say it’s past time for such recognition. After all, TCU has been “greening up” the campus for nearly two decades, starting in 1990 when money-saving efforts prompted many eco-friendly practices, especially in energy savings.
Back then, of course, the term “carbon footprint” hadn’t been coined, and few worried about things like using incandescent light bulbs or driving gas-guzzling cars. But utility costs were rising, so Will Stallworth, newly hired in 1989 to oversee the campus physical plant, tackled those expenses first — and put TCU on the sustainability track early on.
Today, the physical plant’s efforts stretch from energy-efficient lighting and heating and cooling plants to biodegradable cutlery to single-stream recycling to LEED certified buildings and “green” cleaning supplies. Click here to read a comprehensive list of those initiatives in a 2009 report by Green Bean Analysis LLC.
0But being “green” extends far beyond energy savings and recycling, and today’s students know it: According to research done by The Princeton Review, 69 percent of incoming students say that a college’s commitment to the environment influences their decision about where to attend.
At TCU, students get much more than a responsible physical plant, they get the chance to participate in a wide variety of sustainable programs, courses and activities. In fact, some are directly involved in the school’s “green” accounting, which is one of the requirements of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment in 2008 that Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. signed in 1998.
Most universities hire a new staff member to oversee this responsibility, but at TCU, students do the work of the professionals, thanks to the “Chasing Carbon” class taught by Becky Richards Johnson, professor of professional practice in environmental sciences. The class first convened in 2009 and soon published the TCU Green House Inventory for Fiscal Year 2008-2009. Students have been tracking the university’s efforts since.
In addition, professors are including sustainability in the coursework. One of the most popular is sociology instructor Keith Whitworth’s “Sustainability: Environmental, Economic & Social Justice Issues,” which was initially titled “Sustainability is Sexy.” Each semester, the class tackles some practical application of sustainability. Most recently, they explored a rain-harvesting project that included creating and installing rain barrels in a home, elementary school and church garden.
In 2007, Whitworth’s students spurred the development of the Purple Bike Program, which has gotten the university lots of positive publicity. There are now more than 70 bikes available for students to check out for free.
Classes focusing on sustainability can be found in many of the schools and colleges, such as the campaigns class taught by assistant communication Professor Wendy Macias, which has created a comprehensive plan to communicate details of the TCU recycling program to the campus community. This same group spurred the addition of three Greenopolis Dream Machines for recycling.
Students can join the Environmental Club or take any number of classes focusing on sustainability, most of which includes some project or practical application.
Check out the stories below to learn more about how TCU students learn to Think Purple, Live Green.
See the video produced by the MountainWest Sports Network about TCU going green and featuring the TCU Purple Bike Program.
Learn about a community garden project.
Professor Jeff Ferrell is a dumpster diver
An overview of TCU’s efforts
A list of green activities and initiatives
Dream Machines installed on campus
Story about the Chasing Carbon class
Clarence and Kerry Scarbauer Hall gets Gold LEED designation
Mary Wright Admission Center gets Gold LEED designation
Milton Daniel Residence Hall gets Gold LEED designation
Ballet Building gets renovated, on track for Gold LEED designation.
Amon Carter Stadium on track for Silver LEED designation.
Physical Plant's full report: http://www.physicalplant.tcu.edu/sustainability.asp