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Sustainable Management Assessment of University of Michigan Housing and Housing Facilities
EPA Grant Number: U915412Title: Sustainable Management Assessment of University of Michigan Housing and Housing Facilities
Investigators: Shriberg, Michael Philip
Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
EPA Project Officer: Just, Theodore J.
Project Period: January 1, 1998 through January 1, 2000
Project Amount: $68,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1998)
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Fellowship - Economics and Business , Economics and Decision Sciences
Description:
Objective:The objective of this research project is to provide a framework for operationalizing the principles of sustainability in the management of the residence halls at the University of Michigan. This assessment is designed as a starting point for a coordinated effort to improve environmental management within University of Michigan's Housing Department and, in the long term, throughout the entire university and community.
Approach:The first part of this project will lay the theoretical and philosophical framework by introducing the concepts of sustainability and sustainable campus management. This study will rely heavily on the work of modern sustainability, educational, and management theorists. Next, the current status of University of Michigan's Housing Department's processes, goals, and mission will be assessed through the lens of sustainability. Then, the leading sustainable practices of other universities and relevant organizations will be reviewed and run through a feasibility matrix to determine their applicability and cost to Michigan. The second part of this project will begin by providing recommendations for changes in the mission statement of University of Michigan's Housing Department and its related functional groups. Moreover, a stand-alone sustainability policy statement will be developed for possible adoption by Housing. Next, a residence hall will be chosen as a baseline to assess the current environmental burden of Housing's operation through an industrial ecology framework. This residence hall's environmental performance in terms of energy, waste, water, purchasing, design, material usage, dining services, grounds, and pest control will be assessed in three stages: (1) current state, norms, and initiatives; (2) recommendations for improvement; and (3) indicators to reach sustainability. The results from this hall will be extrapolated to all residence halls. This portion of the project will constitute a large percentage of the overall effort. Next, an evaluation of current staff management for the environment, with recommendations for improvement to move toward sustainability, will be conducted.
Supplemental Keywords:fellowship, sustainability, environmental management, higher education, environmental management systems, University of Michigan housing. , Geographic Area, Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, RFA, Midwest, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Sustainable Environment, Social Science, Economics and Business, Urban and Regional Planning, Economics, State, environmental sustainability, sustainable development, University of Michigan's Housing Facilities Department, organizational sustainability, organizational sustainability principles, model for sustainability, Michigan (MI), The Natural Step, holistic environmental audit