For the past decade, academic institutions have made significant strides toward sustainability--creating greener facilities, and educating and engaging their students in the process. With budgets tight, any green initiatives need to be backed, first and foremost, by a compelling economic argument. Harper College in Palatine, Illinois is a 180-acre…

Done right, green is not only the right thing to do, it's a good business move. During the past year, the author has talked with quite a few school business officials. Some are on board with "going green," whereas others are still leery. Some aren't quite sure what "green schools" are. Some say that it doesn't matter to the community how green the…

This report shows that while sustainability efforts appear to be growing within collegiate athletics, commitment to sustainability is lower among athletic departments than compared to their institutions as a whole and to professional sports teams. The survey was distributed to the 119 athletic departments at National Collegiate Athletic…

This report presents examples of exemplary academic institutions that have achieved both a healthy environment and the goal of saving economically. Twenty-three public and private institutions' cost-effective environmental management stories are presented. Institutional size ranges from a few thousand to 40,000 students. Contents include: (1)…

The nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy has been helping schools reduce energy consumption through a combination of retrofits, classroom instruction, and behavior. Lists eight small steps to big energy savings, among them: involve the whole school, stop leaks, turn off computers, and recycle. (MLF)