sustainable
sus·tain·able | \ sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl
1 : capable of being maintained at length without interruption or weakening
The Office of Sustainability and Energy Education (OSEE) is proud to oversee W&L's environmental sustainability and campus carbon reduction efforts through engagement with all aspects of the campus built environment and operations, programming for students and staff, and campus/classroom connections.
W&L is moving fast to meet our campus carbon neutrality goal, focusing on every aspect of our emissions footprint from energy and waste to purchasing and transportation. We're connecting curricular opportunities, campus programs, and our local community to build ideas that improve our environment right now, and build student outcomes that will support innovation into the future.
We are making great progress. And we are having a lot of fun. Join us!
Meet the Staff
- Jane Stewart
Director of Sustainability - Nicole Poulin
Campus Garden Manager - Mike Tolley
Compost Operations Assistant - Meet Our Interns
Climate Action
W&L has a goal for campus carbon neutrality by 2050, but we are racing to get there a whole lot sooner. This means innovating how we source, use, and dispose of resources here on campus, designing our buildings, landscape and operations for the best environmental impact, and collaborating on progress with communities across campus and throughout Rockbridge County. Explore our progress and plans on the tabs below and in the most recent update of W&L's Climate Action Plan. Looking for something you don't see, or have a question/suggestion? Reach out to OSEE@wlu.edu. We'd love to hear from you.
Campus Engagement
Interested in playing a formal role in improving sustainability awareness and action among your peers? Explore our Eco-Rep and Eco-Leader programs.
Looking for a hands-on experience? You can literally dig in to sustainability on campus in our Campus Garden, roll up your sleeves and join the Compost Crew. The Office of Sustainability and Energy Education (OSEE) also offers student employment opportunities, which range from helping out with day to day office operations to work on in-depth projects connecting broad sustainability goals with direct campus action.
Curious but not ready to commit? OSEE offers a range of drop-in programs and events throughout the year. To keep up with events, join the mailing list!
For student-led action, check out the Student Environmental Action League, or SEAL. SEAL's mission is "to support environmental sustainability and conservation on campus and within the local community, increase student awareness of environmental issues as well as the ways to take action in our community and beyond through activism." Connect with them to find your place in student sustainability efforts.
Are you a faculty member interested in building sustainability into your curricula? Visit the Faculty Resources page for project ideas. If you need a little funding to jump start a new class or research direction, consider applying for a Sustainability Integration Grant.
Representative governance on sustainability is provided by the University Sustainability Committee (USC), a body comprised of students, faculty and staff appointed to report to the University President on campus sustainability strategies and priorities. Visit the USC page for charge and membership. Have an issue you'd like to see the USC take-up? Reach out to your constituent member, or directly to the co-chairs.
Community Connections
The W&L community extends beyond our campus borders. We are proud to partner with the City of Lexington and Rockbridge Country and dozens of fantastic community organizations on initiatives that bring students and members of the broader community together for the common good.
Sustainability How-To
Concepts are great, but sometimes we just need some basic directions! Here are some commonly sought details to get you started. Have a topic to add to the list? Send suggestions to OSEE.
- How to Compost
- How to Recycle
- How to Reduce Paper Waste on Campus
- How to Use the W&L Exchange
- How to Conserve Energy
- How to Plan a Sustainable Event
- How to Order Compostable Servingware through University Catering
- How to Practice Sustainable Purchasing
- How to Purchase Produce and Flowers from the Campus Garden for your Campus Event
- How to Volunteer in the Campus Garden
- How to Volunteer for Sustainability Initiatives
- How to Dispose of E-Waste (aka Techno Trash)
- How to Earn an Environmental Wellbeing Token for the LiveWell Program
- How to Get Started: Sustainability 101 for New Employees
- How to Approach a Carbon Offset Purchase for your Department or Program
- How to Submit Information About Sustainability Teaching and Research
- How to Sign Up for ReusePass
- How to Enter Transportation Expense Report Details in Workday
- How to Incorporate Alumni Sustainability Expertise in Coursework
W&L's half-acre Campus Garden provides an average of 1500 pounds of hyper-local, organically grown produce to campus dining venues, the student food pantry, and, in partnership with W&L's Campus Kitchen, to food insecure communities throughout Rockbridge County, every season. The space also serves as a living lab for research and place-based course work, and an informal space for connecting with the basics of how we, and the soil we eat from, are nourished.
Campus Garden operations also include the university composting system, where food and compostable to-go servingware collected from Dining are managed to break down into rich compost material that is ultimately added back to the garden to nourish the soil. Supervised by our Campus Garden Manager, students are hands-on in planting, tending, and harvesting produce and in finishing the cycle through compost collection and application.
Campus Dining and the Garden share a mission to improve flavor, nutrition, and environmental impacts of food on campus through thoughtful sourcing and low waste operations, and to build a W&L community of informed, enthusiastic eaters and gardeners!
Check out the sidebar to connect with opportunities in the garden. Whether you are a faculty member looking for a curricular connection, a student looking to volunteer, or an over-screened and over-scheduled human needing a wander through the pollinator friendly plantings, the garden is ready to welcome you.