PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

photo by Michael Sipe

Green University

A new wind turbine, sited prominently on the eastern edge of campus and along Burlington’s Main Street, is among the latest additions to the University of Vermont’s skyline. For some, the turbine, atop a 96-foot tall tower, will be one of their first impressions of our campus. It is a simple, powerful statement for a university that takes great pride in its tradition of research and teaching in the environmental sciences and has set its sights on becoming one of the nation’s premier environmental universities.

But it is also a symbol with substance. The new wind turbine will be a teaching tool in classes from engineering to natural resources to community development and applied economics. The turbine is wired into the electrical grid, of course, but it is also wired into the culture of our institution with a role in our teaching, our research, and how we do business. It reflects the integrative philosophy that guides all we do at the University of Vermont to foster environmental responsibility and sustainable development.

This approach is part of the daily work at UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, led by Dr. Robert Costanza. The Gund scientists bring diverse approaches to issues of sustainability and they have established partnerships with other faculty on our campus and beyond. The Gund’s work is far-reaching, with projects such as a field workshop in the Philippines to explore the ecological and economic implications of shrimp aquaculture in a hotspot of biological diversity. Closer to home, faculty from UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Gund Institute are in the midst of an effort titled “Redesigning the American Neighborhood,” which through the lens of a suburban neighborhood in South Burlington, Vermont, seeks solutions for threats to watersheds nationwide.

This spirit of collaborative work for positive change is shared by our student body. More than a decade ago when more careful management of the solid waste stream and recycling efforts came to the fore on our campus, it was thanks in large part to an emerging student organization, the Vermont Student Environmental Program. Often, with their potent combination of idealism and urgency, students provide the extra push that institutions sometimes need to do the right thing. Last spring, our University Dining Services hosted Vermont farmers and food producers for a day to explore ways to bring more locally produced foods to the tables on campus. The event came about because of Students for Peace and Global Justice and the 600 signatures they gathered from fellow students.

At UVM, we are guided by the belief that our operations should model all that we advocate. It is why we are seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification on projects during an ambitious period of new construction on our campus. It is why our Board of Trustees has supported a new green building policy. It is why we are committed to taking a hard look at ourselves through Tracking UVM, an environmental report card for the University of Vermont that takes a comprehensive, decade-long look at our institution’s environmental impact and sets positive courses for the future.

This sense of accountability is key to helping us reach our aspiration of becoming “The Environmental University.” When it comes to fostering sustainable development in our society, a university must have its own house in order to serve as that shining beacon, or perhaps wind turbine, on the hill.

—Daniel Mark Fogel

A version of this essay was originally published in Presidency magazine.

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