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North Carolina State University
As North Carolina's only land-grant research university, NC State is committed to the active stewardship of the state's human and natural resources. It has a rich history of addressing environmental issues through its research, undergraduate and graduate education programs, and traditional extension and public service roles. NC State recognizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the solution of environmental problems which transcend individual programs and boundaries. Over 400 NC State faculty members address issues covering a wide range of topics, such as public policy, environmental ethics and natural resource management. Other programs integrate scientific and engineering problems associated with environmental degradation, including molecular biology and bioremediation, surface and subsurface water pollution, the treatment, transport and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, and pollution of the atmosphere and coastal environments. Nearly 500 environmentally oriented courses are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels. NC State students may major in over 50 disciplines which address the most compelling contemporary environmental challenges. NCSU Environmental Sustainability Task Force On May 10, 1999, North Carolina State University officially adopted a set of guiding principles that provided an overview of its commitment to environmental sustainability. Prior to the official adoption of these guiding principles, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox had appointed a campus-wide sustainability officer, who, in turn, created the Environmental Sustainability Task Force.The Task Force was created to help the University respond to the mandate from Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. to assure that all of state government is contributing to a sustainable environment. It has a broad-based representation from the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Senate, Physical Environment Committee, several colleges, and several administrative offices. Over time, additional students and faculty members have joined the Task Force out of personal or professional interest. The Task Force took on the responsibility of dealing with the set of guiding principles that deal with NC State’s commitment to using and managing its own physical environment in ways that lead to sustainability. As was recognized in the guiding principles, North Carolina State University must be sure that it is applying the best ideas, technologies, policies and practices on its own campus if it is to play a meaningful role in helping society move to a sustainable mode of development. To help guide its work, the Task Force conducted a campus-wide survey of on-going initiatives that might contribute to the environmental sustainability of campus operations. Most impressive is the large number of current initiatives and programs at North Carolina State University that relate to environmental sustainability. The Task Force recognized that all of the initiatives currently under way are important. But it also wanted to mobilize campus-wide interest and enthusiasm for sustainable operations on the campus. Consequently, it decided to identify a small number of initiatives that had a chance of truly affecting the quality of the campus environment and that could capture the interest and support of students, faculty, staff, the administration, and the general public. Much of the work of the Task Force has been devoted to identifying a few, potentially highly visible, high pay-off activities that might serve as campus rallying points for sustainable operations. The following recommendations are offered in this spirit. Four of the sets of recommendations are specific to the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh, and one calls for state-wide leadership. The Environmental Sustainability Task Force recommends that the Chancellor publicly endorse these initiatives and assign the Task Force the responsibility to monitor the degree to which they are being implemented.
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