The University of Memphis: a leading partner in sustainability.(college buildings designed with use of green technology)

For many, the concept of sustainability is shaped by the knowledge and understanding of environmental and ecological issues such as global warming, conservation of natural resources, limited availability of resources, and a wide array of recommended actions that one can take to help address these issues. Some of these actions include recycling used materials, reducing automobile use by combining trips, car-pooling or taking public transportation, or adjusting the heating and cooling to use less energy. While the environmental issues related to sustainability are well known (thanks in great part to the strong history of environmental movement in the United States), the economic and social equity issues related to sustainability are addressed less often.

Sustainability is generally broadly defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?' A 2005 white paper published by the Society for College and University Planning notes that "sustainability principles and perspectives create socially and environmentally responsible decisions that are economically sound and are important to our future." Most sustainability researchers and practitioners agree that a one-sided approach will not suffice; we must begin to think systemically about the challenges that we face if we are to make any progress on sustainability and not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Because our local challenges are connected globally, our responses must reflect respect for the environment in its entirety and be responsive to the social conditions of all citizens.

Anthony Cortese, founder of Second Nature, a nonprofit dedicated to helping higher education take environmentally sustainable and just actions, suggests that colleges and universities have a moral responsibility to "increase the awareness, knowledge, skills, and values needed to create a just and sustainable future." Cortese and others say higher education institutions bear this responsibility for two primary reasons. First, many colleges and universities consume large amounts of land and other non-renewable resources. Campuses occupy large tracts of developed land; parking lots produce storm-water runoff that must be managed; faculty, staff, and student commutes to centralized campuses are oftentimes auto intensive; and universities' energy usage habits are generally disproportionate to many other organizations' energy usage.

The University of Memphis' 202 buildings are situated on 8 sites occupying 1,160 acres in Memphis and the surrounding area. Over 20,000 students and 2,500 faculty and staff commute to the University's campuses on a daily basis. Many of the facilities, such as libraries, computer labs, dormitories, and dining facilities, are in continuous operation.

Another reason many turn to universities as leaders in sustainability is due to the role of colleges and universities in society. Institutions of higher education take on the responsibility for educating the future leaders, professionals, and citizens in virtually every discipline. How universities behave as institutions models for students how to behave when they become leaders in the future. While many of the important strides in advancing sustainability can be gained through technological advances, researchers tell us that we still need to change our behaviors in order to achieve the levels of sustainability necessary to offset current damage to the environment. Higher education institutions have the ability and responsibility to offer interdisciplinary engaged learning environments that create the type of thinker best able to respond to the challenges that we face. Universities can establish research centers ...