For those looking for things to try to help your deans, provosts or presidents "get it" on sustainability, you might want to take a look at a recent Inside Higher Ed opinion piece from the president of Colorado State. Here is the description from the AASHE Digest, a weekly bulletin related to campus sustainability. The URL for the whole article follows.
Colorado State University President Larry Edward Penley recently published an article in Inside Higher Ed that discusses the leadership role higher education institutions need to take in advancing sustainability research and solutions. He argues that research universities have an obligation and an opportunity to use their resources to educate green collar workers and create ground-breaking climate change solutions. Penley believes that universities should focus less on installing greener goods and creating climate change awareness, and focus more on preparing students for the up and coming green economy, advancing green research, and inputting new technologies into the free market. Once this research enters the marketplace, he says, it can create jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health and living conditions worldwide, and stimulate the economy.
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/03/28/penley
Gordon
Gordon Rands
Western Illinois University