Page 594 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

Chapter 29

“Scrappy” Sustainability at

Ohio Wesleyan University

Emily Howald, John Krygier
Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, United States

Chapter Outline
A Grassroots Model for Sustainability Coordinating Sustainability Without a
in Higher Education 561 Sustainability Coordinator 564
The Context of Sustainability at Ohio “Scrappy Sustainability” Outcomes 565
Wesleyan University 561 A New Model for Sustainability? 570

A GRASSROOTS MODEL FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER
EDUCATION

There are colleges and universities with the expertise and financial resources to
invest in large-scale, conspicuous sustainability efforts (such as large solar
arrays, stylish LEED-certified buildings, and full-time sustainability staff) and
there are those who do not. However, those without the funds for conspicuous
sustainability are not necessarily excluded from substantive sustainability
efforts. Indeed, we suggest that grassroots, “scrappy” sustainability efforts on
college campuses and at other institutions may have certain benefits over top-
down, high-investment sustainability.

THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABILITY AT OHIO WESLEYAN
UNIVERSITY

Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a small, private, liberal arts college in
central Ohio that serves as a modest showcase for a relatively low-cost,
grassroots, and distributed approach to sustainability (Fig. 29.1). The univer-
sity neither has a sustainability coordinator position nor any other employee
with distinct expertise in sustainability. None of the faculty have specializa-
tions in the field, and there are no classes taught on the subject. As of yet, there

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