Sustainability Accomplishments at Kent State University - Term Paper Example

Sustainability Accomplishments in Kent State University This paper aims to investigate the sustainability accomplishments in Kent State University with reference to the operations of management and student societies. Sustainability is fundamentally defined as a simple principle for the long term existence of an organization, for instance, everything that human requires for their well-being and survival largely depends upon the natural environment [Sus141]. This might be direct or an indirect relationship but human activities are actually impacted by the ecosystem, nature and environment. Sustainability is a broader concept which states that in order to be productive, human activities must be harmonized with the natural conditions. This is primarily done through taking certain initiatives which will be discussed later in the paper. Sustainability plays a significant role because an organization cannot survive while harming its surroundings. It also allows different institutions to fulfill the economic, social and other necessities of current and future generations. In addition to this, sustainability is crucial for ensuring that humans have and will continuous access to natural resources in future including minerals, water, oil etc. along with health care facilities and environmental protection. Product When it comes to sustainability accomplishments then certain factors are considered as products. These actually facilitate the institution in making effective strategies while implementing team work, integrated marketing, focus group design etc. In case of Kent State University, buildings, waste and recycling, energy, curriculum, transport, grounds and food are all regarded as sustainability products. Here, the institution requires investing in all of these areas so as to increase its sustainability while also developing a healthy working environment. Team An organization cannot execute its sustainability strategies independently which implies that there is always an involvement of sustainability network. Following is a brief description about these network partners [Wer09]: Administration: This relates to the top management and the supervisors who are involved in making sustainability strategies. Their prime responsibility is to ensure sustainability accomplishments in terms of economic, social and environmental protection. Protocols: A team comprising of different individuals cannot function effectively without predefined rules and protocols. If people do not know the rules of doing their job then they might end up making blunders. Hence it is always important to explicitly communicate tasks along with protocols. Strong Nodes: Sustainability strategies cannot be executed without the support of a network with deep understanding and strong nodes. Therefore it is important to identify such individuals who can build strong relationships with others. Activity: Sustainability activities should be conducted periodically, for instance, on monthly or weekly basis. This subsequently helps in building group coherency while performing tasks on time. Transparency: Every individual involved in the sustainability process must be well aware about the ethical code of conduct. On the other hand all the matters should be kept transparent to let outsiders know what the institution is doing. Overview Kent State University has made significant sustainability accomplishments. According to President Lester A. Lefton, sustainability actually requires an ingenuity standard and honesty which is difficult to identify in many institutions. However, all the campuses of Kent State University are well equipped with integrity and ingenuity [Sus14]. The organization has well defined sustainability initiatives which are available to every individual for the purpose of exploration and also to recognize the social status of the university. Product Description Following is a brief description about the sustainability products in Kent State University [Wha14]: Buildings: The institution has initiated new constructions and other renovations in order to acquire LEED Silver Certificate. Moreover, they have taken major moves to change building windows while considering the atmosphere. The university also uses Green Seal products which are highly effective for cleaning purposes. Waste and Recycling: They have implemented the single stream recycling strategy. This helps them in recycling different materials including plastic, aluminum, glass, cardboard and paper in one round. Additionally they have different events such as RecyclingMania, throw and go and eWaste recycling which allow students to participate in sustainability programs and community services. Energy: Kent State University plans to reduce 20% energy used in the buildings through different energy conservation schedules. Moreover, they plan to use solar energy so as to fulfill the energy requirements. They have different heating plants and energy saving competitions which again allow student to participate in the energy conservation process. Curriculum: In 2013 the university management introduced sustainability minor in the curriculum of business, fashion, science, architecture and technology. The Natural Resource Sustainability and Ecology Center strives to promote scientific research and education among students. Transportation: The University has free bike sharing services along with bike repairing. Students, staff members and faculty members also enjoy free bus service. Moreover, they have provided hybrid fleet and walkability to their students. Grounds: Campus has significantly large grounds with wetlands, vernal pool and grass reserves. Strom water is managed through the sustainable infrastructure such as permeable pavement and bio-swales. Food: The University provides re-usable mugs whereas food remains are repurposed into edible meals for poor people. Benefits As discussed previously, sustainability accomplishments of Kent State University are highly beneficial for the greater economic, social and natural development projects. This can be substantiated by the fact that when an institution progresses and gains sustainable position in a society then it returns back highly qualified, experienced, eligible and influential professionals. These individuals not only eliminate the wrong cultural practices from the society rather also play a crucial role in achieving economic sustainability. In a broader perspective this subsequently leads to better living standards and sustainability on the national level. However, this objective cannot be achieved without a team support. Barriers Sustainability projects do involve certain barriers, for instance, in case of Kent State University the management has to allocate extra budget for the campus renovation, recycling of different materials, initiation of free transport services etc. These extra expenditures increase future sustainability but on the other hand they also create significant challenges for present projects which are supposed to be critically managed by the University. Moreover, when changes occur on the societal level then there are social, legal and cultural barriers which cannot be ignored. Integrated Market Strategies When marketing strategies are integrated with sustainability then the university management gains real benefits. For instance, the primary objective of an educational institution is to get maximum student enrolments and for this purpose they need to market their distinctiveness. However, when a university has achieved sustainability then it acts as an important marketing aspect which subsequently helps in attaining bigger organizational goals. Focus group design, results & conclusion Before implementing the sustainability project it is beneficial to design a focus group upon which the sustainability plans can be tested and verified. For example, before executing the recycling plan Kent State University has to conduct research to identify that which recycling technique would be best suitable for their campus. Once the research is done then results and conclusions are made which help in devising the sustainability plan as per the campus requirements. Metrics and Outcomes Performance evaluation is very important for ensuring the success of sustainability projects. This can be done through an efficient use of metrics which also reflects the standard performance level. Metrics particularly help in analyzing the outcomes and subsequently in making future strategies. Summary & Conclusion Kent State University has made significant sustainability accomplishments in the last few years. These fundamentally include progress in social, economic and ecological areas. In a nutshell the organization has implemented different projects concerning building renovation, recycling, energy conservation, food, transport etc. which have subsequently increased the corporate and social value of the organization. References Sus141: , (Sustainability, 2014), Wer09: , (Werbach, 2009), Sus14: , (Sustainability Initiatives at Kent State, 2014), Wha14: , (What Kent State is Doing, 2014), Read More