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University Sustainability Committee

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The University Sustainability Committee at The University of Texas at Arlington develops and recommends policies and strategies to advance the University's commitment to help meet today's serious environment challenges. By setting the standard and serving as a role model, the University strives to promote environmental awareness and encourage conservation of resources.

A successful endeavor to transition to a sustainable or green campus involves four aspects of the university community—the administration, academic departments (students and faculty), the university research effort, and the local community.

The on-going purpose of the University Sustainability Committee (USC) is to propose means by which the University can bring faculty, staff, students and the entire community together to meet or surpass environmental standards, conserve resources, and minimize waste. In addition, the committee reviews and benchmarks efforts made by higher education peers in order to propose a course of action for administrative decisions at The University of Texas at Arlington.

The USC is divided into functional work groups addressing opportunities for advancing and promoting sustainability in several areas, including facilities management, curricula, research, and public awareness. Use the menu on the left to view information on the current work groups.

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Message from President James D. Spaniolo

Dear Campus Community,

Recently, the University has taken two important steps to further its commitment to protect the environment. First, I launched the President’s Sustainability Committee*, with members drawn from the faculty, staff, student body, and community. This new committee will address opportunities to promote sustainability in several areas, including facilities management, curricula, research and public awareness. It will propose means by which the University can meet or surpass environmental standards, conserve resources, and minimize waste. Second, UT Arlington has joined the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, linking us with 225 four-year academic institutions committed to moving higher education to the forefront of society’s efforts to protect the environment. UT Arlington becomes the fourth member in Texas, alongside UT Austin, Rice University, and Trinity University.

I am enlisting your support. As you go about your daily work, help the University conserve resources and minimize waste. For example:

  • Energy and Water Conservation – Turn off lights in areas that are not being utilized (e.g., conference rooms). Report any exterior lights that remain on during daylight hours or any irrigation equipment that appears to be malfunctioning.
  • Waste Reduction – Please make every effort to participate in the University’s excellent recycling program. If you need a container contact Facilities Management Work Order Center at ext. 2-2000.
  • Purchasing – When purchasing office supplies, look for the green recycling arrows, which show that the item has some recycled content.
  • Offices – Whenever possible, photocopy on both sides of the paper—and set printers to do likewise. Instead of purchasing bottled water, which is resource-intensive, consider refilling bottles with filtered tap water. Consider investing in mugs for coffee/tea instead of using disposable cups.

These are just a few of the many ways we can work together to help the University protect the environment. It Works When We All Pitch In! If you have an idea or suggestion that you would like the Sustainability Committee to consider, please e-mail Meghna Tare at mtare@uta.edu.

*renamed University Sustainability Committee in 2010