Housing & Residential Life
Housing & Residential Life proudly serves more than 6,400 students and staff for the year 2007, an increase in residents by more than 40 percent in the last ten years. This shift of students from commuters to campus community residents not only enhances the campus community, but also has a positive effect on the environment. Commuting vehicle mileage has been reduced by an estimated 25,000 miles per day saving nearly 1,000 gallons of gasoline daily.
While on campus, residents are further encouraged to contribute to sustainability efforts through a variety of incentives and programs in various forms. In 2007, a sustainability Committee comprised of students and staff was established in which members can express their ideas, concerns, and opinions about environmentally conscious policies and procedures within campus housing. Students also had the opportunity in the year 2007 to participate with their dorm/apartment complex in RecycleMania, a competition where over 200 colleges and universities throughout the United States compete to increase recycling and reduce waste on their campus. Recycling containers are continuously available in all residence halls for newspaper, office paper, aluminum
cans, and bottles.
Building and maintenance materials within residence halls are selected for sustainability:
• Shower heads in all halls are equipped with flow restrictors
• Toilets are retrofitted with water efficient devices
• Specified water saver, high efficiency washers and dryers available for student laundry use
• Paper towels have been replaced with hand dryers
• Use of 100 percent recycled toilet paper
• Cleaning chemicals are environmentally friendly
• Lounge furniture and dining tables manufactured with wheat stems as core material and environmentally friendly materials
• Old carpet is recycled into other products
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