Step 3: Generating Ideas
In order to keep the momentum from the Sustainability Assessment moving, the EC organized the 3-2-1 Sustainability Initiative during the spring semester of 2008. Staff worked with the honors class “Leaders and Difference Makers.” Students in the class facilitated seven study circles to study information from the assessment and generate discussion about what goals Fort Lewis should set as an institution for the next 5 to 10 years.
There were study circles on:
(1) energy and atmosphere (electricity, heating, cooling, outdoor air pollution)
(2) transportation (planes, trains, buses, automobiles, pedal, and ped powered transportation)
(3) land and water use (water use and quality, green building, landscaping and natural habitats)
(4) waste and recycling (solid waste, waste reduction, recycling, composting)
(5) food (local, organic, and fair trade food on campus and growing food on campus)
(6) environmental health (hazardous waste, cleaning chemicals, indoor air pollution, pest control)
(7) purchasing (paper, furniture, computers, etc.)
Over 60 students, staff, faculty, administration, and members of the community participated in study circle meetings that captured the ideas, interests, and expertise of the Fort Lewis community. We want to thank everyone who contributed their time to this process!
Each study circle met twice for two hours and examined three questions for their topic:
- How can Fort Lewis contribute to the region?
- What is important for people at Fort Lewis to know?
- What are the best ways to improve Fort Lewis’ performance?
We called the initiative 3-2-1 Sustainability because the study circles focused on three questions at two meetings with one goal in mind: making Fort Lewis the greenest public liberal arts college in the western United States.
During the second study circle, participants ranked the goals they had generated according to importance. The tallies give a snapshot of what the groups felt were the most important to focus on. See the group's priorities.
We have organized all the input from the study circles into tables listed below to correspond to the sections of the Sustainability Action Plan. See what ideas the study circles came up with.
You can also view the final presentations by the students in the Honors 220 "Leaders and Difference Makers" Class to see their recommendations for Fort Lewis College:
If you would like to help Fort Lewis turn these ideas into an action plan, email EC Coordinator, Marcus Renner. A Student Sustainability Committee will hold open meetings to gather feedback from students, staff, faculty, administrators, and the community.
Go on to Step 4: Drafting a Plan
