by Ashley Adams

American Public University Systems’ (APUS) President, Wallace Boston, signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in September of 2007. As part of the requirements for the Commitment, APUS has established an Institutional Structure.  The ACUPCC states that this structure can be a committee, taskforce, council or other body that will implement the terms of the commitment.

Initially, APUS’ institutional structure included the University’s President and Director of Facilities.  As the institution has moved toward achieving the specific goals set out in the Commitment, it has evolved into a committee, known as the APUS Sustainability Committee, with two co-chairs, both of whom work in the Office of the President, and 18 staff members.  A presentation at a university-wide staff meeting reached out to those interested in helping achieve the goals of the ACUPCC.  The volunteers represent many of APUS’ departments bringing diverse perspectives to APUS’ ACUPCC initiatives.

APUS has two locations, one in Manassas, Virginia and one in Charles Town, West Virginia.  Within these two locations there are 14 different buildings or suites.  Having a group that represents the various locations was very important when creating the Sustainability Committee in order to ensure that each portion of the campus was represented.  The committee’s volunteers are equally representative of both APUS campuses in Virginia and West Virginia. As a 100 percent online institution APUS is very adept at using current technologies to bring individuals from different areas together into one meeting space without requiring travel.  Through the use of such technologies, APUS’ Sustainability Committee is able to hold meetings in which all members can participate without having to travel to do so. 

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by President and CEO, Wallace E. Boston, Jr.

In September 2007, I signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) on behalf of American Public University System (APUS).  My decision to sign this commitment was an acknowledgement that an institution of higher learning should be committed to measuring and minimizing its environmental impact, particularly in a world with depleting natural resources.  As required by the commitment, in January 2009 APUS completed its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.  Since that time, the school has taken several significant steps toward effectively addressing its overall carbon footprint.  APUS has established a Sustainability Committee comprised of interested employees who are dedicated to the goals we have established.  The Committee researches and develops proposals for additional mitigation and education strategies.  This blog is one such effort.

Members of the Sustainability Committee will contribute the majority of the articles that will be published here, but from time to time, the Committee may publish articles from guest authors.  This blog is intended to serve as a mechanism for sharing ideas and generating dialogue related to sustainability efforts at APUS, issues of sustainability as they relate to higher education, and topics of sustainability in general. 

I hope that you will find the information posted here interesting and educational.  The Committee welcomes your comments and suggestions and I encourage you to engage in what I hope will become an ongoing discussion about how higher education and individuals can effectively address the problems associated with climate change and the depletion of natural resources.