Drury University

Campus Category

Four year and graduate institutions under 5,000 student FTE

Contact Information

Wendy Anderson
Director of Campus Sustainability
Office of Campus Operations and Sustainability

Education and Research

  • School of Architecture—Regularly offers studios and theory courses with sustainability emphasis; 2008, a Design/Build studio completed a Habitat for Humanity home that earned LEED Platinum and national recognition. Also, students have contributed design and construction services for three ABC Extreme Makeover Home Edition builds with sustainable features. Entire Architecture curriculum was redesigned in 2008 to include a Sustainable Design track.
  • Environmental Programs, established in 1990s were updated in 2009 to expand offerings for Env. Studies, Env. Science and Env. Health Science. Includes partnership with local NGO, the Watershed Center, to establish an in-town field station for ecological and water quality research.
  • Communication Department committed to focusing on sustainability on campus and in community for class projects for PR, Advertising, Communication, and Broadcasting.
  • School of Business—enhanced used of case studies on green businesses for courses in Entrepreneurship and Marketing; is expanding Environmental Economics offerings for majors and for general education, and increasing application of Full-Cost Accounting in a accounting classes.
  • Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won 2nd in nation in 2009 with projects with sustainability focus, including development of the Ozarks Carbon Exchange Fund that focused on energy efficiency projects with local NGO aid organizations, and sustainability education in public schools.
  • Sustainability infused throughout general education program (Global Perspectives for the 21st Century, a.k.a., GP21), including addressing climate change in first year course, habitat loss, overpopulation, urbanization, globalization, and climate change in Global Futures, and allowing Environmental Ethics as a substitute for a general ethics course.
  • Developed new Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions with external funding from Department of Natural Resources to provide Pollution Prevention assessment services to area businesses and student internship opportunities to develop solutions for those businesses. One project includes doing GHG inventory for Springfield Public Schools, and retrofitting dozens of school buses throughout the region with diesel emission reduction equipment.

 

Campus Operations

  • Installed ground source heat exchange system in Stone Chapel to introduce cooling to building and to convert from gas-powered steam heat in 2008.(see picture)
  • Installation of hybrid PV/solar thermal system on Smith Hall dormitory in summer 2009.
  • New basketball arena, a.k.a., O’Reilly Family Event Center designed to achieve LEED Gold certification—broke ground in May 2009. Will include energy efficient systems, building automation systems with resource consumption dashboards in public spaces, water capture, storage and reuse from half of site, and bioswales with native plants for storm water management on other half of site, 7-10% renewable energy generation (probably hybrid PV/Solar thermal), and more.
  • Planning with adjacent Ozarks Technical Community College for a new shared student life complex with “park-n-plug” 400-space garage with bike storage, greenway trail access, and water capture; green student housing; and retail center with fair trade coffee, local/organic grocery store and café, locally owned new/used book store, bike shop, and more. Phase 1 scheduled for construction in early 2010.
  • Ongoing lighting change-outs to CFLS, T-8s, T-5s, and LED (Changed more than 1500 fixtures this year).
  • Change-out of 900 residential bathrooms’ fixtures for water conservation in summer 2009.
  • Changed out nearly 500 Exit signs to LED in summer 2009.
  • Maintained Urban Tree Farm (Arbor Day Foundation) status by planting over 100 new trees on campus during Campus Beautification Days in 2008 and 2009.
  • Human Resources Office went paperless and the Business Office reduced paper use by and 30%.
  • All paper products used on campus are minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content.
  • Implementation of printing limit on students in 2008 and increased electronic submissions of coursework (reduced student paper usage by 60%!).
  • Increased recycling opportunities across campus with more bins placed and transfer of pick-up responsibilities from students to full-time staff. Development of Central Street Recycling Center in 2008 provides convenient drop-off location for our campus and 6 other institutional partners in the city center (community college, public high school, public library, public utility, city offices, county offices).
  • Student intern designing and building covered bike storage to encourage bike culture on campus in summer 2009; Student Government Association planning bike rental/purchase program with local bike shop for fall 2009; increased number of standard bike racks on campus last year by 100%.
  • Implemented trayless dining and more organic options in cafeteria and catering services in spring 2009.
  • Retired 3 gasoline and diesel vehicles in Facilities Services and replaced with electric vehicles in 2008.

 

Administration and Finance

  • Sustainability Council continuing into 4th year with 40 members—co-chaired by a member of the Board of Trustees and the Director of Campus Sustainability.
  • Increased sustainability staffing from one half-time Director (as of 2007) to a VP for Sustainability, a Special Assistant to the VP for new building and renovations, the Director of Campus Sustainability, the Executive Administrative Assistant for those three, two student workers, and charged the whole facilities services staff with exploring and implementing sustainable solutions within the context of a potential 10% budget cut in 2008-2009.
  • Established a $20,000 budget for the Sustainability Council to administer for new initiatives and educational events.
  • Approved Student Sustainability Fee to increase Council budget from 20K to 50K, beginning in Fall 2009.
  • Developing a fund raising campaign to enhance support from alumni and friends of university for sustainability initiatives—launch in summer 2009.
  • Board of Trustees committed to increase deferred maintenance funding from $0 to $1 million in operating budget over next 3 years.
  • Sponsored and coordinated regional public education conference, the Ozarks New Energy Conference (400 attendees each year) in 2008 and 2009, in partnership with Missouri State University, City of Springfield, Greene County, City Utilities, and local manufacturers and National Biomass Producers Association. Will plan ONE.3 for 2010.
  • President Parnell is an Executive Council member of the local Partnership for Sustainability, a collaborative of leaders from local higher education, public schools, city, county, hospitals, Chamber of Commerce, and City Utility, who all encourage each other to expand and implement their shared commitments to sustainability.

 

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