Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Environmental Studies (MES)

First Advisor

Michael Guebert

Second Advisor

Edwin Squiers

Third Advisor

Robert Koester

Abstract

This is a master’s thesis project for the Department of Environmental Science at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. It is focused on sustainability which requires considering the social, economic, and environmental impact of actions on future generations. The three main questions being addressed are: 1.) In what ways is Taylor University practicing environmental sustainability? 2.) What is the best way to judge the sustainability of Taylor? 3.) What should Taylor do to become more sustainable? This paper consists of a literature review, a description of the problem being addressed, a review of similar studies, and assessment methods, the actual campus sustainability assessment, and a conclusion. The assessment is divided into main sections of operations, administration, people, and finance. Most of the emphasis is on operations which includes nine main categories: carbon emissions, energy, transportation, water, waste, dining Services, built Environment, landscaping, and purchasing. The goals of this project are to provide data for benchmarking and to significantly improve the sustainability of Taylor through this first initial campus sustainability assessment and report.

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