Dixie State University Sustainability Initiative

Vision Statement:
Our vision is to integrate sustainability throughout all operations and to tread lightly on the planet by minimizing the natural resources we consume during our normal operations and to continuously reduce the amount of waste we generate. DSU will invest in employee development to encourage all employees to spread this vision into their homes, neighborhoods, and the community.

Definition:
Make DSU a sustainability leader for the community via employee and student social responsibility to meet the needs and aspirations of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.


Goals:
Short Term:
• Faculty and staff involvement as advisors and leaders for students and for other faculty and staff.
• Locate and provide important literature and publications to students, faculty and staff.
• Encourage the practice of sustainability by establishing good practices to set an example for the community.
• Give each incoming new student a metal DSU water bottle to encourage use vs. continually purchasing plastic water bottles.
• Establish the DSU Recycling logo and signage.
• Establish an official campus wide sustainability commitment.
• Coordinate recycling efforts with students, faculty and staff.
• Increase awareness of the DSU Sustainability Initiative.




Long term goals:
• Develop a Sustainability Office.
• Hire a dedicated sustainability coordinator.
• Reduce campus carbon emissions.
• Reduce campus environmental pollutants.
• Collaborate with community members and encourage sustainability and recycling community wide.
• Encourage planting of native plants, including more trees, rather than water-intensive plants.
• Utilize the DSU mulching machine to reuse small tree trimmings for mulch around existing plants for water retention.
• Provide additional shuttle services from off-campus housing to campus and to a major store for shopping purposes to reduce carbon emissions.



Ways to achieve our Mission and Goals:
• Ramp up the recycling program currently in place by putting up informational signs that direct people to the proper receptacle for their waste/recycling.
• Acquire additional receptacles for waste/recycling to position in as many places as possible.
• Continue to spread the word about the need for recycling via appropriate posters, handouts, and possibly by holding meetings or workshops.
• Join AASHE – (The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) in the future.
• Research methods to innovate and effectively dedicate time and resources into growing this program effectively and efficiently.
• Initiate programs such as “Turn your key, be idle free” (idea from USU) to ask all drivers to turn off their engines while not moving.