Student audit and evaluation of a university's environmental management system
Environmental problems are often complex and multifaceted, and cannot be adequately understood from within any single academic discipline. The Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environment (IPE) minor at the University of Oklahoma trains students to see how different intellectual perspectives from the humanities and sciences can be integrated into a rich conception of the environment. To complete the minor, students must take a Practicum course in which they work in teams on an open-ended, multidisciplinary project. In the Spring of 1998 students conducted an audit of the environmental management system of the University of Oklahoma. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are the combination of procedures, facilities, and personnel that an organization uses to meet its environmental goals. In this paper, the authors discuss the mechanics of the Practicum and the results generated by the students. Three student teams focused on inputs, operations, and outputs. The Inputs team investigated the University's procurement of resources. The Operations team focused on the use of resources at the University, such as heating and lighting. The Outputs group explored waste management, including solid and hazardous waste, wastewater, and air pollution. Each group interviewed appropriate personnel and accessed relevant documents, and explored environmental data and programs associated with other universities. Students presented their findings to a diverse panel of adjudicators and submitted reports, which have been combined and placed on a web-site (http://www.ou.edu/cas/ipe/envaud.htm). The major findings pertained to education, documentation, and coordination. Students suggested that environmental education programs on campus should be improved, both to ensure proper operation of the EMS and to provide students with sufficient environmental knowledge to lead environmentally responsible lives after college.
- Research Organization:
- Rowan Univ., Glassboro, NJ (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20006541
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608-; TRN: IM200008%%148
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Air and Waste 92nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition, St. Louis, MO (US), 06/20/1999--06/24/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating Systems: Windows 3.1, '95, '98 and NT; Macintosh; and UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Air and Waste 92nd annual meeting and exhibition proceedings, [9500] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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