About the Office of Institutional Sustainability

The Office of Institutional Sustainability, located at the EcoHouse, is the organizing entity for sustainability initiatives on campus. It supports all the exciting sustainability initiatives our students, faculty, and staff are involved in across campus and our community. The office also coordinates the annual AASHE STARS reporting process, maintains the sustainability content on the website, coordinates the sustainability advisory committee, and oversees Bog Turtle Creek Farm, the Outdoor Leadership Program and the hemp-based structure known as the Traveler.
 

Office location

EcoHouse
712 High Blvd.
Reading, PA 19607
 

Sustainability Advisory Committee

Alvernia's Sustainability Advisory Committee has been a vital bridge between the university’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners and the AU administration by building functional collaborations that engage our university on sustainability matters at a programmatic level both on campus and in our community. Representatives from across campus and our community sit on the Sustainability Committee.
 

Sustainability Mission 

The concept of stewardship aligns with a Franciscan perspective on sustainability when one views the environment as God’s creation. Sustainability includes four interlinked dimensions: Environmental Responsibility (e.g., energy and water conservation, recycling, transportation, green space); Social Equity (e.g., shared decision making, sense of community, diverse campus community; equitable pay); Economic Health (e.g., purchasing locally manufactured items, hiring people from within the local community); and Cultural Vitality (e.g., values, heritage, sense of place, and retaining and respecting traditions). (Hawkes, 2006)