Even during Hiring Freezes, Many Colleges Stick with Sustainability Plans

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Sustainable Development; Coordination; Coordinators; Program Administration; Educational Planning; Strategic Planning; Faculty Recruitment; Job Simplification

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Michael J. O'Connor, the physical-plant director at Appalachian State University, is watching his staff shrink bit by bit. When people leave, he's not rehiring. There is one exception to his staffing plan, however. Despite the economic duress, he is conducting a national search for a sustainability director. The university has ambitious sustainability plans and needs someone to pull its various projects together. The sustainability director is the keystone of any campus sustainability program. Whether or not colleges are creating director positions or replacing people who are leaving might be an indication of how seriously those colleges regard their commitment to sustainability. At Appalachian State, the sustainability director would organize the efforts of various committees and groups on the campus and file reports for sustainability programs that the colleges has signed on to, like the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. One of the biggest problems of not having a sustainability director is missed opportunities for marketing and communications. Without a sustainability director, there is no coordinated way of getting the million positive things a university has done out in front of the public, in front of the student body, and in front of sister institutions.

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2009

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