By University Relations

VU will establish recycling locations in 6 residence halls housing about 1,800 students and 3 recycling locations serving 6,000

November 13, 2008

VINCENNES, IN – Students will soon participate in campus recycling atVincennes University, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance.  VU is committing anadditional $7,000 to support the effort that will begin during the Spring Semester.

VU will use the grant to establish recycling locations in six residence halls housing about 1,800 students and three recycling locations accessible to the entire campus community of about 6,000 persons.  The grant will also help integrate recycling in existing outreach programming and allow faculty to create or modify curricula to include recycling and environmental awareness.

“The purpose of this effort is to create a campus-wide recycling program onthe Vincennes Campus that is centered on student involvement and faculty outreach,” said Kristi Deetz, senior director of External Relations.  Deetz, who will act as project director for the program, said this will help educate students on the advantages of recycling and environmental care by getting them actively involved.

Michael Farmer, president of the VU Student Government Association, said the organization supports efforts to initiate campus recycling.  “I have no doubt that students will participate in recycling just as they do for other community service,” Farmer said.

Dawn Brewer, director of VU Residential Life, said a side benefit is its potential to reduce VU’s trash landfill fees.  “Through these efforts we can reduce waste and possibly lower costs which we can, in turn, pass along to our students,” Brewer said.  “We look forward to having a more ‘green’ campus and a more ‘green-minded’ student body.”

With an emphasis on its school colors, the theme for the program is “Blue and Gold Makes Green,” which will be prominently displayed on campus and in other promotion materials.

Curtis Coffman, assistant professor of Life Science, said he is committed to recruiting students to make the program a success.  Coffman is the faculty advisor for both the Biology Club and the Earth Science/Agriculture Club.  “I also teach an ecology course and will have students collect data from the recycled material to be used for public awareness and analysis. This will dovetail nicely when we do a laboratory simulating decomposition in landfills,” Coffman said.

Efforts begin with recruiting student clubs and organizations that will be assigned to material preparation for one month.  A program handbook will be provided and monthly recycling orientation programs will be conducted. Participating students will earn student activity points for philanthropy and volunteerism.

Two students who are ready to initiate conservation efforts are Ryan Lewis, Princeton, and William Harger, Evansville, who are seniors majoring in VU’s baccalaureate program in Technology.  According to Daniel Vaughn, assistant professor of Earth Science, the two students helped prompt the recycling effort with their persistent questions about improving conservation on campus.

“We have been doing a lot of research on energy conservation and believe that it can save a considerable number of dollars for a school the size of VU.  These savings could then be used to fund other academic projects to promote conservation,” Lewis said.  Speaking at an Oct. 21 meeting of the VU Green Task Force, Lewis suggested VU recycle used cooking oil into bio-fuel to operate some of VU’s fleet of trucks.

Susan Brocksmith, chair of VU’s Department of Business and Mangement, said that Lewis and Harger “have been all over campus pushing to get projects moving.”  She said that is a hopeful sign that students are ready to help lead campus recycling efforts.

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY

VU is a state-supported college with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional sites such as the Indianapolis International Airport.  In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers select bachelor’s degree programs in technology, health care management, homeland security, nursing, and secondary education programs in mathematics, science, and special education.

VU enrolls students from all 92 Indiana counties, 28 states, and 37 foreign counties.  Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls.  VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana's first college and is the only college in the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the United States.  William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. 

For more information, please contact Duane Chattin, Director of Public Information, at 812-888-4164 or dchattin@vinu.edu.