Student-Targeted Input

Information gathering facilitated by Grace McIntyre, University Sustainability Office Intern, during March and April 2010

Dates and locations of student response input

March 24 – MBA 653: Product and Brand Management

March 26 – WolfWheels Launch

March 26 – Greek member input

April 5 – Brickyard

April 8 – Talley Student Center

April 15 – Focus Group (Inter-Residence Council)

April 19 – Brickyard

April 20 – Talley Student Center

April 22 – Brickyard (Earth Day)

April 22 – Talley Student Center

April 28 – Focus Group (College of Management)

April 29 – Talley Student Center

Student Sustainability Ideas

Students were asked about the types of sustainability activities they think should happen at NC State. The numbers next to each idea estimates the frequency that idea was said.

  1. Campus Culture/Outreach
  2. RA’s and Teachers need to be leaders in sustainability – 26
  3. Eco-reps
  4. Service projects for dorms
  5. Sustainability classes – 20
  6. Freshmen, required class
  7. Integrated into all disciplines
  8. Tell students how actions impact other areas on campus –14
  9. Through email/website
  10. More on campus reminders and sustainable imagery – 13
  11. Make it easy to make a sustainable decision
  12. Themed parties and events –4
  13. “Lights Out”
  14. Climate Core Fellowships –2
  15. Workday – 1
  16. 10 hour/4 day work weeks
  1. Dining
  2. Utensils purchasing – 25
  3. Branded dining kits to freshmen
  4. Corn-based products
  5. Require or provide incentives for reusable utensils and dinnerware
  6. Eco-friendly, compostable products for take-out
  7. Composting in dining halls – 21
  8. Food purchasing – 11
  9. Agriculture and other students grow and provide organic food
  10. Support local farmers
  11. Eliminate Styrofoam – 4
  12. Campus-wide reusable cups – 2
  13. With discount
  14. Rain barrels at all buildings – use it to clean dishes in dining halls – 1
  1. Energy & Climate
  2. Lights – 45
  3. Reduce emergency lighting
  4. Turn off unneeded lights (baseball and football fields)
  5. More LED, energy efficient
  6. Sensors
  7. Energy meters available to see – 35
  8. Communicate exact dollar amounts that students and faculty are spending or can save by changing behaviors
  9. Bills should include each students energy consumption
  10. Temperature – 33
  11. Allow manipulation of AC/Heaters in dorms
  12. Buildings way too cold!
  13. Fans instead of AC
  14. Seasonal changes
  15. Make students accountable for energy consumption – 22
  16. Energy Competitions – 20
  17. Between dorms
  18. With other schools
  19. Sponsored by corporations
  20. Incentives to save energy – 9
  21. Reduce tuition for reducing energy
  22. Green IT – 7
  23. Require electronic purchasing standards –6
  24. Alternative Energy – 2
  25. Solar
  26. Nuclear
  27. Electricity-producing workout equipment - 2
  1. Building Use and Grounds
  2. Consolidate building use, better use of space –9
  3. Community garden – 6
  4. Green Roofs – 2
  5. Frequency and accessibility
  1. Transportation
  2. Close main campus to cars – 21
  3. Limit parking
  4. More bicycle friendly – 21
  5. Bike rental program
  6. Add skateboards
  7. Bike shop
  8. More bike lanes on campus
  9. Bus system changes – 20
  10. More CAT stops
  11. Wolfline – increase routes and frequency
  12. Park and bike: free off-campus parking
  13. Compress natural gas, bio-diesel
  14. Reduce the hours that the Wolfline runs (reduce empty buses)
  15. Carpool – 17
  16. Alternative transportation – 1
  17. Campus electric rail system
  1. Waste Reduction and Recycling
  2. More Recycling Bins –54
  3. Individual bins in dorms
  4. In dining halls
  5. Recycle more items
  6. More frequent pick-up, always full
  7. Recycling chutes in dorms
  8. Paper – 25
  9. Double-sided printing policy
  10. No paper towel dispensers – use air hand dryers
  11. Track/monitor printing behaviors of staff and students
  12. Monitor and incentivize behaviors: dorms with most recycling, etc. –18
  13. Incentives for using reusable bags – 15
  14. Plastic bag ban – 12
  15. Bookstore (main culprit)
  16. Printed material online – 5
  17. Technician
  18. Online classes
  19. Competitions – 4
  1. Water
  2. Equipment issues – 23
  3. Fix dripping sinks in the chemistry labs
  4. Automatic sinks
  5. High-efficiency two-way toilet flushers
  6. Environmentally friendly washers and dryers
  7. Water bottles– 8
  8. Reusable, filling stations
  9. Water bottle design competition
  10. Educate quality of tap water versus bottled water