Radford University officials want to make the 2008-09 academic year the greenest one yet with plans in place to hire three new positions to lead a new sustainability/recycling initiative.

RU Vice President for Finance and Administration Donna VanCleave said that the university has had some good sustainability efforts, monitoring of energy usage, and it has done some recycling, but she added, “The whole green effort is something that we really need to expand more and are very committed to doing.”

RU is in the process of hiring a Recycling Coordinator, Recycling Technician, and a Sustainability Coordinator who will, together, lead the university’s new green efforts. These three new positions will lead Radford University to new levels of environmental friendliness and will establish RU as an example in living green.

VanCleave said that the Sustainability Coordinator, in particular, will lead an information campaign this fall and will collaborate with campus organizations, faculty, staff, and administrators to spread the word about the new initiatives taking place on campus. VanCleave said the goal is to have the positions filled and have a significant push into establishing new systems by Sept. 1.

The City of Radford has no curbside recycling service, making it more of a challenge for students who live off campus to recycle. RU administrators have said that they have heard from students who would like recycling drop-off points on or near campus to assist them. That is one of many proposals that this new team will look at. With several thousand RU students located off campus within a mile or so from the university, efforts to increase recycling in this area would be welcome.

VanCleave said that the new sustainability/recycling team will look forward to working with the City of Radford to see what collaborations might be possible. “We’re not just an island here,” VanCleave said. “We are part of a bigger community. The community must be a part of this. We enjoy working with the City, so we’ll sit down with the City to learn more about what they offer and what their constraints are and how we can work together.”

VanCleave said that she is excited about the potential of the new initiatives even though it will take a while for all facets of the new programs to come together. She is encouraged by the fact that many RU students come from areas and families that have been recycling. “Many of our students are already accustomed to recycling—some come from very advanced recycling programs—so this will just make it easier for them to continue their good habits. This is simply the right thing to do.”

Tim W. Jackson is Editor of the New River Voice.