Plastered on the construction barriers around campus is one of Stevens’ familiar unofficial phrases: A University on the Rise. As a university that promotes itself with this phrase, the question of how sustainable that growth is comes into discussion. Angelo Falabella ‘19 understood the importance of sustainability at Stevens and centered his master’s capstone project (SM 690 Capstone in Sustainability Management) around the development of the Sustainability Management Plan (SMP). He also co-founded the Stevens Sustainability Coalition (SSC) to aid in propelling Stevens towards a more sustainable future. This past Wednesday, September 11, he gave a lecture to kick off the Fall 2019 Sustainability Seminar Series titled Sustainability at Stevens: Your Potential Impact.
Falabella’s capstone project that introduced the SMP aimed to provide a baseline for future conversations and initiatives that expand the discourse of sustainability. Falabella explained the SMP can be broken down into five strategic priorities, four of which are written in the Stevens mission statement: student centricity; excellence in all we do; through collaboration, impact; technology at our core; and a strengthened reputation. With these five priorities, Falabella’s plan also included four main areas of focus, including campus energy usage; waste, land, and water management; social engagement; and financial responsibility. Falabella stressed that “sustainability is not environmentalism,” while explaining the importance of social and financial sustainability.
Stevens has already begun to move towards a more sustainable future in terms of campus energy usage and efficiency. One of Falabella’s proposals was to “upgrade outdated fluorescent lighting systems throughout campus” to LED lighting. Outlined in two phases, the proposal is already underway with phase one having just been approved. Phase one alone is expected to produce $140,000 in savings. Falabella stated that “this is not a static document,” indicating that the remainder of the proposal will continue to be discussed.
Waste, water, and land management are other struggling elements on campus. Recycling infrastructure has yet to be standardized, causing many individuals to not even contemplate recycling when throwing away trash. The SMP includes a proposal of outdoor bin replacements throughout campus that could be funded with savings from the LED lighting project, thus creating a “green revolving fund.”
Social sustainability is another important aspect that Falabella explained doesn’t relate to environmentalism, but heavily relates to the broad spectrum of sustainability. Promoting intersectionality through the development of an intercultural center, Alexander House would serve as a physical space on campus for students. Expanding campus medical offerings to include flu shots on campus and mandating faculty training modules on mental health are other key ways to “foster an environment focused on health and wellness of students.” Falabella also discussed how social sustainability cannot be achieved if the double standard of encouraging students to get enough sleep while juggling a heavy course load still exists.
The SMP also recognizes that Stevens has a financial responsibility in terms of sustainability. Replacing single-use plastics with products from Emerald Brand will ensure biodegradable/compostable paper products, and can exponentially move Stevens into a greener future by placing its money towards a sustainable movement.
Falabella’s last proposal in the SMP was for an Office of Sustainability that would oversee these areas of focus to ensure that the growth of Stevens is sustainable. Falabella and his team performed in-depth research analysis of the sustainability programs at other institutions to gather ideas of what an Office of Sustainability might look like.
Although an Office of Sustainability would greatly impact Stevens, any amount of change at that scale requires students to speak out to administration. Falabella encourages students to voice their concerns and get involved with organizations such as SAVE (Sustainability, Activism, Volunteering, & Engineering) and the Student Government Association Campus Life Committee. Further, involvement in the SSC enables students to voice their concerns and/or give ideas. However, Falabella also acknowledges that student-led groups are ultimately temporary and unsustainable without any action from administration. Awareness can be generated by incorporating sustainability management courses into your schedule, as well as attending a future sustainability lecture series. Lectures are every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
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