Student participation sought for annual sustainability survey
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Student staff from the Office for Sustainability at Western Michigan University will conduct the sixth annual Student Sustainability Survey Tuesday, March 1, through Thursday, March 31.
After receiving the approval of WMU students and the Board of Trustees in 2010, the university began charging students $8 per semester to fund campus sustainability projects. The Student Sustainability Survey is a student-led survey that measures student awareness, interest and support for such projects. By participating in the survey and offering their opinions, students can directly influence how sustainability fee funds are spent. This annually distributed survey aligns the sustainability fee directly with students’ priorities, while promoting a culture of campus sustainability that has the potential to benefit all WMU students.
The Student Sustainability Survey asks students to rank sustainability related projects by their importance and perceived benefits. Survey results from 2015 demonstrated an increased interest in healthy and affordable food options on campus as well as the desire for on-campus sustainable residential living options. Students also indicated their desire for increasing WMU’s renewable energy infrastructure and the implementation of an introductory sustainability course to fulfill general education credits.
As an incentive for participating, every currently registered WMU student who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for an iPad mini or a $250 gift card to the WMU Bookshops. While individual survey responses are confidential, survey results will be posted on the Office for Sustainability website.
The Student Sustainability Survey can be found at https://survey.wmich.edu/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=865Km56.
For more information or to review prior survey results, visit wmich.edu/sustainability/events/survey or contact the Office for Sustainability at (269) 387-0943.
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.