About Sustainability at UMW

“If we cannot envision the world we would like to live in, we cannot work towards its creation. If we cannot place ourselves in it in our imagination, we will not believe it is possible.” –Chellis Glendinning

“Sustainability” implies that the critical activities of an institution are ecologically sound, socially just, and economically viable, and that they will continue to be so for future generations. The University of Mary Washington strives for sustainability in its everyday operations through policies, practices and the involvement of students, faculty and staff. The University recognizes that every action it takes concerning its mission and management impacts its future as much as it affects its present.

For individuals, sustainability means changing habits that affect the way one lives, works, and relaxes. Starting in the 2011-2012 academic year UMW will be implementing a sustainability campaign called “do one thing.” Throughout the year we will be encouraging members of the UMW community to pledge to do one thing to make their lives a little bit more sustainable in one of the 4 areas of sustainability (cultural, social, economic, and environmental). These small changes made by individuals will then become a large scale change across a group of people as large as our entire campus community. Come by a table on campus or log on to sustainability.umw.edu/dot to pledge your one thing today!

For institutions like Mary Washington, sustainability means an assessment of actions and issues that affect the campus and the wider community. It means acting intentionally to create a culture of awareness. It means having a dedicated group of administrators, faculty, staff, and students working diligently to practice sustainability at UMW. Most of all, sustainability means creating connections between ourselves and the world around us and understanding our place within it all. At Mary Washington, we emphasize the importance of education and communication in increasing the awareness of the roles that students, faculty, staff, and administration play in making UMW a sustainable institution.