Red, White Blue and Green

Dear President Sethna,

Welcome to the 2008/2009 Presidential Perspectives series. The Foreword and Chapter 1 of the 3rd year of this popular series are now available for download.

Presidential Perspectives is a monthly thought leadership series authored by college presidents, for college presidents. The theme of this year’s series is “Best Practices in Higher Education” and addresses how colleges and universities are innovatively achieving institutional vision, mission, and ultimately competitive advantage. The series consists of 10 chapters, one released each month, during the 2008/2009 academic year, and culminating in a bound keepsake book.

Chapter 1, Red, White, Blue, and Green: The University of West Georgia is authored by Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna, President, University of West Georgia.

With the start of the new year, sustainability is taking an increasingly prominent role on college campuses. Higher education is embracing its role as a leader, in dialogue and in practice, regarding sustainability. Yet, the success of sustainable initiatives does not lie within isolated areas of the campus. To truly succeed, environmental initiatives require equal parts of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and even the external community.

The University of West Georgia is becoming a model for fostering sustainable behavior through broad campus inclusion. The University would not be able to realize its “Green Initiative” without the involvement of the entire campus. The combination of academic research and staff training and implementation of sustainable measures has made the UWG’s “Green Initiative” and energy conservation programs an ongoing success story. The University has received several Best Practice Awards, has assisted in the dissemination of ideas that work, and stands ready to continue to do the same for other institutions.

We would like to thank ARAMARK Higher Education, our publisher, for their vision and support of Presidential Perspectives. For another campus sustainability initiative, read The Business and Cultural Acceptance Case for Trayless Dining, featuring quantitative data and case studies on the benefits of removing trays.

To view current and past chapters, author biographies, chapter calendar, and additional series information, please visit www.presidentialperspectives.org. As new chapters are released, you will receive an e-mail announcement and download link to that chapter.

Sincerely, 
Scott D. Miller, Ph.D., President of Bethany College 
Marylouise Fennell, Ed.D., Past President of Carlow University