Moving toward sustainability requires that elements of sustainability be identified, quantified, and measured.  Just as performance benchmarks are established to determine success in meeting academic goals, such as quality of education, clear benchmarks are also needed to address progress in meeting environmental goals.  Measures of environmental impacts and sustainability are not always readily available and much creative thought is needed to suggest ways to gather, interpret, and display needed information.

 

This project of the Campus & Community Ecology Project is one of the first major campus studies that will be recommended to the university community to be completed as a high priority.  Initial work is needed to identify benchmarks that have been suggested or are being used successfully elsewhere.  In addition, the unique circumstances of WSU will have to be analyzed in detail to identify environmental benchmarks appropriate for our insitution and region.