Creation Care Council
Creation Care Council meetings are usually held over free coffee and snacks, a time for brainstorming and planning.
EMU's Creation Care Council, provides a forum for coordinating campus-wide interest in sustainable living.
The council, which developed EMU's official sustainability principles, grew out of a faculty, staff and student initiative to consider how the campus pulls together its theology of care for the earth with practical every-day decisions made across campus.
The first meeting of the group Sept. 10, 2007, brought out more than 70 students, faculty and staff including dining hall and physical plant management, science and conflict transformation faculty (both graduate and undergraduate level), student government leaders, seminary students, IT staff and the undergraduate academic dean.
Five sub groups make up the Creation Care Council with each group sending one representative to an executive committee. The executive committee is chaired by and .
Sub groups
- Procurement (blog)
Mission: to increase sustainable food choices, gardening on campus, and sustainable consumption and contracts. Contact person: - Education, Curriculum, Theology
Mission: to articulate our faith-based approach to sustainability and incorporate sustainability themes "across" the curriculum. Contact person Tara Kishbaugh - Community & Recruitment
Mission: to explore ways to build EMU’s community around sustainability themes and to make/ strengthen ties to our local community. Contact person: - Recycling & Reducing & Transportation
Mission: to addressusage of resources, to promote composting, bicycling, bus and other options and discuss parking. Contact person: - Energy, Infrastructure, Grounds, Buildings
Mission: to addressusage of energy, promote sustainability with respect to buildings. Contact person:
New members are welcome on the task forces at any time. To get involved, simply email the contact person.
Membership
Campus-wide concern over recycling and other creation care commitments resulted in a commuters breakfast rewarding community members who biked or walked to campus one fall.
- A vice president appointed by the president
- two students, one undergrad and one grad
- 5-7 faculty and staff who are appointed to the council for two-year terms (minimally there should be representation from: the graduate and undergraduate faculty as well physical plant and marketing/communications staff. A member of the science faculty is highly recommended.
- a faculty Senate representative chosen by the Senate.
Input and Decisions
Community input is provided through membership on the committee, sought from the wider community via the university web site and, through open forums held when deemed necessary. Final approval for suggested actions will be sought from President’s Cabinet.