Home Academics Admission Athletics Alumni Giving News and Calendars A-Z Index
Sustainability - photo collage of students engaged in service learning

Preserving Our Past. Conserving Our Future.

Sustainability is the activities and actions of the College that strive for development to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs.

Our Mission
Otterbein College is committed to pursuing the ideal of sustainability in its institutional practices and will act in ways that will result in the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of our community.

Our Goals

  • Good practices in environmental, social, and economic sustainability
  • Integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum and student experiences
  • Sustainable facility construction and maintenance activities
  • Partnerships with our local, regional, and global communities

Our Commitment
The Otterbein Board of Trustees voted to adopt a Policy of Sustainability for the College. Click here to read the press release.

Sustainability represents the community's commitment to their environment, promoting viability and vitality while building resilience to stress, acting as stewards, and forging connections beyond the College's community.

News

Otterbike Sharing Program
As part of our efforts toward a sustainable campus, Otterbein will soon be providing bicycles to use for anyone who has a Cardinal card. We are starting with 7 used bikes which will be parked at the Library under the south side overhang. These bikes have been repaired and are in good working order thanks to the Westerville Bike Shop which provided this service at their cost. Here is how the program will work:

  • A fee of $10.00 per year per user is required to help defray maintenance costs - this will be paid before you rent a bike the first time when you complete the liability form.
  • Check Out: Go to the Library front desk and ask to check out a bike – show your cardinal card. You must sign the liability waiver and pay the $10.00 fee before you rent a bike the first time. After that you will just need to show your card.
  • The rental period is for 3 days and there will be late fees and charges for any damages, etc same as a laptop rental.
  • The hours of operation are the same as the Library. When checking out a bike, you will be issued a key and a number of the rack where the bike is locked. From there you unlock the bike and use it for up to 72 hours. You may renew the rental by phone (depending on availability of rental bikes) by calling 823-1235.
  • Check In: You must return the bike to the specified rack at the Library and lock it up properly by running the lock through the bike frame and tire as well as the rack. From there you will return the key to the Library. The hours of return are the same as those for the Library. You agree to assume responsibility for loss or damage resulting from your failure to properly lock the bike.
  • Damages: When you check out a bike, you must immediately report any damages that you notice to the Library desk to avoid being charged for them. When you check the bike back in, you must inform the Library personnel of any additional damages or problems with the bike. You are responsible and agree to pay for any damages that are determined not to be normal wear and tear.

All bikes will be equipped with lights and locks. Safe routes to the equine center will be available at the library. HELMETS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED! Be watching for the next announcement – when the bikes arrive on campus we will be 7 Otterbikes and Growing! If you have a bike in good riding condition and would like to donate it to the Otterbike Sharing Program, please contact me at mkerr@otterbein.edu.

Are Civil Action and Global Warming Related? A Case Study for Developing an Integrative Studies Curriculum by Kevin Svitana, Assistant Professor of Life and Earth Sciences
This Otterbein College Integrative Studies class helps students understand complex environmental problems of the past (Superfund) and relate them to global warming issues. The resource entitled Science in the Courtroom: The Woburn Toxic Trial documents the "behind-the-scenes" activities of the movie A Civil Action, serves as an educational resource for understanding the social, scientific, and civic aspects of the hazardous waste legacy associated with the Superfund, relating it to global warming issues.

The materials for this class trace the industrial revolution into the modern technological era, looking at hazardous waster generation and fossil fuel utilization as unintended consequences of modern technology. Students reserach the link between the explosion of manufacturing of synthetic chemicals in the early 1900s and fossil fuel use, and then relate current hazardous waster regulations to potential models to mitigate global warming.

First, students view A Civil Action so they relate human issues (childhood leukemia) to the effects of hazardous waste. We refer to this theme for the remainder of the quarter.The Woburn web site provides resources which help students explore, understand, and assess the multiple aspects of the Woburn situation. The resource information facilitates students understanding of the impacts of the hazardous wastes from perspective of the leukemia victim's families, Woburn's city government and the defendant corporations.

The subsequent module explores the creation and enactment of hazardous waste, or Superfund regulations. Students are provided with readings that show the successes and failures of the Superfund program form which they develop position papers regarding the effectiveness of Superfund to identify and remediate hazardous waste sites. The last module explores the scientific and social issues related to global warming. Using Woburn and Superfund as their model, students form committees to develop strategies and policies focused on mitigating sources and effects of global warming.

Taken from For the Faculty, Winter 2009.

Recycling Awareness and Expansion
Otterbein College recently received a grant of $8,588 from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) to fund a new campus recycling initiative called OTTERCYCLE: A Recycling Awareness and Expansion Program.

This campus-wide recycling grant is designed to promote recycling awareness, expand collection opportunities, involve the College community and explore the use of recycled-content products. Student involvement, through the student group Plan-It Earth, will be supported by this grant during Recyclemania, a national recycling competition. Students also will conduct a Spring Plunge litter cleanup around the campus. New collection containers will be purchased to place around campus to make recycling more convenient for the community. Additionally, Otterbein will experiment with the use of recycled HDPE plastic to fabricate an exterior College sign.

Otterbein Board of Trustees Commits to Sustainability Efforts
The Otterbein Board of Trustees recently voted to adopt a Policy of Sustainability for the College.

"Institutions of higher education increasingly realize the vital role they play in preparing future leaders to effectively confront the environmental, economic and social challenges that lie ahead," said Heidi Ballard, associate professor and chairperson of sociology. "The commitment to sustainability in facilities, curriculum and community outreach signifies Otterbein's commitment to position our institution, and students, to effectively meet the challenges of the 21st century."

The policy states, "Otterbein College is committed to environmental stewardship and the concept of Sustainability throughout every aspect of campus life. Otterbein recognizes the need to respond to the challenges of climate change and to develop integrated goals and objectives which will reduce the impact on the environment and eventually lead to climate neutrality."

Some areas through which the College will promote and encourage sustainable practices include: educational programming and research; facilities planning, operations, purchasing, and maintenance; residential life and dining services; and outreach and partnership with the community.

The College's Standing Committee on Sustainability will be charged with making recommendations to the College to further sustainable practices in the areas of curriculum, facilities, campus life and community outreach; establishing partnerships with other institutions in the community; serving in an advisory capacity to departments and offices on campus; and promoting an institutional culture that supports sustainability.