Welcome to the Office of Sustainability

The Department of Facilities Management at Ohio University is committed to improving the efficiency of our facilities, greening our practices and processes, and strengthening our campus-wide culture of environmental mindfulness. Toward these ends, the Office of Resource Conservation was established in May 2006, at which time OHIO’s first Resource Conservation Coordinator was appointed. The name of the office has since been changed to the Office of Sustainability.

The Office of Sustainability places great importance on involving students, staff, faculty, and the local community in our efforts to reduce our consumption of resources and minimize our ecological footprint. Recycling, conserving water by taking shorter and fewer showers, turning off lights and appliances when not in use, and many other small actions add up to a lot of energy and water saved, considering that Ohio University's facilities are used by more than 20,000 staff and students everyday. The university's monthly utility bill averages $1 million. Reducing consumption by only 2% is equivalent to a savings of $20,000 a month.

The Sustainability Coordinator is dedicated to facilitating projects and programs that foster sound campus stewardship and a commitment to sustainability goals. The mission of the Office of Sustainability is situated within the context of Vision OHIO, which counts among its core values a commitment to the region expressed through stewardship of shared resources, access to programs and services, and contribution to economic development. We firmly support our Vision OHIO Regional Strategic Thrusts aimed at the preservation, restoration and enhancement of a healthy natural environment, including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; the promotion of sustainable development, both on and off campus by encouraging design, planning, and building practices that reduce energy consumption and waste, and that use locally produced goods and services; the enhancement of multi-disciplinary research in the fields of energy, environment and economics; and the development of new markets for products and services in these fields.