Large organizations such as Portland State University (PSU) play an important role in the environmental impact and sustainability of a city, EcoDistrict and region. Through their resource use and operations, such organizations can assist in mitigating environmental damage, as well as educate their members and community. PSU does not currently have any formal policies that support sustainable operations, and there is room to improve the sustainability of campus operations. Feedback from PSU employees was solicited through two surveys, and these data were qualitatively analyzed to identify salient organizational issues that may serve to inhibit implementation of sustainable operations at PSU. Findings revealed the following: lack of collaboration, connectivity, and information sharing between departments and levels of the organization's hierarchy, and a perceived lack of top-down support in the form of operational sustainability guidance, policies, and resources. The PSU Green Team program and Climate Action Plan Implementation Team (CAP-IT) may offer opportunities to address these shortcomings, and if supported and well-utilized, these existing structures have the potential to promote sustainable operations and EcoDistrict development at PSU.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-1503 |
| Date | 01 January 2012 |
| Creators | Bressers, Molly Mae |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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