Rochester Institute of Technology
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2001
A guideline for initiating an environmental
management system in academia
David Turkow
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Recommended Citation
A GUIDELINE FOR INITIATING AN
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN
ACADEMIA
By
David Turkow
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the Master of Science Degree
May 23, 2001
Master of Science: Environmental, Health, and Safety Management
Rochester Institute of Technology
College of Applied Science and Technology
Civil Engineering Technology, Environmental Management & Safety
Approved:
John Morelli Maureen Valentine
Major Professor
Department Chair
I, David Turkow, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial
Library, RIT, to reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any
reproduction will not be used for commercial or profit.
Signed
Date
7/ttJ
/01
- - - ~I
Table of Contents
Abstract: (Pg. 4-8)
KeyWords: (Pg.9)
I. Introduction(Pg. 10)
A. DescriptionofTopic (Pg.10)
B. Background(Pg. 14)
1. Overviewof anEMS in Academics (Pg. 1
4)
2. EPAComplianceInitiative in Academia (Pg. 19)
3. EPAandEMSs (Pg.20)
II. DescriptionoftheProblem (Pg. 23)
A. Rationale, SignificanceandNeed forthe Work (Pg. 23) B. Theoretical Framework (Pg. 25)
C. Statement ofProblem (Pg.27)
D. IdentificationoftheAspect(Pg. 28) E. LimitationsandDelimitations (Pg.29)
F. DefinitionofTerms (Pg. 30)
III. Literature Review (Pg.31)
IV. Methodology (Pg. 33)
A. Approach (Pg. 33)
B. Objective(Pg. 34)
C. Survey Methodology (Pg. 35)
D. Data CollectionandManagement (Pg. 36)
E. Analysis andEvaluation
-Comparisons, Contrasts,Gaps(Pg. 37)
F. Data& Attachment Discussion(Pg.45)
G. ConclusionsandRecommendations (Pg. 47)
? SurveyResults (Pg. 47)
? AcademicStructures, IssuesandFunctions (Pg.49)
Endnotes (Pg. 52)
Bibliography(Pg. 56)
Useful Websites (Pg. 57)
Attachment#1, SurveyQuestionnaire Results/Graphs (Pgs. 58)
Attachment#2, ISO14001 Model Environmental Management System (Pg. 63)
Attachment#3,Comparisonsand contrastsbetweenacademia andindustry(Pg. 64)
Attachment#4,Opportunities/Tips forInitiatinganEMS (Pg.67)
Attachment#5, SurveyQuestionnaire- Senior Management (Pg. 69)
Attachment#6, Survey Questionnaire- EHS Professionals (Pg. 71)
Abstract:
Managingenvironmental concernsinan academicenvironmentposes uniquechallenges
tocolleges and universities. Manycollege EHSprofessionals facean uphill battleto
promote environmentalimprovementinanorganized, systematic,andsustainable fashion
-anEnvironmentalManagement System(EMS) is designedto dojustthat. Some
inherent difficultiesencounteredinan academic settinginclude 1)lackofmanagement
support and2)theperceptionthatcollegesdonothavemajor environmental compliance
issues(contributing factorto#1). Byidentifyingissuesuniqueto academia and
differences inperceptionbetween EHSprofessionalsand academicseniormanagement,
chances forsuccessfullyinitiating/implementinganEMS areimproved.
Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)arebeingpromoted asthemethodto
effectivelymanageenvironmentalissues on college campusesintheUS. The
Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA)hasmadeitclearthattheyexpectcollegesand
universitiesto maintaincompliancewith environmental regulations andtheyfeelanEMS
isthepreferred methodforlong-term,sustainable environmental compliance.
Althoughthere areseveral guidelines/models (see references&attachment#2) for
implementinganEMS, manycollegesnever makeitto theplanningstage of an EMS.
Thereisno guidelinefor"getting anEMS offthe ground"
-or, initiatinganEMS. The
keyelementto successfullyinitiatinganEMS ismanagementsupport andthispaper will
attemptto identifyrelevant perceptions ofacademic seniormanagementonthe topicof
ThemethodologyinvolvessurveyingacademicEHSprofessionalsandsenior managers
on avarietyofissuesrelatedtomanagement support andenvironmentalperformance. It
is intendedtoidentifyunique characteristics ofacademia,allowing EHSprofessionalsto
betterprepare for successfullyinitiatinganEMS intheirrespectiveinstitutions. The
surveywas structuredto askthe samequestions ofacademicEHS professionals and
senior managementinordertoidentifygapsinopinions/perceptions relativeto each
question category.
Thedetailedsurveyquestionnaire analysis, includingthe gapanalysisisprovidedin
Attachment 1. An ISO 14001 EMS basicmodelisprovided as abasicreference in
Attachment 2. Acomparison,contrast chartbetweenacademia and industryisprovided
asAttachment 3andOpportunities/Tips forInitiatinganEMS isprovidedas
Attachment 4. Theactual questionnairesusedinthe survey for EHSprofessional and
seniormanagement are providedin Attachments 5 & 6.
The surveyresults indicatesome interestingdifferences inperceptionsbetweenEHS
professionals and senior managementinthe academic setting.Thelargestgap inopinion
dealtwiththequestion of"Howmuchof a challengetoimplementinganEMS is lackof
commitment
among."
Theresponse oftop-levelmanagement createdthelargest
discrepancyorgap between EHSprofessionals and seniormanagementwithEHS
professionalsperceivingtop-level commitmentasa muchlargerchallengethansenior
management. Theseresultsbegthe question: whythebig differenceinresponse? Is
seniormanagementnaturally biasedonthisquestion ordotheyperceivethemselves as
beingcommittedtoenvironmental managementissues? Thisisanimportant issuethat
goal. Informedmanagementis akeyelement andmany senior managers expressedthe
opinionthattheyweren't aware ofthepotentialenvironmentalimpactsoftheircampuses.
The surveyalsoindicatedthatmanagers areawareofenvironmental concernsbut
expressedtheopinionthatlimitedresources, lackof enforcement andenvironmental
issuesnotbeingrelatedtothecore missionofthecollege asimportantfactors innot
givingenvironmentalissuesahighpriority.
Aclear result ofthe survey indicatesthatboth EHS professionals and senior management
consider government(EPA)regulationstobeanimportantmotivatorforimplementing
anEMSandimprovingenvironmentalperformance. Itwouldbeadmirable ifthe culture
and climate of academiawouldinherentlyembraceenvironmentalissues basedonethical
andmorale groundsor"doingthe right
thing."
However, itisclearthatacademic senior
administrationismost motivatedbythethreatofgovernmentregulatoryactions and
potentialfornegativeimpactontheirimage. This should not surprise anyoneinthe
academic fieldofEHS, butit isimportantthatEHSprofessionals notunderestimatethe
powerofregulatorypressures.Thethreat offines, badpressand potential legal actions
genuinelyconcernsenior managers intheacademicsector. EHSprofessionals canand
should usethisinsight,knowingthewindow ofopportunitycreated byEPAwill notlast
forever. Itcan beusedas leverageto initiate environmentalimprovements,as needed,
includingtheimplementationofanEMS.
Itis aninteresting differencetonote: costeffectiveness was not considered animportant
factor,whilelimitedresource'swas consideredanimportant factorby senior
management. This indicatestheneedtojustifyanEMSbasedon itsown merit or relative
proposaltoinitiate anEMSmust competeforthe limitedresources availableto academic
management. Justificationof anEMS basedon costeffectivenessmaynotbeaseffective
asit is intheindustrial setting. The surveyalso indicates (fromthe senior management
perspective)thatintegratingenvironmental issues intothe culture and mission of an
educationalinstitution isanimportant factor in sustaininganEMS.
Asignificantdiscrepancywasfound intheresponsesto thequestionof"howmuchofa
challengeto implementinganEMS
is."
Theresponse ofstaffingresources andtime
clearlydemonstrates EHSprofessional's perceptionthattheyareinadequately staffed,
funded, andresourced as comparedto the senior managementresponse. It may be
apparentto EHSprofessionals (andEPA) thatadequate resources arenotbeingprovided,
but itisabundantly clearthatmanagementdoesnot agree withthisperception. Akey
factor for EHSprofessionals- has
thepointbeenmadeto documentand communicate
thisinformationtomanagement? EPAhas specificallycitedcolleges for inadequate EHS
resources andtheymay holdsenior management accountable fornotprovidingadequate
staffing/resources.Akey element ofanyeffectiveEMS is providingadequate resources
to dothejob. ManagementandEHS professionals needtoevaluate staffingand resources
dedicatedtoEHS inaneffective,meaningful manner. Benchmarkresults oftheCampus
Safety, Health&Environmental Management Association(CSHEMA), indicatean
averageEHS staffing level of1 FTEper2000 faculty,staff and students. Other
suggestionsfordocumentingstaffingneedsinclude an environmental audit(including
staffinglevels)byanoutsideconsultant, aninternal audit ofthe EHS programto
documentresource needs orareviewoftheprogrambyenvironmentally experienced
Theissueofaccountabilityisaprimaryconcernininitiatingorimplementing anEMS.
Linesofcommunicationwithfaculty, staffand students needto beestablishedinorderto
assure the transition to anEMS has buy-in fromstakeholderswho aremost effected. Both
EHS professionals and managementstronglyagreeontheimportanceofthisissue. The
difficult issue: establishingeffective methodsofaccountability fortenured faculty.
Professorshave historicallyretained adegreeofautonomyaspart oftheculture ofhigher
education andthepremiseofacademic freedom. Realizingthis,successfully approaching
facultyandgettingbuy-in,tosome degree,is crucial. Performancemeasurement and
accountability areintegrallylinkedwithinthe EMS. If faculty/staffare notaccountable
forperforming, itwill nothappen. Managementsupportisakeyfactor inthis area;
meaningfulandconsistentmanagement review ofthe EMS (includingfeedbackto
stakeholders) isessential.
Finally,this thesishasbeenaworkofbothpassion andfrustration. Forthose inthefield
ofEHS,I don'tneedto explain. EHS,inmostcases, isnotgiventhepriority it deserves
intheacademicworld
-simplyput, it isnot perceivedascriticaltothemission ofhigher
education. EPAhas foundsubstantialenvironmentalproblems inacademia,buttheyare
onlyconcernedwith environmentalissues (the "E"in EHS). EHSprofessionals are also
responsible fortheH&S (Health & Safety)in EHSandthoseissues,although not
discussed inthis paper,creates anotherset of questions/concernsthatshouldbeaddressed
on college campuses. The bottomlineforsuccessfulEHSprograms: someonefairlyhigh
Key
Words:EnvironmentalManagement System (EMS): asystematic method ofmanaging
environmentalissues/concerns on acollege campusinorderto minimize pollution and
maintain compliancewithenvironmental regulations.
Environmental Protection
Agency
(EPA): istheprimary governmentagencyresponsibletooversee and enforce environmental laws andregulationsinthe U.S.
Environmental Healthand
Safety
professional (EHS professional): those inthefield ofEHS (inthe academicenvironment)thathave responsibilitytooversee
environmental,healthandsafety issuesrelativetooperations, landuse, construction,
researchand educational programsonthe campus.
Senior Management inacademia: management personnel at an academicinstitution
responsible ata managementlevelto controlresources and management systems. Titles
may varyfromVice-President, Chancellor, Provost, Administrator,etc.
ISO 14001:theInternational Standards Organizationstandardthatprovidesaguideline
A Guide
for
Initiating
an EnvironmentalManagement System
in Academia
I. Introduction:
A. Description ofthe topic:
Collegesanduniversities providemanyunique challengesto initiatingandactually
implementingan environmental managementsystem (EMS). Decentralized
organizational structure, culturalperceptions, complexphysical layouts, diversityof
operations, complex researchprograms,studentbodyturnover,andincreasedcompetition
forresources arejustsome oftheissuesthatimpactenvironmental, healthandsafetyon
college campuses. Inessence,colleges are self-contained microcosmsvery similartoa
smallcitywithequally diverseenvironmentalissues.
Environmental, HealthandSafety (EHS)professionals inthe academicsector arebeing
urgedbythe Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA)to develop anEMS intheir
respective colleges. Several guidelines and models are availablefordevelopinganEMS,
however,thereisalackofsupportinginformationonhowto effectively initiate and
ultimately implementanEMS. Managementsupportandknowinghowacademic
institutionswork arekey elementsintheprocess ofinitiatinganEMS.
Whyisthe Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA) recommendingimplementationof
anEMSinacademicinstitutions?The Campus SafetyReportCard,preparedbyCampus
Ecology (inaffiliation withtheNationalWildlifeFederation)states, "Withan annual
economyof$186billion, the3,700campuses intheUSare a microcosm ofAmerican
hospitals,residentialhousing, foodservices, landscaping, andinfrastructurethatproduce
substantial environmental pollution andwaste."l
In March 1999,theEPA's New Englandoffice announceditsenforcement initiative
targetingcolleges and universities
-significantfines havebeenassessed againstmany
colleges and universities.As ofMay2000,EPA hasperformedmultimediainspectionsat
the followinguniversities: BostonUniversity,UniversityofMaine, BrownUniversity,
Universityof Massachusetts-Amherst,Dartmouth College,UniversityofNew
Hampshire, HarvardUniversity,UniversityofRhodeIsland, MIT, Yale, andtheU.S.
Coast GuardAcademy.2
Collegesand universities have,inthe past, assumedthatenvironmental regulationsdon't
applyto theminthe samewaytheyareappliedtoindustry. Theperceptionisthatthey
willnotbe dealtwithasharshlyasindustry. ThecommentsofKenRota,chief ofthe
complianceunit, Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA)thatoversawthe investigation
atBrown University: "People (atBrown) getconcernedbecauseofthe significant
penalties we
assess,"
saysRota. Theysay, 'Nothingleaked.Nobody gothurt.' The
purpose oftheruleisthatifyoudothese things (comply),nothingwill bereleased and no
onewillbe
hurt."3
EPAistheprimarygovernmentagencythatregulates environmental
complianceintheUS;theywere establishedbyan act ofCongress in 1970 andtheir
regulatoryreachincludes hazardouswaste,airpollution,waterpollution and avariety of
other environmentalissues.
EPA actually beganinspectingcollegesinthe early 1990sand, recently, several regional
institutions.In December 1999,theEPA, Region2office (coveringNewYork,New
Jersey,theVirgin IslandsandPuertoRico)sentaletterto everycollegepresidentin
Region 2 regarding voluntarydiscover/disclosureandpotentialenvironmentalviolations.
Theletterurges collegestofocusonhazardouswaste regulations oftheResource
ConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA): "The USEPA Region 2 isplanningtoconduct
inspectionsof colleges and universities withinourregionduringtheupcomingyear, to
determinetheircompliance withhazardous waste and other environmental regulations. It
hascometoour attentionthatsome colleges and universitiesdonot fullycomply with
environmental regulations. Ifinspections determinenon-compliance,formal enforcement
actionwithmonetarypenalties against significant violatorsispossible."
-G. Pavlou,
DivisionofEnforcement andCompliance
Assistance."4
Itis abundantlyclearthatEPA istreatingacademic environmentalissuesseriouslyand
regulatoryactions arebeingtakenagainsthigher-education institutions. Itis also clear
thatacademicinstitutionsneedtoimprovetheirenvironmentalperformance. Someofthe
collegesthathaverecentlyreceivedthe attention ofEPAareas follows:
a April 18,2001 - theMassachusetts Instituteof
Technology (MIT)settled an
enforcementcase withtheEPA. MITwas citedfor 18 violations offederal
hazardouswaste laws,the Clean Air ActandtheClean Water Act. Thesettlement
includesafineof$150,000andanagreementto fundmorethan$400,000 in
innovativeenvironmentalprojects.
a January6,2000
-EPA, Region 1 fileda consent agreementresolving alleged
payafineof$49,000and spend atleast$147,000on aSupplemental
EnvironmentalProject (SEP).
a TheUniversityofHawaiiwas assessedafineof$1.7millionin 1 998 and 1 999
after anEPA,Region 9inspectionteam found dangerouschemicalsburied for
yearsinthebasementoftheHonolulucampus'smainchemistrybuilding, plus
otherdiscards elsewhere.
? In 1998,EPA Region 1 filed aconsentdecree in federal districtcourtresolving
alleged violationsofthe Clean Water Actandthe Resource Conservationand
RecoveryActdiscoveredatBostonUniversity (BU). BUpaidapproximately
$253,000 infinesand$500,000 incommunityprojects.
Infact, a compilation of violations/fines recordedbytheUniversityofLouisville's
Environmental Healthand SafetyDepartmentfoundthatsince 1990 over$8millionin
finesandSupplemental Environmental Projects (SEP)have been leviedagainst colleges
and universitiesintheUS.6A SEP canbeusedtooffsetEPApenaltiesifthecollege
agreestoaprojectthatbenefitstheenvironmentandthecommunitywheretheviolation
occurred. The criteriaare availableatRegion2's Pollution Prevention(R2P2)Site
-www.epa.gov/region02/p2/sep.htm.
In negotiatingthecompliance process with collegesEPAhas stronglyencouraged
developmentandimplementationofEnvironmental ManagementSystems (EMS),to
achieve andmaintainenvironmental
compliance.7
Manycolleges are intheprocess of
initiatingsometypeofenvironmental management systemand other colleges are
contemplating improved managementofenvironmentalcomplianceissuestoattain
the support of upper management. EPA haseven stated intheirpresentationsto other
colleges, "weknow it'snottheEHS staffthat'satfault- management needsto support
environmental improvements."8 By identifyingthose issues thatarerelevanttoacademic
management, specificto theacademic settingand specificto theindividual
college/university, theinitial approach(or planning stage)canbetailoredto target those
issues and aspects. Thecornerstone ofsuccessfullyinitiating anymanagementprogram,
includinganacademicEMS, ismeaningful management support
-without it,an effective
management systemis impossible.
Identifyingthe challenges, issuesandopportunitiesthatimpacta major changeintheway
academic environmentalconcerns are managed willgreatly enhancethelikelihoodof
success. The focusofthispaperistoprovideuseful, practical,andinsightful information
thatwill assistEHSprofessionals andacademic managementininitiatinganEMSor
improving currentenvironmental programs. Makingwholesale managementchanges in
any settingisdifficult; intheacademicsetting it istrulyadifficulttask. As Woodrow
Wilson,whilePresidentofPrinceton,stated,"Effecting changeat auniversityis like
tryingto movea
graveyard."
B. Background:
1. Overview ofanEMS in Academics
Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)have been in existence sincetheearly
1980sandwerepredominantlyusedby industrial facilitiesinresponsetoregulatory
enforcementbyEPA. Intheearlyyears,EPAtookan aggressive enforcement approach
control"
style of regulationforcedindustryto take ahard lookathowtheymanaged
environmentally sensitiveoperations. Theunforeseenbenefitsofmanaging
environmental concernsbecameapparent: costsavings,lowerliability, decreasedrisk,
regulatoryrelief andimprovedpublic image. Whatever label isused (compliance-based,
ISO-based,comprehensive, strategic)to describeanEMS,managingenvironmental
concernshas become anincreasinglyimportantissue,particularly inacademics, inthe
last5-10years.
An ISO 14001 basedEMS summaryisprovided asAttachment #2 andis basedon
informationprovidedinthe RIT Strategic Environmental ManagementPlan,byDr. John
Morelli, CollegeofApplied Science andTechnology, RIT
-EHS Management.
Byfar, themostrecognized modelforanEMS istheInternational Standardization
1 9
Organization(ISO) 14001 Standard. Thismodelprovides a somewhatflexible
framework fordevelopinganEMS and is basedoncontinuousimprovementand a
comprehensiveapproachto environmentalmanagement. ISO 14001 provides awell
thoughtoutguideline forimplementingan effectiveEMS. It doesnot, however,provide
guidance to obtaintherequired management supportand motivationto actually
implementthesystem. The EMS summaryisprovidedas abriefoverview ofthenuts and
boltsof anEMS andisnotintendedas acomprehensiveimplementationplan.
Howdoesacademia compareto industryinexperience with anEMS?Industry hasbeen
involved inimplementing andimprovinguponEMSstrategiesoverthelast 20years or
more.Asaresultoftheincreasedattentionpaidtomanagement of environmental
return oftheirinvestment. IBMestimatesthatforevery dollar($1)spenton
environmentalmanagement,atwodollar($2) returnonthe investmentwas
realized.10
Thepositivecost-benefitfactorin industrialsettingswas, andstillremains, apowerful
motivationforimplementingenvironmental management systems.Itis sometimes more
difficultto demonstratethesamepositiveeffectin academic settingsforavarietyof
reasonsthatwillbe discussed. Costeffectivenessinindustryis basedon value-added
principleswherebythecompany gains a competitive advantagebymanaging
environmentalissues. StephenPoltorzyki, VPandManagingDirector forEnvironmental,
Health,andSafety Consulting(Arthur D. Little, Inc.)succinctly states, "To deliver
businessvalue, youhaveto dooneoftwo things. Eitheryou findawaytohave EHS
serve asthebasis fora unique competitiveposition,oryoudetermine how EHS can
contributeto thebusiness activitiesthat thecompanyperforms differentlyfromits
competitors."11
Forthemostpart, EMS'sinindustryarebasedon abusinessapproach
-if it doesn'taddvalueto the company,it doesn't fly.
Again, management supportisacriticalfactor ifanEMS isto besuccessfully
implemented. Sarah H. Creighton, in "Greeningofthe IvoryTower,"states: "Top-level
commitment isas important foruniversities as itisfor
corporations."
AccordingtoCreighton (11),five ingredients arekeytosuccessfuluniversity
environmentalaction: 1) understandinghowtheinstitutionworks; 2) university
commitmentanddemonstratedsupport; 3)auniversity-wide environmentalplanning
committee or smallerissue-specific committees; 4) individualleaders; and5) an
Academicinstitutions donotinherentlyrecognizethebenefits ofsystematically
managing environmentalconcerns. Thecoremissionofan educationalinstitution itnot
traditionallyperceived aslinkedto environmental protection. Comparedwithindustrythe
main productsofacademicsarestudents,notwidgets; analogousto theBASF
commercial
-"wedon'tmakethestudents (youbuy), wemakethem better."
Understandably, itcan beinherently moredifficulttoconvinceuppermanagementin
academicsthatenvironmental concerns are somehowlinkedto thecore mission ofthe
institution. PattyBagnoli,Region 1 EPA,Pollution Preventionadministrator,provides a
characterization oftheattitudedisplayed fromameeting sponsoredbytheCampus
Ecology organization(partoftheNational WildlifeFederation),held inthefallof2000
atOberlin College. The meetingwasheldtodiscussenvironmentalissues inacademics
andattractedupper-levelmanagers and several presidentsfromacademia. Inher
discussionswith academicmanagement(afterthe meeting)shewastold, "thereisno
justification forusto spendthatkindofmoney (onenvironmentalissues) until weare
inspectedor
fined."14
The ISO 14001 model of environmental managementsystems doesnotnecessarily fitthe
academicenvironment. Factorssuch asdecentralizedmanagement structure, faculty
autonomy,unclearcostbenefits, lackingresourcesandlackingmanagement awareness of
environmental issuescontributesto thedifficulties ofinitiatingan EMS.The ISO 14001
modelEMS (forindustry) emphasizesdocumentationof policies andprocedures,
comprehensive/strategic planning,measurabletargets, objectives andarigorous
certificationprocess(ifthe companychoosesto beISO 14001 certified). Basically,it
requiringdocumentationof all operations and processesthathave animpacton
environmentalperformance. Compliancewithregulations isnot requiredas longas
continualimprovements arebeingmade. Simplyput, itisamanagement system withthe
purpose ofcontinuallyimprovingenvironmentalperformance andaddingvalueto the
business.
Continuousimprovementinenvironmental performance vs. compliancewith
environmental regulations isakeyelement inthe ISOmodelthatisoften criticizedby
regulatoryagenciesthatwould preferacompliance-based conformance system. The
difference betweenperformance and conformance isdirectlyrelatedto the issueof
compliance. Withperformance, complianceisnotnecessarilyachieved;with
conformanceimproved performanceisnotnecessarilyachieved. Ina perfectworld,
performance and conformancewouldbe achieved simultaneously.
Inessence, mostcollegesalready have some aformof a programthatresemblesanEMS.
Basedonexistingwrittenprograms,policies andenvironmental controlsthere isalready
a systeminplaceto addressenvironmental issues. Thesewrittenprogramsmay include
hazardous waste,hazardcommunication, spillsandemergencyresponse,lab safety,air
emissions, waterpollution,andradiationsafety. Thepoint is,academic institutions
should notthinktheyarestarting from scratch
-existingenvironmental programs canbe
builtupon,modified andimproved.
In myconversations with several collegeEHS professionals andEPA representatives,
institutinganEMS in acollegeenvironment isperceived as anoverwhelmingtask.15 In
newtasksand responsibilities. AlthoughEHS professionals understandthepotential
benefits, implementinganEMS isoftentimesviewed as amonumentaltask that cannotbe
accomplishedwithexistingresources and support. Thecomprehensive andcomplicated
nature oftheISO 14001 model addsto this apprehension. CarlPlossl, Lead Inspector
-EPA, Region2,states, "They(EHS professionals) justwant abasic, simple processthey
canfollowwithoutitbeingtoo complicated."16
It maybethatEHS professionals are
lookingforasimpler,more pragmatic approachthatfocuses on compliancefirst,
continuous improvementlater.
Furthermore, manysmalltomid-size collegesdonothavetheresourcesortheexpertise
available to takeontheperceived complexandcomplicatedtaskof a comprehensive
environmental management system. Inthis case, focusingon compliance issues,
primarily,maybemore appropriate.Asstatedby JohnDeLaHunt, CSHEMA, "Many
schoolsdon't havecentralized orformalizedenvironmental management programsin
place. Manyschools haverespondedto regulatoryrequirements piecemeal
-allocating
collateral dutytoexistingpersonnelto meetthenew challenge..
2. EPAComplianceInitiative in Academia
The EPAcompliance initiativeaimed at collegesand universities began in EPA Region
1,NewEnglandin 1997. Sincethen,EPA Region3,has alsoinitiated inspectionsof
colleges andrecently, EPA Region 2has followedsuitby sendingaletterto each college
presidentinRegion2 statingthattheyshould expect aninspectioninthefall of2000. At
present,EPA Region 2 isintheprocessofinspecting collegesinthemetropolitanNew
of environmental regulations andhave beenfinedanywherefrom $20,000to $1.8
million. And, atthepresenttime,there are noindicationsthatEPA is goingtolet upon
colleges.
SeniormanagementinacademicsistakingnoticeofEPA'sactionsandinalimited
numberof cases istakingproactive measuresto improveenvironmental performance.
However, inthiswriter's opinion,amajorityofcollegeshavenottakenmeaningful
actionstoimprovethemannerinwhichtheymanageenvironmentalissueson campus.
AstheEPA Region 1 Administrator,John DeVillars stated, "We havefoundthatsome
educationalinstitutions don'ttake theirenvironmental obligations asseriouslyasthey
should. Itis importantthatinstitutions ofhigherlearning set an example fortheirstudents
1ft
andthecommunitiesof whichtheyare a
part."
3. EPAandEMSs
EPAhas stronglyencouraged academiatoactresponsibly concerningenvironmental
issuesandtheyhavepointedoutthevirtuesofadoptinganEnvironmentalManagement
System. Infact, Region 1 EPA is actively involvedwithaprojectto developa model
EMSforacademic institutions inconjunction withtheUniversityofMassachusetts
(Umass),Lowell. An EPA EMS/ISO 14001 Pilot Site hasbeenestablished atUofMass.
and atleasttwoothercolleges,Florida Gulf CoastUniversityandBostonUniversity,are
participatinginthe
process.19
It is clearthatmostEPA Regionsarerecommending
environmentalmanagement systemsforthe academic sectorastheyhave inthepastfor
industry. EPAhaspreparedtheCodeofEnvironmentalManagementPrinciples(CEMP)
thatoutlinesenvironmental managementobjectivesand performance measures for
Althoughit hasnotbeenputin writing,the implicationbyEPAisthatifyouhave
implementedanEMS,theywill consideritamitigatingfactorfor lessstringent
enforcement andtheymayevenforego aninspectionofthe specific college/universityif
itcan documenttheEMS is successfullyimplemented.AttheLake Placid Environment
2000 Summitconference sponsoredbythe SUNY Environmental HealthandSafety
Association (SEHSA)theEPA speakers(Carl Plossl, Region 2 EPAandMarthaCurran,
Region 1 EPA),extolledthevirtues ofinstitutinganEMS andimpliedthatan effective
compliance-focusedEMS woulddemonstratea sustained effortto achieve and maintain
compliance.21
EPA,itself, issued Executive Order 13148,dated April21, 2000, entitled
"Greeningthe Government ThroughLeadershipin EnvironmentalManagement", which
requiresfederal agenciesto implementanEMS consistent withtheCEMPmodel attheir
individual facilities byDecember31,2005.21
ThemotivationforimplementinganEMS
inacademiais fairlyclear; theprocessofinitiating,planningandimplementinganEMS
isnot.
Those collegesthatareintheprocessofimplementinganEMS have foundthe
initiation/planning stagetobe acriticalfactor.Amy Gillman, EHS Directorfromthe
UniversityofMissouri- Rolla
(UMR),isofthe opinionthat"once yougetthrough the
planningstage andmanagementsupportisinplace,the EMS implementationgoes
relatively
smoothly."23
UMRispresentlyintheprocessofcertifyingtheirEMSprogram
inaccordance withISO 14001 standards andtheyplantoreceivetheirfinal ISO 14001
certificationinJuneof2001. UMRplanstomarketthefactthattheyhave achievedISO
14001 status. UMRhasawebsitethatcontains goodinformationon EMSsand plansto
It is importanttomentionthatUMRisunder acompliancedirective/consentorder from
EPAto developanEMS. Mostcolleges are notinherentlymotivatedtoadopta
meaningful managementsystems approachto environmental concerns. In UMRscasethe
potential foradditionalfinessurelyprovidedmotivationtouppermanagementandthe
ChancellorofUMRwas instrumental inmakingithappen. Amandate fromthe
Chancellorwassenttoallfaculty, staffandstudents. ThetaskofdevelopingtheEMS
was giventofaculty,withtheEHS professional staffactingasconsultants/technical
advisors.23
UniversityofMissouriat
Rolla'
senvironmentalpolicystatement, signedbythe
Chancellor:
"TheUniversityofMissouri-Rollaisaleaderin
educationforour stateandthenation. Wepledgeto
teachour graduatesto beresponsible stewards ofthe
earthanditsresourcesandunderstandtheprinciplesof
sound environmentalmanagement. Aschancellorof
this universityIpersonallyaffirmthatUMRwill
minimizetheadverseenvironmentalimpacts ofour
activitiesandensureasafe environmentfor university
students, employees,andthe community. Wewill
striveto beenvironmentalleadersthroughthe
promotionof newtechnologies which supportthegoals
ofsustainabledevelopmentand resource
conservation."
Chancellor GaryThomas
Gainingmanagement support after anEPAinspection,fineandrequired corrective
actions(whichcouldincludeanEMS)maybeeasierthan to gain management supportto
institute anEMS upfront. Oneofthemain purposes ofthispaperistogain management
supportpriortoanEPAinspection,fineand/ordirectivetoimplementanEMS.
II. Description ofthe Problem
A. Rationale, Significance and Need forthe Work
Theprincipalreasonthisworkisneededisto address one ofthemajor challenges faced
bythevastmajorityof conscientiousEnvironmental,HealthandSafety (EHS)
professionals inacademics. Theresourcesdedicatedto EHS inacademicinstitutions are,
inmany instances, inadequate. AbenchmarkingsurveyconductedbytheCampus Safety,
HealthandEnvironment Management Association(CSHEMA)indicatesthatEHS
staffing levelsaverage approximately 1FTEper2000faculty
/staff/students.25
Generally
accepted asabestpractice standardin industry: 1FTE EHSstaff per500 workers(in
lowto mediumhazard industry) and1FTE EHSstaffper200workers(ina high
hazardindustry)26 Manycolleges appoint maintenanceworkers or othernon
professional stafftocarryoutthedutiesofEHS. It some instances,EHS isviewedas a
"costonly"
programthatisgivenalowpriority. Thisputs theburdenofEHS
performance on alimitednumber of peoplewho areoftennot prepared ortrained tocarry
outtheday-to-dayEHS duties.
Academic institutionsnowrecognizethe increased regulatorypressure and potential for
fines andbadpress. EPA has recognizedthelack of meaningful commitment and
mentioned management support as a weaknessintheacademicarena. InaPowerPoint
presentationbyCarlPlossl,Region 2 EPA27,thebulletsof one slide,entitledAchieving
&MaintainingEnvironmental Compliance included:
? Communicationfromthetoptheimportance ofcompliance and other
environmentally beneficialactivities
? Ensureadequate resourcesforpeople, equipmentandtrainingtocarry
out environmental activities
? Instituteanenvironmental management system
Ifthispatterncontinues, wehavesetup aformulaforcontinuedinspections, finesand
badpress on college campuses acrossthenationregardingenvironmentalissues. Tono
one's surprise(withthepossible exception of academicmanagement)there havealready
been severeEPApenalties andbad publicityformanycolleges and... verylikely, more
to come.
ManyEHS professionals realizethereisnowawindow ofopportunitytopromote and
gain supportforimprovedenvironmentalperformance. Withtheincreasedvisibilityof
EPAandlikelihoodthat
-"an EPA inspector is comingto alocationnearyou", thereis
anincreasedpotentialforEHS issuestobetakenseriously.Ifresources are dedicatedto
assuretheEMS isfunctioningproperlyand managementinvolvement becomes an
integralpartoftheprocess,implementing anEMScanbethebestthingthatever
Thepotential valuetoacademicmanagementisthe successfulinitiationofasystematic
method ofmanagingenvironmentalissuesonthecampusincluding: 1)providesa
compassforprogramplanning2) establishessenior management commitment and
feedback loops3) developsclearlydefinedrolesandresponsibilities4) createspotential
forcostavoidance, riskreductionandpollutionprevention and5) hasthe
potential/flexibilityto beusedfor differentoutcomes (e.g.
-environmentalprotection,
qualitymanagement).
Thereareseveral environmental management systemmodelsthatcanbe effective and
manyofthemodelsare extremelyflexiblein howthey aredesignedandimplemented
(See theEMS Websites listingincluded inthebibliography). It isnotthegoal ofthis
papertoprovideatemplateor guidelineforanEMS. Thefocus isonthe important -and
often overlookedissue
-ofhowto gain managementsupport inordertobegintheprocess
ofinitiatinganEMS.
B. Theoretical Framework
Theapproach ofidentifying keyfactorsthatwill effectthesuccessful initiationof an
EMSwill combinethe theoreticalwiththepragmatic. Thetheoretical portion ofthethesis
involvessurveying upper management andEHSprofessionals inacademiatoelicittheir
views, opinions andperceptions on selected criticalissues involving institutinganEMS.
The questions areloosely formattedontheNational SurveyofEnvironmental
ManagementonCollegeCampuses,whichwaspreparedbythe Princeton Survey
ResearchAssociates.29Some ofthequestionswere modifiedto includespecificissues
The goal ofthePrinceton surveyisto assembleadatabaseofbestpractices for higher
educationinenvironmental management. TheCampusEcologyorganization, whichis
affiliated withtheNational Wildlife Federation(NWF),has sponsoredthissurvey. The
NWF survey is reallythreesurveys inone as adifferentset of questions was sent (via
email)to 1)thepresidentorexecutiveofficer,2)theprovostor academic officer and3)
theheadoffacilitiesorplant operations. Myparticularfocus isonthequestions asked of
thepresidentorexecutive officer. ThereasonforincludingONLYthequestions asked of
thepresidents/CEOs of colleges isthat thesequestionscapturetheessence of
management supportissues.
Ithas been learned fromtheCampusEcologygroupthat theresponses(1 100atpresent)
included470 frompresidents or chiefoperatingofficers inthe academic sector. This
surveyshouldbeavailableto thepublicbyJuly/Augustof2001 Thequestionsfrom
my surveyare designed forqualitative and quantitativeresultsinthehope ofgaining
meaningful inputandinsights intowhatdrivesuppermanagement andwhat critical
issueswouldleadtosupportof anEMS processorimprovementsinenvironmental
programs.
Thesame questionsasked of presidents/CEOs willbe asked ofEHS professionals inthe
academic environment
-theywill besurveyedthrough theemaillistserverknownas
n i
Safety,operatedbytheUniversityofVermont andthe SUNY Environmental Health
andSafety (SEHSA)list Somesurveys willbe faxedto contacts madeby
telephone. Thiswill provideaninterestingandrevealingcomparison of attitudes and
professionals will alsoidentify specific areas whereEHS professionals mayneedto
reevaluatetheirapproachtomanagement.
The pragmatic portion ofthe thesiswill identifyspecific characteristicsintheacademic
environmentthatimpacttheprocess ofinitiatinganEMS. Comparisons andcontrasts
betweenacademic settings andindustrialsettings willidentifyopportunities andpotential
drawbacksofutilizinganindustry-basedapproach suchasthe ISO 14001 model.
(Attachment#3) Byidentifying gapsinperceptions/opinions betweenmanagement and
EHS professionals opportunitiesforsuccessfulinitiationof anEMScanbe better
understood. Specificsuggestions and options will beprovided onhowbesttoapproach
management effectively onthisissue,basedonexperienceandtheresults ofthe survey.
By identifyingthoseaspectsthatarespecificto academicinstitutions,individual colleges
will be betterpreparedto initiate anEMSthatisappropriate toits activities and
supportablebymanagement. Experiencesof other colleges anduniversitieswillbe
reviewed andanalyzedto identifycriticalissues forsuccess and/orfailuretogain
management supportleadingtothe initiationof anEMS.
C. Statement ofthe Problem
Environmental programs inacademics are oftenlackinginsupportfromupper
management (seeprevious citations). Theculture, structureand organizational
frameworkinacademics provide unique challengestoinstituting anEMS. Recently,EPA
hasmadeitclearthatitexpectscolleges anduniversitiestomeet or exceed environmental
compliance standards
importanceofadopting a systematic approachtomanagingenvironmentalissueson
college campuses.
Amajor obstacleto implementingan effectiveEMS is lackof management support and
the perceptionbyEHSprofessionalsthatit maynotbepossibletogainmanagement
support withoutfirstbeinginspectedand/orfinedbyEPA. InitiatinganEMSbygaining
management supportisnotaneasytaskdependingonthe specific factorsateach
individualcollege. Thedecentralizedstructure, lackofclearobjectives, faculty
autonomy, andthedynamicnatureof academicinstitutionsprovide additional obstacles
to a systematic management approach of environmentalissues. Asstatedbythe
University ofCalifornia's(UC)publication, EH&SPartnership for PerformanceAnnual
Report, 1999, "Inan environmentthatisextraordinarilydecentralizedand consensual in
nature,performance measures offerthe opportunityto developacommon messageto
.. Thisis inreferenceto UC'sgoalofadoptingtheMalcolmBaldridge
Awardcriteriaformanaging EH&S.
D. Identification oftheAspect
Thefocusofthispaperis toidentifyspecific characteristicsoftheacademic management
structure,thosebeliefsandperceptionsthateffectdecision makingatthemanagement
level andmisconceptionsthatEHS professionals mayhave regardingthe means and
motivations for gainingmanagementsupport. By surveyingupper managementand
comparingtheirresponsestoEHS
professionals'
responsesit is hopedthatgaps willbe
identifiedandleadtoabetterapproachto gainingacademic management's support. The
keyaspect ofaneffectiveEMSistheinitiation/planning stage which"setsthe
thesuccessful implementationphase. Inorderfora managementsystemtobesustainable
itrequires management support andleadershiponaconsistentbasis.
E. Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations
Uppermanagement andEHS professionalsmay be unwillingtoparticipate
inthesurveyor answer specific questionsposed.
Uppermanagement andEHSprofessionalsmaynot answerthequestions
truthfully for fearofdamaging theirimageor reputation.
Surveyresultsmaynot reveal measurable gapsbetweenupper
management andEHS professionals.
The limitednumber ofresponsesmaynotberepresentative ofallcolleges
anduniversities.
Delimitations
Confinethescopeto environmentalmanagementsystems thatdo not
include healthandsafety issues.
Developmentand implementationstagesofanEMSwill notbecovered
-it isexpectedthateach college wouldselect a model thatfitstheirspecific
needs.
Lackofprevious studyandliteraturesources inthis specific area
(initiatinganEMS) will limitthe abilityto compare and contrastissues
F. Definition ofTerms:
Academics: the termusedtodescribe colleges anduniversitiesinthe fieldofhigher
education.
Aspect, environmental: elementofan organization'sactivities, products, and services
thecan interactwiththeenvironment.
Environment: surroundingsinwhich an organizationoperates,includingair, water,
land,naturalresources,flora, fauna,humansandtheirinterrelation.
Environmental Management System (EMS): asystematic management plantoprevent
pollution, complywithapplicable environmentallawsandcontinually improve
environmental performance. Itincludes an organizational structure, responsibilities,
practices, procedures, processes, andresources fordeveloping, implementing, achieving,
reviewing,andmaintainingtheenvironmental policy. Environmentalissuescommonto collegecampuses include hazardouswaste,airpollution,water pollution andoperations
thatgenerateenvironmental concerns.
Environmentalperformance: themeasurable resultsoftheenvironmental management
system,relatedto anorganization's controlofitsenvironmental aspects,basedonits
Environmentalpolicy: statementbytheorganization ofits intention and principlesin
relationto itsoverall environmental performance, which provides aframeworkforaction
andforthesettingofitsenvironmental objectives andtargets.
Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA): istheprimary federal governmentagency
responsibletooversee and enforce environmental lawsand regulations intheUS.
ISO 14001: theInternational Standards Organizationstandardthatprovides a guideline
fordevelopingandimplementinganenvironmental management system. Certification
requirements are also includedintheISO standardwhichisconsidered anindustry
standardforenvironmental performancethroughouttheworld.
HI. Literature Review
The literature published onEMSsis substantialandincludestheISO 14001 standard and
numerousindustrypapers,journals,andbooks covering EMSdevelopment, evaluation
andreview. These literaturesources provide little insight into howto initiateanEMS,
particularly inanacademic setting. In everycasethe guidelines/literature sources for
developing anEMS pointtothe needformanagementsupport,but littleisprovidedinthe
wayof"how"todevelopthatsupport. The ISO 14001 guidelineis basedonindustry
applications. AlthoughtheISO modelissomewhatflexible andcanbe adaptedto an
academic setting, thereareinherent difficulties. Literaturesources have beenreviewed
(included inthebibliography) todetermine contrastsbetweenindustryand academic
systems. A summarytableofthedifferences (Academicsvs. Industry)will beprovided
Recently, EPAand severalenvironmentalorganizations withinthe academicfield have
takenonthe taskofpromotingtheuse ofanEMSas alogicaland practical meansto
improve environmental performance onthe campusesintheU.S.Again, theseefforts
have focusedonthe implementationprocess andtheactualplanning, development,
implementationand review stages(plan, do, check,review)of anEMS. Thereis lackof
literaturecoveringthespecific aspectsofinitiatinganEMS and gainingthesupport of
upper managementtosuccessfullyimplementanEMS. A recentlyproposedEPAproject
wasrecentlyabandonedbyEPAadministrationbasedonthefactthatthe Campus
Ecology (NationalWildlifeFederation) organizationis conductingavery similar study.
However,thefactthatEPAconsidersitaprioritypoints outtheconcernEPAhas with
environmentalpolicystatementsbeingbackedupwith action onthepart of academia.
Increasedattentionisbeing givento "greening"issues intheacademicenvironment.
"Green"
activitiesthateffecttheglobal environment such asenergyconsumption,
recyclingandglobal warming issuesarecommuningusedasbenchmarks for greening
programs. Howeveractivitiesthathaveadirectimpactonregulatorycompliance such as
hazardouswaste, spillprevention,wetlands, airpollution,waterpollutionand
environmentalmanagementsystems aregenerallynotincluded in greeningprograms.
Greeningissuesinclude,butarenotlimitedto energyconservation,protection of
habitats, buildingdesign, solidwasterecycling,indoorairquality, grounds, vehicle
efficiency,foodwaste, paperrecycling,and water conservation programs.(Creighton, 4)
Although manyoftheseaspectsdonot pertain directlytoenvironmental management
systems, thereare opportunitiesforsymbiotic relationships with established or planned
greeningactivities. "The GreeningoftheIvory
Towers,"13
exampleofagreeningproject(TuftsClean!)thatwasestablishedatTufts College.
Severalreferencesto national, internationaland globalenvironmental agreements
indicatetheglobal focusof"greening"activities.
Insomecases, theseprojectshave littletodowiththeless visible environmental health
andsafety activitiesthatdirectlyeffecttheenvironmental compliance atcolleges and
universities.Forexample,BrownUniversity(mentioned previously) has just beenfined
$500,000 byEPA foranoil leakat oneoftheirproperties. BrownUniversityhas a
greeningprogram called"Brownis Green"34. Therearecertainlyopportunitiesto
"piggyback"
ongreeningeffortsthatare inplacein any academicinstitution. Care should
betaken to assure compliance with environmentalregulationsisacomponent ofthe
program and clearcommunication ofEHS complianceissues isa must.
Theliteraturereview revealedvery little information regardingthe specifictopic area of
initiatinganEMS. However, several references are providedthatspecificallyprovide
guidanceforthedevelopmentandimplementationphaseof anEMS.
IV. Methodology
A. Approach
The surveyofacademic upper management andEHSprofessionals willprovide abasis
foreffectively evaluatingmeans and methodsto gain management supportof anEMS.
Anecdotal informationhasbeenreviewed relatedtoother college's experiencesin
dealingwithEPAmandates,inspections and potential fineswill also provide valuable
performanceintheacademic setting. This information isnotbacked upbyliterature
sources andisprovidedonlyassupplemental informationthatmayberelativeto
individual EHSprofessionalsintheacademic arena. Therelative pointinprovidingthis
information istolearn fromothers'
experiencesandimprove management support.(See
Attachment#4, Opportunities/TipsforInitiatinganEMS)
Itis evidentthatwithout meaningful support of uppermanagement, it is virtually
impossibletoimplementan effectiveEMS.By identifyingissuesspecific and uniqueto
academia, opportunitiestofocusonsuccessful strategieswillbe enhanced.
B. Objective
Thereare threeobjectivesforthis paper:
1. Provide surveyresultsthatidentify similarities anddifferences(gaps) in
perceptionsbetweenacademicmanagement andEHSprofessionals,
therebyproviding insight into howto successfully initiateanEMS.
2. Provideameaningfuland practical guide for EHSprofessionalstomore
effectivelyapproach upper managementinacademia gain support and
initiateanEMS, basedon#1.
3. Identifyorganizational structures, issuesandfunctionscharacteristicto the
academic environmentinordertoprovide opportunities for increased
C.
Survey Methodology
The survey questions areincludedinAttachment 5and6. Attachment 5 includesthe
surveyquestionformat foracademic upper management.Attachment 6 includesthe
surveyquestionformat forEHSprofessionals.
? The surveyquestions are looselybasedonthequestionnairedevelopedbythe
PrincetonResearch Associates butaremorefocused inorderto obtain specific
informationrelativetodeveloping anEMS. Thequestions were reviewed withDr.
MichaelYacci, InformationTechnologyProfessoratRITforproperconstruction,
methodologyandskewingconsiderations.
? Themethodof email surveyingacademicupper management and EHS
professionalswill beconducted overtheInternetwebsite oftheUniversityof
Vermont, entitled Safety(www.safetv@list.uvm.edu) andthe SEHSA listserver
(www.sehsa.org). Bothoftheselistserverscombined haveabout4000 people
enrolled asusers andis predominantlypopulatedbyacademicEHS professionals.
Also, EHSprofessionalsinthe StateUniversity ofNew York(SUNY) system
willbesurveyeddirectlyatthe spring meetingofthe SUNY Environmental
HealthandSafetyAssociation(SEHSA)atCornell University, Ithaca,NY.
? Theresults will betabulatedandformattedona 1-4scale-rankingfactorto
provideeasilydiscernable differences betweenmanagementandEHS
professionalresponses. Therewill notbe a rigorous statistical analysis usedto
evaluatetheresults asthequantitativeaspect oftheresults are notbeingrelied on
toproject statistical significanceto other colleges. Apercentage pie chartwillbe
usedforQuestion#4, as it isastraight comparisonof management's response to
presidents/CEOs andtheresponsesfromEHSprofessionals isexpectedto beover
25.
a Evaluationofthesurveyresults willidentifythose aspectsthatare criticalto
gainingmanagement support. Organizationalstructure,culture and functional
characteristics oftheacademicsettingwillbereviewedandassessedforpotential
opportunities and potential downfallsininitiating anEMS. Anecdotal information
gatheredduringthequestionnaire surveywillbe discussed inorderto gain some
insightinto howbestto approach upper managementfor supportofanEMS.
D. Data Collection and Management
Datacollectionwillbeaccomplishedbyuse ofemail,personal telephoneinterviewswith
uppermanagementand personalcontact atEHSprofessional seminars. Thedatawill be
collected onsurveyforms (See Attachments 5 & 6)and collatedtoprovide summary
data. The datawillbe formattedto providearelativeratingscale basedonthe 1-4
responsepatternsineach question.Thenumber 1 responseismostpositive;thenumber4
response ismost negative. Thiswill require anaveragingofthenumbered responsesto
generate arelative numberbetween 1 and4, withlowernumbers indicatinga positive
response andhighernumbers indicatinganegative response. Thequestionsforupper
managementandEHS professionalswillbecomparedand contrastedintableformatin
ordertoprovide an easilydiscernable difference betweentheresponses ofeachgroup.
The surveyresponses willberankedintherelativeorderofpositiveresponses, inorderto
E. Analysis and Evaluation
-Comparisons,Contrasts, Gaps
The datawillbeanalyzedforparticularindicationson specific questions. There may be
indications fromtheresponsesthatcertainissues/concernsare moreimportantto
managementthanEHSprofessionalsand visa versa.There may be instances of astrong
negativeorpositive response on aspecific questionthatbears furtheranalysis. The
responseswillbepresentedingraphicformattoprovidetheinformationinaneasily
understandable form.The gapanalysis graphs are locateddirectlybelowthestandard
graphforeach questiontoallowfor easycomparison/contrast.
The lastquestiononthesurveyasks,"The single mostimportant factor for successfully
gainingmanagement
support."
The responsesfromthisquestion willbe categorized and
groupedtoidentifyresponsesthatare similarincontentfor EHS professionals and
insightfulresponsesfrom academicmanagement willsimply be listed exactlyas the
written responseonthesurveyquestionnaire.
Question responses were rankedfrom 1to 4:1 beingapositive response and4beinga
negativeresponse.A lower bar indicatespositive responsesand ahigher baron thebar
graphs indicatesnegativeresponses, with response rangesfrom 1-4.
The gapanalysis graphs (Questions 1,2,3and 5)depict differences inthe response
betweenuppermanagement(management)andEHS professionals(EHS) are provided
directlybelowthe standard graphforeach question. Thedifferenceinresponses was
calculatedbysubtractingthemanagementresponsefromtheEHS response. Therefore, a
management. Theviceversaistrue- a negative
numberindicatesamore positive
responsebyEHS.
Question #1- To
what extentisyour campus encouragedtoimplementanEMS
because:
? The most positive responsetothis question, byfar,was"Governmentregulations
(EPA)"
whichindicatesa concernbybothmanagement andEHS regardingthe
potentialforinspectionsand/orfinesbyregulatory agencies.There isa perceived
importancethatregulatorypressureisa majorfactor in encouraging both EHS
professionals and managementto implementanEMS or make improvements in
the environmental programs on campus.
? The most negativeresponseinvolved "potentialtorecruit/retain
students." This is
arevealingresponseasstudents arethe lifebloodofanycampus and relates
directlyto thecoremission ofacademicinstitutions. There doesnotappeartobea
link between student recruitment/retention and environmentalissues. If(big if)
environmental performance was insomeway linkedtoattracting orretaining
students itwouldbemuch easierto sell environmental stewardshipon a college
campus.
a Costeffectiveness
-theresponses(middleoftheroad) indicates cost
effectiveness isnotamajorissue whenconsideringanEMS. Management did
consider costeffectivenesstoberelativelymoreimportantthanEHS
professionals. Thispoints outamajor contrastbetweenindustryand academics
GapAnalysis: The largestdifferenceinresponsesinvolvedtheresponse"Fitsthe
culture and values ofthecampus."
Managementresponsesweremuchmorepositive
(the2n
largest difference ofthe totalsurvey)onthisresponseandindicatesthat
management perceivestheculture and values on campusto berelativelymore
importantthanEHS. Thismaybe anopportunity forfostering support ofanEMSby
EHSprofessionals anditmaybe indicativeofthe"bigpicture"
viewpointof
management.
Question #2- How
much ofa challengetoimplementinganEMS is lackof
commitment among:
? Clearly,themost positiveresponsebybothmanagement andEHSwas "Faculty
andstaffinterest."Thispoints outthecommongroundsharedbymanagement
andEHS
-theybothperceivefacultyandstaffinterest/commitmentas an
important issue for successfullyimplementinganEMS.
? Byfar, themostnegative response involvedthe"EHS staffresponse, whichis a
goodthingforEHSprofessionals. Neithermanagement norEHS viewEHS staff
tolackcommitmentforimplementinganEMS.
a Themost positive response revolved aroundfacultyand staff commitment
pointingouttheperception ofboth EHS and managementthatfaculty/staff
commitmentis animportant issue in approachinganEMS.
GapAnalysis: The largest discrepancy(biggestmeasureddifferenceofthe total
survey) involves"Top-level
management." This maybe of minimal surpriseto those
inthe fieldofEHS,butmanagementsupportisviewedbyEHS as much more of a
management support. Ifmanagement(themselves)doesnotview management
support as animportantissue, EHSprofessionals needto communicate- in
managementlanguage
-theimportance oftopmanagementsupport. This may bethe
most critical hurdleininitiatinganEMS.
Question #3
-How much of a challengetoimplementing anEMS is:
a The most positive responsesto this questionfromboth EHS andmanagement
involved inadequatefunding, staffingresources andfacultyaccountability. These
are allissuesthatare confirmedtobe criticaltoEMS developmentasindicated in
previous questions. EHS professionals perceive staffing/resourcestobethemost
critical challengeto implementinganEMS.
a Themost negativeresponsetothis questioninvolvedthe"notcost
effective"
response, which againindicatesthedifference betweenacademics andindustry.
Thiscouldbe dueto theperceptionthatenvironmental performanceisnot
considered a cost-benefitatacademic institutions.
? Responseswere substantiallypositiveindicating"Inadequate funding"as an
important factor formanagementandEHS. Thereis increasingpressure and
competitionforlimitedresources. As statedby UniversityofMissouri, Rolla
(UMR), "the presentcourse ofhighereducation
-inwhich costs anddemand are
risingmuchfasterthanfunding- is
unsustainable"
EHS professionals arekeenly
aware oflimitedresourcesinthe academicenvironment
-making iteven more
importanttoidentifyandtakeadvantage of opportunitiesforcost savings.
Gap Analysis: Themostpositiveresponsefrom EHS dealtwith"Staffing
resources/time."
management andEHS opinions.It isapparentthatEHS staffing levelsare aconcern
amongstEHS professionals and not considered asmuch of achallengeby
management.Identifyingneeds for increasedstaffingand resourcesand
communicatingthoseneedsto managementin abusiness-like fashion, isanintegral
part of anEMS. "Facultyaccountability"
also received averypositive responsefrom
EHS as comparedtomanagement. Accountabilityis akeyfactorofameaningful
EMS andasignificant obstacle inacademia.However, thefactthatsenior
management recognizesfacultyaccountabilityas anissue shouldbeperceived asa
positive outcome.
Question #4- How important is
aformalsystemforholdingfaculty,staff, and
students accountable forenvironmentalcompliance/performance?
? BothmanagementandEHSrespondedvery positivelyto thisquestion with82%
ofEHS respondingasveryimportant, 15%asimportant. Managementresponded
similarly,77% veryimportant, 18%important, 5% somewhatimportant. Again,
thisindicates accountabilityisconsidered animportant issuerelatedto
environmentalcompliance. Themeans andmethods ofholding faculty,staffand
students accountable couldbethesubjectof anotherthesis. It isa complexissue
that involves tenure,academic freedom,academic culture andthe truemission of
highereducation. If EHS principlesbecameanintegral part ofthe educational
processforfaculty, staff and(especially) students,theywouldbe
self-sustainable.
Question #5- Environmental issues arenot given a high priority inacademic
a Themost negative responseinvolved"Collegesaremodel citizens,with
insignificantenvironmentalissues."This questionwasaddedto thesurvey as a
result of a response receivedfrom an academicVice-President astowhy he
thoughtcolleges were not responsive toenvironmental concerns. Thenegative
responseclearlypoints outthatmanagement andEHS don't believecolleges are
without significant environmentalissues. Itisalso clearthatthereare no
misconceptions relativeto thepotential environmentalissueson college
campuses.
? Theresponse"Environmental issuesare notrelatedto thecore mission ofthe
college"
receivedaverypositive responsefr