5 Tips for Professors to Reduce Their Class’s Ecological Footprint

Professors at Goshen College can have a profound influence on students and how students see the environment. GC teachers should recognize that every class has its own ecological footprint of its own. The following list provides a few small suggestions for how teachers can reduce the ecological footprint of their classes, and show students the importance of living lightly on the earth.

1. Save paper by making use of Blackboard. Having students hand in papers through Blackboard (or the Turnitin program) saves a lot of excessive paper printing. If you want to make notes on an essay, consider typing or writing them on a separate piece of paper and handing them back. With Blackboard, students will still have the option of printing out a syllabus, and teachers will still have the option of printing out student essays, but it saves quite a bit of paper if they do not!

2. Modify your paper format requirements. If you are insistent on printed work, consider altering your paper format requirements. For instance, require smaller margins on essays, switch to requiring 1.5 spacing instead of double-spacing, etc. Compensate for these changes by changing an essay’s required page length (or start requiring word lengths instead of page lengths). Perhaps you could even give a bit of extra credit to students who print on both sides of the paper.

3. Consider having some class periods outdoors. Don’t be worried about students being distracted – they likely won’t be. Weather and subject permitting, classes outdoors are often a success – especially in the spring. The simple act of being outside promotes a positive relationship with the earth. It may also relax students (or keep them awake!).

4. Encourage students to pursue subject-matter/projects related to the environment. This may not work well in every discipline, but it does work in a great many. Bible/Religion majors could reflect on the Bible’s view of the environment. An engineering student could do a project focusing on eco-design. Journalism classes could cover environmental stories. Business majors could look at balancing industry with the environment. With biology and chemistry it would be easy to find related subjects. The list goes on and on…

5. Demonstrate the environment’s importance through action. Living out these values is a great way to get students thinking about them. In a wider sense, the Goshen College community can set an example for other schools and universities, or for the broader Mennonite Church. Taking care of the earth is something our school (and the Mennonite Church) values greatly. Let us be examples.