College History

Randolph-Macon Woman’s College first committed to making itself an environmentally friendly campus when we signed the Talliores Declaration in October of 1990. 

Why Do an Audit?

There are several reasons for Randolph-Macon Woman’s College to have an audit done.  The first is to find how close the college is to the environmental benchmark.  A benchmark is the optimal point for the college to be at to be considered “green” or environmentally friendly.  An audit will also help in tracking the progress of the college.  It will also help prioritize the issues that need more attention than others.  With this tool the environmental issues council will be able to make decisive decisions about how to improve upon the college’s standing.  This will, in turn, lead to cost savings.  Not only will this audit improve the life of the college, it will improve the community awareness as well.  The more aware of our status we are, the more likely we are to make decisions in favor of the more environmentally friendly option.  Finally, the audit will facilitate collaboration between the departments and Buildings and Grounds.  No one part of the college can complete this process on its own.

Our Format

The opening of our audit starts with General Information about the Campus.  All of the basic questions about the number of students, employees, as well as the total acreage and building space.

The first section of the body of the Audit is called ‘High Priority.’  Within this section Energy, Water, Solid Waste, Purchasing, Environmental Education and Literacy, and Waste Water and Storm Water Run Off. 

The second section is titled 'Secondary Priority.'  The items in this section are Hazardous Waste, Pesticides, and Dining Hall Services.

Finally, the last section is called 'For Future Consideration.'  It includes Transportation, Investment Policies, and Business Ties.

Due to the nature of the Audit itself, the categories will contain different issues from year to year.  If an audit shows that the college needs more work on a certain issue, its category will be moved to a higher priority.  This self correcting evolution will make the audit flexible to accommodate the college's needs for years to come.

What Now?

Our goal is to educate as many of our school’s executives as possible in order to make our college a greener campus.   When the summer program is over the information we have gathered will be taken to the environmental issues council.  With the information the audit will  gather, we can better implement programs in order to reach our ‘green’ goal through strategic planning.

 ©2004       Environmental Issues Council  *  Randolph-Macon Woman's College
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KAP