Growing and Green in
Ferrum, Virginia
John W. Dysart
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Volume 4, Issue 4 - October 2008
Ferrum College in Virginia has experienced
huge growth under the leadership of Dr.
Jennifer Braaten. She implemented a new
admission and financial aid plan in 2004 and
students really responded. In just the last
four years:
•
Admission applications have increased by
89%.
•
New
student enrollments have increased by 82%.
•
Total
undergraduate enrollment has increased by
45%.
•
Ferrum
College has expanded its geographic reach by
attracting students from eighteen states and
five countries.
Enrollment growth has necessitated
corresponding expansion of other programs
and services on campus. New sports have been
added to provide more athletic
opportunities. Cocurricular offerings have
been increased to meet the needs of students
outside of the classroom. The College has
dramatically increased the number of
students living on campus and has built
three new residence halls in the last three
years to accommodate the growth.
The
College administration has not lost sight of
the environment during this period of
unprecedented growth. To begin with, trays
have been eliminated in the cafeteria. There
are a number of environmental benefits from
this change:
•
Studies
indicate that eliminating trays reduces food
waste by as much as 50%.
•
Energy
consumption can be lessened when trays are
no longer used.
•
The
College will use less water as a result of
the change.
The institution is also
transitioning to replace plastic with
biodegradable goods in the cafeteria. The
plan is to have 90% of the paper products
biodegradable this year.
Cleaning products in the
cafeteria have been switched. The College
reports that 90% of the chemicals now used
are environmentally friendly. The
institution is even considering a composting
program.
New HVAC units have been
installed on campus.
The green initiative has
also extended to the building of the newest
residence facility, Margaret M. Clark Hall.
•
The
residence hall has ENERGY STAR
certifications.
•
Motion
sensors have been installed to adjust
climate control when rooms are vacant.
•
Energy
efficient light bulbs and plumbing have been
installed.
•
The
College used environmentally friendly paint
in the new building, along with installing
carpet made from recycled fibers.
Ferrum
College is home to the second oldest
Environmental Science program in the
country. Sensitivity to environmental issues
comes naturally!
John W. Dysart is President of The
Dysart Group, Inc, a higher education consulting firm specializing in recruitment,
financial aid, retention and revenue growth
at colleges and universities. To date, Mr.
Dysart has provided consulting services to
more than 140 colleges and universities in
35 states.
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