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Macon a Difference Day pays homage to Earth Day. |
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On Thursday, September 9, 2010, representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) presented a plaque to the college honoring R-MC’s acceptance into the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) at the E2 level (Environmental Excellence). The presentation took place at 11:30 a.m. in Room 101 of the Copley Science Center.
Click here to view a slideshow of photos from the presentation.R-MC is only the second academic institution in Virginia to have its entire campus in the DEQ’s E2 program.
First-Year Experience (
FYE) instructors Reber Dunkel and Brian Moores, who teach “It’s Not Easy Being Green: Environmental Stewardship Initiatives on Campus,” hosted the award presentation. Students in their 2008-2009 FYE course, “Gauging Randolph-Macon’s Ecological Footprint,” prepared a draft of an E2 application as part of their research assignment and recommended the college follow through as their top priority to the President’s Cabinet at the end of the semester. R-MC President Robert R. Lindgren accepted the E2 award.
Randolph-Macon College is proud to be part of the VEEP. Virginia lawmakers created the program in 2005 to encourage businesses, government agencies and schools to reach environmental excellence by going above and beyond their legal requirements. Participation in the program is voluntary, but is only granted after an application review by the Virginia DEQ. VEEP participants are required to establish an Environmental Management System and improve pollution prevention measures.
“This is an important effort for Randolph-Macon College as we work to reduce our carbon footprint,” says President Lindgren. “We are extremely proud that our current recycling programs and energy-saving initiatives have garnered us this distinction by the Commonwealth of Virginia. R-MC is committed to doing our part to increase awareness about environmental conservation for our students, faculty and staff.”
R-MC’s conservation initiatives have received significant recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia twice over the past year. In April 2009 Virginia’s DEQ named Estes Dining Hall a Virginia Green Restaurant for instituting and promoting pollution prevention practices dealing with food preparation and handling as well as day-to-day operations. In December 2009, R-MC’s Macon Coffee restaurant received the same honor for eliminating the use of Styrofoam containers. Additionally, the campus participated in the annual RecycleMania competition. This national program promotes waste reduction on campus and serves as a benchmark for college and university recycling programs.
“Until recently, R-MC’s sustainability and conservation efforts have largely been behind the scenes,” says Craig Collins, R-MC environmental health & safety programs manager. “Significant recognition like the VEEP and Virginia Green Restaurant program helps to make the community aware of the hard work being done and R-MC’s ongoing focus on environmental improvement.”
For over a decade, R-MC has implemented various sustainability initiatives. Energy conservation measures include replacing windows with insulated glass, installing motion sensors in dormitory restrooms, and reducing water consumption by using low flow shower heads; R-MC’s recycling programs include paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, toner and inkjet cartridges, electronic waste, and used cooking oil, among other materials. The college has also been converting from fuel oil to natural and propane gas to reduce emissions.
On Saturday, April 17, 2010, R-MC held its annual Macon a Difference Day. Two hundred students, faculty and staff volunteered close to 600 hours to help beautify the campus and the Town of Ashland. Projects included cleaning up local parks and streams, planting flowers and planting trees. Macon a Difference Day is held each year in conjunction with Earth Day.
For more information about R-MC’s sustainability initiatives or Macon a Difference Day, please contact Pam Harris Cox at 752-3712,
pamelacox@rmc.edu or Anne Marie Lauranzon at 804-752-7317,
alauranz@rmc.edu.