In an effort to educate, prepare and motivate Oregon students to make their campuses greener, the University is hosting the first annual Campus Sustainability Conference next week.
More than 100 students are expected to attend, representing all seven Oregon University System institutions, although registration is slightly lower than was anticipated. The conference will take place over two days, each with a distinct theme.

Day one of the event will revolve around faculty, administrators and staff. The theme is reducing the carbon footprint of a university and what avenues staff can take to accomplish that goal. Experts from all over the country will discuss programs they have implemented, while exploring what elements of the programs were successful, according to Steve Mital, the University director of sustainability.
University leaders will take part in a roundtable discussion, detailing methods they’ve used to make their campuses more sustainable.
“We’ll be looking at the big picture of how to transform our infrastructure,” which includes greenhouse gases and accommodating greener technology, Mital said. “We’ll discuss that from a variety of perspectives,” he added.
The focus will be on campus operations such as recycling, food services, water supply and electricity. Conference participants will discuss how to reduce the environmental impact of these operations.
The second day of the conference will focus on student leadership. Students from every major Oregon university will share their initiatives, group goals and campaign platforms.
The intent is to provide students with a variety of skills, knowledge and tools so they can be more effective in making their campuses greener, Mital said.
Mital hopes to not only educate students but to inspire them as well. The day will be filled with activities and well-known keynote speakers. Among them will be Annie Leonard, creator and narrator of “The Story of Stuff,” a short animated history of consumerist society. Also speaking will be Jefferson Smith, creator of the Bus Project, a grassroots effort to register voters and ignite conversation through political forum.
Other activities during the conference will include a sustainability fair, films, and complementary breakfast and afternoon snack. Lunch is catered at an additional cost.
Jessica Frazier, University senior and sustainability office assistant, has been working behind the scenes to get ready for the conference. She’s been promoting the event for several months, sending out flyers and e-mails. She is also in charge of the catering.
This conference is exciting because of “the level of focus on student involvement,” Frazier said. “It’s a really great opportunity for students to come, learn, and make a difference.”
The event will take place Oct. 23-24 throughout the EMU. The Early Bird registration deadline for the event is Thursday. After that date, the participation fee rises from $10 to $15.
The Sustainability Office is a new entity on campus as of last year. The office is part of the University administration, not a student group. Mital once served as a professor in the Environmental Studies department and has been working closely with faculty that teaches classes on sustainability.
The office’s main role is to coordinate with other student groups, and “we’re trying to pave the way (for sustainability),” Frazier said.
The Campus Sustainability Conference is the first major event the Sustainability Office has put on. Mital has been organizing the conference for six months and hopes it will be a success. If the student day goes well, he hopes to create an annual University sustainability day to get all University of Oregon students involved.
Frazier shares Mital’s hopes.
Of the program leader she said, “Steve’s really, really passionate – it’s contagious.”
[email protected]