Bottom up and Top Down: Making IT a Key Part of the Campus Sustainability Effort

Autor/inn/en	Cromwell, Dennis; Hanks, Kristin; Engel, Sarah
Titel	Bottom up and Top Down: Making IT a Key Part of the Campus Sustainability Effort
Quelle	In: EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 32 (2009) 3, (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1528-5324
Schlagwörter	Energy Conservation; Information Technology; Sustainable Development; Influence of Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Effective Schools Research; Improvement Programs; Program Descriptions; Cooperative Planning; Strategic Planning; Energy Management; Higher Education; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Energieerhaltung; Energiespeicherung; Informationstechnologie; Nachhaltige Entwicklung; Technology enhanced learning; Technology aided learning; Technologieunterstütztes Lernen; Schulforschung; Effizienzsteigerung; Strategy; Planning; Strategie; Planung; Energiehaushalt; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; USA
Abstract	Information technology (IT) is regarded globally as a voracious consumer of energy. According to a 2007 research paper issued by the United Kingdom's Global Action Plan, IT accounts for 10 percent of the electrical usage in the U.K. In the United States, Stanford University estimates that IT accounts for 15 percent of its overall electrical use. Although IT adds to the problem of energy consumption on campus, it can also be a partner in the sustainability solution--by contributing to overall energy reduction and by enabling sustainable practices in other areas across the university. In fact, according to a 2007 NetworkWorld story, Gartner Group named "green IT" number one in its "Top 10 Strategic Technologies 2008." Interestingly, several of the other top 10 technologies in Gartner's list play roles in sustainable computing across the enterprise, including virtualization, unified communications, and the web as a platform. Sustainability is no longer a fringe project in IT organizations. At Indiana University (IU), University Information Technology Services (UITS) plays a large and growing role in IU's sustainability initiatives. That wasn't always the case, however. IT's role grew organically and will continue to evolve over time. This article describes the story of how IT got engaged at IU, and some of the payoffs of that engagement, which might have relevance for other institutions considering a similar role for IT. (Contains 5 figures and 7 endnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	EDUCAUSE. 4772 Walnut Street Suite 206, Boulder, CO 80301-2538. Tel: 303-449-4430; Fax: 303-440-0461; e-mail: info@educause.edu; Web site: http://www.educause.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10