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The Quinnipiac University Sustainability Planning Committee hosted their first event, a town hall, on Jan. 16.

The town hall presented some of the university’s goals and tasks going forward, along with examples of other universities and businesses with successful sustainability initiatives. 

Students and other university attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions about the committee and the university. Students were invited to suggest ways the university could create a more sustainable environment. The event was live streamed, allowing participants to watch online.

Members of the audience, both at the location and online, provided many suggestions and asked questions about the university’s current initiatives. Some topics included possible plans to reduce car presence on Quinnipiac’s campuses, decreasing bottled water usage and  showcasing student works made from environmentally positive materials.

The university’s Sustainability Planning Committee was put together by Quinnipiac President Judy Olian. In an email sent to students, it states that Olian intends for the committee “… to develop a Sustainability Plan for Quinnipiac.”

One of the committee members, political science Professor and Executive Director at the Albert Schweitzer Institute, Sean Duffy, explained the purpose of the town hall during the event.

“What we really hope to do with this conversation today is talk a little bit about what a vision for sustainability might look like here at Quinnipiac,” Duffy said. “As a committee, in terms of being charged with coming up with a sustainability vision statement, I think we have the opportunity to be the first kind of organization where we can kind of articulate a sustainability vision that is central to our mission as a university.”

The committee is planning to host another town hall after winter break on Jan. 27 on the Mt. Carmel campus, in the hopes that more students will attend.

To view the entire live stream of the first event, click here.