In this article, the author investigates the benefits of having an integrated culture of sustainability within an educational institution. The author has conducted an on-line survey open to the stakeholders at the College of the Rockies (COTR) to determine how the various stakeholder groups viewed the culture of sustainability on campus and what may be done to improve that perception. Stakeholders were broken down into the following groups; students, staff, faculty, and management. This thesis explores stakeholder attitudes towards sustainability and the importance they place on it.
The on-line survey examined stakeholders recycling habits, both on and off campus, their methods of transportation, what they perceived the college is doing in regards to sustainability, and what they felt the college could be doing to be more sustainable. The survey also asked what importance stakeholders placed on the commitment to sustainability, both in the work
Overall, stakeholder groups appeared to have similar thoughts on sustainability, with many responses indicating more recycling methods needed to be undertaken, more education on the topic needed to be provided, as well as a central location for finding information on sustainability pertaining to COTR. Current practices may be fine-tuned to make them more viable, and additional practices should be explored. With COTR having many short-term students, the driving factor for the successful integration of sustainability may need to come from the top down. place and in their educational institution.
