Campus Sustainability Actions

JMU Recognized for Campus Sustainability Actions

JMU is the 66th college/university in the nation to become a Bee Campus USA affiliate. JMU is the second campus affiliate in Virginia following Randolph College. Bee Campus USA fosters ongoing dialogue to raise awareness of the role pollinators play in our communities and what individuals can do to provide them with healthy habitat. The Bee Campus USA program endorses a set of commitments, defined in an application, for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, which are vital to feeding the planet. In June 2018, Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA became initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

JMU received Tree Campus USA recognition last year. Tree Campus USA is a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation honoring colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. The Tree Campus USA program recognizes college and university campuses that:

• Effectively manage their campus trees.
• Develop connectivity with the community beyond campus borders to foster healthy, urban forests.
• Strive to engage their student population utilizing service learning opportunities centered on campus, and community, forestry efforts.

JMU also received one of APPA’s 2018 Sustainability Innovation Awards. The Sustainability Innovation Award criteria measure the current level and effort of a facilities management department to integrate sustainable policies and environmental practices throughout all facets of the organization, ultimately embedding them within the educational institution. JMU has become a model program in the Chesapeake Bay region by forging partnerships with a wide range of local and state agencies; engaging students, faculty, and staff to build awareness and contribute solutions; utilizing innovative techniques and methods to maximize improvements in stormwater management and water quality; and leveraging grant funding to minimize the budgetary impact to JMU of new regulations. APPA, previously known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, promotes leadership in educational facilities for professionals seeking to build their careers, transform their institutions, and elevate the value and recognition of facilities in education.