The Need
In order to meet the enormous challenge of achieving campus sustainability, colleges and universities must undertake an unprecedented level of innovation across all arenas of campus operations including building design and operations, finance and accounting structures, procurement practices, occupant behavior, laboratory practice, utility supply and distribution, waste management and more.
One of the most significant barriers to campus innovation is the lack of available time to research, assess, trial and implement new practices. Although many of the staff that run our university campuses would relish the opportunity to participate in the process of innovation, they typically find themselves too overloaded and overextended by the basic daily tasks of keeping our complicated and heavily utilized campus facilities functioning.
When staff members are given the opportunity to have a talented and well-managed student intern undertake some agreed-upon research activities that might open the way to innovation, they are generally more than willing to offer their support.
Because of its ability to help staff overcome the limitations of time, the Harvard Green Campus Initiative's student internship program model has much to offer our institutions of higher education as we move forward in addressing campus sustainability.