AAUP Chapter News

February 8, 2010
To: President Darrell Krueger and Vice-President Troy Paino
From: AAUP, Truman State University Chapter
Re: Energy Audit

Dear President Krueger and Vice-President Paino:

Our Truman chapter of AAUP would like to express our wholehearted support of the Truman State University Sustainability Initiative which you have both helped to organize and to which you have signed on and approved. This includes the Charter by which Truman State University established a President’s Sustainability Action Committee in order to evaluate, document, and develop our progressive advancement towards the realization of “an ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable campus and community.”

We were fortunate, during our December 4th monthly chapter meeting to have had the visit of Dr. Jim Turner, a long-time and dedicated Professor of Business, member of the Executive committee of the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club, and conscientious environmentalist. Jim brought to our attention University of Missouri President Forsee’s recent letter in which he officially opposed pending environmental national initiatives as being too costly. Although this position is not securely supported by the MU Board of Curators nor by his community and aroused a great deal of controversy around the state, this was an alarming and disturbing development during a time when universities are taking the lead in creating economically viable policies and strategic initiatives for the establishment of ecologically sound local environments.

For this reason, we are particularly heartened by the sustainability initiative our university and local community has undertaken, under the leadership of President Krueger’s Environmental Advisory committee, to meet present environmental challenges. We recognize that we have much to learn and to do in order to be more aware of our energy costs. To begin doing that, we have been receiving education input from our own Physical Plant Assistant Director and Safety Manager Tim Baker whom we hope to invite to give a presentation, and we are initiating contacts and in-depth conversation with Ameren, the campus planner and other key representatives of local energy sources as well. We plan to organize a town hall community event in which the community can participate in a dialogue exchange, to better understand the energy initiatives and needs locally.

We would like to ask if you have any information regarding the feasibility of an energy audit. Are there plans to do one, or has one already been done? If so, what were the results? We would greatly appreciate discussing with you your thoughts on these matters, and, in general, university’s plans and perceptions regarding local energy conservation. Although this is a busy time, we wanted to approach you to open further the gates of communication, on these matters and others.

We welcome the opportunity to further visit with you in what would be an additional university and community exchange and dialogue. It is good to know of the already positive direction given the community by your Sustainability Initiative.

Regards,

Betty L. McLane-Iles, Ph.D
Professor of French
AAUP