The Faculty Council heard presentations about campus sustainablity and a procedure to replace a retiring faculty member during its Tuesday meeting.
Terry Link, director of the Office of Campus Sustainablity and chairperson of the University Committee for a Sustainable Campus, provided a slide presentation with information to supplement the Campus Sustainability Report.
Sustainability is the interdependence of living organisms and communities over time, stated the report, which was compiled in September 2003.
The report viewed the campus on a timeline from 1990 to 2001 and concentrated on social, economic and environmental factors.
"We want to use money and resources in ways that benefit us both today and tomorrow," Link said.
Many figures and tables are available in the report, ranging from average SAT scores to electricity consumed on campus. A copy of the Campus Sustainablity Report can be downloaded at ecofoot.msu.edu.
Link solicited recommendations from the council to improve the method for a similar report scheduled for 2005.
Some suggestions included a comparison between MSU and other universities and a look into faculty and staff commutes to campus.
MSU President M. Peter McPherson also brought his recommendation to internally fill the vacancy of vice president for research and graduate studies to the council. He initially proposed the idea in the Executive Committee of Academic Council on Feb. 3.
Bob Huggett will retire from the position on July 1.
McPherson restated the need to fill the position internally both for budget concerns and the tight deadline to find a replacement in a matter of months.
"In June, I don't want to have an interim person," he said.
Since the recommendation, comments have been made about the benefits external hiring can bring to the university. McPherson agreed that is true, in some circumstances, and stressed this replacement will not set a precedent for future hiring practices.
"As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be a cookie-cutter approach to doing this," McPherson said.
