Abstract
This ECAR roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from the study Powering Down: Green IT in Higher Education Roadmap, by Mark C. Sheehan, with Shannon D. Smith. The study examines the stance institutions and their central IT organizations are taking on environmental sustainability (ES), the progress they are making on a variety of key initiatives, and how the work they are doing is helping them become more environmentally responsible in their business, instructional, and research activities. This study provides chief information officers and others with information about the state of ES practices in higher education and identifies practices that are associated with positive outcomes. Based on a literature review to define the issues and establish the research questions, along with consultation with higher education IT administrators and ES experts to validate survey questions, ECAR conducted a quantitative web-based survey of EDUCAUSE member institutions that received 261 responses, 77.8% of which were from the institutional ClO or equivalent. This report is based on results of the survey as well as on qualitative interviews with 31 higher education IT leaders and staff.
Citation for This Work: Sheehan, Mark C. “Powering Down: Green IT in Higher Education Roadmap†(Roadmap). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research, March 2010, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.