Go Green
Climate Commitment
Towson University President Robert L. Caret signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment on August 30, 2007. In doing so, Caret placed Towson among Duke, Cornell and nearly 550 other leading institutions that have pledged to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on their campuses. Towson is achieving this goal by taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus, completing an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, and developing a climate action plan.
Climate Commitment Pledge
As a signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, the university strives to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions. Work is under way on the execution of three action items to improve campus sustainability. These actions encompass green building, public transportation and waste reduction.
Green Building
The university amended its construction standards policy to recommend that all new campus construction is built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard. Campus construction is following suit, with the College of Liberal Arts building and phase two of the West Village complex on target for LEED silver certification. Standing for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED certification is the nationally recognized benchmark for the design, construction and operation of sustainable buildings. To gain certification, buildings must meet the LEED standard on a range of criteria focusing on the building site, water efficiency, energy and atmospheric impact, materials and resources, and indoor environment quality. LEED-certified buildings are known not only for being environmentally- conscious, but also for having decreased operating costs and enhanced productivity.
Public Transportation
The university strives to provide access to—and encourage the use of—public transportation for all TU faculty, staff, students and visitors. We pledge to provide public transportation not only within the university’s doors, but also in the community at large.
The university’s on-campus bus and shuttle service provides access to all campus areas seven days a week. Our off-campus shuttle services the apartment complexes along Kennilworth Drive, Knollwood/Burke Ave, and Goucher Boulevard, in addition to apartments in the Cockeysville area. Shuttle service to Baltimore Penn Station is available via a dedicated shuttle. The university's Gold bus route offers access to the University Village apartments.
The campus is home to many public transportation stops. Five MTA bus stops located on or near the university host three bus lines that provide weekday service to the Inner Harbor, University of Maryland Transit Center, Lutherville Light Rail, Fox Ridge and Franklin Square. The 3, 8 and 55 lines are available for a one-way fare of $1.60; a one-day pass can be purchased for $3.50. Riders must use exact change.
The Collegetown Shuttle provides complimentary service from Towson to local shopping areas, colleges and universities. The shuttle is available to students, faculty and staff members with valid TU identification. It services the Union Garage and Center for the Arts bus stops on Cross Campus drive from 3:14 p.m. Friday to 8:10 p.m. Sunday.
Waste Reduction
The university continues to search for opportunities to minimize campus waste and increase awareness about waste reduction and material reuse. In January 2009, TU implemented a single stream recycling program that allows students to throw nearly any recyclable into any campus recycling container. The RecycALL program makes campus recycling easier than ever, helping to reduce the campus waste stream.
TU has participated in RecycleMania's waste minimization competition since 2006, using the program as a platform for increasing awareness about the campus waste stream and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. The university has expanded its campus surplus department, which collects unneeded office supplies and electronics on campus and redistributes them to other university constituents. TU is also implementing a mechanism for the review and approval of placing new trash containers on campus.
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