Category: Newsletter

Eagle Dining is again sponsoring the “Helping Hands Across America” Food Drive. Non-perishable food items are being collected for donation to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and Fredericksburg Presbyterian Food Pantry. Food collection boxes are located at cashier stations in all dining facilities and also in the UMW Book Store. Food will also be collected at a curb-side drop off site outside Seacobeck Hall between 12 PM and 5 PM on Thursday, November 29. Anyone needing collection boxes or more information may e-mail Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu.

In last week’s “Office Sustainability Tip of the Week,” we discussed making sure the lights in your office kitchen are turned off when not in use.  But when it comes to your office kitchen and conserving energy, it does not have to stop there.  Here are some things that you may want to consider in order to reduce energy and limit extra waste in the kitchen:

Kitchenware:  If you use paper plates, cups, or plastic cutlery in your office kitchen, consider instead investing in reusable dishware.  Depending on the amount of people in your office, it would likely be relatively inexpensive to purchase a set of plates, glasses, and cutlery for everyone to use.  Or, consider old unwanted dishware or cutlery that you have in your house that you no longer use and bring it in for your office to use.

Recycling Bins: Hopefully all office kitchens on campus have a recycling bin to make it very easy for those using the area to deposit their recyclable materials.  If not, go to your Supervisor or Department Head and inquire about getting a recycling bin for your kitchen.

Water: I’m definitely guilty of relying too much on using bottled waters.  Instead of using bottled waters however, consider investing in a water filter or simply drink tap water — as people often point out, it tastes just as good as bottled water.  If you prefer your water very cold, just keep a pitcher of tap water in your office refrigerator.  And how’s the kitchen faucet?  Does it drip?  Even a small, consistent drip can waste a tremendous amount of water each week.  If you have a faucet that drips in your kitchen office, place a work order through EagleNet to see if it can get repaired.

Energy:  Is your office refrigerator and freezer possibly set too high?  It’s recommended to set your refrigerator temperature between 36° F and 42° F, and to set your freezer control to a temperature between -5° F and +6° F.  A small thermometer placed in your refrigerator and freezer will help you set the temperature correctly.  By making sure that your refrigerator and freezer temperatures are set correctly, you will help reduce energy consumption.

Paper Towels: Stop using paper towels and instead use cloth towels to clean up spills.

These are just a few suggestions to conserve energy and reduce unnecessary waste in your office kitchen.  If you have any tips for things we can all do differently each day to create more sustainable office environments, please feel free to leave a comment or email me the suggestion to be featured in a future Tip of the Week.

Last Week’s Tip: http://tinyurl.com/8oo8ve8

Whether you work in an office with a lot of people or just a few, chances are there’s that one room or area where the lights are probably kept on even when not in use.  Is it a copy room that might have a few people going in and out every hour, but the lights are turned on in the morning and kept on until the last person leaves for the day?  What about your office kitchen?  It probably sees the most traffic early in the morning and between the hours of 11am and 1pm, but are the lights left on all day?  Clearly we do not want to be working by candlelight or microwaving our Smart Ones Chicken Fettuccines in the dark, but take a moment to consider those spaces and other areas in your office where lights are left on for extended periods of time when clearly the space is not in use.

Consider your own personal office space as well.  My office has two light switches.  Flipping just one on in the morning does the trick.   Do you have windows in your office?  (Lucky!)  Consider the feasibility of using the natural light your office receives as opposed to the overhead fluorescent lighting.  Also, if you’re attending a short meeting, walking across campus, going to lunch – do you turn off the lights in your office?   It’s in the best interest of maintaining a green office to do so.  Another tip in conserving energy is turning off your computer, printer, monitors, etc. when you leave for the day.  Even reducing the brightness of your laptop screen or computer monitor reduces energy use.  And when you’re away from your office, consider turning off your monitor altogether.

Hopefully you’re already doing some if not all of these little things that help to conserve energy.  If not, there’s no better time than now to start making these small changes.  And while you’re at it – take the opportunity to set an example for your co-workers by posting reminders and having these types of discussions during staff meetings or office gatherings.   If you have any suggestions for things we can all do differently each day to create more sustainable office environments, please feel free to leave a comment or email me the suggestion to be featured in a future Tip of the Week.

Last Week’s Tip: http://tinyurl.com/9w4sb2v

UMW Catering is pleased to introduce you to our new Catering Director, Steve Mathwin. Steve most recently served as the Corporate Dining Manager at CapitalOne Services in McLean, Virginia. He also has over ten years experience in hospitality management with deluxe hotels such as Omni, Marriott and Hyatt. Steve is known for building strong relationships with clients and bringing outstanding customer service to all aspects of catering operations. We are very happy that Steve has joined our UMW Catering Team and look forward to the fresh perspectives that he will bring to our operations. Steve’s e-mail is not yet set up, but if you wish to contact him about possible catering events, please give him a call at 540-654-2233.

Associate Professor of French, Scott Powers co-authored the 9th edition of Interaction: Langue et Culture. Published by Heinle, Interaction is an intermediate-level textbook of French language and Francophone cultures used in university classrooms across the United States and abroad.