At the University of Vechta, sustainability is a central topic in different areas and for different people. Through their commitment, the idea of sustainable development is becoming more and more apparent in the practical everyday life on campus. Some examples can be found on this page.

The University of Vechta also takes sustainability into account when selecting its hardware. At the end of 2019, 38 new multifunction devices for printing, copying and scanning by Kyocera were leased through IBS. The toners used in them are CO2-neutral and certified by myClimate: The amount of CO2 emissions generated during raw material generation, production, packaging, transport and recycling of the toners is offset by the supplier Kyocera in its own climate protection project in Kenya. In the period from June 2016 to May 2017, 2.15 tonnes of CO2 were offset for the University of Vechta. It is also avoided to place the devices inside the offices so that the indoor air is not polluted with fine dust and ozone, which could affect the health of the employees.

The new IT equipment used at the university, such as PCs and monitors, are also exemplary for “Green IT”: Since 2011, the university has been using so-called mini PCs for the computer workstations. The laptop technology used in these PCs, as well as the TFT monitors used at the University of Vechta, are certified with the EU Energy Star 6.0 and thus the PCs have a significantly lower power requirement than conventional desktop PCs. Energy efficiency is always an important decision criterion in IT tenders. The devices have a minimum service life of five years and are properly recycled by external service providers after use.

The task force “Digitalisierung in der Lehre” (Digitalisation in teaching) deals with the introduction and widespread use of digital tools in teaching. This supports efforts to increase the use of e-learning tools in synchronous and asynchronous teaching so that students and lecturers can also attend courses from home and thus avoid emissions for travelling to and from the university. The same applies to various IT tools that also enable working from home, such as various cloud solutions for data exchange and collaborative editing of documents or tools for accessing special software such as SAP or HIS products (HIS = Hochschul-Informations-System = higher education information system). Another component is a specific web conferencing system (BigBlueButton) for online teaching, conferences, committee meetings or work meetings. All these tools have proven their worth during the Coronavirus pandemic and have enabled a largely online university operation. Also for sustainability reasons, these tools should continue to be used even after the crisis will have been successfully overcome, wherever they make sense and complement on-campus operation.

Digitalisation is also advancing in the University Library. Eight book scanners have been available for students and staff since 2013. The simple, fast and free use as well as the flawless scanning results are an incentive for users to avoid unnecessary printed copies. An option that has been used a lot since then: In the first six years, 1.5 million digital copies have already been made with book scanners.

Through several student projects and initiatives, the University of Vechta is working towards a more conscious use of food and other consumer goods and resources by affiliates of the university.

For example, the student group Studentenfutter had a refrigerator and a little storage space set up in the cafeteria (Cafete) in building R of the university, where students and staff can put food that they do not like or need and make it available for others.

Also in building R is a “givebox” (cupboard) that works on the same principle, but is intended for things like clothes, decorative items or books. The cupboard was built and installed by a group of students as part of a project seminar.

The Gemüserausch initiative was founded to give students and staff at the University of Vechta direct access to organic regional fruit and vegetables. The students involved have established a close cooperation with the farmers of the nearby Wilhelminenhof and have organised a central pick-up point on campus for the weekly fruit and vegetable delivery from the farm, which follows the principles of community-supported agriculture (Solidarische Landwirtschaft = Solawi). If you are interested or have any questions, the students can be contacted via gemueserausch[at]uni-vechta[dot]de.

The Vechta local group of the association Viva con Agua campaigns for economical water use through various activities at the University of Vechta and collects donations that benefit the association’s projects in countries of the global South.

Bildnachweise: Ökologisch Wirtschaften: Initiative Pro Recyclingpapier; E-Bike-Ausleihe: Bild: Universität Vechta/Daubenspeck; Chancengerechtigkeit: ZEGD Universität Vechta; Studentisches Engagement: Nachhaltigkeitsguide & Logo: Initiative Sneep 2017; Bilder unten: Universität Vechta/Meckel, Universität Vechta/bitters.de