DMACC's Green Initiative

​​The DMACC English Department in conjunction with the greater ​​DMACC Green Initiative would like to pass on these suggestions for helping the environment.

Suggestions for Students

  1. Recycle ALL paper in the recycle bins available on your campus. If there aren't bins near printers, request one at a dean's or provost's office.
  2. If there aren't recycle bins available, talk to your instructors, deans, or provosts about acquiring some.
  3. Rather than handwriting notes on paper, type them on a computer when possible.
  4. Rather than printing electronic resources, email them to yourself when possible by using the email function. DMACC's databases (Academic OneFile, MasterFILE Premier, CQ Researcher, etc.) have this function.
  5. Rather than printing electronic resources, click on the HTML format, and copy and paste the information that you need into your own Word document. Don't forget to also copy and paste the bibliographic information you'll need to document these sources.
  6. Rather than printing a version of an assignment for a peer responder, send the assignment electronically to the peer responder and ask the peer responder to return his/her response electronically. The peer responder might want to use "Track Changes" for his/her comments to help the writer more easily locate the peer responder's comments in the writer's assignment.
  7. When possible, print to both sides. This cuts your paper consumption in half.
  8. Use scratch paper as much as possible.
  9. Turn off both your computer and surge protector/power strip when you are not using your computer at home.
  10. When given the opportunity, consider writing on "green" issues.

Suggestions for Instructors

  1. Post assignments and any other material that you would traditionally give to students as handouts on Canvas or your instructor website.
  2. Use PowerPoint presentations in class rather than paper handouts. These could then be posted on Canvas or your instructor website.
  3. Have students turn in their assignments to Canvas, download them, make your comments using "Track Changes," and upload the assignment back into Canvas​. Or, you could use this procedure with DMACC email, keeping each class in a separate email folder.
  4. Have students conduct workshops electronically. If you are using email, have students email their essays as attachments to their peer responders. The peer responders will then download and open the attachments in a new Word file and make comments using track change. The peer responders will then save their Wor​d files with their comments and emails back them to both the original writers of the assignment and the instructor. Another resource for peer editing electronically is Google Docs​. An explanation of this free online software can be found by Googling the following: Google Docs in Plain English.
  5. Have students create electronic rather than paper assessment portfolios since students already have their papers in electronic format from having created them on computers.
  6. Keep an electronic grade book. Excel works great.
  7. Consider having your students write on "green" issues.