Janet’s Book Nook

Yesterday I was reading one of the local magazines I receive and I read an article that caught my attention. I found out about an energy saving measure that my alma mater took this summer and is considering for the fall. Southeastern Louisiana University made the decision this past summer to cut their work week from 5 days a week to 4. Classes were held on Monday - Thursday with Fridays being a day off for all but a few essential departments. The hours of operation for Mon - Thurs were extended to accommodate for the extra day off. How does this help? Well first off it cuts out one day of commuting for both students and faculty. Since SLU pulls both from as far away as Baton Rouge it meant cutting 2 hours each way out of the equation for some people. This means that they are saving money and also cutting out that energy consumption. The longer classes were well received as students realized that they would be afforded a longer weekend every week.

The other positive of this is that the electricity consumption of the University for that day was greatly decreased because it was a day off. According to the North Shore Report the University saved $85,000 over the period of time they tested this new schedule this summer. That is a major savings considering it was about a 3 month period. The extra day off meant less use of air conditioner and lights and computers.

SLU also had their HR department set up a car pool list where staff could connect with other people in their area and commute together to save on the expense of the commute. This means a savings for both the driver and the riders. I love this idea and I love that my old school is taking steps to help ease the strain that rising fuel costs have had on students and faculty alike. GO LIONS!!!!