Yesterday afternoon, Provost Phyllis Wise held a town hall meeting for members of the UW community. The environment was the topic of focus.

“One of the key issues of our time and greatest challenges is improving and sustaining the environment,” Wise said as she addressed students and faculty members in the cascade room of Haggett Hall.

Wise spent the first 30 minutes speaking of the UW’s accomplishments in environmental practices during the past few years, with special emphasis on the imminent completion of the College of the Environment, which began forming in June 2007.

“In many cases, it’s the students who have asked or demanded that these changes be made,” Wise said. She emphasized student groups such as S.E.E.D. (Students Expressing Environmental Dedication), who have worked with campus organizations such as Housing and Food Services to bring the UW’s recycling rate up to 48 percent.

After Wise finished her speech, she opened up the floor for questions from the audience. No issue was more prevalent than the creation of the College of the Environment, and discussion on the topic quickly monopolized the floor.

“It’s not a new idea,” Wise said of the College of the Environment.

Wise said there are documents dating back 10 to 15 years ago discussing the creation of such a college.

“This is the first time we’ve really looked at what it would take to create a premier college of the environment, and this is also the most support we’ve ever had from faculty and students about the project,” she said.

Much of the discussion focused on how the college would be set up, and where the university would draw resources from.

Wise and Dennis Hartmann, who is acting as the interim dean for the new college, said units ­— or departments — would be brought into the college from other areas of campus.

“What we’re trying to do is create gain without incurring losses elsewhere on campus,” Wise explained.

Hartmann further elaborated on this point, explaining that while some units would be brought in to operate completely within the new college, others would only operate in part.

“Currently we have five units which have all expressed interest in being inaugural components of the new college,” Hartmann said. Those units are Atmospheric Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, the College of Forest Resources, Program on the Environment and the School of Marine Affairs.

There is currently no physical space reserved for the college, which is supposed to be accepting students in fall 2009.

“We’re hoping for a physical structure,” Wise said. “But I would still consider us in the ‘clay’ stage of creating the college.”

Wise did emphasize that the college would attract much wanted attention from national organizations, and could bring the possibility for several grants the UW has previously been overlooked for.

“This College of the Environment is not a marketing ploy,” Wise stressed. “But it will enable us to be more transparent about our commitment to the environment.”

Student reaction about the meeting was mixed, and several students expressed a desire for an extended presentation and question time, especially since the topic was so broad.

Brady Ryan, a senior in the mathematics department, felt the presentation didn’t have enough brevity.

“I felt like the answers were too glossed over,” Ryan said.

Ryan was especially concerned that with the economy in recession, many of the UW’s environmental issues would be the first to suffer.

“The state has already cut $10 million from UW’s budget, and it makes me wonder what’s going to be cut with all these ambitious goals floating around,” he said.

Sophomore Jennifer Grosman, an active member of S.E.E.D., wished the presentation would have been longer, but said she was happy with what the University has done to listen to the students.

“I’m really glad the provost has taken an interest in the environment,” Grosman said. “And students should realize they are fortunate to attend a school with these interests in mind.”

Reach reporter Casey Smith at news@dailyuw.com.