Soka U of America to Seek LEED Certification with New Arts Center
Soka University of America (CA) has completed its new Performing Arts Center and Academic Building, designed to meet LEED Gold standards. Sustainable features of the $73 million project include a green roof, solar panels, displacement ventilation, automatic daylight lighting controls and a bioswale. Building materials were made from recycled and locally extracted, processed and manufactured content.
Students to Install Wind Turbine on Mesabi Range College Campus
Mesabi Range College (MN) has received a wind turbine that students in the wind energy technology program will refurbish and install on campus. The college received a grant from Iron Range Resources to purchase the wind turbine. The college began its wind energy technology degree program in 2009.
Syracuse U Dedicates Green Biomaterials Institute
Syracuse University (NY) has dedicated the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, an interdisciplinary research facility that will focus on research in biomaterials, smart medical devices and biological tissue-engineered constructs. Seventy-five percent of the demolition debris caused during renovations for the institute, which is housed on the third and fourth floors of Browne Hall, was recycled. Environmentally friendly features of the project include recycled scrap iron for steel framing, low-VOC adhesives and paints, passive solar design and light occupancy sensors.
U Arizona Student Projects Promote Campus Sustainability
Students at the University of Arizona recently showcased nearly three dozen project ideas to enhance campus sustainability efforts. Proposed ideas included plans for renovating and retrofitting buildings, installing shower timers, promoting educational smart phone applications and reusable to-go containers.
U California Berkeley Earns LEED Gold for Laboratory Renovations
Renovations to the Morgan Hall Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley have received LEED Gold certification using the LEED Commercial Interiors standard for renovation projects. Former office and storage spaces were updated to create efficient and sustainable laboratories for the Department of Nutritional Science and Toxicology. The university used the renovations as an opportunity to involve students from a service learning class to prepare a video to educate the building occupants, campus community and public about the environmental aspects of Morgan Hall.
U California San Diego to Construct 2.8 MW Fuel Cell
The University of California, San Diego has begun the construction of a 2.8-megawatt fuel cell as part of a renewable energy project with the City of San Diego and Biofuels Energy. The fuel cell will turn waste methane gas from a wastewater treatment plant directly into electricity without combustion. The university expects the installation to provide 8 percent of the university’s total energy needs.
U Florida Dining Halls Adopt Meatless Mondays
The University of Florida has launched the new “Meat-Free Mondays” campaign at campus dining locations. Gator Corner Dining and Fresh Food Company will provide a variety of vegan meal options on Mondays as part of a campaign to educate students on the environmental and health impacts of meat consumption. Aramark, the university’s food supplier, and Gator Dining Services plan to expand the campaign to include a vegetarian menu on request at other campus dining locations.
U Minnesota Students Chronicle UN Climate Change Conference
"Taking the bus between the two meeting locations in Cancun is a lot like the official negotiations themselves," writes Stuart Sexton who was one of 16 University of Minnesota students who participated as official observers of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Mexico. "They are rather slow and repetitive, and every once in a while you have to brake for an unexpected iguana in the road, but every time you get back from where you were, the climate change agreement picture becomes a little bit clearer." As part of a climate change policy course, the students provided updates on the negotiations to local media and interviewed delegates during the first week of the two-week negotiations. The students recently presented their experience to the public at the university's Institute on the Environment.
U Ottawa Receives $136K Toward Campus Cooling Plant Retrofit
The University of Ottawa (ON) has installed an upgraded cooling plant that is expected to reduce electricity consumption by 25 percent and save the university $145,000 in annual electricity costs. The university recently received $136,000 toward the project for its participation in Hydro Ottawa's Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program, which provides partial funding to institutional, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers who complete energy efficiency retrofit projects. The new power plant is part of the university's seven-year Resource Optimization Program, a $12 million investment that is expected to save the university $2.5 million annually by 2015.
U Pennsylvania Selects Green Fund Grant Recipients
The University of Pennsylvania has selected seven new sustainability projects to receive support from the university’s Green Fund. The new projects include electric charging stations for car sharing vehicles, a marketing upgrade for the Green Acorn business certification program, an organic compost tea program and the installation of LED lighting in 12 classrooms. An initiative of the university's Green Campus Partnership and funded by the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services and the Office of the Provost, the Green Fund was designed to seed green ideas from students, faculty and staff with one-time grants of up to $50,000.
U Scranton Students Initiate Off-Campus Housing Recycling Efforts
As part of a communication senior seminar class, students at the University of Scranton (PA) have spearheaded a recycling program for students living in off-campus housing. The students initially launched “Bin Your Bottles” as a Facebook campaign and as a result, about 50 off-campus student households requested recycling bins. Now the program provides recycling bins at off-campus locations in cooperation with the Scranton, Pa. Department of Public Works.
U Washington Student Government Passes Sustainability Legislation
The University of Washington’s student government has passed a sustainability bill that aims to promote awareness among incoming students. The bill, “A Resolution in Support of Sustainability with First Year Programs,” will help implement educational efforts to new students about sustainability options on campus, including the availability of compost resources and a tour of the university farm. A long-term goal includes the possibility of a required sustainability class.
West Chester U Receives $5 Mil Energy Grant
West Chester University (PA) has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the third phase of its 10-year plan to convert heating and cooling systems of roughly 25 campus buildings to a geothermal system. Once the project is completed, the closed-loop underground system will include 1,200 wells and 20,000 feet of piping. The university expects the system to reduce campus heating bills by 40 percent and cooling costs by 20 percent.
Arizona State U Students Receive Grant for Sustainable Fertilizer
Arizona State University graduate students have earned an Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative grant to further their development of a business that aims to produce a sustainable organic fertilizer from algae. Edson provides funds, office space and training to teams with up-and-coming innovative business plans. One student also received a National Water Research Institute fellowship for the development of a new bioreactor design to use in wastewater treatment. Both students are part of the university’s Center for Algae Technology and Innovation.
Art Institute of Philadelphia Hosts Recycling Media Competition
The Art Institute of Philadelphia has chosen the winners of a competition among its graphic design students to devise a new poster campaign to promote campus recycling. The posters of the two winning teams will be displayed on recycling bins and as part of a six-month advertising campaign on bulletin boards around the college.
Boise State U Opens Energy Efficiency Research Institute
Boise State University (ID) has announced that it will launch an Energy Efficiency Research Institute in collaboration with the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and the Idaho National Laboratory. The institute will use the university’s campus as a learning laboratory to establish better energy efficiency techniques, measurements and practices. Researchers plan to analyze data collected from electrical meters to generate ways to make the campus more energy efficient.
College of the Redwoods Offers Green Building Training Program
The College of the Redwoods (CA) has partnered with the County of Humboldt and the California Conservation Corps to provide free training and hands-on experience in the green building profession for disadvantaged youth starting in January. The 13-week program will provide green building classes, paid work experience and job placement assistance upon completion of the program. Classes include "Introduction to Green Building," "Energy Fundamentals, Retrofits and Energy Efficiency," "Water-Efficient Building and Retrofits," "Solar Hot Water Installation and Design Principles" and "Solar Photovoltaic Installation and Design Principles."
Colorado State U Aims to Increase Recycling with New System
Colorado State University has launched a sustainability education campaign with a new labeling system for campus recycling bins. After extensive research including focus groups and a review of signage from other campuses and cities, the university’s Live Green team designed new single-stream labeling stickers for outdoor recycling bins on campus. The new stickers are simple, brightly colored and image-based to reduce confusion and improve understanding of the single-stream system. The Live Green team hopes the new stickers will help improve campus recycling rates.
Columbia University Launches Sustainability Mgmt Graduate Degree
Columbia University (NY) has announced a new Master of Science in sustainability management. Offered in partnership with the university’s Earth Institute and School of Continuing Education, the program is designed to equip professionals with the leadership skills needed to achieve an organization’s performance goals while working toward a sustainable world. Five areas of required study include sustainability management, economics and quantitative analysis, the physical dimensions of sustainability management, the public policy environment of sustainability management, and general and financial management. Participants can choose between a part-time or full-time degree completion program.
Diablo Valley College Creates Environmental Science Degree
Diablo Valley College (CA) has created a new environmental science associate degree. The curriculum centers on environmental concerns that have an impact on the human race, ecological system and energy diversity. The new program will include courses in engineering, biology, chemistry and math.
Emory U Debuts Campus Water Reduction Competition
Emory University (GA) has tallied the results of its annual campus energy reduction competition that featured a new water reduction category this year. As a result of the competition between research, residential and other campus buildings, the university saved more than 54,000 gallons of water and experienced a $30,500 drop in utility costs during the month of October. Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, winning buildings will receive $1,000 toward a sustainability-related building improvement.
Florida State U Building Earns LEED Gold
Florida State University’s Center for Global and Multicultural Engagement has recently earned the university’s first LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include rainwater harvesting for irrigation, a shared courtyard and the relocation of a 50-year-old oak tree.
Grinnell College Creates Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize
Grinnell College (IA) has announced the creation of the Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize. The prize will carry an award of $100,000, half to the individual and half to an organization committed to the winner’s area of social justice. One to three awards will be given each year to honor individuals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership in their fields and show creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change.
Michigan State U Surplus and Recycling Center Awarded LEED Gold
The Michigan State University Surplus Store and Recycling Center has earned LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include rooftop solar panels, urinals, power washers and rainwater collection that provides 60 percent of filtered gray water for toilets. The center also features recycled green glass mixed into the concrete around the building.
Oregon State U to Help Iraq Universities Build Green Curriculum
Oregon State University will sign an agreement with Iraq's minister of higher education and scientific research to help Iraq universities develop renewable energy, water conservation and green construction curriculum and laboratories. Iraq professors are tentatively scheduled to arrive in Oregon in February to study the university's sustainable engineering program and become familiar with its lab testing equipment. Along with other sustainable engineering and design programs, the university's School of Forestry, College of Agricultural Science and College of Engineering will help Iraq schools establish engineering programs for using solar energy to light highways. Projects under the five-year agreement will be funded through a combination of university, the state of Oregon, Iraq and possibly federal government funds.
Purchase College SUNY Students Produce Video to Promote Recycling
Students at Purchase College State University of New York have produced a video to highlight campus recycling redemption machines. The university's Redemption Center has three automated recycling machines that accept every brand of redeemable plastic, aluminum and glass beverage containers. Redemption receipts in the amount of five cents per container include coupons for discounts from area merchants. "These machines have become wildly popular on campus and are a major part of our efforts to assure that recyclables are directed to the recycling stream," the college's Office of Sustainability Director Joseph Tripodi tells AASHE Bulletin. Tripodi says that with the help of an ongoing marketing campaign to increase awareness and use of the machines, recent machine redemption counts have topped 14,000 containers per month.
San Francisco State to Require General Ed Sustainability Classes
An environmental sustainability requirement has been added to the general education requirements at San Francisco State University (CA). Passed by the Academic Senate and recently approved by the university president, the measure requires students to take three units of classes that examine an aspect of sustainability. Ninety-four faculty representing 40 different departments approved the change. Classes from across campus will qualify for the requirement, offering students different approaches to sustainability. The university expects the requirement to be in place for students entering in fall 2012 or 2013.
Southern Maine CC Receives Solar Training Program Federal Grant
Southern Maine Community College has received a $70,000 federal grant to become an accredited training site in a national network of solar photovoltaic instructors. Students will learn how to install solar panels as part of the college's electrical engineering technologies program. Students will have the opportunity to install, test and connect a solar photovoltaic system to the larger electrical grid.
Stanford U Launches Green Energy Initiative
Stanford University’s (CA) law and business schools have launched a joint interdisciplinary research center that will focus on the development, policy and financing of clean energy technology. The Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance is being funded with a $7 million donation from Stanford alumni. The center is part of a $100 million energy initiative that Stanford launched in 2009. That effort also includes the Precourt Institute for Energy, which researches sustainable energy sources.
Temple U Kicks Off Sustainability Pledge Drive
Temple University (PA) has kicked off a Sustainability Pledge Drive aimed at collecting sustainability commitments from 3,000 students, faculty and staff by Earth Day on April 22, 2011. The drive challenges the campus community to live more sustainably in all areas of their lives including transportation alternatives, energy use, food choices, waste reduction and water conservation. The Office of Sustainability will track the success of the drive and post weekly updates online. The office is also working with members in individual campus departments to conduct green office audits that evaluate current operating practices including energy usage, recycling and purchasing practices.
U Arizona Launches Bike and Pedestrian Study
The University of Arizona has launched a bike and pedestrian study aimed at reducing crashes and increasing the number of people biking and walking to campus. The university's Parking and Transportation department is working with students and the Pima Association of Governments to discover who bikes and walks and why, and what their safety concerns are. Once the study is conducted, the university will develop a plan to implement improvements to bike and pedestrian infrastructure and education on campus.
U California Riverside Hires New Sustainability Coordinator
The University of California, Riverside has hired Fulbright scholar and sustainable management M.B.A. graduate John Cook as its new sustainability coordinator. Cook will work to meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals set in the university's Climate Action Plan with representatives from housing, dining, energy, transportation, sustainability and the Office of the Chancellor. He will also work with students as a mentor on campus LEED projects, developing content for the sustainability website, collecting data for the GHG inventory and the Green Campus Action Plan, a student-approved referendum that is funded with a per-student, per-quarter fee of $2.50.
U Iowa to Use Sugar Beet Juice as Eco-Friendly Deicer
Landscape crews at the University of Iowa will use a combination of salt and sugar beet juice to deice campus walkways this winter. With the environmentally friendly deicer, ProMelt, the university expects to use 30 percent less product this season to keep walkways clear and safe. During its trial year, the university will gauge its effectiveness against ice and snow, as well as note any reduced damage to vegetation and concrete corrosion.
U Kentucky to Embark on $25 Million Energy Savings Project
The University of Kentucky has announced a new Energy Savings Project that will overhaul 61 campus buildings. Efficiency improvements will include lighting upgrades, water conservation, insulation, upgraded boilers, steam system improvements, domestic solar water heating and HVAC system replacements. Along with the efficiency improvements to the buildings, the project will feature an energy education and awareness program to help students and university faculty and staff embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. The overall project is funded by university-issued bonds valued at $25 million and will produce anticipated annual savings of about $2.4 million.
U South Florida Launches New Carpooling Program
The University of South Florida has announced a partnership with Zimride to connect drivers in the campus community with riders looking to carpool to class or work. Zimride allows users to post when and where they’d like to go and create personal profiles with favorite music, radio stations and smoking preferences to ensure the most enjoyable ride possible. Carpooling requests are sent to university Zimride members and can also be posted on individual Facebook pages. The program debuted in October and the university currently has 750 members.
U Utah Sustainable Campus Initiative Approves Campus Gardens
The University of Utah’s Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund has chosen nine student projects totaling $44,000 in allocated funding. As part of a planned Campus Organic Gardens project, three structures have been approved to house harvested materials, the building of bike trailers for transporting harvested food and the creation of signs to communicate the purpose, mission and promotion of the gardens. Other projects include "retrofitted bikes with carts to assist with tailgate recycling efforts, an undergraduate internship with Environmental Health and Safety that will help our campus become 'mercury-free' by replacing our mercury thermometers, and a feasibility study done by MBA students to determine if we can create a 'solar' parking pass by installing raised solar panels in campus parking lots," the university's Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund coordinator tells AASHE Bulletin.
U Winnipeg Announces New Cycling Services for Campus
In partnership with the Students’ Association, the University of Winnipeg (MB) has announced the planned construction of a new campus cycling hub. The Bike Lab will be a cycling education and advocacy facility that will offer free year-round advice to students, staff, faculty and community member. Programs will include bike maintenance, safety workshops, advocacy and networking workshops, a registry and individualized support plan for all campus bikes. The project received a private donation from an alumnus and a $50,000 capital donation from the university.
U Wisconsin Madison Dedicates Green Research Facility
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has dedicated its first green research facility, designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The 300,000-square-foot Wisconsin Institute for Discovery was built to use 50 percent less energy and water than a typical research lab building on campus. The $150 million construction cost was made possible through the support of the university, state government and private donors.
Wesleyan U Establishes Green Fund Committee
Wesleyan University (CT) has established a Green Fund Committee to support initiatives that move the university forward in sustainability and environmental stewardship. The student-managed committee will finance projects that will decrease the carbon footprint of the university, decrease waste, increase the university’s use of energy from renewable resources and increase the visibility of environmentally responsible practices on campus. The committee raised about $40,000 through a $15 fee collected voluntarily from students during the fall 2010 semester.
Central College Installs New Solar Energy Project
Central College (IA) has installed a new 25-kilowatt solar array energy system. The roof-mounted array is intended to produce power and reduce energy use and cost, while serving as a renewable energy educational tool for students and the community. The solar project was funded by a $250,000 grant from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence and the college expects to save $2,500 per year in utility costs.
Clemson U Uses Renewable Energy to Power Football Game
As part of its push toward a sustainable campus, Clemson University (SC) recently used renewable energy to power its rivalry football game against the University of South Carolina. The university partnered with Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and South Carolina power supplier Santee Cooper, companies that generate renewable energy at landfill biogas and solar stations around the state.
Diversity Remains Scarce on College Governing Boards
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the majority of college trustees are white, male and over 50 years old, according to the results of two surveys released in November by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Whites account for 74.3 percent of the trustee spots at public institutions and 87.5 percent at private institutions, compared with 77.7 percent and 88.1 percent, respectively, in 2004. Women and minorities have gained little ground in the six years since the association's last survey. At 28.4 percent, the share of women serving on governing boards today is almost 2 percent less than it was in 1997. The two surveys yielded responses from 195 public institutions and 507 private institutions.
Humboldt State U Students Launch Free E-Waste Collections
A group of environmental science students at Humboldt State University (CA) has teamed up with the university's Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program, Plant Operations and Environmental Health and Safety to launch e-waste collection drives on campus. The students plan to divert waste like cell phones, laptops, keyboards and alarm clocks from the landfills while raising awareness about the social and environmental impacts of e-waste. The collection drives are open to university students, faculty and staff.
Linfield College Participates in Food Waste Reduction Program
Linfield College (OR) has reduced its campus kitchen food waste by about one-third as part of a Sodexo, Inc. pilot project to track and monitor campus food waste at eight U.S. institutions. Part of its "Stop Wasting Food Campaign," Sodexo partnered with food waste tracking system technology company LeanPath for the pilot study, which is focused on kitchen - or pre-consumer - waste, rather than what customers throw out. The study features a tracking station at each participating school where employees enter data about what they are throwing out and why. Each school has a Stop Waste Action Team (SWAT) to review the waste tracking data, set specific goals for improvement and test waste prevention ideas. Linfield College weighs its pre-consumer waste everyday to calculate the dollar amount that is wasted. Other institutions participating in the waste-reduction pilot program include Coe College (IA); California State University, Monterey Bay; Juniata College (PA); Marist College (NY); Pomona College (CA); University of California, Davis; and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Lone Star College Hosts Alternative Energy Education Project
Lone Star College-Montgomery (TX) has been chosen by the National Algae Association to host a commercial-scale, closed-loop photobioreactor. The photobioreactor will generate green crude from pond scum, which will be used with waste vegetable oil collected from the community to create biodiesel fuel. Students will have the opportunity to help the biotechnology program conduct research through on-site internships and develop partnerships within the energy industry.
Loyola U Chicago Turns Turkey Grease into Biodiesel
Loyola University Chicago’s (IL) Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy collected donations of used turkey grease, animal fat and vegetable oil after Thanksgiving. The center’s biodiesel program will convert the oil collected into biodiesel to be be used in campus vehicles. Additionally, a byproduct of biodiesel will be used to make soap to sell in campus stores.
Missouri U of Science and Technology Announces Geothermal Project
The Missouri University of Science and Technology has announced plans to replace a 65-year-old campus power plant with a geothermal system. The university’s project was approved for debt financing by the University of Missouri Board of Curators and will receive $32.4 million in revenue bond financing. The system is expected to save $1.4 million in energy and campus operational costs annually. The project will take approximately five years to complete.
Northern Essex CC Announces Single-Stream Recycling
Northern Essex Community College (MA) has announced the implementation of single-stream recycling on campus. A joint effort among the city of Havervill and the college's Facilities Management and Environmental Impact and Sustainability Committee, all recyclables including paper, cardboard, plastic and glass can be deposited in the same bin. The college also purchased additional recycling bins.
Penn State U Harrisburg Building Receives LEED Certification
Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg’s newest residence hall has received LEED certification. The 30,000-square-foot building opened in August and houses approximately 100 students. Sustainable features include energy-efficient lighting systems, recycled carpet with low VOC levels, low-flow plumbing fixtures and rain gardens. Local resources were also utilized during construction.
Purdue U Receives $1.2 Million Grant to Promote Organic Farming
Purdue University (IN) has received a $1.2 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote organic farming in Indiana. The university will focus on increasing information on organic farming practices and identify potential economic and marketing obstacles and opportunities for organic farmers. The grant will also help start a student farm on about three acres west of campus.
