AASHE Events Forum
AASHE has created an Events Forum for discussions about upcoming campus sustainability events. This is a place for the campus sustainability community to continue conversations and/or collaborate with others prior to, or after, an event takes place. This forum can be used for a variety of purposes including continued conversations about a topic from a session attended, to find speakers for an upcoming presentation or to discuss an upcoming conference.
Responsible Endowments Coalition's STARS Companion Guide
As a partner on the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), the Responsible Endowments Coalition (REC) has released a companion guide to the STARS sustainable investment section. The guide can be accessed by STARS member institutions in the "Additional Resources" section of the STARS Reporting Tool website as well as in the Handbooks section of the REC website. From difficulty evaluating investments to a lack of understanding of a Committee on Socially Responsible Investment or a Committee on Investor Responsibility, this guide is intended to help institutions understand how best to answer questions and score points in this STARS section. The guide also features a worksheet tool.
EPA Renewable Energy Cost Database
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has compiled a database of existing cost data for wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and geothermal energy technologies, including historical costs and projected costs for each. Despite the rapid growth of the renewable energy sector, there are few publicly available compilations of the data on renewable energy costs. This database is an attempt to fill this void of renewable energy - specifically for electricity generation - cost information.
New AASHE Guest Blog Series: Sustainable Study Abroad
Studying abroad can promote sustainability if programs adhere to higher standards of sustainable practices, says Living Routes Director Daniel Greenberg. In a mini-series that AASHE will publish in four installments over the next month, Greenberg uses Living Routes as a case study to flesh out four identified strategies for sustainable study abroad including program design and management, student learning, staff training and office management, and promotion. The first installment of this series examines the program design and management of a study abroad program.
AASHE Debuts New Events Newsletter
AASHE has recently launched a new and improved Events Newsletter. Subscribe to this monthly communication to stay up-to-date on AASHE events and professional development opportunities such as workshops, conferences, webinars, talks and more. The AASHE Events Newsletter includes dates and times of events, registration deadlines, guidelines for conference abstract submissions, special offers and discounts.
A Blueprint for Advancing Education for Sustainability
The result of a November 2010 gathering of representatives from 23 national organizations, including AASHE, that work with the U.S. higher education sector to promote Education for Sustainability (EfS), this blueprint is intended to synergize efforts, avoid duplication and accelerate the EfS movement. The blueprint aims to promote broad participation and leadership from a diverse spectrum of racial, geographic and socio-economic communities.
Bon Appetit Student Garden Guide
Based on its work with numerous student organizers on higher education campuses to serve student-grown produce in its campus cafes, Bon Appetit has composed a Student Garden Guide to help students establish a successful relationship between their campus food service provider and their student garden.
'Greening the Bottom Line' Report: Green Revolving Funds
In collaboration with 11 partner organizations including AASHE, the Sustainable Endowments Institute has released a new report, "Greening the Bottom Line: The Trend toward Green Revolving Funds on Campus." The publication brings to light current trends based on a 2010 survey of green revolving funds that included 52 institutions with at least $66 million invested through green revolving funds. The report details how these funds help cut operating expenses and greenhouse gas emissions and how cost savings are used to replenish the fund for investment in the next round of green upgrades.
New AASHE Guest Blog Series: Sustainability Groundhog Cycle
Over the next month, guest bloggers from WAP Sustainability will look at what they refer to as the “sustainability groundhog cycle.” For professionals trying to implement sustainability in a university setting who feel like they are reliving the same experiences and not making progress in their fight to create a more sustainable campus community, this blog series will include insights uncovered from WAP’s sustainability experience in government, industry and higher education. Topics covered will include effective engagement by removing barriers of departmental segregation; purchasing and the power of life cycle thinking in the supply chain; success stories from the world of effective messaging; building momentum from the local community and business leaders; and the integration of sustainability and traditional curriculum.
STARS Unveils 1.1 Technical Manual
AASHE has released STARS 1.1, a version of STARS with minor substantive changes to the previous version, STARS 1.0. Minor substantive changes include changing reporting fields associated with a credit; modifying criteria or definitions within a credit; and modifying how points are calculated for individual credits. Minor changes do not include adding or deleting credits, point allocation and overall scoring calculations. The STARS Steering Committee approved the changes, which were recommended by Technical Advisor Work Groups and STARS staff in response to STARS participants' questions and comments regarding STARS 1.0. New STARS Participants should use the most recent version of the Technical Manual, which is available for free download at the STARS website. All institutions registering after Feb. 9, 2011 will be required to use STARS 1.1.
Inside Higher Ed 'Academic Minute': Green Construction
By 2030, 35 billion square feet of the current U.S. building stock will have been demolished and replaced, requiring enough energy to power the state of California for 10 years, says Liliane Wong of the Rhode Island School of Design in this Inside Higher Ed "Academic Minute" feature. "Efforts to reverse this trend have brought about a new focus on the practice of adaptive reuse in which an existing building is transformed and reused for a new purpose," she says. "Endeavors to achieve a net zero 2030 are part of a continuum that extends many centuries back, connecting an unlikely group that includes Roman emperors, popes, Renaissance architects, present day architects and designers from around the world."
Earthscan 'Sustainability Education & Training' Webinar
Part of its Earthcast webinar series, Earthscan's archived "Sustainability Education & Training" highlights ideas and strategies for embedding sustainability in curricula and professional development. Sustainability authors Stephen Sterling, Cheryl Desha and Paul Murray look at the response of higher education and training to the sustainability agenda, the challenges that remain and innovations that are working in this free resource.
AASHE Debuts New and Improved Website
AASHE has unveiled a new website with a clean design and improved navigation. Based on user feedback, the website content has been reorganized to better highlight AASHE's main programs and resources.
New Online Ecoliteracy Educational Construct
Earth Smarts, a new ecoliteracy educational construct from science journalist and University of South Florida professor Bryan Nichols, is a free website designed to be practical, apolitical and adaptable across cultures and bioregions. The construct offers education tools for preserving ecological knowledge in a way that is flexible to encourage teacher localization and creativity, and focused to be practical in modern, standards-based classrooms.
New Online Resources from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has announced the launch of a new website that features a database of more than 140 clean energy training and education programs in Massachusetts. The center has also developed a library of new, clean energy curriculum resources in partnership with the workforce development agency Commonwealth Corporation.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of Emerald Group Publishing Limited's International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education explores the state of sustainability reporting at Canadian colleges and universities, emerging campus sustainability curricula models in higher education, and the college student's perception of campus sustainability.
USDA Sustainable Living Education National Network
Efforts are underway to link sustainable living educators through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Living Education National Network of natural resource and extension professionals. The network aims to integrate the sustainable living concept into every extension program area by investigating, educating and modeling sustainable living practices to individuals, families, institutions, businesses, camps and schools. A unified national network will give participants the tools to apply sustainable living concepts to more traditional extension topics such as energy and water conservation in the home, green design residential housing, environmental education, youth leadership and community capacity building.
Debut Issue of Sustainability Accounting, Mgmt and Policy Journal
The inaugural issue of the Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal explores whether social accounting might become a multidisciplinary field, whether market participants see value in the publication of sustainability reports and how human rights' values influence the development of social responsibility practice. New from Emerald Group Publishing Limited, the journal features articles geared toward practitioners, policymakers and researchers.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., has published Vol. 3, No. 6 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The December issue includes a look at the sociotechnological challenges faced in "The Future of Urban Sustainability"; an editorial by SCA Tissue Sustainability Marketing Manager Mike Kapalko that examines how businesses currently marketing a green image can avoid falling into the greenwashing trap; and a book review of Michael Russo’s "Companies on a Mission: Entrepreneurial Strategies for Growing Sustainably, Responsibly, and Profitably."
A Review of the Treatment of Climate Change in Economic Textbooks
The Sightline Institute, a resource for best practices for public policy in the Northwest, has released a review of the bestselling economic textbooks for their treatment of climate change. "Grading Economics Textbooks on Climate Change" reveals that of 16 textbooks, more than half are using information on climate change that is several years old. Five books fell into the "not recommended" category for factual inaccuracies, omissions and misinformation in the face of widespread scientific consensus.
BioCycle Upgrades Online Composting Facilities Directory
BioCycle Magazine has released a new, more user-friendly version of FindAComposter.com, a publicly searchable directory of composting facilities in the U.S. and Canada. The magazine created the online directory and resource guide in partnership with the Biodegradable Products Institute in an effort to make it easier to divert organic waste streams and buy compost. Visitors to the site may now enter a ZIP code to identify composting facilities within a 50-mile radius or may search for facilities by name. The new site offers the ability to integrate with social media platforms and an upcoming "Feedstock" blog will include site profiles and links to current events and stories in the world of organics recycling.
U.S. Dept of Energy's 'Guide to Financing EnergySmart Schools'
The U.S. Department of Energy has released the new "Guide to Financing EnergySmart Schools." Written for school administrators and board members, the document provides information on the process of financing energy-efficient school renovations, retrofits or new construction and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of financing mechanisms.
AASHE Debuts Searchable Forum Database
AASHE has unveiled a new search interface that allows forum visitors to search through all entries posted on AASHE's Campus Sustainability Discussion Forum. Posts are searchable by forum topic or terms, with the option to limit searches to STARS and the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) posts.
AASHE Open Space Conf Call: Ed for Sustainability Info Exchange
Kankakee Community College (IL) Dean of Sustainability and Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) Sustainability Fellow Bert Jacobson addressed topics related to educating for a sustainable future through collaboration and institutional transformation during this November AASHE Open Space Conference Call. Available free online to AASHE members, Jacobson discusses the Sustainability Task Force of the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium's Sustainability Planning Workshop and the current status and lessons learned from the Illinois Green Economy Network’s statewide effort to create a standardized Greening Your Curriculum for faculty.
USGBC 'Hands-On LEED: Guiding College Student Engagement'
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council has released "Hands-On LEED: Guiding College Student Engagement." Intended for campus staff and faculty, the document discusses how to involve students in green building projects and facilitate their contributions to the LEED certification process. The guide outlines three options for engaging students including course work, internships and volunteer opportunities, and provides implementation options for each.
AASHE List of Campus Telecommuting Policies
AASHE has released a new list of campus telecommuting policies. Offering a telecommute program for employees helps to cut down transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Telecommuting programs are also recognized in AASHE's STARS program as a tier-two credit. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE, USGBC, Kyoto Publishing: 'Climate Neutral Campus Report'
In collaboration with AASHE and the U.S. Green Building Council, Kyoto Publishing, USA has released the second edition of the "Climate Neutral Campus Report." The report features white papers, case studies and interviews with practitioners to deliver a fresh perspective on how sustainability is impacting and being driven by faculty, administrators, facilities managers and students. This project aims to accelerate the adoption of green building and sustainability initiatives on campuses by educating the major stakeholders about the successful initiatives and rapid return on investment that colleges and universities are achieving.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., has published Vol. 3, No. 5 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The October issue features a salary survey of sustainability professionals, conducted by the University of California, San Diego Extension in collaboration with the journal; a look at the policies, programs and results of sustainable travel; and a roundtable discussion of sustainability as an academic discipline with educators from Ithaca College (NY), Philadelphia University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Slippery Rock University (PA), Baldwin-Wallace College (OH), Drew University (NJ) and Dalhousie University (NS).
USGBC Guide to Multiple-Building, On-Campus Building Projects
The U.S. Green Building Council has released the "2010 LEED Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects." The free document was created to provide guidance when applying the LEED rating systems to multiple-building and on-campus projects that are on a shared site under the control of a single entity including educational campus installations.
AASHE 2010 Conference Coverage
For a look at panels, keynote speakers and meeting discussions during the AASHE 2010 conference, held Oct. 10-12 in Denver, visit the AASHE Campus Sustainability Blog. Blog posts include recaps of the largest Student Summit in AASHE conference history, the Curriculum Call to Action and Working with Athletics discussions, STARS Town Hall Meeting and keynote speaker presentations.
USGBC 'Roadmap to a Green Campus'
The U.S. Green Building Council has released "Roadmap to a Green Campus," which provides strategies for using the LEED green building certification program as a framework for developing and evolving campus-wide sustainability plans. The document references more than 100 tools and resources to support campus greening efforts including profiles of institutional success stories.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of Emerald Group Publishing Limited's International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features a research paper from Arizona State University titled, "Real-World Learning Opportunities in Sustainability: From Classroom into the Real World." The study analyzes the aim of academic sustainability programs to develop key competencies in sustainability including problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate successfully with experts and stakeholders. The new issue also includes a conceptual paper from the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, that highlights the importance of values and beliefs rooted in "non-Western" cultures in implementing global education initiatives like sustainable development at the regional and local levels.
Northwest Earth Institute's Human and Enviro Health Course Book
The Northwest Earth Institute has released a new discussion course book titled, "A World of Health: Connecting People, Place and Planet." The six-session resource explores the interaction between human and environmental health with readings by leading authors in the field, links to relevant educational video clips, short homework assignments with accompanying discussion questions and weekly What You Can Do lists.
SEED: American Association of Community Colleges Green Job Center
The American Association of Community Colleges, together with ecoAmerica, has launched a leadership initiative and resource center to provide guidance and resources for community colleges to reduce campus pollution and prepare students for careers in the emerging green economy. The SEED Center (Sustainability Education & Economic Development) is an online collection of free resources including curricula material and promising practices, as well as a place to for colleges to share information and interact with peers.
AASHE Debuts 'AASHE Bulletin' Database
AASHE has made available every published Bulletin story, event, opportunity and job listing in one searchable interface with the launch of the AASHE Bulletin database. The interface can be used to search for specific Bulletin items or to browse the database of published Bulletin items from 2008 to present. Users can search by issue date, story topic or date range. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE Interview Series: Ventex President Harrison Murphy
AASHE recently interviewed Ventex President Harrison Murphy, kicking off a new series of interviews with AASHE Business Leader Members and other selected businesses. Murphy talked about his company's commitment to sustainability and how he sees Ventex, which provides fire barrier and other highly engineered fabrics, contributing to campus sustainability efforts.
Food and Energy Systems Course Module
Creative Change Educational Solutions has developed a Food and Energy Systems course module for higher education institutions. Available through the organization's Curriculum and Resource Center, the unit provides enough instruction for six to nine weeks. Sample lessons include "Community Food Systems Map," "Energy Transfer in Food Chains" and "Life Before Ketchup," which explores the geographic origins of common foods to learn how trade has shaped food systems over time.
Second Nature Report: Teaching Concepts of Sustainable Building
Second Nature, with the U.S. Green Building Council, has released "Advancing Education for Sustainability: Teaching the Concepts of Sustainable Building to All Students." The strategy paper explores the role of the built environment in educating students about sustainability and provides guidance for higher education to integrate and practice strategies to teach students about sustainable building principles. Included in the paper is a set of core sustainable building concepts, examples of institutions that are successfully teaching their students about sustainability and an appendix of resources.
AASHE Campus Sustainability Case Studies
AASHE has released a campus sustainability case study database which features more than 60 case studies from across the U.S. and Canada. The case studies span all sectors of campus sustainability including campus operations, education and research, and planning, engagement and administration. The case study database was built in response to AASHE member demand and is intended to foster information sharing between campuses and serve as a useful resource for accelerating campus sustainability. The database also serves as a repository for case studies submitted as part of AASHE's campus sustainability case study awards program. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE List of Campus Supported Agriculture and Farms
AASHE has published a collection of campus farms and campus supported agriculture programs that are sources of sustainable food for the campus community. These CSA farms and programs supply locally grown food to campus eateries and members of the campus community. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE List of Campus Energy Dashboards
AASHE has published a new resource that lists building energy dashboards in use at colleges and universities. Energy dashboards monitor the energy consumption of a facility and can present the data to users in an interactive way. They may be physically available as touchscreens installed at kiosks in or near the facility being monitored, or made available online at a website. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
Second Nature, USGBC: Advancing Ed for Sustainability
Second Nature and the U.S. Green Building Council have released "Advancing Education for Sustainability: Teaching the Concepts of Sustainable Building to All Students." The paper explores the role of the built environment in educating students about sustainability. In addition to providing an appendix of action-oriented resources, the paper provides a core set of sustainable building concepts, examples of institutions that are successfully teaching their students about sustainability, and recommendations of steps that higher education institutions can take to provide students with the knowledge and skills to create a sustainable future.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. has published Vol. 3, No. 4 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The August issue features an editorial about real-world sustainability education by Steven Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Also included in the new issue is a look at the rewards of eco-friendly measures for professional sports teams, and a paper from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University that seeks to lay out a strategy to achieve more widespread adoption of sustainability measurement.
AASHE Releases 'A Call to Action' for Higher Ed Sustainability
AASHE has released Sustainability Curriculum in Higher Education: A Call to Action, a culmination of the ideas presented during AASHE’s Summit on Sustainability in the Curriculum , held February 25-27, 2010 in San Diego, Calif. The meeting brought together faculty from public and private four-year colleges and universities, two-year community colleges, and representatives from higher education organizations to address how higher education institutions can further infuse sustainability topics into college and university curricula. The 13-page report is available free from the AASHE website.
AASHE List of Campus Stormwater Policies
AASHE has published a new resource that lists campus stormwater policies and procedures. This new resource exists independently of water conservation policies, which can be found within general Campus Water Conservation Policies. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
BioCycle Collects Composting Curriculum Stories
BioCycle's July issue features case studies of campuses that have tied composting into academic programs. Projects featured in the composting and organics recycling magazine include Allegheny College's (PA) in-vessel composting operation for food scraps; Appalachian State University's (NC) pilot aerated static pile project; Clark University's (MA) student-initiated composting lectures and labs opportunities; Guilford College's (NC) in-vessel composting program to manage food and other compostable waste from the dining hall; Murray State University's (KY) compost and gardening program; and the University of Georgia's composting research initiatives.
AASHE List of Campus Community Gardens
AASHE has published a new resource that lists institutions that have campus community gardens that use organic gardening techniques. Nearly 100 institutions in the U.S. and Canada are currently represented. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of Emerald Group Publishing Limited's International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features a case study from Univeristi Sains Malaysia about the creation of an MBA program in sustainable development. The study includes examples and ideas for promoting sustainable development for the business community. The new issue also includes sustainability stories from Japan and New Delhi universities.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. has published Vol. 3, No. 3 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. David B. Goldstein presents an energy-efficient alternative to a future of continued oil use in the editorial, "Save More, Spill Less," and the University of Maryland, College Park is profiled for its sustainability efforts. Also included in the new issue is an interview with Wildlife Conservation Society's J. Carter Ingram and a book review of Joan Fitzgerald's "Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development."
AASHE List of Sustainability Study Abroad Programs
AASHE has published a new resource that lists institutions with active sustainability study abroad programs (general and discipline-specific). Also included are sustainability-centered study abroad programs offered by study abroad organizations. The resource is available to AASHE members and non-members.
