Elmhurst College Hosts No Waste Lunch
Promoting green lifestyles to the incoming freshman class, the college’s no waste lunch efforts included compostable napkins, plates and silverware, and a team of volunteers to person the waste receptacles.
Indiana U Child Center Receives Environmental Certification
The Campus View Child Care Center received the Children’s Environmental Health Network’s Eco-Healthy Child Care Certification in recognition of its work to implement environmentally healthy best practices. The center’s efforts include use of nondisposable eating ware and nontoxic cleaning supplies, and participating in a service learning project to create a wildlife area near the center.
Indiana U-Purdue U Introduces Car Sharing Program
An initiative out of the Transportation Sustainability Committee, the university has partnered with Zipcar to launch a campus car sharing program for students, faculty, staff and members of the community. The program will initially offer two vehicles on campus.
Lafayette College Building Receives LEED Gold
The Grossman House for Global Perspectives, the college’s newest student living community, was renovated with sustainable features including reflective windows, stormwater retention tank, a greywater system, demolition recycling and an indoor bicycle storage facility.
Lawrence Technological U Receives $20M Gift
Supporting the planned Dr. Richard E. Marburger STEM Center, funding will bolster, in part, academic programming in sustainable design and energy systems, and support cross-disciplinary faculty training and instructional resources.
Manhattan College Names Coordinator of New Env Science Program
Yelda Balkir will develop the college’s new environmental science bachelor and master programs, planned to begin fall 2014. She holds a doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Science from Duquesne University, and a Bachelor of Science from Istanbul Technical University.
New York State Announces Awardees for Large Solar Projects
In an effort to boost the state’s solar capacity, $54 million was awarded under its NY-Sun initiative. Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the following colleges and universities were funded: State College of New York Cortland, Rochester Institute of Technology, Clarkson University and Cornell University.
Northern State U Unveils New International Sculpture Garden
Combining the university’s international education mission and its passion for the arts, the new space will display five sculptures by Vietnamese artist Tuan Nguyen, made possible by Picture Art Foundation, and other sculptures by regional and national artists.
Obama Explains the New College Affordability Legislation
On the recent bus tour in New York and Pennsylvania, the president says the new plan intends to rate colleges based on outcomes, initiate competition between schools to lower the graduation rate, and help more students participate in the pay as you earn loan repayment program. Schools he visited include University of Buffalo, Binghamton University and Lackawanna College.
Ray C. Anderson Foundation Awards $600K to Higher Education
In support of environmental initiatives and sustainability research, the recipients include Auburn University, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and University of South Mississippi.
Slippery Rock U Students Help Businesses Go Green
Through the university’s Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator, student interns recently conducted energy audits, planned for solar panel installations, and researched tax credits and grants for local businesses using solar energy.
SUNY Cortland Commits to 100% Renewable Electricity
The first in the 64-campus State University New York system, the university will receive electrical power from 100% renewable energy for all facilities. More than 700 new solar panels will be added, and the university will purchase 16 million kilowatts of renewable energy credits per year. Efforts to use renewable energy support its master’s program in sustainable energy systems.
U Dayton Gives 100 Bicycles Away to Students
In an effort to create a bike-friendly campus and reduce its carbon footprint, incoming freshman students who have signed a two year no-car pledge received a free bicycle. Of the 293 students that signed the pledge, 100 were selected.
U Maryland, Ohio State U Develop Student Literacy Assessment
In an effort to understand what students know about sustainability when they enter college, the universities have developed an Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) tool of 28 questions, available for any higher education institution to use.
U Minnesota Opens New Sustainable Housing
Intentionally designed to foster community among residents, features of the new 17th Avenue Hall include regional and renewable materials, a Fresh Food Company restaurant, a greywater system, a green roof and Energy Star certified equipment.
U.S. Institute of Peace Announces Grant Recipients
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the Institute of International Education have awarded 58 institutions a mini-grant for peace-building events that advance and promote the understanding of peace-building and international conflict resolution.
Washington U St. Louis Students Develop Retrofit Plan
Due to aging 1920s and ‘30s-era university owned apartment buildings, an interdisciplinary team of researchers and students have developed a framework to retrofit the buildings to become more environmentally friendly and space efficient.
Wesleyan U Students Use Permaculture on Campus
New this summer, students used decaying wood and mulch to retain water and release nutrients in raised beds across campus, increased edible landscaping, and remade a footpath into stairs and a planted terrace following permaculture principles.
Whitman College Appoints New Sustainability Coordinator
Beginning July 1, Tristan Sewell will coordinate projects including waste management, long-term planning in campus sustainability, climate action planning and student engagement. She is the first to hold this position at the college.
3 Massachusetts Schools Receive $387K for STEM Programs
(U.S.): As part of the state’s Clean Energy Center Workforce Capacity Building Program, the grants will aid projects that help build science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs at Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College and Northeastern University. The schools will receive $100,000, $144,000 and $143,000 respectively. Bristol CC will provide STEM-related curricula to educators to increase students’ exposure to clean energy career paths. Cape Cod CC will build a college preparatory program to serve low income high school students who are interested in careers in the solar energy field. Northeastern U will offer a credit bearing, clean energy course for low income high school students.
American U Adopts Tobacco and Smoke Free Policy
(U.S.): After years of discussion and months of planning, the new policy aims to reduce the amount of cigarette butts and other tobacco product-related litter on campus, support the university’s LEED certification efforts, and create a cleaner environment throughout the campus. Effective August 15, the policy applies to students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Amrita U Implements New Green Campus Initiative
(India): Encouraging students to contribute to greening efforts, the new campus initiative was announced via video conferencing by the chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, Rajendra K. Pachauri. By engaging students, the university hopes to usher in sustainability and promote change.
Anna U Installs 3kW Solar Project
(India): The Indian university in Chennai has installed the photovoltaic array to reduce its dependence on non-renewable forms of energy. Projected to produce an average of 12 kilowatts per day, the array was donated by an alumnus. The university plans to set up similar solar stations at constituent institutions to meet the state’s solar mandate, which indicates that 6 percent of total power consumed by educational institutions be met by solar.
Auburn U Receives $84K Grant for Waste Reduction
(U.S.): The grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management will be used to fund new recycling bins and Waste Reduction & Recycling Department outreach efforts. The university aims to foster a more convenient recycling environment and culture of waste reduction.
Boston U Approves Gender Neutral Campus Housing
(U.S.): In an effort to empower students, the university’s president has recently approved a University Council recommendation to allow two or more students to share a bedroom, suite, or apartment without regard to gender.
Campus Pride Names Top LGBT Friendly Schools
(U.S.): The annual listing of the Top 25-LGBT Friendly Colleges and Universities was compiled from data gathered from the Campus Pride Index, free of charge for any institution to participate. They are Case Western Reserve University; Connecticut College; Ithaca College; Carleton College; Macalester College; Oberlin College; Portland State University; Princeton University; Rutgers University; Southern Oregon University; Stanford University; The Ohio State University; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Illinois, Chicago; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; University of Michigan; University of Minnesota, Duluth; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; University of Oregon, University of Pennsylvania; University of Southern California; University of Washington; and Washington State University.
Cebu Institutions Compete in Green Fashion Show
(Philippines): Aiming to promote reducing, reusing, recycling, rejuvenating communities and renewable energy generation, the recent Green Fashion Revolution featured costumes made of paper, sacks and tarps.
Champlain College Students Fund Apiary
(U.S.): An offshoot of their work in the Peruvian Amazon, the on-campus beekeeping will be the college’s first living, learning laboratory. The project’s long-term financial sustainability made possible by the 2013 Senior Class Gift, the apiary will support the campus ecosystem and enhance curriculum.
Fleming College Rolls Out Corporate Sustainability Plan
(Canada): The new plan details the college’s goals and strategies for implementing sustainability initiatives and metrics into the college’s operations, curriculum and administration. Also a first for the college, as part of the plan, it established an Office of Sustainability.
Harvard Allston Farmers Market Hosts Composting Program
(U.S.): The first of its kind for the City of Boston, the university’s market will pilot a compostable food scraps drop-off location for city residents. Food scraps collected during the pilot program will be hauled off-site for composting.
Michigan State U Implements Vermicomposting
(U.S.): As part of the university’s Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE), a group of faculty and students are using worms to turn food waste into organic fertilizer. Food from the greenhouse where the fertilizer is used is sold to campus chefs.
Montgomery County CC to Install Solar Panels
(U.S.): As part of a $4 million project with Siemens, 44 solar panels are set to be installed near the school’s Advanced Technology Center by October. The school plans to convert the on-campus electric vehicle charging stations to batteries charged by the photovoltaic panels.
Nine Microgrid Projects Awarded $7.2M
(U.S.): In partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Connecticut just announced funding for projects that are designed to keep critical buildings powered during electric grid outages. The University of Hartford will receive $4.33 million, the University of Connecticut’s Depot campus will receive $2.14 million, and Wesleyan University will receive $694,000.
Northeastern U Goes Smoke Free
(U.S.): Instigated by a 10-member committee of students, faculty and staff, the university has adopted a new campus-wide smoke-free policy which aligns with their its focus on solving global challenges in health.
Penn State Debuts Online Renewable Energy Masters
(U.S.): Due to growing interest in the renewable energy market, the university has developed a program to provide students with foundational knowledge in renewable energy and sustainability systems. Students of the new program, Intercollege Master of Professional Studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems, study with faculty from multiple academic units.
Portland State U Students Host ‘EcoSwap’
(U.S.): As part of their capstone course focusing on waste and materials management, students collaborated with area organizations to uncover the types of materials that businesses and residents accumulate. During the pilot event, people were encouraged to take what they wanted while leftover goods were reused or recycled.
Prescott College Housing Project Awarded LEED Platinum
(U.S.): The Village’s sustainable features include a photovoltaic array that creates a net zero energy building, high-efficiency design, LED lighting, use of recycled materials, designated parking for low emissions or carpool vehicles, native landscaping and riparian habitat restoration.
Student Green Fund Awards Funding for 25 Projects
(England): Led by a student funding panel, the National Union of Students will fund 25 ethical and environmental projects which intend to drive sustainability across their campuses. Projects include greening of unions, sustainability curriculum and community work. The Students’ Green Fund is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
