New York University’s WILF Hall has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. A green roof and two planted terraces help insulate the building year-round and filter pollutants out of rainwater, reducing runoff into the sewers. More than 90 percent of all construction and demolition debris was reused or recycled. Additional features include bicycle storage and showers for commuting riders.

Okanagan College (BC) has received a $100,000 gift from Great-West Life, half of which will be used to develop a three-year sustainable construction management technology program. The program has already received support from the Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of British Columbia and major construction firms. The other half of the donation will cover capital costs for the college's Centre for Excellence.

Rasmussen College (MN) has announced an 11 percent reduction in tuition for its for medical administration degree program. In effect starting in April, the tuition decrease is in response to President Obama's call to institutions to reign in college costs. In early 2011, the college also lowered the credit cost of its medical assisting associate degree program.

Rutgers University (NJ) has partnered with the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group’s Energy Service Corps for a “Green the Greek” initiative. The program targets on-campus sorority and fraternity houses for weatherization projects, and teaches residents the basics. Once completed, sorority and fraternity members help with additional energy audits around campus.

Saint Louis University (MO) has launched an accelerated Master of Sustainability degree program. The Center for Sustainability gives undergraduate students a head start on the program with the option to complete up to one full year of graduate coursework prior to enrollment, allowing them to complete the degree in one year.

San Jose State University (CA) has received a grant from the Valley Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Area Quality Management District to launch a regional bike sharing program this spring. The program will include 400 bicycles and 40 bike share stations.

Stanford University (CA) has been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters by the National Center for Transit Research for the ninth consecutive year. The university also received the "Best Of" award in the Best Workplaces for Commuters 2011 Race to Excellence.

With 168 buildings participating in the recent winter break energy curtailment effort, Stanford University (CA) has reported a savings of $266,000 in operating costs. This is a 32 percent increase from 2010. Since 2001, the winter curtailment program has saved about $2.5 million.

Organized by its Wesley Foundation and Community Renewal, Texas Christian University is providing students with resources to learn about indoor gardening. Students pick their own seeds and plant them in containers for their rooms as part of a "Garden in a Tight Spot" workshop.

In an effort to encourage bus ridership to campus, the University at Albany (NY) has implemented a new GPS tracking system on their bus fleet. The wireless system allows the university community to see the location of buses via smart phone or monitors placed around campus. The university received a $166,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the NYS Department of Transportation for the project.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have started projects to develop and deploy systems to modernize the nation’s electrical grid system into one that relies on renewable energy. The "smarter, greener electric grid for the future" would enable drivers to plug their cars into a grid predominately powered by solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. The research will work toward California Gov. Jerry Brown’s call to install 12,000 megawatts of renewable power generation in the state by 2020.

The University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry has received a $3.5 million gift from the Dow Chemical Company Foundation to design a new curriculum based on the principles of sustainability and green chemistry. The lab curriculum will be revised to incorporate sustainability into every experiment. The funding will also be used to renovate the teaching labs to be more energy-efficient.

The University of Iowa's State Hygienic Laboratory has earned LEED Gold certification. The building's grounds feature xeriscaping, which uses plants suited to the climate so that no special watering is needed. Ninety percent of the building has access to natural light and more than one-third of the building products are made from recycled content.

The University of Maryland College Park has announced $130,000 in Sustainability Fund awards. Supported by a student sustainability fee, the fund will aid composting, wind, green roof, food recovery and aquaponics research this year, among other projects.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, recognized as a Carnegie Engaged Institution for its work in the community, has announced plans to revise its tenure and promotion guidelines to include community planning research, reports Inside Higher Ed. If approved, community engagement will qualify for promotion and tenure in the research, teaching or service category.

The University of Oregon's Office of Sustainability is promoting sustainability awareness on campus with a new campus-wide Green Office certification program. Offices can earn points in areas including energy and water use, purchasing and managing materials, computer and electronics usage, lighting, heating and cooling, transportation and special events to become bronze-, silver-, gold- or platinum-certified. The program also features an office-level transportation survey that generates automated reports for staff and a space-heater exchange.

Wake Forest University (NC) has implemented a new building dashboard to monitor energy use and energy reduction efforts in 39 buildings across campus. The Lucid Design Group dashboard monitors water and kilowatt usage, carbon dioxide emissions and energy costs.

Washington University in St. Louis (MO) is profiled in a recent College Planning & Management article for its pilot "blue cleaning" program. Coined by ARAMARK, the phrase refers to the elimination of chemical cleaners in favor of electrically activated water. After a successful year, the college is in the midst of a comprehensive training program to aid its transition entirely away from chemical cleaners.

Western Washington University students have designed and proposed a sustainable dorm pilot program. The project would work to get energy-efficient lights, low-flow faucets, power meters and new appliances installed in a test room. If approved, the room would serve as an educational space for students.

Over the next year, Yale University (CT) will compare a gas-powered transit van with a new all-electric van with zero emissions to determine if a permanent switch will be beneficial. A new charging station will monitor usage information including the electric van's kilowatt usage.

California’s 112 community colleges reported that revenues from student fees are $107 million below projections for the current fiscal year as more economically strapped students seek and receive fee waivers, reports a recent article in the Los Angeles Times. In addition, property tax revenues also fell short of estimates by about $41 million. The state’s community colleges chancellor said the shortfall would result in the further reduction of course sections, additional borrowing and staff reductions. Student fees will also be raised from $36 to $46 per unit this summer.

The University of California, Office of the President has released its annual report on sustainability practices in its system. To date, highlights include 87 LEED certifications (including new construction, renovations, homes and existing building certifications; more than $32 million in annual cost savings from energy efficiency projects; and nine campuses that are diverting at least 50 percent of municipal waste from landfills. The University of Winnipeg’s (MB) Board of Regents has approved a comprehensive new sustainability plan aimed at strengthening sustainability-minded practices in all aspects of campus life. Ten specific goals will guide actions over the next four years including the reduction of water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and diverting 65 percent of all waste through composting and recycling by 2014. McGill University (QC) has embarked on Vision 2020: Creating a Sustainable McGill, a year-long consultation process to build an overarching sustainability vision and action plan for the entire university community. The conversation will happen online and at various events on its two campuses throughout 2012. The collaborative, student-driven initiative is being carried out with funding from the university's Sustainability Projects Fund. Yale University's (CT) Office of Sustainability has released its 2011 Strategic Plan Progress Report, outlining long-term goals and the progress made to date. Progress in 2011 included a 20 percent reduction in campus waste, a 15.3 percent reduction in campus energy consumption since 2005 and $39,825 awarded to campus sustainability projects through its new microloan program. Michigan State University has unveiled its Energy Transition Plan, a strategic document to help the university toward 100 percent renewable energy. With this plan, the university will pursue aggressive, sustainable energy conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; invest in sustainable energy research and development; and work to become an educational leader in sustainable energy. The University of Michigan's Office of Campus Sustainability has released its 2011 Annual Sustainability Report covering more than 170 environmental metrics. Highlights include the completion of a Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment and subsequent goals to reduce its environmental impact; an 8 percent reduction in campus energy use; and 3 percent drop in total waste production from fiscal year 2010.

A graduate student Environmental Design Team at Clarkson University (NY) recently earned the first place platinum award at the 2012 International Capstone Design Contest on Renewable Energy Technology in South Korea for its integrated food and waste management system. Housed in a passive solar building with an aeroponic growing system, LED lights and extensive sensors and controls for energy efficiency, the cold climate greenhouse converts campus food waste into heat, electricity and fertilizer. The international competition is sponsored by Mokpo National University and Offshore Wind Energy Center.

Nine District of Columbia university presidents have joined Mayor Vincent C. Gray to sign his College and University Sustainability Pledge (CUSP). An effort to help drive city-wide engagement and progress toward a sustainable city, the pledge is an agreement to pursue sustainability measures related to energy use and buildings, green education, transportation, waste reduction, grounds maintenance, purchasing, and the management and reporting of progress. Each higher education signatory will implement its own commitments and goals for sustainability by the pledge's Dec. 31, 2012 deadline, when the District of Columbia aims to declare itself the “Greenest College Town in America.”

Florida A&M University has passed a new Student Green Energy Fund. Between 25 cents and $1 per credit hour will be paid by each student toward energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on campus. The fund is sponsored by the university’s Green Coalition, which works with campus officials to create a more sustainable campus.

Furman University's (SC) Center for Corporate and Professional Development has introduced a new online process that allows businesses to identify, benchmark and reduce their energy, water and waste management operating costs. The BEST (Businesses Engaged in Sustainability for Tomorrow) program generates a series of recommendations and estimated costs and savings through a custom dashboard specific to each business.

Illinois State University’s Department of Management and Quantitative Methods has announced a new minor in business environment and sustainability. The program is designed to help organizations hire trained and competent professionals to champion sustainability initiatives within the organization. Course subjects will include foundations in sustainability, environmental systems and social systems.

Members of Iowa State University’s ActivUs student organization recently held a press conference urging administrators to eliminate the burning of coal on campus. The organization has collected 2,500 signatures calling for the use of renewable energy resources instead.

Iowa's Board of Regents has released a strategic plan to improve the higher education retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students by 2016. Key components include providing academic guidance, building a cohort group of fellow students to act as a support network, scholarship programs and targeted summer orientation. The University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa will work to close the gap between the six-year graduation rates of underrepresented minority students and nonminority students by 50 percent.

Michigan State University has started saving thousands of dollars in construction costs by using recycled concrete for campus projects. The university is keeping the discarded concrete from the landfill by using it mainly as a sub-base beneath sidewalks and asphalt parking lots.

Based on student concerns, Northeastern University (MA) has announced that it won't consider restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A for a spot in the student union. Based on reports that the company has donated to groups that lobby against measures that promote equity for gay people, the Student Government recommended the ban.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Permaculture Committee, recently featured in AASHE's Sustainability Student Diary series, is one of 15 finalists in President Barack Obama's Campus Champions of Change Challenge. Online voters will choose five projects that "best embody the president's goal to win the future." Other finalists include a program that provides local produce, breads and dairy to faculty and students at Brown University (RI); a food pantry for students in crisis at the University of Arkansas; an educational reform coalition at Princeton University (NJ); and a mentoring program for youth at the University of Missouri.

The Ohio State University's Office of Student Life has announced the winners of its Student Sustainability Grant. Funded through a partnership with Coca-Cola, the grant provides seed funding to undergraduate, graduate and professional students for projects that directly contribute to reducing environmental impacts on campus. Winning projects include a campus garden that will provide local, sustainably grown fare to the campus cafe; a mobile bike repair station; and a project to examine savings from the use of smart power strips.

Building upon $4.7 million in energy efficiency improvements last year including a new geothermal heating and cooling system, Pittsburg State University (KS) is installing 147 submeters to record and transmit real-time electric, gas, steam and water use data to an on-campus server. That information will be used to monitor, track and analyze campus utility use, evaluate energy conservation efforts and identify additional conservation opportunities. The university will also install at least one kiosk that will allow students, faculty and staff interactive access to all of the real-time data, information and results for each building. The $750,000 project is being funded by an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant.

Rice University (TX) has emerged after a rough year of drought, pathogens and insects with a Tree Campus USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. The university is being recognized for sustainable watering efforts during last year's drought and for its careful monitoring of the health of its trees. The program honors colleges and universities that use sustainable practices and engage students in tree planting and conservation initiatives.

Richard Stockton College (NJ) has installed seven water bottle filling stations on campus. The stations, part of the college’s sustainability program, have refilled the equivalent of more than 80,000 plastic water bottles since the first installation. According to a campus study, 89 percent of students said the water from the refill stations are better or just as good as bottled water.

Southeast Community College (NE) has installed a 1.6-kilowatt wind turbine with a $318,333 grant from the Nebraska Energy Office to develop renewable energy curricula. Students in its energy generation operations program will use the turbine as part of their training.

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Physical Plant Services Office has announced new sustainability initiatives including the installation of solar panels on its kinesiology and administration buildings for heating water and an expanded recycling program. The university is working toward the eventual eradication of dumpsters on campus within the next 10 years.

Several hundred students at the University of California, Santa Cruz gathered for a largely peaceful demonstration against state budget cuts and tuition increases. Most of the campus was shut down as a result. The demonstrations at the campus and other California campuses are timed with a national day of action that is calling for an overhaul of the way public education is financed in the state.

A recent study of sustainability practices at NCAA athletics departments reveals that cost concerns and a large disconnect with other campus departments charged with advancing sustainability appear to be preventing green efforts in athletics. While some schools are replacing incandescent light bulbs and utilizing recycling bins at stadiums, the North Carolina State University study concludes that most haven't included long-term sustainability planning in athletics departments' strategic plans.

State University of New York at Sullivan has announced a partnership with HospitalityGreen to further its environmentally friendly purchasing and waste management initiatives. The sustainable operations consultants will develop recommendations for waste improvements in the cafeteria, dorms and all academic and administrative departments.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a new challenge to affirmative action, reports recent articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education and New York Times. While higher education admissions officials worry that the Fisher V. Texas decision could make diversity harder to maintain, a Chronicle of Higher Education blog cites Texas and California institutions that are banned from using race by voter initiative or court order, and have still been able to produce substantial racial and ethnic diversity by instituting alternative forms of affirmative action.

The University of Chicago's (IL) Facilities Services has instituted a bottled water policy that eliminates bottled water in all departmental buildings, meetings and events. The university has also partnered with a new water supplier to perform a university-wide assessment for transitioning bottled water coolers to sustainable water delivery systems including filtration systems.

Students in an "Environment, Agriculture, and Food: Economic and Policy Analysis" course at the University of Chicago (IL) are partnering with restaurant owners to create a green certification program for Chicago restaurants. Students have begun by reviewing existing building and operating standards for restaurants in the area, as well as existing green certifications for industries such as buildings, hotels and businesses. Students are acting as advisors to the Chicago Green Restaurant Coalition.

The University of Maryland, College Park’s Oakland Hall has become the first LEED-certified dorm on campus with a LEED Gold designation. The residence hall features low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient lighting and solar reflective surfaces on the roof to lower the building's air conditioning use.

As part of an applied learning experience in a new campus sustainability class, students at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington recently planted 1,000 pine trees at the Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve. The effort was part of a restoration project.

This USA Today article profiles Oregon State University's campus food pantry as part of a growing trend on college and university campuses nationwide. For students struggling to get enough food and supplies, the pantries offer sundries including cereals, meats and toiletries. The Oregon State University pantry sees several hundred students plus community members each month, while Michigan State University's pantry saw a spike in users in the 2005-2006 academic year and has remained busy with about 300 people served every other week. The article also cites Tennessee State and Austin Peay State universities in Tennessee, University of Arkansas, University of Georgia and Utah Valley University as schools that have establish pantries in the past year.

The University of Southern Maine has embarked on an energy-efficient lighting upgrade for all campus parking lots and roadway fixtures. A $135,000 competitive grant from Efficiency Maine will help fund the LED lighting retrofit.

The new Interdisciplinary Science Teaching & Research building at the University of South Florida has attained LEED Gold certification. The energy-efficient building features high-performance glazing construction, reduced interior lighting, occupancy sensors and sustainable materials including post-industrial scrap and pre-consumer recycled content.

The University of Texas at Austin has installed seven 30-kilowatt photovoltaic inverters operating at their new 200-kilowatt solar system. The inverter enables a 90 percent weight reduction and more than 90 percent reduction in magnetic components, significantly reducing installation and shipping costs.