U.S. Higher Education Solar Capacity Leaps 450% in 3 Years
AASHE has released a new database of hundreds of campus solar photovoltaic installations that reveals higher education's rapid adoption of solar. Among the notable findings is a 450 percent growth of installed solar capacity in the higher education sector over the last three years. The database enables higher education solar advocates to browse success stories at campuses of a similar type, size and location. To learn more, view additional charts and graphs, and contribute to this new resource, visit the database.
U Texas San Antonio Expands Solar Energy Program
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has announced plans to install 600 solar panels on its School of Medicine and a campus carport. The university expects the installations to collectively generate 131 kilowatts of power and provide 100 percent of the Academic and Administration Building’s energy needs at certain times of the day.
Whitman College Students Create Vermicomposting Program
Students from the Campus Climate Challenge at Whitman College (WA) have launched a new vermicomposting initiative. Thousands of worms will break down campus food waste into compost for campus landscaping. The college expects the vermicomposter to be able to process about 100 pounds of food waste per day.
Arizona State U Leads National Engineering Research Center
Arizona State University will lead a new national Engineering Research Center that will seek ways to harness solar power in economically viable and sustainable ways. The National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy will jointly provide funding of $18.5 million for the first five years of the center's operations.
Bowling Green State U Installs Green Roof
Bowling Green State University (OH) has installed a green roof atop its Oaks Dining Center to reduce heat and stormwater runoff. The university's Green Initiative and Dining Services funded the $30,000 project.
Chronicle of Higher Ed: U.S. Seeking Foreign Student Diversity
There is a growing effort by higher education institutions in the U.S. to attract a more geographically diverse group of foreign students, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. By recruiting more students from underrepresented countries including South Asia and Latin America, admissions officers hope to enrich campus culture, help undergraduates prepare for globalized workplaces and hedge against the risk of a sudden drop-off in foreign enrollment.
Davidson College Launches Local Food Cart
Davidson College's (NC) Food Club has launched a mobile cart to provide local food to the campus community. The Food Cart sells locally produced pasta noodles, peaches, apples, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and pastries that club members purchase from the local farmers market.
Emory & Henry College Debuts Electric Vehicles on Campus
Emory & Henry College (VA) has introduced two electric vehicles to its transportation fleet for campus maintenance use. The college's president and her husband also donated an electric vehicle for presidential use across campus. The college is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2036.
Fed Officials Announce $500 Mil for CC Job Training
To help dislocated workers shift to new careers, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor have announced that 32 community colleges and consortia will share $500 million for job training and workforce development. The grants are designed to work in tandem to increase opportunities for the unemployed with the president's recently proposed American Jobs Act, which would provide $5 billion to renovate community colleges.
Montgomery College Unveils New Green Science Center
Montgomery College (MD) has opened a new 140,000-square-foot Science Center designed to meet LEED Gold standards. Sustainable features include a green roof, high-efficiency chillers, solar panels, an underground cistern and recycled construction materials. Exterior features include native planting, extensive bicycle racks and a stormwater management pond.
NY Times: Higher Ed Seeking Out Students Who Can Pay Full Price
More than half of the admissions officers at public research universities said in a recent Inside Higher Ed survey that they have been working harder in the past year to recruit students who need no financial aid and can pay full price, reports the New York Times. According to the survey of 462 admissions directors and enrollment managers, 22 percent of admissions officials at four-year institutions said the financial downturn has led them to pay more attention in their decision to applicants’ ability to pay. Admissions directors at many public universities said in the survey that recruiting more out-of-state and international students, who pay higher tuition, was their top strategy. At community colleges and private institutions, admissions officers were more likely to say that providing aid for low- and middle- income students was their focus.
Oberlin College Art Museum Renovation Earns LEED Gold
Oberlin College’s (OH) renovation of the Allen Memorial Art Museum has achieved LEED Gold certification. Built in 1917, the building features geothermal wells and new energy-efficient mechanical systems to meet stringent climate control requirements. Additional sustainable features include the preservation of the building’s footprint, protection of vegetated open space and the use of materials with recycled content.
Queen’s U Builds Solar Education Center
The Solar Design Team at Queen’s University (ON) has designed a 640-square-foot house to act as a laboratory to test the applications of renewable energy sources in homes. The structure’s energy generation and consumption will constantly transform as the team tests different simulations to create a practical net-zero house.
Quinnipiac U Debuts Campus Energy Dashboard
Quinnipiac University (CT) has launched a Building Dashboard website, allowing students to track their energy consumption around the clock. The system displays real-time data on energy used for electricity, heating and cooling for more than 20 buildings on the university's three campuses.
Rochester Inst. of Tech Starts Global Sustainability Ed Exchange
The Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has announced plans to share its model of sustainability education with institutions in five developing countries. By sharing curricula and supporting faculty exchanges and mentorships, the university aims to educate a global generation of scientists, engineers and businesspeople who can help find solutions to climate change, pollution and growing energy consumption.
San Diego State U to Establish Renewable Energy Training Center
San Diego State University's (CA) Imperial Valley campus has been awarded a $1.67 million job creation grant to establish the Renewable Energy Generation Training and Demonstration Center. Acting as a field station for university researchers and students, the center will feature demonstration sites for renewable energy projects and a generalized power plant simulator to provide skills training for geothermal and solar power plant installations. The federal funds are intended to boost the green energy technology industry in the region by bringing in private companies to partner with the university for training.
Stonehill College Launches Car Sharing Program
Stonehill College (MA) has launched a car sharing program on campus through a partnership with Zipcar, Inc. Two cars on campus are available for students, faculty and staff to rent starting at $7 an hour. The college expects the new program to reduce the use of permanent cars on campus.
Temple U Students Initiate Bike-Powered Concerts
Verde Styles, an environmental student group at Temple University (PA), is expanding its bike-powered concert initiative. The idea has grown from a single bicycle that powered part of the sound system during Earth Day to a four-bike setup that recently powered the sound at two local green-awareness events. Next year, they plan to power a bigger concert with 50 to 60 bikes. The bikes were funded in part by a $5,000 grant from Hewlett-Packard.
Tufts U Celebrates Car-Free Week
Tufts University's (MA) Office of Sustainability recently partnered with MassRIDES to promote Car-Free Week. Participants were encouraged to log every trip they completed without a car on the MassRIDES website. The Office of Sustainability targeted faculty members but also highlighted students’ potential to contribute to the program.
U Calgary Hosts Waste-Free Event
The University of Calgary recently hosted its largest zero-waste event. Everything served at the president's barbecue for 3,500 undergraduate students was compostable or recyclable.
U Kansas Installs Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
In anticipation of the statewide energy conservation Take Charge Challenge, the University of Kansas' Center for Sustainability has partnered with Energy Solutions Professionals to replace approximately 3,000 incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs around campus.
U Massachusetts Students Debut Farmers Market
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has launched a student-run farmers market. Leafy greens, ripe tomatoes, garlic and squash were among the student-grown and organic selections for sale during its debut. The Student Farming Enterprise, a six-credit course at the university, also runs a community supported agriculture (CSA) program.
U Michigan Announces $14 Mil Campus Sustainability Overhaul
The University of Michigan has announced plans to invest $14 million in campus sustainability initiatives. Plans include the purchase of a fleet of 37 hybrid vehicles, a 40 percent reduction in campus waste output, an "extensive" solar array installation and a formal commitment to support local farmers and producers. The university is aiming for a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Opens New Green Building
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has dedicated its most environmentally friendly and efficient building on campus. Sustainable features of the 191,000-square-foot academic building include passive solar design, solar panels and a green roof. The university expects to save $182,000 annually on operating costs.
Wellesley College Spearheads Inter-Campus Sustainability Cert.
Wellesley College has received a $55,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to lead a collaboration among fellow Massachusetts institutions Babson College and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering to launch an inter-campus certificate program in sustainability. The new program will include courses relating to human impact on the environment across the liberal arts and sciences, business and engineering curricula that will be offered on all three campuses.
Williams College Adopts Green Building Guidelines
Williams College (MA) has adopted green building guidelines tailored to help reduce the college's greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. The guidelines propose strategies that include passive solar energy, renewable energy sources and buildings designed to seek LEED Gold certification.
Winners Announced for Solar Decathlon 2011
The University of Maryland took the top honor during the U.S. Department of Energy's biennial Solar Decathlon 2011. Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, the university's WaterShed entry was a model of how the built environment can help preserve watersheds by managing stormwater on-site, filtering pollutants from greywater and minimizing water use. Purdue University's (IN) ultra-efficient INhome earned second place in the international green technology competition and Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) received third place. AASHE's latest blog post looks at Appalachian State University's (NC) entry, which received the most votes for the People's Choice Award.
5 Universities Receive DOE Grant for Offshore Wind Study
Researchers from Indiana University Bloomington, Case Western Reserve University (OH), Arizona State University, Risoe Danish Technical University (Denmark) and Clarkson University (NY) have been awarded $700,000 by the U.S. Department of Energy to study Lake Erie wind resources. The study will perform a detailed evaluation of remote sensing technologies for wind resource estimation and will measure offshore wind and turbulence to develop best practices for instrumentation operations.
Boston College Students Call for Fair Trade
As a result of student petitioning, Boston College's (MA) Dining and Facilities has announced the pilot sale of fair trade bananas in two campus locations. If they sell well, the college plans to make fair trade bananas the standard for all dining halls on campus. Also in this article, the college has announced the pilot of a student-developed Power Dashboard. Operating in select residence halls, the dashboard allows students to constantly monitor their daily energy use. The developers hope that making energy use visible, accessible and real to students will motivate them to decrease their energy consumption through simple lifestyle modifications.
Capilano U Launches Pilot Program to Improve Recycling Habits
Capilano University (BC) has partnered with Encorp Pacific to launch a pilot program aimed at increasing student use of on-site containers for recyclable beverages. New recycling bins with better signage will be placed around campus and the university will involve nearly 100 students in the project as part of their coursework.
Chabot-Las Positas CC District Installs Energy Storage Systems
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CA), in partnership with CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation, has installed IceBank thermal energy storage systems to help reduce energy costs. The energy storage system creates ice at night, when energy is less expensive, and uses it the next day for cooling. The storage systems are expected to save the district more than $200,000 a year in energy costs.
Clarkson U Building Receives LEED Gold
Clarkson University's (NY) Technology Advancement Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include solar panels, three micro-turbine units, a rainwater collection system, passive solar design, motion and daylight sensors to curtail energy use, high-efficiency air filtration systems, and local and recycled construction materials.
Dickinson College Receives $1 Mil Gift for Greenhouse Project
Dickinson College (PA) has received a $1 million gift to fund a new research greenhouse on campus. The 1,400-square-foot facility will include three isolated research zones, a general use greenhouse area, a preparation potting area and climate-controlled laboratories. The greenhouse is expected to have a transformative effect on sustainability education, interdisciplinary learning and the college’s science curriculum.
Eastern Mennonite U Residence Hall Earns LEED Gold
A new residence hall at Eastern Mennonite University (VA) has achieved LEED Gold certification. The Cedarwood dormitory features extensive natural lighting; recycled flooring; a bioretention filtration system to manage rainwater runoff; a bike shed with a green landscaped roof; native landscaping; and low-flow water fixtures.
Kentucky CTCS Earns National Accolades for Diversity Efforts
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) has announced that it will receive the Central Regional Award for Equity from the Association of Community College Trustees. KCTCS has earned the recognition with several new diversity initiatives designed to create an inclusive community of learners and increase the college-going rate of underrepresented populations.
Michigan State U Participates in Clean Commute Challenge
In an effort to raise awareness of alternative transportation options to campus, Michigan State University announced its participation in the 2011 Clean Commute Campus Challenge, coordinated by the Capital Area Transportation Authority. Campuses throughout the state logged their “clean commutes” during the week of September 19-23 for the chance to be named the cleanest commuting college in Michigan.
Northwestern U Dining Hall Employees Campaign for Living Wage
Northwestern University (IL) campus dining hall workers recently voted to pass a new contract with Sodexo that increases wages by 80 cents and lowers the price of health care over the next four years. Thirty-two contract changes were approved including wages no less than $10 per hour plus benefits. The contract allows for free health care and an $85 flat fee for family healthcare, no matter how many family members are covered. Members of the Living Wage Campaign worked with labor union Unite Here and university administrators to negotiate with Sodexo.
NSF Funds Climate Course at 100 Minority-Serving Institutions
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has partnered with Second Nature to implement a climate studies course at 100 minority-serving institutions (MSI) across the country. The National Science Foundation awarded the AMS Education Program $1,028,705 to implement the course over a five-year period. The project will introduce and enhance geoscience coursework at MSIs with a focus on American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signatories and/or members of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation.
NY Times: Fordham U Administrators Shutter Farm Share
Fordham University's legal counsel ordered the shutdown of the School of Law's farm share program this month, reports the New York Times. Founded by third-year law student Michael Zimmerman, Farm to Fordham allowed students, faculty and staff to buy a share of a harvest from a local farm for $150 per semester. Objections to the project remain “perplexing” to Zimmerman. Law school administrators declined to comment on the university's decision.
San Diego State U Launches Sustainable Surf Tourism Program
San Diego State University (CA) has debuted a new nonprofit Center for Surf Research and sustainable surf tourism curriculum. The center will engage with the surf industry to create a research agenda, disseminate specialist knowledge and shape responsible global citizens.
San Francisco State U Students Put the 'Park' in Parking
Students at San Francisco State University (CA) recently turned local parking spaces into temporary parks using only recycled, borrowed or recyclable materials as part of an annual PARK(ing) Day. The worldwide event is designed to encourage citizens, artists and activists to temporarily transform metered parking spots into spaces for the public to enjoy. This year's student parking spot creations included a labyrinth and a rest stop where passers-by could take a nap.
Students Champion Sustainable Meat Procurement on Campus
A recent Inside Higher Ed article reports a "growing cultural movement" of students trying to get sustainable meat, or less meat, on campuses. The article profiles student group efforts at Wesleyan University (CT), Bowdoin College (ME) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill toward local, pasture-raised meat suppliers and weekly meat-free days. Challenges to the movement, says the article, include pro-meat student protests to meat-free days and safety, equipment and process regulations required by large food providers that aren't feasible for smaller producers who raise their animals humanely.
Temple U Dining Services Launches 'Waste Not' Initiative
Temple University's (PA) Dining Services and Sodexo have launched the Waste Not Project, a week-long effort to raise awareness about the nutritional and environmental implications of portion sizes and food waste. Members of several student groups have volunteered to weigh the food left on each student's tray as it is returned and record how much is being thrown away. After the conclusion of the awareness week, Dining Services will track students' waste reduction progress by posting waste numbers monthly.
U Colorado Boulder Sees 9% Increase in Students of Color
The University of Colorado at Boulder's current student body is the most diverse ever, according to results from a campus census that show the number of students of color increased by 9 percent this fall over last year. The university credits campus recruiting and retention programs for the gain as minorities now make up 17 percent of the school's student body.
U Denver Debuts Car Sharing Program
The University of Denver (CO) has partnered with car sharing program WeCar (a program of Enterprise Rent-a-Car) to offer on-campus access to car rentals for personal use. WeCar rentals are available for anyone over 18 years old with a valid driver’s license on an hourly, overnight and full-day basis with an initial enrollment fee of $35. The university hopes to take cars off the road and increase student mobility.
U Iowa Wins NSF Grant for Sustainability Implementation Study
An associate professor in the University of Iowa's School of Urban and Regional Planning has been awarded a three-year, $389,987 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the hurdles that stand in the way of local sustainability initiatives and how communities can address the snags. Because of New Zealand's success in sustainable local governance, planning and development agencies in randomly selected, mid-sized cities in the country will be compared with similarly selected agencies and cities in the U.S.
U Montana Partners with Socially Responsible Apparel Supplier
The University of Montana has announced that its bookstore will sell a brand of clothing that has committed to higher standards of social responsibility. Knights Apparel, which created the Alta Gracia brand, manufactures collegiate apparel in overseas factories committed to providing all employees with benefits and a living wage sufficient to cover the monthly costs for a family of four. The new partnership is a result of years of campus demonstrations led by members of Students for Economic and Social Justice.
