The Guardian 'England's Universities are Losing Steam on Climate Change'
(U.K.): A recent analysis by Brite Green indicates more than three-quarters of England's universities are set to miss the 43 percent reduction by 2020, which was set by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2010. Institutions state that significant growth in institution estates and student population were taken into account when targets were set.
Enrollment in Food-Related Courses & Degrees Rises
Civileats.com released a partial compilation of universities and colleges that offer degrees and courses in food. The article discusses the surge in demand in recent years for food as an academic subject. Among other areas, students are interested in learning about food equality issues, the local and organic food movement and food policy.
U Albany Faculty Garners Solar Society Award
University Atmospheric Scientist Richard Perez has been selected by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) to receive the Farrington Daniels Award. Named in honor of ISES founder, the award recognizes outstanding contributions in science, technology and engineering of solar energy applications that lead to enhancing our world and the conditions of human kind.
Inside Higher Ed: 'Does Divestment Cost?'
The recent article from Inside Higher Ed offers two opposing analyses of divestment from fossil fuels. The article goes on to discuss different strategies and reasons that some universities and colleges have for divestment and investment.
Penn State U Names First Transportation Coordinator
Cecily Zhu recently took the helm as the university's first transportation coordinator. Before coming to Penn State, she most recently worked as a transportation policy and planning fellow for the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group. Editorial Photo Credit: Lilyana Vynogradova / Shutterstock.com
U Colorado Boulder Expands Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping
The specialized landscaping across campus, totaling about 10,000-square-feet of land, is pollinator-friendly, can withstand heavy heat and minimal water, and enables pesticide-free practices to continue. The project was funded by the campus' sustainability fund and involved students from the university's Environmental Center and permaculture class.
U Colorado Boulder Expands Recycling Center With New Building
Designed to get the university closer to its goal of diverting 90 percent of campus waste from landfills, the new two-story, 19,500-square-foot building includes designated space for waste composition analysis and educational outreach and collaboration with students. An intent of the new facility is to more easily accommodate changing waste streams and difficult-to-recycle items.
Energy Department Defines Zero Energy Buildings
After leading a stakeholder engagement process over the past year and a half, the Energy Department states a Zero Energy Building is “an energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy." The findings were released in the recently published A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings.
Insight Into Diversity Magazine Recognizes 92 Colleges and Universities with Award
The Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion through initiatives, programs and outreach; student recruitment, retention and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff. This year, 92 schools were acknowledged.
University Business 'Inside Look: Sustainable Campus Buildings'
The recent article from University Business highlights the upward trend of colleges and universities that incorporate sustainability into new construction and renovations including energy and water efficiency, aesthetics, monitoring systems and learning opportunities for students.
U Maryland Sustainability Fund Reaches $1M Milestone
This semester marks a significant milestone for the university's Sustainability Fund. Since 2011, more than $1 million has been granted to 72 projects that promote environmental sustainability and positively impact the student experience.
Eastern Connecticut State U Enters $2M Built Environment Agreement
The new $2 million cooperative agreement involving the university's Institute for Sustainable Energy will launch a pilot program called Accelerate Performance that integrates performance-based procurement into new construction or major renovation projects. The initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and includes Seventhwave and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
NY Times: 'Top Colleges Doing the Most for Low-Income Students'
The NY Times' The Upshot recently indexed colleges' efforts on economic diversity. The College Access Index is a combination of a colleges' Pell graduates and net price, compared with the average school. The table also shows the colleges' endowment per student, which is a measure of the resources available to colleges.
Williams College to Invest $50M in Carbon Reduction Activities
In response to a petition from alumni, faculty, staff and students calling for endowment divestment from fossil fuels, the college's board of trustees recently announced a $50 million investment effort to address climate change through a comprehensive set of initiatives targeted at reducing carbon emissions, obtaining carbon neutrality by 2020, and educational efforts related to climate change.
Frostburg State U Building Obtains LEED Gold
The university's newest LEED Gold-certified building utilizes recycled materials, conserves energy and water, manages storm water quality, minimizes the heat island effect and automatically adjusts temperature and lighting to fit the environment outside.
Vassar College Announces Two Major Clean Energy Initiatives
Vassar College closes two renewable energy power purchase agreement deals. A 2MW solar array will be built in Spring 2016 at a nearby decommissioned landfill. A small scale run-of-river hydro plant will provide the college with 1.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year starting this Fall. The two projects will cover more than 20% of the College's electricity needs.
Georgia Tech Receives $30M Grant for Education & Research Building
With $30 million from The Kendeda Fund, the university plans to construct a zero net energy and water consumption, education and research facility that will integrate into the university's Eco-Commons, a series of spaces designed to conserve natural resources and provide educational and recreational amenities. The project is slated to become a Living Building Challenge 3.0-certified facility.
U Utah Launches Ride Sharing Service
Partnering with Zimride by Enterprise, the university now offers an online ride-matching service that leverages the power of social media. By integrating with Facebook, Zimride connects drivers and passengers within a private university network heading to the same area.
U Utah Offers Graduate Certificate in Sustainability
Launched in January 2015, the university's Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Sustainability is open to any University of Utah graduate student or non-degree seeking student with a bachelor's degree. The intent of the certificate is to expand career opportunities and increase students' capabilities to be agents of transformational change within their communities and institutions.
Sheridan College Publishes Inaugural Sustainability Report
It's first sustainability report celebrates its recent AASHE STARS Silver rating and progress made toward its mission zero goals. The report highlights successes in four key areas of STARS, including improving energy efficiency and waste diversion, engaging the campus and local community, sustainability planning, and integrating sustainability into curriculum.
Loyola U Chicago Makes Carbon Neutral Commitment
During a full day symposium and teach-in on Pope Francis' Encyclical on Ecology on Sept. 9, the university released their climate action plan titled A Just Future that identifies a carbon neutral goal of 2025, and includes resiliency, engagement and accountability strategies.
U Wisconsin Milwaukee Rolls Out Bike
With marked lanes on many streets and miles of dedicated paths, this fall the opportunity to enjoy biking throughout the community will be much easier for students with help of six new Bublr stations totaling 230 bikes. Bublr Bikes offers students free, 60-minute passes for one year.
Richmond CC Announces Two Free Years of College
The North Carolina community college recently made the announcement offering two free years for students of public, private and home schools in Richmond and Scotland counties who have a 3.0-grade-point average or higher and have completed two college courses. Called the RichmondCC Guarantee, the program is slated to begin in fall 2016.
U California System Sells $200M in Coal & Oil Sands Holdings
The university system has sold off its endowment and pension fund holdings in coal and oil sands companies, a $200-million move that officials recently announced was in response to both environmental concerns and rising financial risk in those industries. The university has no plans to sell off holdings in oil and natural gas.
Boston U Dining Services Releases 2015 Sustainability Report
The new report presents the results of a fall 2014 student survey and outlines measurable progress. During the last year, Dining Services created the Wholesome Roots program focused on offering grass-fed ground beef, using Humane Certified, antibiotic-free chicken, and sourcing locally grown food.
Penn State U Campus Catering Composts 90% of Waste
After the general manager of Campus Catering began attending industry conferences, the amount of material diverted from landfills rose from nearly zero percent to approximately 90 percent over the past six years. One strategy in particular is using refillable jug water dispensers and compostable cups opposed to plastic water bottles.
Eastern Maine CC Receives $220K to Support Disadvantaged Students
With a $220,000 grant from the U.S. Education Department, the college's goal is to guide 150 low-income, first-generation and/or disabled students through the college experience to graduate from the community college or transfer to a four-year institution by offering programs specifically designed to meet students' academic needs including additional advisor appointments and tutoring.
Penn State U Pilots Trayless Dining
In an attempt to reduce the current food waste amount from 138 pounds of food per meal, the university's Findlay Dining Commons, an all-you-can-eat facility, will offer plates and bowls instead of trays and allow students to return to the buffet repeatedly.
Millersville U Acquires $1M Gift for Net Zero Building
County natives Samuel and Dena Lombardo donated the $1 million toward the net zero welcome center building, expected to use solar panels, water conservation and renewable building materials and host more than 10,000 visitors annually.
U Alberta Building Incorporates Sustainability Features
The university's Faculty of Engineering is now housed in the most energy-efficient building on campus and is on track to for LEED Gold certification. The new facility integrates many notable sustainable features including fan wall technology, chilled beam technology, motion-sensor lighting and low-flow fixtures. Future plans include installing a 60-kilowatt photovoltaic system.
U Virginia Releases 2014-15 Sustainability Report
Issued by the University Committee on Sustainability, provides a snapshot of sustainability progress over the past academic year. The report is framed around our core approaches: grounds stewardship, campus and community collaboration and engagement, and discovery through curriculum, research and campus grounds as a living laboratory.
U Colorado Boulder Athletics Expands Sports Sustainability Programs
Kicking off the 2015 home football season, CU Athletics introduced new programs that encourage recycling, using alternative transportation and reducing water consumption. Bring Your Bottle Back to Life, a partnership with PepsiCo, gives away T-shirts made with 50 percent recycled plastic fibers each time the Colorado Buffaloes score a touchdown.
Michigan State U Announces Student Solar Design Competition
In an effort to address some of the most urgent environmental issues facing our world today, the university is inviting students across the state to design a dynamic solar installation that values both aesthetic appeal and energy efficiency. With $10,000 in total prizes, the competition recognizes students who are advancing sustainability through their commitment to clean energy innovation.
U Cambridge Launches Sustainability Strategy Including Carbon Reduction Goals
(U.K.): The university's new sustainability strategy calls for a 34 percent reduction in carbon emissions from a 2005 baseline to 2020 and is aiming for carbon-neutral status by 2050. After emissions gradually increased from 2005 to 2010, the university set aside a carbon reduction budget of $2 million pounds ($3.05 million) annually.
Edge Hill U Earns Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag Award
(U.K.): The award recognizes the university’s efforts in minimizing the environmental impact of its activities, maintaining natural habitats through its commitment to biodiversity, and developing a sustainable campus for the enjoyment of students, staff and the local community.
Santa Fe CC Building Achieves LEED Platinum
The community college's Trades & Advanced Technology Center building boasts solar thermal and photovoltaic rooftop systems, concentrating solar hot water collectors, rainwater catchment for lavatory use, motion-sensing technology with LED lighting, all wood used is FSC-certified, zero use of refrigerants, and bicycle storage and parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Georgia State U Dining Halls Garner 'Green Restaurant' Certification
Two university dining halls were recently certified as a 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association by implementing 54 steps in the areas of disposables, energy, food, furnishings and building materials, pollution and chemical reduction, waste and water usage.
U Southern California Adds Composting to Athletic Games
Building on the university’s efforts to reduce the tons of waste produced each football game, the university stadium's trash cans will be transformed into compost bins this football season, as the 90,000-seat facility attempts to achieve “zero waste” status in collaboration with the university's Office of Sustainability.
Purdue University Launches Bike-Share Program
As a means of providing fun, clean and convenient transportation, the university recently announced the official launch of the Purdue Bike Share program, allowing members to use bicycles for varying lengths of time. Costs to use the system are based on the duration of usage.
Adelphi U Partners on Energy Efficiency Implementation
Using a cash-flow neutral strategy that aligns the cost of payments to annual energy savings, the university will implement a new co-generation central heating plant that is projected to carry a $1.6 million per year avoidance in energy expenditures. The university's financing partner is First American Education Finance.
U Maryland Provides Reusable Cups to Students
This year, the university's Dining Services decided to supply students with dining plans (over 8,000) with a reusable cup that can be used at any campus dining hall and convenience shop for unlimited tea, coffee and fountain beverages.
University World News: 'Open Education the Sustainable Way in the Knowledge Age'
The recent article from University World News says most models of higher education are based on the presumption of perpetual growth. The author argues that the only way to widen access to tertiary education sustainably is through an open access model, and that education is key to creating models of growth that do not rely on scarce resources.
AASHE Releases 2015 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey Report
The 2015 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey examines the nature of sustainability positions at colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, providing insights into salaries, funding, supervision, job satisfaction, challenges and more. This report aims to increase our understanding of the continuously growing career field of sustainability in higher education.
Virginia Commonwealth U Students Use UCI Cycling Championships to Study Recycling
Students in a class organized by the university’s Office of Sustainability will log, map and analyze tweets sent by the 450,000 spectators anticipated at the upcoming UCI Road World Cycling Championships and will use geographic informations systems to produce maps, study the location of existing recycling resources, and create proposals on how to guide crowds toward resources with signage.
400 Pennsylvania Professors Urge Lawmakers to Tackle Climate Change
In response to ongoing debate surrounding the Environmental Protection Agency’s finalized Clean Power Plan, professors, researchers and lecturers at 29 Pennsylvania universities, as well as Harvard and Georgetown Universities, recently signed a letter emphasizing scientific research on climate change and urging lawmakers to implement a strong state plan that minimizes carbon pollution.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Dining Receives Sustainability Award
The university was recently named the grand prize winner in the National Association of College & University Food Services' 2015 Sustainability Awards competition, which honors colleges and universities that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the promotion and implementation of sustainability specifically in dining services.
U Maryland Building Receives LEED and Green Globes Recognition
A new campus building that houses the Department of Building and Landscape Maintenance recently achieved LEED Silver certification and a rating of Three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative rating system. This is the first University of Maryland building to receive dual recognition from both LEED and Green Globes.
