Call for Papers: Symposium on Sustainable Development Research at United Kingdom Universities
The symposium being held at Manchester Metropolitan University, April 5-6, 2016 will provide an opportunity for researchers from natural and social sciences to come together to discuss research methods, empirical research and exchange ideas about on-going and future research initiatives focusing on sustainable development. All accepted papers will be part of the World Sustainability Series, an award-winning publication from Springer.
NREL No-Cost Solar Screenings and Implementation Assistance for Universities
In support of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot initiative, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is offering no-cost technical assistance to universities seeking to increase solar energy on campus. Any U.S. higher education institution is eligible to apply. The program is designed to increase the deployment of mid-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at universities, engage stakeholders to develop deployment solutions and empower decision makers. Applications for NREL’s solar screening and implementation assistance are due Jan. 15.
Princeton Review and Sierra 2016 Reporting Deadlines
AASHE continues its collaboration with the Princeton Review and Sierra Magazine in an effort to reduce the data collection and reporting burden for members. As in past years, campuses will be able to submit data required to earn a Princeton Review Green Rating and a Sierra Cool Schools ranking through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Reporting Tool instead of having to complete separate surveys. Princeton Review's deadline is Feb. 29. Sierra Magazine's deadline is March 22.
Low Carbon IT Campaign
Offered by Energy Star, the Low Carbon IT Campaign is a nationwide effort to assist and recognize organizations for reducing the energy consumed by their information technology equipment. With six suggested ways to reduce the IT energy costs at your organization, the EPA will recognize institutions that implement two of them, putting computers to sleep and benchmarking data centers. Free phone and email consultations are available to answer questions.
Submit Your Sustainability Projects to Facilities Manager
The March/April 2016 issue of Facilities Manager magazine will focus on the broad topic of sustainability, and we are hoping to include a short description of your latest project or success. In 200 words or less, send your information to editor Steve Glazner at steve[at]appa[dot]org. A high-resolution photo or graphic (at least 300 dpi) can be included as well. The issue will receive extra distribution to the attendees of the 2016 Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, April 4-5. The deadline for submission is Jan. 15.
Geothermal Design Challenge 2016
The U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office, in partnership with the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and Idaho National Lab, is recruiting student teams to design an infographic that will illustrate how geothermal energy is clean, safe, reliable and sustainable. Winners will share a prize purse of $7,500 and present their infographic at a geothermal energy conference in California. Register now and submit a draft infographic by March 1.
Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference Student Summit
The Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference Student Summit in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 3, formerly the SEED Conference at American University, will bring together higher education students from across the country to participate in a day of curated workshops to gain skills, share best practices and lessons learned, hone personal sustainability, and be inspired by peers and professionals alike. Call for proposals now open for student presenters. Deadline to apply is Feb. 1.
Registration Open: RecycleMania 2016
Registration is now open for the university and college waste reduction competition known as RecycleMania. RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an eight-week period each spring, colleges across the U.S. and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories. Registration ends Jan. 22.
Call for Proposals: Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences 2016
Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) is now accepting proposals for for AESS 2016, themed Science, Empathy, Collaboration and Sustainability. Proposals can be for individual papers, poster presentations, full panels, workshops, discussion symposia and mealtime roundtables. Held in Washington, D.C., June 8-11, the theme and location of the conference offer a chance to consider multi-scale policy-making at local, city, state, regional, national and international levels. Deadline for submissions is Jan. 29.
The Campus Sustainability Movement: Forming a Library Action Plan for Engagement
This online course focuses on the role of the academic librarian in the sustainability movement. Through a reflective process, readings, exercises and participation in a discussion forum, participants will connect to the community-inspired energy that drives the sustainability movement. Emphasis will be on the curriculum and professional development, with a preliminary exploration of how facilities management and co-curricular activities tie into the teaching and learning of sustainability. The course runs from Jan. 4-29 and offers 1.5 continuing education units (CEUs).
APPA/NACUBO Key Facilities Metrics Survey Due Dec. 14
APPA and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) are inviting people to participate in a survey to help explain the need for better incentives in energy efficiency for higher education. The survey asks for data on energy (BTU and electrical), water, waste and carbon. Participants do not need to have access to all the data in order to participate. Beta survey results will be released to participants in January 2016, with final results released in February or March. Eligible survey participants, those who complete at least two of the five consumption metrics, will be entered into a randomly selected drawing for a $500 Apple certificate. Two certificates will be given. Deadline to take the survey is Dec. 14.
University and College Car Sharing Survey
The Institute for Sensible Transport, on behalf of Monash University (Australia), is conducting research on campus-based car share services in North America. The short survey is designed for university campus transport, fleet or environmental programs staff to share their experience with car sharing, whether or not they actually have a car share service on campus. The results will be used to help plan car share services for the redevelopment and enlargement of a major Australian university campus.
New to AASHE STARS? Discount Available Through December 31
Through the end of this year, AASHE is offering a $250 discount to help institutions measure and track campus sustainability efforts. Universities and colleges that have never submitted a report can subscribe for a full Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) subscription with a $250 discount by using the promotional code: NEVERSUBMITTED. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting system that allows colleges and universities to measure, track and compare their sustainability performance over time. This discount is available from through Dec. 31.
Call for Proposals: EAUC Annual Conference
The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) will take place at the University of the West of England from May 25-26, 2016. Conference session proposals are now being accepted.
Seeking Best Practices in Education for Sustainability in Education Development
Three educational developers from Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and George Brown College are researching best practices of Education for Sustainability (EfS) in educational development to stimulate and support educational developers (EDs) to incorporate EfS into their practices, in particular to embed sustainability themes and outcomes within courses, programs, post-secondary institutions at national and international levels. The researchers hope to share these practices through social media, videos and text-based summaries. All three educational developers are members of the EfS Action Group of the Educational Developers Caucus. The project is funded by a grant from the Educational Developers Caucus (EDC) of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
REV Campus Challenge for New York Colleges and Universities
All two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities in New York State are eligible to participate in the REV (Reforming the Energy Vision) Campus Challenge. The REV Campus Challenge recognizes achievements among institutions of higher education and enables exchange of best practices and lessons learned, and seeks to help colleges and universities meet their financial, environmental, academic and community goals through clean energy solutions that also help scale up total clean energy use in New York State. The program will administer Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's $3 million clean energy competition. The three groups that propose the best ideas to invest in clean energy will each win $1 million to help implement their plans.
Campus Climate Adaptation Planning Survey
RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia is conducting a survey aiming to benchmark the current state of play of climate adaptation planning in the tertiary sector globally. Professionals involved in campus or facilities sustainability management or sustainability education are invited to add their response to this online survey that should take approximately 15-30 minutes. Institutions that have not yet worked on climate adaptation are also invited to participate. The final report will be made freely available to all survey participants in late December.
Application Deadline Extended: Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop
Applications are open for the Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshop with Peggy Barlett, Jan. 7-8, at Emory University in Atlanta. For faculty leaders of all disciplines, workshops involve an intensive two days of presentations, exercises, discussions, outdoor place-based activities and planning. Participants reflect on their own roles in the transformation of higher education, receive readings and organizational materials and share challenges and strategies with supportive fellow leaders. The extended deadline to apply is Nov. 13.
Call for Chapters Deadline Extended: Envisioning Futures for Environmental and Sustainability Education
This edited collection invites educational practitioners and theorists to speculate on and craft visions for the future of environmental and sustainability education. Exploring what educational methods and practices might exist on the horizon, the editors seek contributions that leverage speculative inquiry to imagine how nascent scientific, technological, social, and ecological developments might perturb, disrupt, and/or transform the field of environmental education. All abstracts are due no later than Dec. 1.
APPA Sustainable Award Call for Applications
All APPA institutional members are invited to submit for APPA's Sustainability Award in Facilities Management that is designed to recognize and advance sustainability excellence in educational facilities. This award recognizes the facilities management department that has integrated sustainable policies and practices throughout all facets of the organization and embedded them within the educational institution. Submissions are due by Nov. 30.
Invitation to Institutions to Sign COP21 Letter to U.N. Officers
A global alliance of higher education networks and associations developed the open letter that will be delivered to senior officials at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December in Paris. The alliance invites institutions to sign the letter that urges decision-makers to acknowledge and support the vital role that universities and colleges play in addressing climate change and resiliency.
Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop
Applications are now open for the Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshop with Peggy Barlett, Jan. 7-8, 2016, at Emory University in Atlanta. For faculty leaders of all disciplines, workshops involve an intensive two days of presentations, exercises, discussions, outdoor place-based activities and planning. Participants also reflect on their own roles in the transformation of higher education, receive readings and organizational materials and share challenges and strategies with supportive fellow leaders. Deadline to apply is Nov. 6.
Apply for Clinton Global Initiative University 2016
Applications are now being considered for acceptance to the Clinton Global Initiative University 2016 (CGI U 2016), which will take place at the University of California, Berkeley from April 1-3. CGI U is a forum for students, university representatives and topical experts to come together to discuss and develop innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. All applicants must be above the age of 18 and actively enrolled in an institution of higher education at the time of the meeting. Final application deadline is Dec. 1.
National Day of Action to Stop the Corporatization of Education
This Nov. 5, students and faculty are invited to participate in a day of action to help end the corporatization of education. The Unkoch My Campus campaign offers a day of action toolkit for students and an informational packet for faculty participants.
The Power Dialog
College and university students from across the country are invited to participate in a face-to-face dialog on April 4, 2016 with state-level regulators in all 50 states about implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. The Power Dialog will organize hundreds of faculty to take their classes on coordinated field trips to their state capitol. The Bard Center for Environmental Policy, in conjunction with research staff from Resources for the Future, is developing a variety of curricular materials to prepare students for the conversation, and will be hosting a series of webinars on topics ranging from the plan’s impact on public health and environmental justice to renewable energy development.
New York State Clean Energy Competition for Colleges and Universities
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the clean energy competition for colleges and universities in New York State that challenges student-led coalitions across the state to develop creative ideas to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions on school campuses and beyond. The three groups that propose the best ideas to invest in clean energy will each win $1 million to help implement their plans.
First-Ever Best of GRITS Awards
The Sustainable Endowments Institute's (SEI) Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS) 1.2 has grown from a few dozen projects to over 1,000 projects and counting. SEI is honoring the great work that is being undertaken at campuses across the country with the first-ever Best of GRITS Awards. From now until Oct. 16, SEI encourages all GRITS schools (and schools that are interested in joining) to log into the GRITS 1.2 online tool, used to track and manage sustainability projects, to add your completed projects and edit existing projects for consideration as one of the best in the GRITS Library.
Call for Applications: Energy Dept Race to Zero Student Design Competition
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Race to Zero Student Design Competition is intended to provide the next generation of architects, engineers, construction managers and entrepreneurs with skills and experience in integrating advanced home designs with building science principles. The competition will culminate April 16-17, 2016, where selected teams will have the opportunity to present to industry leaders at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. Teams must register by Nov. 12.
Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop
Applications are now open for the Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshop with Peggy Barlett, Jan. 7-8, 2016, at Emory University in Atlanta. For faculty leaders of all disciplines, workshops involve an intensive two days of presentations, exercises, discussions, outdoor place-based activities and planning. Participants also reflect on their own roles in the transformation of higher education, receive readings and organizational materials and share challenges and strategies with supportive fellow leaders. Over 500 campus leaders from across the U.S. and eight foreign countries have praised the workshop. Deadline to apply is Nov. 6.
Call for Applications: New England Farm & Sea to Campus Network Steering Committee
The New England Farm & Sea to Campus Network is seeking applicants for a six to eight member steering committee to provide strategic guidance to the network. The New England Farm & Sea to Campus Network is a community of higher education and food systems stakeholders who connect, share and collaborate to develop transparent regional supply chains and educate campus communities about regional food systems. This effort was organized by Farm to Institution New England (FINE), with input from dozens of other organizations and institutions. Steering committee applications are due by Oct. 9.
Fair Trade Photofest 2015
In honor of Fair Trade Month, Fair Trade is hosting a photo contest to showcase America's love for Fair Trade Products. The photofest takes place the entire month of October with a different theme for the first three weeks. Prizes will be given away each week and the top two best overall winners receive a Fair Trade trip to Mexico.
Energy Education Summit Webinar Series
The Council of Energy Education and Research Leaders (CEREL) of the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) will hold a series of webinars to discuss the conclusions of the first National Energy Education Summit. The webinars will be held the first Monday of the month at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The first webinar, in the events section below, is titled Energy Majors, Minors, Concentrations and Certificates and is being held on Oct. 5.
Call for Design and Construction Projects Interested in Achieving High Energy Performance
Accelerate Performance is a U.S. Department of Energy-funded initiative that empowers building owners and developers to achieve desired energy performance goals by requiring specific goals at the forefront of the project. The Accelerate Performance team is currently seeking building owners or developers interested in piloting this approach to constructing the next generation of low and zero-energy buildings at a cost comparable to current construction. Projects should be in the pre-planning phase and before the design team is selected.
Call for Papers: World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities at MIT
The third annual World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities (WSSD-U-2016) will be held at the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 14-16, 2016. The theme of the event is Designing Tomorrow’s Campus: Resiliency, Vulnerability, and Adaptation. The conference will encompass teaching, research, campus greening and extension. Co-hosts are Dr Julie Newman from MIT's Office of Sustainability and Prof. Walter Leal from Manchester Metropolitan University. WSSD-U-2016 is expected to have 250 participants from over 30 countries. Deadline to submit an abstract is Sept. 30. Deadline to submit a paper is Jan. 16, 2016.
H&M Conscious Foundation Global Change Award
Students and faculty are invited to submit ideas that share the future of how fashion is designed and produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled with a focus on protecting the planet. The Global Change Award, by H&M Conscious Foundation, seeks to create fashion for a growing population while reducing its impact on the environment. The aim of the challenge is to close the loop in the fashion industry. Five winners will share a grant of $1 million euros ($1.1 million), get access to a tailor-made innovation accelerator, and fashion industry access. Deadline to submit is Oct. 31.
EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites student teams to design an innovative green infrastructure project for their campus showing how managing stormwater at its source can benefit the campus community and the environment. Student teams will compete in one of two design categories: the Master Plan category or the Demonstration Project category. This year, teams are asked to incorporate climate resiliency into their stormwater management designs. Registration closes Sept. 30.
#CleanEnergyU Dialogue: Fall 2015
#CleanEnergyU brings together clean energy leaders with students and faculty across the U.S. to empower them toward a clean energy future. As a virtual dialogue, #CleanEnergyU offers activities to support campuses during Campus Sustainability Month including the following: exchanging ideas and sharing insights with #CleanEnergyU by posting selfie photos of their ideas and questions, and engaging with clean energy leaders and dozens of other speakers during the live tweet-a-thon on Oct. 21. GreenBiz.com will be also publishing the five most thoughtful student articles submitted to cleanenergyu@gmail.com. Students and faculty are encouraged to explore how to take advantage of the exciting dialogue happening this #CSM2015.
Pipelines for Sustainability Studies: Two-year to Graduate Level
Calling all sustainability-oriented academic program leaders interested in developing pipelines among related academic programs. The purpose of this survey is to assist participants in the development of pipelines for students/graduates of sustainability-oriented certificate and degree programs. Pipelines consist of articulation agreements and/or other working relationships among academic programs that help students with smoothly transitioning from one academic program to another as they continue their education at higher levels. The idea behind the research is to lay a foundation for an upcoming workshop at the AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo at which participants will work together to initiate pipelines for their students and/or graduates. From Colorado Mountain College, Dr. Tina Lynn Evans, associate professor of sustainability studies, and Kathy Kiser-Miller, interim vice president for academic affairs, are leading the research.
Know Tomorrow Day of Action
Know Tomorrow, a student-led campaign to demand action on climate change, invites students to organize a team, plan a campus event, and amplify their voice about climate change on Oct. 2. Know Tomorrow offers tools and guides to organizers and includes a social platform called Idea Lab where students can connect across campuses.
Food Day 2015
In partnership with Real Food Challenge, Oct. 24 is a day for campuses to celebrate Food Day 2015 by convening a broad coalition of student groups, dining services and community organizations to educate, inspire and mobilize around food issues. Themed Toward a Greener Diet, Food Day 2015 has a focus on diets as a way to address both health and environmental issues.
Project Green Challenge
Turning Green is hosting its 5th Annual Project Green Challenge 2015, a global 30-day eco-lifestyle initiative for college and high school students that is intended to inform, inspire, mobilize and also incentivize participants to transition their lifestyles from conventional to conscious. Throughout the month of October, which AASHE has designated as Campus Sustainability Month, participating students will receive daily challenges with sustainability-related themes. Focused on simple, fun, high impact steps that make sustainability relevant and tangible for students, these challenges boast four levels of engagement (green, greener, greenest, extra credit) with points awarded for each action. At the end the 30 days, up to 16 participants will be invited to attend the Project Green Challenge Finals, where they will work with eco-experts and industry leaders to develop sustainability initiatives to bring back to their campuses. One finalist will be named the Project Green Challenge 2015 Champion and awarded a prize package valued at more than $12,000.
Call for Students: IARU Global University Climate Forum
Organized by the International Alliance of Research Universities, Yale University and the International Sustainable Campus Network, the forum is a call to action for university students. Student teams are invited to submit ideas for a project that will have measurable impacts on campus, in communities or regions, and/or in the world. Selected teams will be invited to send two or three student representatives to participate in this one-day workshop during the U.N. climate negotiations (COP21) conference. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 1.
Green Apple Day of Service: Opportunities for Hands-On Learning
The Green Apple Day of Service, which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 26, gives students the opportunity to transform all schools into healthy, safe and productive learning environments through local service projects. In addition to the real world experience, leadership and demonstration of social responsibility that accompanies student participation in Green Apple Day of Service, the Center for Green Schools is excited to reward the efforts of hard working student participants with a Higher Ed Certification of Completion. With recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, projects may include teaching environmental literacy to younger students, sharing information about exemplary green buildings on campus, or conducting a campus sustainability assessment.
Scholarships for Emerging Professionals in Sustainability
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is accepting nominations for the 2015 Kate Goldstein Award for Emerging Professionals in Sustainable Energy. Nine scholarships for NESEA online courses and conferences will be awarded to students and/or recent graduates through the Kate Goldstein Award. An emerging professional is defined as anyone enrolled in a higher education program or who has graduated within five years. Age is not a determining factor. Nominations are due by Sept. 10.
