STARS Steering Committee Opportunities
AASHE is currently seeking 4 campus representatives to join the STARS Steering Committee. In order to be considered, you must complete the application on the AASHE website by Wednesday, December 8. To more fully engage the community, this year STARS participants will have an opportunity to select two of the new members. For more information, see the application instructions or email stars@aashe.org.
Energy Dept $1M Funding Opportunity for University Research
This funding opportunity makes available competitive, 2-year cooperative agreements for teams at U.S.-based institutions of higher education to research and develop innovative building energy efficiency technologies. Submission deadline for concept papers is December 19.
Transformative Dialogues Teaching & Learning Journal Submissions
With a special theme, Post-secondary Sustainability Leadership and Education, the journal is seeking submissions on any aspect of post-secondary sustainability education and/or leadership, including examples at the educational developer, instructor, curriculum, institutional and national levels. Deadline for submission is April 15.
Call for Nominations: 2014 Best of Green Schools
The Best of Green Schools list is an annual announcement made by the Center for Green Schools highlighting schools, districts, individuals and communities in 10 categories for their efforts to create healthy, efficient learning environments. Higher education leaders can be recognized for a variety of sustainable measures including energy conservation, environmental innovation, collaborative platforms and policies to green school infrastructure. Submit your nominations online by November 22.
Call for Nominations: AASHE Board of Directors
AASHE invites any AASHE member to nominate candidates to the board of directors, which advises, governs, oversees policy and direction, and assists with the leadership and general promotion of AASHE so as to support the organization’s mission and needs. The full board holds multi-day, in-person meetings at least once a year and holds bimonthly phone meetings. Overall, board members should expect to contribute an average of 5 to 10 hours per month to AASHE. The closing date for nominations is November 24, and applications are due by December 3. Nominees will receive an email with application instructions.
2016 Collegiate Wind Competition Call for Proposals
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory Request for Proposals seeks teams of students to participate in the Collegiate Wind Competition, which challenges teams to design and construct a wind-driven power system, develop a business plan to market their product, and demonstrate their knowledge of current and emerging issues facing the wind industry.
Post STARS Submission Ideas to Share Your Story
Congratulations! You've navigated through STARS, collected data, documented it, and submitted a report. What’s next? Showcase your efforts by showing off the newly earned STARS seal, share STARS with campus stakeholders, create a communication plan, and use STARS as a recruitment tool. In addition to actions you can take at your institution, AASHE encourages feedback from its participants. Now that your institution's report is complete, we encourage you more than ever to share questions and feedback to help shape the system. Click here to read more about how to keep momentum moving forward.
Energy Dept 2015 Race to Zero Student Design Competition
Open to students and faculty in the U.S. and Canada, the competition, formerly known as the Challenge Home Student Design Competition, poses teams with a specific design problem and requires either a redesign an existing floor plan or creation of a new house design that satisfies the project requirements.
Call for Papers: Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Ed
This issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education aims to present contemporary, state-of-the-art applications of how social science theories, models, and findings can help overcome campus sustainability challenges and to illustrate the diversity of social science campus sustainability research conducted across the world. Papers are sought from a range of social sciences including but not limited to anthropology, communication, economics, education, geography, psychology, political science, and sociology. Interdisciplinary social science contributions are also welcome. Submissions are accepted through November 15.
Campus Sustainability Day Keynote Broadcast: RSVP
The theme for the upcoming Campus Sustainability Day (CSD) keynote broadcast is Empowering Change on Campus and in the Community. Campuses are invited to view this short webcast at their CSD events, as a way to compliment planned activities and foster discussion. The broadcast will feature higher education sustainability leaders discussing ways in which students can make a difference, be a part of sustainability solutions, and build a career in the sustainability field.
Energy Dept Funding for Next Generation HVAC Systems
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced nearly $8 million to support research and development of the next generation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies. The research and development will focus on developing regionally appropriate HVAC solutions that would offer significant potential energy savings for new and existing buildings, and on developing innovative approaches that could replace current vapor compression HVAC technologies and their use of refrigerants that harm the global environment.
Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop
Applications now open for AASHE’s Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop at Emory University, Jan. 8-9, 2015. These highly-rated workshops, for faculty leaders of all disciplines who wish to develop campus-wide curriculum change programs for their schools, 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, while learning the Piedmont/Ponderosa model for curriculum development. Over 500 campus leaders from across the U.S. and eight foreign countries have praised the workshop’s assistance for their campus’s sustainability efforts. Participants receive readings and organizational materials and return to their campuses with a national network of supportive fellow leaders.
Call for Submissions: Canada’s Water Wise School Case Competition
Hosted by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating and open to all Canadian post-secondary students, the competition invites teams of four to six to submit an on-campus case study with the objective of decreasing water consumption in honor of World Plumbing Day on March 11. First place prize is $3,000 and second is $1,000. Registration is open from now until December 1 with submissions due February 2.
Call for Submissions: Sustainability Teaching Activities
Submissions are now being accepted for the peer-reviewed and edited book Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Instructors are invited to submit descriptions of novel, easy to implement and engaging in-class activities. To be considered for publication, contributions must be submitted by Jan. 20, 2015.
Halloween Costume Swap via Tradepal
Tradepal, in partnership with Campus Sustainability Day, invites students to list and trade holiday items of interest on their Tradepal campus network.
SustainUS 2015 Lead Now Fellowship
SustainUS is now accepting applications from university and college students who are working on a community project and/or seeking to further develop leadership and project skills. The Lead Now fellowship focuses on trainings, mentorship, peer community and recognition. Deadline to apply is November 1.
Call for Proposals: Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference 2015
The 10th annual conference hosted by the University of Maryland, slated for March 30-31, 2015, seeks proposals in the themes of community-campus partnerships, change management, social responsibility, the built environment and the campus as a learning laboratory. The proposal submission deadline is October 10.
Northwest Earth Institute EcoChallenge
Hosted by the Northwest Earth Institute, this challenge asks participants to stick with one action to reduce their environmental impact for two weeks. Sign up as an individual, class or university team starting now. This year's EcoChallenge takes place October 15-29.
Yale U Introduces New Carbon Focused Competition
A new national low-carbon investment case competition, sponsored by the university, is now accepting team registration. This competition will allow students to explore identical data and through research will develop a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity.
Annual Membership Survey
AASHE’s annual Membership Survey recently opened for feedback from all AASHE member institutions, organizations and businesses. The survey includes questions on sustainability and AASHE as an organization, and includes follow-up questions as part of AASHE’s ongoing Listening Project. There are 32 to 33 questions, many of which are optional, and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Real Food Media Contest: Submissions Now Accepted
Video submissions between 30 seconds and 4 minutes are currently being accepted about sustainable food and farming. Videos should feature under-reported issues, innovative sustainability strategies, compelling stories of food producers and workers and more in a variety of formats. Submissions are due by January 5, 2015.
[Em]Powering Grid Resilience Student Innovation
Student applications are now being accepted for an award competition that evaluates solutions to combat the climate change impact on the electric grid. Deadline to submit is November 10, 2014.
Illinois Governor's Sustainability Awards
This award recognizes companies or institutions that implement techniques or technologies that reduce or eliminate pollutants, toxicity and other environmental impacts.
Registration Opens for Campus Conservation Nationals
The USGBC Students program, Lucid, the Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation recently announced the opening of registration for a challenge to reduce electricity and water consumption in a conservation competition. Registration closes November 7, 2014.
AASHE, The Princeton Review and Sierra Magazine Collaborate
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), The Princeton Review and Sierra Magazine are continuing their collaboration on sustainability data collection. Please mark your calendars, both organizations request data to be submitted through the STARS Reporting Tool by February 27, 2015.
Chevrolet Promotes Clean Energy in Campaign
Chevrolet is now providing funding to purchase and retire carbon reductions arising from clean energy efficiency projects on college campuses across the U.S. in a collaboration with AASHE, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and other stakeholders across the country.
NSSE Registration Closes September 25
Registration closes on September 25, 2014 for the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) with a goal to refocus the national discourse about college quality on teaching and learning, and provide colleges and universities with diagnostic, actionable information that can inform efforts to improve the quality of undergraduate education.
Executive Education for Disruptive Sustainability Workshop
At this year's AASHE 2014 Conference & Expo, AASHE has invited Leith Sharp from Harvard University's Center for Health and the Global Environment, in collaboration with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, to deliver a new one-day intensive session for senior leaders and experienced sustainability professionals who are wanting to integrate sustainability into the core of their university or college as a driver of innovation, effectiveness and growth. This all-day workshop is on October 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
AASHE 2014 Membership Survey Now Open
The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and is meant to reach individuals at AASHE member institutions, organizations and businesses, who are working or interested in campus sustainability.
STARS 2014 Survey
As part of the 2014 Listening Project, the STARS 2014 Survey is now available. AASHE invites everyone, regardless of STARS participation status, to take this survey. The survey is meant to reach campus sustainability practitioners at any higher education institution who have an interest in tracking and bench-marking campus sustainability performance.
EPA Food Recovery Challenge
The new free and voluntary program from the Environmental Protection Agency challenges participants to reduce food waste and provides information on ways to save money, help communities and protect the environment. Participants choose one of three categories from which to compare baseline data against stated goals.
UN Higher Education for Sustainable Development Study
The new international survey aims to investigate critical factors that provide supportive insights for higher education institutions about how to scale and improve sustainability processes in higher education institutions, society and policy. The survey answers will provide insights on specific opportunities and leverage points to enable higher education institutions to contribute to sustainable development locally and globally. Outcomes of the survey will be sent to participants who provide contact information.
USGBC Students Regional Chair Volunteer Positions
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is in search of professionals to fill regional chair positions for its USGBC Students program. This volunteer position will build a program that works toward large-scale sustainability projects on college campuses and communities as well as impact a large number of students pursuing careers in the green building and sustainability industry.
Call for Proposals: Climate Leadership Award Design Competition
Second Nature is calling for award design proposals for its annual Climate Leadership Awards. The stipend for the creation of the awards is $180.00 per award (a total of $1260.00 for seven different award categories). Signatory institutions of the ACUPCC can submit their proposals by August 27.
Call for Presentations: Second Nature's Sustainability Showcase
The Sustainability Showcase is a public portfolio of the 2014 Climate Leadership Summit that aims to bring together diverse and innovative exhibits that engage the conference participants and present a picture of emerging knowledge and of leading change. The project may include interdisciplinary faculty research, student research and projects, staff initiatives, community programs or sustainability artworks. Submissions are accepted through July 23.
Climate Assistance for Minority-Serving Institutions
For minority-serving institutions that are experiencing challenges in fulfilling the ACUPCC, Second Nature will provide a site visit at no cost to the institution, which will provide up to two days of peer-to-peer support to individuals responsible for implementing the commitment. Ten institutions will be selected. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout 2014.
Call for Proposals: AIEA 2015 Conference
The Association of International Education Administrators 2015 conference includes themes on higher education diversity and global responsibilities, and encourages innovative session proposals that explore new paradigms for leading global learning. The call for proposals ends August 15.
AASHE Member Discount: Ocean Recovery Alliance Plasticity Forum
Ocean Recovery Alliance is offering a 15 percent discount on registration for the Plasticity Forum in New York City on June 24. With stakeholders from the plastics industry, the event will focus on innovations that reduce plastic waste impact, decreasing the impact of waste on communities, and waste as a resource.
Call for Applications: Green Gown Awards
Open to universities and colleges in the U.K. and organized by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, the annual Green Gown Awards recognizes exceptional sustainability initiatives at higher education institutions. New award categories this year include Enterprise, Food and Drink, and a new individual Leadership Award.
Extended Deadline: 2014 Green4Green Video Contest
Open to students, National Office Furniture is now accepting original 3-minute video submissions describing how cash would be used for an environmentally-friendly project. Online voting to determine finalists will run between June 2 and July 31. Deadline to submit has been extended to June 2.
2014 EPA Energy Star Battle of the Buildings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a national competition among commercial buildings to save energy and water, and fight climate change. Competitors will work off the waste through improvements in energy and water efficiency with help from EPA's ENERGY STAR program. The last day to register is May 16.
Call for Applications: Future Organic Farmer Education Grant
The California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation is now accepting applications for educational grant funding from currently enrolled students who are pursuing a career in organic agricultural production. Applications must be submitted by June 13.
15th Annual Brower Youth Awards Application Period
Hosted by the Earth Island Institute, North American college students are encouraged to apply for the award based on their demonstrated excellence in environmental leadership, and the creativity, impact, replicability and relevance of the project. Applications will be accepted until May 12.
Call for Entries: Student Sustainability Films
The Media Institute for Social Change is now accepting short film entries about programs and projects that the campus is doing to create sustainable solutions to environmental concerns. The winning film is awarded $1,000 cash.
Deadline Extended: Call for Papers: Ecomusicologies 2014
The Ecomusicologies 2014: Dialogues is a multi-day conference on the topic of music, culture and the environment. Students and faculty may submit proposals on topics such as musical collaboration in, for, or with the environment, the sound of green, acoustic ecology, race, class, gender, and academic-as-activist. Proposals are due May 14.
Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership
This new three day residential program is for senior leaders ready to integrate sustainability into their core business or mission as an innovation, growth and effectiveness driver. The event is being held in Boston, Massachusetts on June 18-20.
Call for Applications: 2014 Green Genome CC Awards
The award, sponsored by the American Association of Community College's Sustainability Education and Economic Development Center, recognizes exemplary community colleges that have demonstrated the institutional competencies in community engagement, governance, program design and delivery, and strategic partnerships for a clean and sustainable economy. Applications are accepted through April.
ACUPCC On Air Series: Earth Month
In celebration of Earth Month, ACUPCC Support Team is holding a series of webcasts. The ACUPCC On Air Series will take place every Tuesday, 1-1:30 p.m. Eastern in April. Each week will feature a discussion topic presented by experts of the ACUPCC network, as well as a FAQs session with questions submitted by ACUPCC sustainability champions. The online discussions are on sustainable endowments, Clean Air-Cool Planet, and carbon accounting for campus-owned forests.
