Albright College Students Boost Garden Offerings
(U.S.): Students from the college’s garden project began growing herbs and and implemented a new rain barrel system this year, which bolstered ongoing efforts of the pesticide-free agriculture project.
Auburn U Bolsters Waste Diversion Efforts with Solar
(U.S.): Solar-powered trash cans and recycling bins have recently been installed on campus that will compact trash leading to a reduction in labor, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions due to the reduced frequency with which the cans will need to be emptied.
California CC Boosts Clean Energy Projects through Tax Benefits
(U.S.): Clean energy tax benefits have spurred infrastructure upgrades, green job training efforts, and 313 additional projects that promote sustainability. Cumulatively, these efforts are estimated to save $4.6 million annually and reduce energy use by the equivalent of 2.9 million gallons of gasoline.
Concordia U Hosts Exchange Students
(Canada): An exchange student program between Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany and the university provided an opportunity for German students to explore sustainability through compost and edible garden site visits, conducting research and writing reports for three weeks this summer.
Concordia U St.Paul Implements Single Stream Recycling
(U.S.): In an effort to reduce waste, new recycling bins are currently being installed throughout campus to allow students, faculty and staff to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass bottles and aluminum in a single container.
Everett CC Hires First Chief Diversity Officer
(U.S.): After 23 years at Peninsula College, Maria Peña has been hired to build a relationship with local tribes, collaborate with local partners and institutions, and bolster diversity initiatives listed in the strategic plan.
George Washington U Building Earns LEED Platinum
(U.S.): The building incorporates natural lighting with floor to ceiling windows, lighting controls, a green roof, recycled and renewable building materials, yoga and meditation rooms, desks that can be converted into standing workstations, and bike racks inside and outside the building.
Georgia State U Sparks Food Movement
(U.S.): University students have set out to close the gap between the food on the plate and where the food is grown in a new “Know Your Grower Atlanta” campaign sparking conversations and connections related to the local food process.
Government Model Engineering College Promotes Organic
(India): The college recently started a month-long campaign to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the use of pesticides and additives and to promote the use of purely organic farming methods by having students pass out organic kits and provide student access to an organic farm on campus.
Johnson County CC Receives Recycling Bins
(U.S.): Thanks to a grant from Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Foundation, 50 new recycling bins are being installed at the community college in advance of the upcoming semester to increase waste diversion efforts.
London U Freezes Fossil Fuel Investments
(U.K.): Following a recent campaign from more than 600 students, the university’s School of Oriental and African Studies has announced the hold on all future investments and is considering divesting all of its current holdings valued at 2 million pounds ($3.3 million).
North Carolina U Pembroke to Install Two EV Charging Stations
(U.S.): After the recent signing of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge, the university prepares to unveil two new electric vehicle charging stations alongside a solar photovoltaic system to offset energy consumption, which will put the university closer to its 2050 carbon neutrality commitment.
Northern Arizona U Building Achieves LEED Gold
(U.S.): Recent renovations of the Liberal Arts building at the university included a 75 percent diversion of construction waste from landfills, a reduction of water usage by 30 percent, and lighting controls for more responsible use of energy.
Northern Illinois U Encourages Use of Reusable Water Bottles
(U.S.): In an effort to increase sustainability the university is continuing a campaign to pass out reusable water bottles to students, install water bottle refill stations, and reduce the reliance on disposable plastic water bottles. It is anticipated that 4,500 water bottles will be distributed by the end of fall 2014.
U Chicago Welcomes Underserved Groups
(U.S.): Nearly two years after the university amended its admissions policies, its Class of 2018 welcomed seven students who have received the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and are legally recognized U.S. residents. DACA status means that these students came to the U.S. as children and meet several other guidelines.
U Leicester Introduces Electric Vehicles
(U.K.): In an effort to promote electric vehicle use and boost research, EV charging stations are being installed across campus and university scientists are modifying EVs with sensors to capture air pollution related to urban air quality.
U Queensland to Open Solar Research Facility
(Australia): In order to diversify its fuel source and become more environmentally friendly, the university plans to operate a 3.275-megawatt solar research facility on nearly 25-acres.
West Carolina U Recognized for Sustainability
(U.S.): University students received top placement for the presentation of their capstone projects at a state conference. One concept involved finding sustainable solutions for commuter students while the other was a computer science undertaking to develop apps to track the local mass transit shuttles in order to increase ridership.
Bryant U Student Studies Campus Solar Lighting
A student recently accepted into National Wildlife Federation’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program conducted research and analysis about implementation of solar-powered street lights and is finishing the feasibility analysis and presenting it to the university.
Clark Atlanta U Releases HBCU Green Report
The Building Green Initiative at the university and the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development recently released the HBCU Green Report, a scan of campus sustainability initiatives underway at Historically Black Colleges and Universities that reveal innovations and growing determination among students, faculty and administrators. The survey used for the report included five categories: administration, green building, student involvement, food and recycling, and climate change and energy.
Colorado State U Adds Solar Panels to Buildings
Through a partnership with the City of Fort Collins and Namaste Solar, the university will see new solar panels installed this fall through early 2015 to increase clean energy supply and provide power to local homes and businesses, including buildings on the university’s campus.
Dickinson College Building Earns LEED Gold
The college opened their fifth LEED Gold building this month that features storm-water management, innovative light structure and natural ventilation with reversible fans.
EPA Releases Quarterly List of Top 30 Green Power Partners
The top 30 list represents the largest green power users among higher education institutions within the Green Power Partnership. The combined green power use of these organizations amounts to more than two billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 192,000 average American homes annually.
Everglades U Expands Solar Energy Program [Video]
The university recently completed construction on its new solar energy teaching lab to teach students in construction, management and policy about renewable energy technologies’ potential impact on the future.
Gonzaga U Hires First Director of Sustainability
The university furthers its commitment toward sustainability through the recent hire of Jim Simon acting as the first director of sustainability. Prior to this position, he served as the sustainability engagement coordinator at University at Buffalo. His work will support the university’s commitments to the Real Food Challenge, St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge.
Hilbert College Launches Diversity Committee
Launched in the summer of 2014, the committee's focus, comprised of faculty, staff and students, is to gradually change the culture of campus to be a more inclusive one and provide a diverse and engaging campus experience through education resources, professional development, and a study on the campus culture.
Lewis and Clark CC Raises Solar Panels
With funding from the Illinois Green Economy and students, the new solar panels are projected to produce approximately 17,000-kilowatts of electricity annually, contributing to the college’s 2058 carbon neutrality goal.
Loyola U Chicago Promotes Healthy Communities
The university recently collaborated with the City of Chicago, Cook County Department of Public Health, and Great Lakes Centers at the University of Illinois at Chicago to host a multidisciplinary summit to raise awareness about the burdens of unhealthy housing and begin the work of developing a blueprint for the city and county to address indoor environmental toxins, especially as they relate to children.
NPR: Grow Green Energy Along with Endowments
National Public Radio’s Marketplace segment recently discussed Sustainable Endowments Institute’s Billion Dollar Green Challenge and Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS 1.0).
Roane State CC Opens Green Buildings
The college completed construction of two new buildings this past March, built with LEED certification in mind, with features such as daylighting, motion and daylight sensors, geothermal heating and cooling, and indoor water use reduction.
Sierra Magazine Ranks ‘Coolest Schools’
The eighth annual ranking of colleges and universities measures environmental achievements and goals based upon Sierra’s value of environmental priorities. This year’s top 10 includes the University of California, Irvine; American University; Dickinson College; Loyola University, Chicago; Lewis and Clark College; Stanford University; University of South Florida; Green Mountain College; University of Connecticut and Georgia’s Institute of Technology.
Simon Fraser U Opens Green Labs and Offices
As part of the university’s goal to reduce energy consumption by 2 percent each year, a new campus-wide engagement program allows labs and offices to receive a toolkit that includes resources whereby points tally toward certification. During its pilot program the trial building reduced energy consumption equal to power for 30 households and heat to 20 households for one year.
U California Santa Cruz Announces Diversity Certificate Program
This month, the university released the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, a free professional development opportunity open to all staff and faculty and includes courses covering topics such as disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, and generational differences.
U Michigan Relocates Tree Older than University
After a petition urging the university to save the 200-year-old tree located where the business school expansion has been planned, donors factored the relocation of the tree into the overall cost of the project.
U North Texas Boosts Recycling Efforts
Spurring new outdoor collection bins and installation of solar trash compactors, a recent university study found that when recycling bins were readily available diversion efforts increased from 20-30 percent to 80-90 percent.
U Utah Student Receives Sustainability Award
Kathleen Hunt, dining services sustainability coordinator and doctoral student, won the 2014 Green Champion Student Award for outstanding leadership, participation and promotion of sustainable effort in dining by the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS).
10 Chicago Institutions Commit to Reduce Energy Use
The ten schools that recently signed onto the Retrofit Chicago’s Commercial Buildings Initiative, which commits to a 20 percent energy reduction, are City Colleges of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, School of the Art Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Chicago.
14 Institutions Earn STARS Rating
As part of AASHE's ongoing efforts engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities, once per month the Bulletin will publish the names of those institutions that have recently submitted for a STARS rating. Having acquired a rating in July, congratulations to Bentley University, Colgate University, Colorado College, Concordia College Moorhead, Emory University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Macalester College, Okanagan College, Smith College, Stanford University, University of New Hampshire, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vassar College and Western Michigan University.
Auburn U Restores Campus Creek
Giving students, faculty and the community the ability to learn more about water resources, facilities recently restored the ecological function of the creek and included an outdoor classroom.
Concordia U Cuts Water Consumption
The university has enacted a new program to reduce water consumption at two campuses by 20 percent over the next three years, which includes facility upgrades and a water consumption awareness campaign for students, faculty and staff.
Dartmouth College Purchases Energy Credits
Part of an ongoing $16 million grant to improve campus sustainability, the college’s newly installed windows and light fixtures and $50,000 of clean energy credits, equal to 7.3-million kilowatt-hours of energy, has helped the community earn recognition as a Green Power Community by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
