Columbia U Receives $1 M for 'Green' Power Plant
(U.S.): The new plant, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, will combine natural gas boilers, "greener" refrigeration machines, variable-speed motors and a cutting-edge industrial grade control system to reduce overall plant energy costs and energy consumption.
Council of Graduate Schools Focusing on Minority Graduation Rates
(U.S.): As the U.S. is faced with an aging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty and nonacademic workforce and a demographic that is rapidly changing toward a nonwhite majority, reports a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, the Council of Graduate Schools has announced grants of $30,000 to 21 institutions to study what helps minority Ph.D. STEM students succeed. Backed by a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the qualitative investigation is designed to fill in key gaps in understanding about the factors that influence whether minority students complete their degrees.
England Students Organize Protest Against Higher Ed Costs
(U.K.): The National Union of Students recently organized a national day of action in England to protest against higher tuition fees, "hidden" costs and a lack of scholarships. Students at King's College cited "hidden" course costs (like an extra £1,000 in equipment, books and travel) as a major concern and argued that fee waivers do not provide any long-term aid to students.
Finger Lakes CC Opens Green Student Center
(U.S.): The 78,000-square-foot building features stone quarried in the state, sustainably harvested wood products, 192 solar panels, low-maintenance landscaping, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.
Georgetown U Students Work to Institutionalize Sustainability
(U.S.): In an effort to effectively collaborate with administrators, Georgetown University’s (D.C.) student-led Visions for a Sustainable Georgetown Initiative has completed a campus-wide study to help advance sustainability initiatives. Core suggestions include the development a Climate Action Plan and creation of an official Office of Sustainability.
Green Mountain College Goes 'Zero-Sort'
(U.S.): Adopting the Casella Waste Systems' "Power of Three" closed loop recycling system, all of the college’s paper, plastic, glass and metal will now be combined together in one single container, sorted at Casella's processing facility, and returned to campus as 100 percent recycled paper content products.
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay Plant Produces Biodiesel
(India): The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay’s biosynth, a plant created by students, has produced its first batch of biodiesel made from waste edible oil. The fuel will be used in fumigation exercises on campus. Students and faculty are currently in the process of tweaking the plant and hope to expand production to provide biodiesel fuel for transportation facilities.
Institutions Earn Presidential Recognition for Community Service
(U.S.): Five colleges and universities received Presidential Awards in the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, announced this month. Carson-Newman College (Tennessee), Miami University (Ohio), North Carolina State University, Seattle University (Washington) and the University of Pennsylvania earned the highest federal recognition an institution can receive for its commitment to community service. A total of 642 schools were recognized this year for their impact on issues including literacy, neighborhood revitalization and supporting at-risk youth.
Korean Universities Cut Tuition Rates
(South Korea): About one-third of South Korean universities have announced lowered tuition fees for the 2012 academic year. Urged by the government, a total of 109 universities lowered fees by an average of 4.8 percent from 2011 to help make higher education more affordable for Korean families.
La Trobe U Appoints Ed for Sustainable Development Fellow
(Australia): La Trobe University has appointed Jeremy Baskin as its education for sustainable development principal research fellow. Baskin, who brings a range of experience in sustainability related teaching and research to the position, will working to implement new cross-department postgraduate degrees and undergraduate majors and minors in social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
Maharishi U Mgmt Students Raise $ for Caribbean Sustainable Farm
(U.S. and Caribbean Islands): The recent fundraiser will help send three Maharishi University of Management (Iowa) students to the Caribbean island of Dominica in May, where they will spend three months establishing a small-scale vetiver-grass nursery. They hope to make cuttings of this grass available to farmers when they return for another season the following year.
Michigan State U Students Lead Energy-Efficient Building Design
(U.S.): A group of Michigan State University students have received a $43,626 grant from the Office of Campus Sustainability to design a template to be used to transition all campus buildings to 100 percent renewable energy. Working with the university's "Design of Alternative Energy Systems" class and a local green economy leadership training organization, the students aim to take three buildings off of the main current power source.
NASA Awards $137 M to Institutions to Study Climate Change
(U.S.): The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute of Sonoma will collaborate with California State University, Monterey Bay; the University of California, Davis; and the University of North Dakota to study changes in ecosystems, climate and biodiversity over a 10-year period. The findings will help develop products to aid land managers, agricultural producers and water managers throughout the U.S.
National Central U Debuts Renewable Energy Research Center
(China): The Advanced Laboratory of Accommodation and Research for Organic Photovoltaic will focus on the research and development of sustainable and renewable energy in Taiwan. The center received a $4.74 million grant from the National Science Council to help launch the research and development of dye-sensitized solar cells.
Report Reveals 2.58% Rise in Higher Ed Tuition Worldwide
(Worldwide): Higher education tuition fees increased 2.58 percent in 40 developed countries in 2011, reports a recent Inside Higher Ed article. According to a study published by Higher Education Strategy Associates, tuition rose significantly in the U.S. and South Africa and fell by more than 5 percent in Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Russia and Turkey. The report also reveals that while student aid declined in the U.S. due to cutbacks in Pell Grants, it increased worldwide overall with significant expansion in Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Singapore and South Africa.
San Francisco State U Students Construct Bioswales
(U.S.): Eighteen students recently helped replace a conventional campus lawn area with bioswales, a landscaped depression that slows the flow of water, allowing it to seep naturally into the ground instead of being diverted into a storm drain. The bioswale is funded in part by a $23,000 grant from the Community Challenge Grant Program, a partnership between the San Francisco Public Utility Commission and the City of San Francisco.
Shanghai Jiao Tong U Launches Sustainable Urban Planning Center
(Singapore and China): The National Research Foundation has approved a proposal for Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) to set up an urban planning research center for megacities in Singapore. Collaborating with the National University of Singapore, the center will work to improve energy recovery from waste and develop system modeling and data management tools to track and mitigate emerging environmental contaminants using test beds in Shanghai and Singapore.
SmartPower Names 'America's Next Eco-Star'
(U.S.): Recent Middlebury College (Vermont) graduate Katelyn Romanov has won the title of "America’s Next Eco-Star." She was selected by more than 10,000 voters and a panel of experts during the SmartPower and U.S. Department of Energy nationwide competition. Romanov was recognized for her clean energy and environmental activism as a founding member of student group Sprout (dedicated to promoting environmental education in local schools) and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Middlebury student chapter.
Staffordshire U Adopts Car Share Program
(U.K.): A partnership with Hertz On Demand now offers students and faculty a free membership that allows them to reserve a vehicle via phone or on the website. The pay-as-you-go system provides members 24-hour access to vehicles located on campus.
Students Worldwide Collaborate to Improve Lives of Rural Poor
(Ghana): University students from Pakistan, Cambodia, Tanzania, Ghana and the U.S. convened in Ghana to showcase designs aimed at improving the lives of the rural poor as part of the International Development Design Summit, reported the Chronicle of Higher Education last fall. For the past five years, the summit has brought together students, lecturers, engineers, farmers, mechanics and other practitioners from around the world to collaborate on developing products, services and business models to serve the rural poor.
U Michigan Receives $10 M for New Sustainability Fellowship
(U.S.): The university plans to host 300 sustainability scholars over the next six years to study sustainability as it relates to energy, climate change, water, food, housing, transportation and health. The Dow Chemical Company gift will help launch one- and two-year fellowships for master's, doctoral and postdoctoral students, and support a lecture series focused on sharing sustainability research and best practices.
U North Alabama Receives Grant to Improve Recycling Efforts
(U.S.): The University of North Alabama and City of Florence Recycling Center have received a grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to improve and increase recycling initiatives on the university campus. The funds will be used to purchase recycling containers for placement across campus. The university will also use part of the grant to implement more advertisements and promotions of the campus-recycling program.
U Pennsylvania Sustainability Curriculum Earns Int'l Recognition
(U.S.): The academic component of the University of Pennsylvania's Climate Action Plan was recognized in the International Sustainable Campus Network's inaugural Global University Leaders Forum Charter report. The university, which became a charter member of the forum in 2010, offers more than 160 sustainability-related courses as part of its goal of making climate change and sustainability part of an educational experience available to all students and the campus community at large.
U Queensland Sees 70% Increase in Bike, Pedestrian Commuters
(Australia): A recent report has revealed a significant rise in bus, bike and pedestrian commuters to the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus. Bus commuters have doubled since the last survey in 2002 and the number of people traveling by bike or foot increased 70 percent. The university has worked to improve its green transportation infrastructure by capping campus car parking spots and working with the Brisbane City Council to develop direct access via public transportation to campus.
U.S., Brazil Partner for Sustainability Workforce Development
(U.S. and Brazil): Houston Community College (Texas), Jackson Community College (Michigan) and Red Rocks Community College (Colorado) have partnered with Brazilian organizations for science and math workforce development. U.S. students are headed to Salvador, Brazil in June to help improve the English skills of 200 Brazilian technical high school students while participating in an intensive program focused on Brazil’s sustainability technology and innovation.
U South Pacific Unveils Solar Energy System
(Fiji Islands): The 45-kilowatt grid connected system is expected to provide approximately 10 percent of energy needs for the campus. Funding for the system was part of a contribution by the Korean government’s East Asia Climate Partnership initiative.
U Vermont Launches Campus Renewable Energy Feasibility Study
(U.S.): Initiated by the university's Clean Energy Fund, the study will reveal which locations on campus can improve their energy technologies with a focus on the possibility of campus-based renewable energy and its role in achieving carbon neutrality. The project is expected to be completed by September.
U Wyoming Students Aid Efficient Lighting Retrofit
(U.S.): As part of a "Campus Sustainability" class learning project, a pair of University of Wyoming students are conducting a detailed inventory of campus building lights to help the university receive rebates for converting to more efficient lighting.
Victoria U Pilots Program to Convert Waste Heat for Distillation
(Australia): Results from the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation's three-month trial operation demonstrate the potential for a membrane distillation process using waste heat from heavy industry to desalinate saline effluent. The system produced high-quality water without an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Washington U St. Louis to Expand Green Labs Program
(U.S.): The university's Office of Sustainability and Sustainability Action Team at the School of Medicine are working to expand the pilot Danforth Campus Green Labs Initiative after seeing significant savings in carbon emissions and money since its September 2011 launch. Based on initial results, the initiative is projected to save 80,000 pounds of carbon emissions and $2,000 in energy bills per year.
Advocacy Groups Protest Student Loan Interest Rate Increase
Advocacy groups including Campus Progress, US PIRG and Rebuild the Dream delivered 130,000 letters from students to Congress recently, reports Inside Higher Ed. The groups are asking the lawmakers to stop the interest rate on subsidized student loans from doubling to 6.8 percent in July.
Appalachian State U Dorm Awarded LEED Gold
The second LEED Gold certification for Appalachian State University (North Carolina), the new residence hall received high marks for stewardship in areas including erosion control, landscaping and stormwater controls. Additional sustainable features include energy-efficient lighting, solar thermal and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
Bowling Green State U Achieves First LEED Gold
Bowling Green State University’s (Ohio) Stroh Center incorporates a variety of sustainable strategies including the optimization of heating and air conditioning performance, construction waste management, regional and recycled materials, and water-efficient restroom accessories. The building was also made accessible to alternative transportation.
Brandeis U Tackles Deferred Maintenance with $5 Mil Plan
Brandeis University's (Massachusetts) Board of Trustees has committed $5 million to a Sustainable Energy Program aimed at reducing energy costs and addressing deferred maintenance issues on campus. Projects including lighting retrofits, the replacement of aging heating and cooling systems and increasing efficiency in all energy-related systems are projected to reduce utility costs about $540,000 in the first year. The program's launch coincides with student-initiated Energize Brandeis Month.
Clemson U Debuts Car Share, Electric Car Charging Station
Clemson University (South Carolina) has unveiled its first electric vehicle charging station and a new car sharing program. WeCar, a membership-based car sharing program, allows students, faculty and staff to rent vehicles by the hour. The charging station will be used to charge a Chevrolet Volt that is part of the WeCar vehicle fleet.
Columbia U Awarded Several LEED Certifications
In its winter 2012 newsletter, Columbia University (New York) reports several recent LEED certifications including LEED Gold for its research facility, Northwest Corner, and University Medical Center; and LEED Silver for its administrative Studebaker building.
Elon U Partners with Local Farmers for '10 Percent Campaign'
Elon University (North Carolina) has adopted the 10 Percent Campaign, a statewide initiative that establishes trade agreements between local farmers and businesses to purchase a minimum of 10 percent of all food locally for campus meals. The campaign intends to help reduce food transit; decreasing gas emissions and the need for pesticides and preservatives.
Georgian Court U, EPA Partner for Sustainability Initiatives
Georgian Court University (New Jersey) has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a range of voluntary programs designed to broaden the university’s sustainability initiatives. As part of the agreement, the university will use the EPA’s Greenscapes landscape planning recommendations, improve its stormwater management, work within the EPA’s WasteWise program and participate in the Labs21 Partnership Program.
Green Mountain College Announces New Eco-Design Program
Green Mountain College's (Vermont) new renewable energy and ecological design undergraduate major, set to launch in fall 2012, will engage students in hands-on design and building projects that benefit the college and local community.
Harvard U Hosts Green Lab Competition
Harvard University's (Massachusetts) Faculty of Arts & Sciences department is teaming up with the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology department to hold its first floor by floor lab competition for most efficient recycling efforts and energy use.
LIU Post Debuts Environmental Sustainability Master's Degree
LIU Post (formerly the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in New York) has announced a new Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability, to begin September 2012. The program will incorporate both traditional scientific methods and modern technologies including Geographic Information Systems to prepare graduates to address the challenges facing governments, nonprofits and businesses in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the environment and energy resources. A special focus and emphasis will be placed on applying these skills and knowledge to the Long Island/New York City metropolitan area.
Plymouth State U Opens Student Ecohouse
Plymouth State University (New Hampshire) has unveiled its Ecohouse, a home for students dedicated to sustainable living and green renovation. Residents will gain hands-on experience with alternative ways of living in a house featuring solar panels for water heating and thermal window inserts that absorb heat.
