After receiving a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Initiative, the University of Maryland, College Park is scheduled to install more than 2,600 solar panels on the roof of its Severn Building. Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. will finance a portion of the project in return for the university’s agreement of a 20-year purchasing contract. The result of this project amounts to one of the largest solar power systems in Maryland. It will produce 792 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing the university’s carbon footprint by more than 600 tons a year.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School is expanding its power plant to accommodate a new 7.5-megawatt gas-fired combustion turbine that will boost the plant's capacity to generate steam, electricity and chilled water. Fueled by natural gas, the new turbine will replace a 35-year-old gas and oil-fired boiler. The turbine will also feature a catalytic reduction system to remove pollutants before the exhaust gasses are discharged through the existing smokestack.

As a result of urging the campus community to think about their use of paper over the last two years, the amount of paper used by the University of Massachusetts Medical School dropped in fiscal year 2010. Of the paper used, significantly more of it was made from recycled content. In fiscal year 2009, the university purchased 7,224 case of paper, of which 13 percent were made with recycled content. In fiscal year 2010, the total amount of paper bought dropped to 7,096 cases, with 27 percent recycled paper.

The University of New Hampshire has launched a new major that reflects the region's agricultural landscape and growing appetite for local, sustainable food, products and services. The sustainable agriculture and food systems curriculum combines plant, animal and environmental sciences with related topics like nutrition, forestry, aquaculture, and business disciplines such as entrepreneurship and marketing. The major offers both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.

The University of Northern Iowa's new solar-wind hybrid power station recently celebrated its first day of power. The station, which will help to power the campus grid, is funded by a grant from the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development, state and local funds, educational institutions and the private sector. In the works since March 2010, students, faculty and contractors worked together to implement the 12-kilowatt station.

As a follow-up to the White House Community College Summit last fall, the U.S. Department of Education will hold a series of regional community college summits. The last meeting in April will be a virtual symposium that will present findings on issues discussed at the regional summits. Bringing together representatives from community colleges, students, business and industry, philanthropy, labor, and state and local government, these summits are intended to further the conversation regarding community colleges' role in workforce development and student success, in particular President Barack Obama's goal of an additional five million Americans earning a college credential by 2020.

The University of Virginia's Office of the Provost has approved a new interdisciplinary minor in global sustainability, open to undergraduates in any discipline. Requirements include one foundation course, "Global Sustainability," and options within the three categories of environment, equity and economy. The creation of the minor was a student initiative.

The University of California, Santa Barbara's Recreation Center has been chosen by Southern California Edison as a "Zero Net Energy Demonstration Showcase." The electric utility company will perform an energy efficiency analysis of the center and provide recommendations for achieving zero net energy performance within the facility. With assistance from the utility company's incentive and rebate programs, the university will purchase and install the recommended solutions. The university hopes to make all of its facilities energy independent by the 2015-2016 academic year.

With its latest partnerships with the University of Texas at Austin, Michigan State University, the University of Richmond (VA), Christopher Newport University (VA), Hampshire College (MA), Seton Hall University (NJ), Meredith College (NC) and North Carolina State University, Zipcar, Inc. has a presence on more than 225 college campuses. The car sharing program allows students, faculty and staff to rent a car only when they need it, providing a cost-effective alternative to car ownership. Within this network of campus programs, 1.7 million students, faculty and staff are now within a short walk of a Zipcar.

Thirteen new institutions have signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the July 19, 2010 issue of the AASHE Bulletin. In doing so, these campuses have committed to develop comprehensive plans for achieving climate neutrality. The new signatories are: Ronald Berkman of Cleveland State University (OH), Mark Erickson of Wittenberg University (OH), John Fry of Drexel University (PA), Jerry Sue Thornton of Cuyahoga Community College (OH), John Delaney of the University of North Florida, Cleveland Sellers of Voorhees College (SC), Greg Weisenstein of West Chester University (PA), Thayne McColluh of Gonzaga University (WA), Janet Eisner of Emmanuel College (MA), Beverly Tatum of Spelman College (GA), Kenneth Ender of William Rainey Harper College (IL), Thomas Cole of Interdenominational Theological Center (GA) and David Gipp of the United Tribes Technical College (ND). A total of 677 college and university presidents are active ACUPCC signatories.

American University (DC) has implemented a Green Eagle Sustainability Fund to enable students and community members to apply for grants in support of sustainability research and initiatives on campus. The Sustainability Fund board composed of undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, staff and other community members will allocate funds for worthy projects and provide support for applicants to put their ideas into action throughout the year. The Sustainability Fund replaces a Clean Energy Revolving Fund and will not be limited to projects that pay themselves back, creating more opportunities for students and community members to design sustainability projects with greater flexibility and resources.

Antioch University New England (NH) has announced a new online version of its sustainability MBA program. The first cohort of the fully accredited, two-year program will begin in May 2011. Along with a 24-month weekend program and an accelerated 12-month program, the university now offers three sustainability MBA degree delivery options.

California State University, San Bernardino has announced a partnership with Southern California Edison Company to install a utility-owned 1.4-megawatt fuel cell power plant on campus, powered by natural gas. The excess heat generated by the plant will be used in a combined heat and power configuration to heat the university’s water system.

With a grant from Alcoa, the College and University Recycling Coalition and Keep America Beautiful, Clemson University (SC) has expanded its campus recycling program with more than 7,000 recycling bins for offices, classrooms and residence halls at a cost of about $49,000. Each office will receive a bin for paper and a mini trash bin for non-recyclable waste. In the residence halls, students can use the bins for paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminum. Trash cans will be removed from classrooms and recycling stations will be placed in convenient locations in the hallways. The university hopes to up its current recycling rate of 22.25 percent to between 35 and 40 percent.

Cleveland State University has announced a partnership with Rosby Farm to implement a composting program on campus. Raw and cooked foods, soiled paper items, coffee filers and cardboard from the university's main production kitchens will be kept out of landfills and manufactured into soil products for plant growth.

Colorado State University has begun offering an online green building certificate program open to the public starting in February. The program was developed by the director of the university's Institute for the Built Environment. The courses may also qualify as prerequisites to LEED accreditation and to LEED credential maintenance.

The first publication of Cornell University's (NY) Journal of Architecture in eight years debuted this month after architecture students rallied around its revival. The theme of the current issue is "Re," which suggests a dialogue between ideas of reuse, renovation and re-imagining. The theme is a nod to what the students see as important in the contemporary architecture world, looking toward more sustainable practices and favoring imaginative solutions to age-old problems such as population density and small budgets.

Cornell University (NY) will offer a new minor in sustainable energy systems through the College of Engineering starting this academic year. Courses in wide-ranging disciplines will be offered including biological and environmental engineering, earth and atmospheric sciences and mechanical and aerospace engineering. Its broader aspects will encompass environmental, economic and social impacts of energy technologies.

Elon University (NC) plans to launch a competition called POWERless to increase awareness on campus about energy consumption. Pitting residence halls against each other, the competition will measure which residence hall has the greatest energy reduction. The competition, now in its fifth year, will take place from February 15 to March 15. This year’s overall goal is for a 10 percent energy reduction.

In a joint effort between Emory University's (GA) Office of Sustainability Initiatives and Campus Services, the university saved approximately $30,000 in energy costs by turning down thermostats in 32 major campus buildings and residence halls. Over two four-day periods, the buildings' thermostats were set to 50 degrees resulting in roughly twice the savings of last year's holiday break efforts. The increase is attributed to the participation of more buildings this year.

Maharishi University of Management's (IA) MBA program has announced plans to roll out a slate of new sustainability courses this spring semester. Including "Measuring & Reporting on Sustainability" and "Sustainable Community Development," the new courses are designed to better prepare students for the business world's current focus on sustainability. Students will now have access to a new software program that lets one create models of sustainable technologies and be able to examine aspects of organizational change for sustainability.

Mississippi State University has signed a $50,000 annual contract to jumpstart its campus-wide recycling program. The contract with Bluebox LLC eases the recycling process by enabling customers to throw all recyclables into the same container without sorting.

Mount Wachusett Community College (MA) and West Chester University (PA) are in the process of significant renewable energy campus upgrades, The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported. The community college is installing two 1.65-megawatt turbines that will cover all of the college's electrical demand. The project will cost $9 million with $3.2 million coming from U.S. Department of Energy grants and the rest in clean-energy bonds through the state and the federal stimulus package. The turbines are expected to start generating power in March. The university, which already has 15 buildings on geothermal, will use $5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to add three buildings to its geothermal system. The conversion of the three buildings will reduce emissions by 4.7 million pounds per year and is expected to save $1 million per year in energy costs.

North Carolina State University has received $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy to aid in the development of a smart grid for transferring renewable resource energy. Specifically, the university will develop a Transformerless Intelligent Power Station, known as TIPS, to make a cost-effective and efficient power grid that can easily accommodate a variety of renewable energy resources to the existing power infrastructure. Professors and students at the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center will execute this work for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management, which is based on the university's Centennial Campus.

President Barack Obama recently visited Pennsylvania State University for a firsthand look at a university researcher’s ideas on how to transform the building industry by making energy-efficient renovations more affordable. The U.S. Department of Energy has designated three Innovation Hubs to develop and advance scientific understanding of how to make more sustainable buildings. The university's professor Jim Freihaut leads the hub that focuses on technology that can reduce dependence on imported oil and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Purdue University's (IN) recent decision to cancel plans for its new coal-fired boiler brings the total number of scrapped coal plant plans to 150 since 2001, according to the Sierra Club. Recent switches away from coal by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University cite potentially strict environmental regulations surrounding coal emissions in the future as a factor.

Rice University's (TX) Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology (RESET) has recently selected six student projects to appropriate $40,000 towards. RESET’s goal is to alleviate climate change and rising energy costs by allocating funds towards student-led sustainability efforts. The appropriated fund will help finance campus projects including a bike share program, self-sustaining police station, weatherization, toilet retrofitting, air conditioning and light renovation, and an outreach event to raise awareness about energy consumption.

Royal Roads University (BC) has announced that it will provide community education and outreach, applied research, monitoring and reporting as part of the City of Colwood's three-year solar power project. The federally-funded $3.9 million effort will include retrofitting municipal buildings with solar energy, working with developers to build new model energy-efficient buildings, working with homeowners to retrofit up to 1,000 homes and installing electric vehicle-charging infrastructure throughout the city.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has announced plans for an automated biodiesel processor that will convert canola oil into biodiesel fuel and a way to use the byproduct. The manager of the university farm's Dairy Center will experiment this summer with replacing part of his herd's current corn feed with glycerol, the byproduct of converting recycled canola oil into biodiesel and then glycerin. Feeding glycerol to dairy cows could save $40 to $50 per day in corn feed expenses and enable the university to recycle 80 to 95 percent of its canola oil. The university's associate professor in animal sciences and food and nutrition says no studies show that introducing glycerol into dairy or beef cows' feed results in illness and plans to study the energy potential glycerol may have on dairy cows during the program. If the cows show any sign of illness, the program will stop. Students from the university's Dairy Club will operate tasks to create the biodiesel and glycerol.

A 1.6-megawatt tracking array at the University of Arizona will allow customers to begin buying solar energy. Utility company Tucson Electric Power owns the solar infrastructure, but the solar operation is located at the university’s Science and Technology Park. The $6.7 million facility, besides supplying itself with power, produces enough to service 266 additional households in the Tucson, Ariz. area.

The University of Central Missouri was recently honored with Trane's "Energy Efficiency in Leader Education" award for $36.1 million in campus-wide energy-saving infrastructure upgrades that resolved $20.1 million in deferred maintenance. The upgrades, which will be funded directly from energy savings and related costs, are expected to save more than $735,000 in annual energy costs. The university used a performance contract to pay for the improvements directly from energy saving and other future avoided costs. The contract allows the use of future energy and operational savings to finance infrastructure improvement projects.

The week before the University of Louisville (KY) received a STARS Silver rating, the university also received word that it had achieved its third LEED Gold certification for its Center for Predictive Medicine biosafety research lab. The $44 million, 50,000-square-foot center allows scientists from Kentucky and surrounding states to study diseases like the flu, glanders and the plague in a secure environment.

The University of Mississippi will direct 60 percent of a $100,000 grant issued from the state government to improve its recycling program. The primary investment will be the purchase of new recycling bins on campus. The remaining 40 percent of the grant will be invested in recycling improvements for the university's hosting town of Oxford, Miss.

The University of South Florida is collaborating with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to initiate a water conservation campaign called “Every Drop Counts!” The first stage of this campaign began with a sculpture installation in the lobby of the Marshall Student Center by a university alumnus who constructed a pyramid of 111 one-gallon jugs. The number correlates to the amount of water used by the average individual in the Tampa Bay, Fla. region.

A recent survey of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus shows that transit bus riding has increased 19 percent over the past five years. Students and faculty may ride the city bus for free if they have their campus ID. An additional bus route has contributed to the increase, but campus construction and increased prices for a parking pass are also factors that affected the increase.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s new Sage Hall is nearing completion and is on track for a LEED Gold designation. Some of the eco-friendly features include a green roof, stormwater purification, solar thermal for heating water and recycled materials used for construction. Natural sunlight will provide 90 percent of the interior lights.

Warren Wilson College (NC) has released a campus Sustainable Practices Guide, recommending actions that support sustainability values and formal pledges including the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. Developed by the campus Sustainability Working Group to replace the college's Green Office Guide, the new guide goes beyond office practices to cover areas such as transportation and campus events. The college has also implemented the Sustainability Recognition Award, which will recognize up to 3 sustainability projects per year. The Sustainability Working Group will select an annual award winner that best reflects the principles of the college's sustainability commitments.

Wartburg College (IA) has begun a $2 million sustainability project that includes numerous energy efficiency upgrades to 17 existing structures on campus and is estimated to save the college $260,000 per year. Upgrades include an efficient steam boiler, control units for heating and cooling, and low-flow water fixtures. This initiative is expected to create 31 jobs between now and September 2011. The Office of Energy Independence helped kick off the project with a $666,000 grant.

Washington State University's Environmental Health and Safety Department is in the last stages of a commuter survey conducted to develop models to better estimate reductions in campus carbon emissions. In its first attempt to understand greenhouse gas emissions as they relate to campus commuting practices, the university emailed the survey to faculty, staff and students statewide.

Yale University’s (CT) Business Operations has announced that it will opt out of printing the typical 8,000 - 10,000 copies of its annual financial report. Instead, the report is available for viewing, downloading and selective printing on its website. This is estimated to save the university $60,000 and more than 300,000 pages of paper. All printing will be done on 100 percent recycled paper for those hard copies that are requested, part of the university's commitment to reduce paper purchasing by 25 percent by 2013.

Forty-three new campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAPs) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on Dec. 6, 2010. The plans illustrate the specific steps schools are taking to reach climate neutrality. The CAP is the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within two years of signing. The new submissions are, in alphabetical order: Babson College (MA); Clemson University (SC); Coppin State University (MD); East Los Angeles College (CA); Everett Community College (WA); Gateway Community College (AZ); Goucher College (MD); Governors State University (IL); Gustavus Adolphus College (MN); Hillsborough Community College (FL); Holyoke Community College (MA); Huston-Tillotson University (TX); Johnson County Community College (KS); Juniata College (PA); Lane Community College (OR); Los Angeles City College (CA); Los Angeles Harbor College (CA); Los Angeles Mission College (CA); Los Angeles Pierce College (CA); Los Angeles Southwest College (CA); Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (CA); Los Angeles Valley College (CA); Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Monroe Community College (NY); New Mexico State University at Carlsbad; North Carolina State University; Southern New Hampshire University; St. Mary's College of Maryland; State University of New York at Albany; The New School (NY); University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; University of Minnesota-Crookston; University of Minnesota-Duluth; University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; University of Mississippi; University of Missouri-Columbia; University of Missouri - Kansas City; University of Richmond (VA); University of South Carolina Lancaster (SC); University of Vermont; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; West Los Angeles College (CA); and Western Technical College (WI).

A Louisiana State University industrial engineering assistant professor has teamed up with PURETI Inc, a U.S.-based manufacturer to announce the first evaluation of air-purifying asphalt and concrete. Photo catalytic pavement uses light and titanium dioxide to accelerate decomposition of organic matter. A field study of this new technology is underway near the university's campus. The year-long study will measure air quality and groundwater runoff. Dr. Hassan will present her findings at the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Conference in Washington DC. She says that this will be “the first photo catalytic pavement in the U.S. capable of purifying outdoor air...from traffic emissions.”

A recent survey of Portland State University’s (OR) staff and student population revealed that 75 percent commute to campus without a car. The survey shows that bus, light rail and streetcars are the dominant forms of transportation to the campus. With a new bicycle track that runs through campus, however, biking is the mode of transportation that is growing the fastest. The inclusion of 2,000 bike parking spots and a bicycle repair shop on campus has helped increase the popularity of biking to campus. The electronic survey was completed by 960 employees and 1,109 students.

The senior class of American University (DC) recently unveiled its parting gift – a wind turbine that will power a campus building called the Tavern. A fundraising event raised money towards the overall goal of $22,000. The class of 2011 will continue to fundraise to pay for their gift, but the college’s Office of Sustainability will finance the difference should they fall short of their goal.

Funded by $1.6 million of stimulus money, Austin Community College (TX) has successfully installed enough solar panels on its Eastview campus to save the school $44,000 each year. Besides saving the college money on its utility bill, the project also created five jobs and contributed to 48 others at Jamail & Smith Construction and Texas Solar Power Company.

Brigham Young University (UT) chemistry professor Richard Watt and a team of graduate students have developed a process that mimics photosynthesis to create energy. It is still in the developmental phase, but the chemical reaction works by using protein, citric acid and gold atoms. Their study was recently published in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research.

The Power and Energy Society, an on-campus electrical engineering club at California Polytechnic State University (CA) recently volunteered to help install solar panels on low-income houses. Five houses received the solar panels that are expected to provide 90 percent of their electrical needs. The students installed the panels with two non-profits, GRID Alternatives and People’s Self-Help Housing Corp. The project received funding from the California Solar Initiative Single-family Affordable Solar Homes program.

The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in California is turning waste vegetable oil into biodiesel to fuel its campus shuttles. Oil from multiple oil fryers in campus kitchen classrooms is being converted to fuel using a BioPro biodiesel processor. This processor is expected to pay for itself within a year. By switching from diesel, the institute saves $64 a tank in the two shuttle vans outfitted to run on biodiesel.

A shaky economy with an uncertain job market is contributing to a surge in popularity of campus food pantries, reports Inside Higher Ed. Three pantries at Iowa State University, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of California, Davis have opened in the past month. Last year's National College Health Assessment revealed that finances for the past 12 months were "traumatic or very difficult to handle" for 35.2 percent of students. The two biggest financial issues facing college students are joblessness and education cuts.

Ithaca College (NY) has received LEED Platinum certification for its Peggy Ryan Williams Center, which houses the Office of the President and other senior administration. More than 50 percent of the building's energy comes from renewable sources, with a geothermal system to provide heating and cooling and natural convection ventilation that pre-cools the atrium at the start of each day by drawing in cooler night air and relieving it out a light monitor four stories above. Other sustainable features include nearly 6,500 square feet of vegetated roofing and a 12,000-gallon tank below the garden that collects rainwater from the roof, serving more than 85 percent of the building's yearly water needs.