Hartwick College Celebrates Health and Environment Theme
This year's campus theme, Health and the Environment: Personal Courage and Community Activism, invites students and faculty to participate in its month-long agenda featuring a film series, bus trip for political action, and education and awareness of fair trade products.
Northern Arizona U Installs Residential Wind Turbine
Funded through the university's Green Fund and the department of Finance and Administration, the 2.4-kilowatt wind turbine was installed on campus and originated from students working on the Arizona Wind for Schools initiative, a project of the U.S. Department of Energy's WindExchange program.
Obama Administration Proposes Free Community College [Video]
President Obama recently announced a proposal to make the first two years of community college free requiring students attend community college at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make progress toward completing their program. Community colleges, the federal government and participating states would have requirements that must be met as part of this proposal.
Santa Fe CC Completes 156KW Solar Electric Array
The new 156-kilowatt photovoltaic installation combines a solar parking structure with rooftop arrays that will produce approximately 70 percent of the energy to power the building and is estimated to save the college more than $200,000 annually.
U California Initiates President's Sustainability Student Program
Supporting the university system's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, the university recently announced the creation of the President's Sustainability Student Fellowship/Internship program, whereby the Office of the President will provide $7,500 to each of the university's 10 campuses to fund student awards.
U California to Begin Supplying Electricity to Campuses
The university will switch from a third-party electricity supplier to provide electric power directly to five of its campuses and three of its medical centers, along with other electric accounts throughout the university as part of its initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
U North Carolina Wilmington Names First Diversity Officer
Currently serving as the vice president for diversity and inclusion at Georgia Regents University, W. Kent Guion, M.D., will begin his duties in April 2015. He has 25 years of experience in higher education as a research assistant, faculty member, dean and administrator.
U Tennessee Knoxville Opens Public Recycling Drop Off Site
The newly designated site for faculty, staff and students accepts paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, steel and aluminum cans, electronic waste, printer cartridges, batteries and scrap metal. In addition to this new site, the university's recycling program is providing at least one dumpster at all residence halls.
Vanderbilt U Extends Recycling to Glass
Spurred by students, the university's Sustainability and Environmental Management Office has recently expanded access to glass recycling to six new campus locations and converted bins designated as event-only to public bins.
2014 GameDay Recycling Challenge Spotlights Leaders
The 2014 results highlight those institutions with the highest total waste diversion rate, with Humboldt State University at the top of the leader board at 86.05 percent, and highest total recyclable material in pounds, Clemson University at the top with 60,724 pounds recycled. The GameDay Recycling Challenge is a friendly competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. During the challenge, colleges and universities implement waste reduction programs during home football games, track and report the data.
Boston U Partnership Investigates Net Zero Building
A research partnership between a mechanical engineering professor and two of his students, sustainability @BU and the university's Facilities Management & Planning department resulted in the conclusion that energy conservation measures could be applied to 74 campus buildings with the potential to reduce overall energy consumption 10 to 15 times more than converting the university's Earth House, a sustainability-focused, residential living learning community space, to net zero.
Cornell U to Purchase Wind Farm Electricity
Making strides in carbon emissions reduction, the university recently agreed to purchase all electricity generated from a proposed community-owned wind farm consisting of seven 1.7-megawatt wind turbines. The purchase will represent 20 percent of the university's total annual electricity use. The university's Climate Action Plan calls for net zero emissions by 2035.
Delta College Offers Urban Gardening Class to Community
The college recently introduced the new series about practical and easy-on-the-earth methods of modern day urban agriculture including six topics: soil health and amendments, starting seeds and companion plants, growing in small spaces, raising chickens, building farm equipment, and sharing goods.
Emory U Joins United Nations Climate Talks
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change approved the university as an accredited, official observer to the UN climate talks, which allows university faculty, staff and students to participate in annual negotiating sessions.
Purchase College SUNY Receives $765K for Infrastructure
The recently awarded $765,000 from the Regional Economic Development Council will be used for bio-retention swales and porous pavers in an effort to divert water while still allowing it to permeate the surface instead of going down the storm drains.
U California Santa Cruz Faculty Receives Teaching Recognition
The Environmental Studies Department's current chair, Andrew Szasz, was selected as the recipient of the 2014 Environmental Sociology Teaching and Mentorship Award from the American Sociological Association (ASA) for providing dedicated service to the teaching of environmental sociology and the mentorship of students at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.
U Colorado Boulder Salvages Computers for Low Income Communities
The university's Computers for Youth program, now ongoing and year-round, provides middle and high school students from low-income communities around Colorado with upgraded computers and basic computing programs. Surplus computer equipment is gathered, tested and re-furbished to original specifications and loaded with the latest software to assist students' academic achievement.
Washington U St. Louis Buildings Achieve LEED Gold
The university's two new buildings are co-located near alternative transportation options and feature an electric vehicle charging station, water bottle refill stations, energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and 22 percent of all building materials are recycled while 27 percent are locally sourced from within 500 miles.
Yale U Course Assesses Sustainability Strategic Plan
After the president recently asked about the ambition of the university's sustainability plan, students of a professor in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies identified key areas for strengthening: improved networks and broader stakeholder engagement in regard to faculty research, student involvement and the City of New Haven; and increased knowledge creation and dissemination.
Boston U Offers Energy & Environmental Concentration
Offered as part of the university's MBA program, the purpose of the new Energy and Environmental Sustainability concentration is to provide students with an understanding of sustainability-related challenges that businesses face, how business can adapt to these challenges, and how to identify, evaluate and act upon the opportunities created by these changes.
Central Carolina CC Expands Technology Program to Community
In 2012, the college's sustainable technologies program launched an academic assignment with the aim of eliminating the inefficiencies of typical suburban homes. The assignment concluded recently with a small house, designed and constructed by students, that was auctioned off and included environmentally-friendly building principles.
Emory U Students Combat Community Food Insecurity
After nearly two years of planning, students from the newly formed Campus Kitchens Project, a Washington, D.C.-based community service program, recover food from university dining venues that otherwise would be wasted and prepare and deliver meals to several community organizations fighting hunger.
Lehigh U Holds Seafood Awareness Event
In an effort to raise awareness of the impact from sushi's high demand, the university's Sustainability Office organized the reduced waste event in which students made their own sushi rolls, and learned about where the food came from and its ranking in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.
Northampton CC Building Accomplishes LEED Gold
The features of the 200,000-square-foot, three-building campus include solar photovoltaic panels, central geothermal heating and cooling system, high efficiency heating and cooling, and lighting systems.
Pace U to Unveil Environmental Policy Graduate Program
The new two-year masters program beginning in fall of 2015 aims to provide an understanding of the complex relationships between natural science, law and management, and how to use the tools of these disciplines to develop appropriate responses to complex environmental issues.
Ripon College Student Wins National Sodexo Service Award
Kaitlyn Welzen, environmental studies and Spanish major and a sustainability intern for Sodexo, led an effort to construct and implement a campus hoop house to grow herbs and greens that are served in the dining room during Local Greens Tuesdays.
SUNY Oneonta Receives Grant for Stormwater Project
Administered by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp., the university has received $910,000 Green Innovation Grant Program funding for the installation of a 1,700-foot-long vegetated swale to reduce the risk of flooding from a 21-acre, high-density area. The project is part of a larger university effort to address the issue of runoff by integrating stormwater management across the curriculum.
U California Merced Building Receives LEED Platinum
The building includes sun shades and glazing to reduce heat gain, roofing material to deflect heat rather than absorb, low-flow faucets, shower heads, irrigation and restroom facilities, drought-tolerant and native landscaping, and construction waste diversion of 82 percent.
U California Merced Earns Solar & Water Research Grants
The recently awarded funding will go toward building a strategic base of water knowledge to help California and the nation achieve a water-secure future, and funding renewal for the university's Advanced Solar Technologies Institute.
U California Santa Cruz Hosts Land Management Program
A collaboration between the university arboretum and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, the relearning program taught the importance of traditional resource management and uses of native plants to Tribal members and the public.
U California Santa Cruz Library Transitions to Zero Waste
As part of a collaborative pilot program between university Grounds, the Sustainability Office, Custodial Services and the library, more than 40 four-stream waste stations will be set up throughout McHenry Library for trash, paper, contained recyclables and compostable waste, and desk-side bins have been modified to accept compostable material.
U Virginia Upgrades Lighting in Residence Halls
While Hereford Residential College students were away for winter break, the university re-lamped about 500 fluorescent fixtures that should realize a savings of approximately $4,000 annually.
Vanderbilt U Goes Coal Free
After a 126-year reliance on coal, the co-generation plant, which produces 23 percent of the university's electricity, 90 percent of its heat, and 40 percent of its cooling, now runs exclusively on natural gas.
Arizona State U Building Achieves LEED Gold
(U.S.): The building's features include daylighting, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, high efficiency LED lighting, occupancy sensors, native plants and a 297-panel photovoltaic installation.
Clarkson U Partners on Electricity Reliability and Resiliency
(U.S.): Funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Energy Department's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and $300,000 from General Electric, the newly formed partnership will conduct research and implement solutions to improve the reliability and resiliency of electricity delivery in northern New York.
Colgate U Launches Forest Management Practices
(U.S.): In its quest for carbon neutrality by 2019, the university recently began using 1,634 acres of university-owned land for research and teaching, outdoor recreation and aesthetic value, conservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity, and timber production. Management of the forests is projected to sequester 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Cork U Hospital Earns Green Campus Designation
(Ireland): The university recently earned Green-Campus status by the Foundation for Environmental Education for its commitment to enhancing on-campus sustainability and environmental awareness.
Cornell U Passes Resolution to Lower Lab Carbon Emissions
(U.S.): The university's Graduate and Professional Student Assembly unanimously passed the resolution to create an ad hoc sustainability committee focused on lowering carbon emissions, particularly those in laboratories by educating graduate students, the main users of lab space, about how to reduce carbon emissions.
Government College of Technology Connects 20KW Photovoltaic Array
(India): The recently commissioned 20-kilowatt solar electric system was installed as part of the college's Center of Excellence in Alternate Energy Research. The center and its students will be adopting a nearby village and installing solar-based street lights and table lamps.
King's College Adopts Solar Energy
(U.S.): Donated by Panzitta Enterprises, Inc, the addition of 214 photovoltaic panels will reduce the college's carbon footprint and direct more money toward education by reducing the college's utility payments.
Manchester U Commits to Living Wage
(U.K.): The university student's union has confirmed that all of its workers will be paid at least the living wage of 7.85 pounds ($12.27) per hour.
Monash U Fellow Receives United Nations Award
(Australia): Sir Bob Watson, the university's Monash Sustainability Institute Sir Louis Matheson Fellow, has received a United Nations Champions of the Earth award for his services to science and innovation by promoting the science behind ozone depletion, global warming and the impacts of biodiversity loss. The award, which is the United Nations highest environmental accolade, is awarded to those whose service to the environment is saving lives, improving livelihoods and bettering environmental governance and conservation.
Paul Smith's College to Install Wood Pellet Boiler System
(U.S.): Contributing to the college's renewable energy and climate change goals, displacing 28,000 gallons per year of heating oil, the high-efficiency and low-emission wood pellet boiler heating system will supply heat to multiple buildings and use thermal storage to increase efficiency of the system.
Pennsylvania State U Captures Hydroelectric Energy
(U.S.): The low-impact plant, built using existing infrastructure, now supplies the university with eight percent of its energy by harnessing the available energy from the Mahoning Creek Dam and includes new educational opportunities for students through the university's hydro class.
Pomona College & Cornell U Partner on Diversity Research in STEM
(U.S.): The newly published research in Nature Climate Change describes some of the hidden and complicated social barriers to participation in sustainability-related science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by underrepresented groups and recommends a course to action.
