John C. Smith U Opens Health and Wellness Center on Campus
The university has opened HealthPlex, a new facility designed to provide health and wellness services that promote positive attitudes, healthy lifestyles and responsible self-care for the campus and surrounding community. The facility’s fitness center, teaching kitchen, yoga studio, and related wellness offerings are free to the campus, and are available to members of the community on a medical referral basis.
Loma Linda U Health Recognized by the American Heart Association
The university has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a Gold Fit-Friendly Worksite for encouraging a culture of wellness at the workplace through its Living Whole wellness program. The initiatives of the program include: Health risk assessments for employees, participation in the Breathe Program for tobacco dependency treatment, participation in Better Understanding for Individuals Living with Diabetes, and Living Whole wellness meals available to employees that are designed to meet specific nutrition criteria.
Spelman College Eliminates Athletics to Focus on Campus Wellness
In an effort to create a community of women who are concerned about health and wellness, the historically black liberal arts college has announced plans to eliminate intercollegiate athletics to dedicate its resources to a campus-wide fitness and wellness initiative. The college will redesign its curriculum to focus more on fitness and activities career women are likely to continue with as adults.
Stanford U Medical School Pilots Schedule Flexibility Program
A team at the university’s medical school has created a “banking system” that will allow medical professors to build flexibility into their schedules and better balance their professional and personal lives. The system, asks professors to track the time spent on tasks such as mentoring, serving on committees, and taking on extra clinical hours. Such work translates into credits, and professors can cash these credits in when needed.
Arizona State U to Become a Tobacco Free Campus
The university senate has passed a measure to ban on-campus smoking. Effective Aug. 1, 2013, tobacco use will be prohibited on university property, facilities, grounds, parking structures, university-owned vehicles and structures owned or leased by the university.
U Oregon Joins Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus Movement
The university is the latest campus to declare a smoke- and tobacco-free campus, joining a movement that is on the rise in the U.S. with 126 schools that have moved forward with smoke-free policies that apply to all areas of campus this year. Between January 2011 and January 2012, the number of U.S. colleges and universities with total smoking bans rose from 466 to 648, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Announces 'Great Colleges to Work For'
With categories including "diversity," "work/life balance" and "facilities, workspace and security," the Chronicle of Higher Education has released its fifth annual review of the Great Colleges to Work For. Nearly 47,000 employees evaluated their colleges in 12 categories, revealing, among many things, how important respect and appreciation are to employees. The 103 "best colleges in the country" are grouped as four-year or two-year institutions, and by enrollment size.
Living Wage Campaign Succeeds at Vanderbilt U
A Living Wage campaign organized by unions and social justice groups has resulted in increased wages at Vanderbilt University (TN). The university has increased its starting wage to nearly $11 an hour.
Yale U Named 'Best Company' by Working Mother Magazine
Yale University (CT) has been selected for the second year in a row as by Working Mother magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies" in the nation. The initiative recognizes organizations that support working mothers by providing family-friendly benefits and programs. With a high representation of women in its workforce, the university received high marks for its child care, benefits and work-life programs.
Northwestern U Dining Hall Employees Campaign for Living Wage
Northwestern University (IL) campus dining hall workers recently voted to pass a new contract with Sodexo that increases wages by 80 cents and lowers the price of health care over the next four years. Thirty-two contract changes were approved including wages no less than $10 per hour plus benefits. The contract allows for free health care and an $85 flat fee for family healthcare, no matter how many family members are covered. Members of the Living Wage Campaign worked with labor union Unite Here and university administrators to negotiate with Sodexo.
U Minnesota Research Touts Benefits of Flexible Work Schedule
Two sociology professors at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities have published a study about the effects of flexible work time on employees. In 2005, Best Buy introduced Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) to its employees, an initiative that allows employees to choose their work hours and places, as long as they achieved the desired results. Surveying 608 Best Buy employees, half who were given a ROWE work environment and half who continued under standard work hours and locations, the study found that flexible scheduling reduced work-life stress and increased enjoyment and commitment to the position. The employees also reported that they could avoid rush hour and reduce their commuting time by up to 75 percent.
Ithaca College Sodexo Employees to Earn Living Wage
Food service provider Sodexo has announced that it will increase wages for all dining hall employees at Ithaca College (NY) who earn less than the living wage. Employees will now earn at least $11.11, the living wage in Tompkins County, N.Y. While the students and Ithaca residents who make up the Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity are pleased that their demonstrations over the past year helped create the change, they are disappointed that the initiative's entire all-campus living wage proposal was not adopted, which also included changes to employee health care packages and grievance policies.
U Memphis Employees, Students Call for Living Wages
Joined by Tennessee state Rep. Jeanne Richardson of Memphis, University of Memphis faculty, staff and students recently held a vigil with local faith leaders and elected officials for increased wages. A study by the university’s professor emeritus of economics determined that a living wage - the pay required for a household to "live a minimally decent life" - in Memphis is $11.62 per hour. University employees have not received a wage increase in four years, and in some instances, employees of over 20 years are still making $7.50 an hour. The vigil was an effort to raise awareness to introduce the issue to Tennessee’s state legislation.
7 Colleges & Universities Make Canada's Greenest Employers List
The editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers project have announced the 2010 winners of Canada's Greenest Employers competition, and among the winners are seven colleges and universities. Thie designation recognizes the employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations. These employers have developed exceptional earth-friendly initiatives -- and are attracting people to their organizations because of their environmental leadership. The 2010 college and university winners are: British Columbia Institute of Technology, Georgian College (ON), Kwantlen Polytechnic University (BC), McGill University Health Center (ON), Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Alberta, and University of Victoria (BC).
Maharishi U Management Plans Community Garden
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has planted a community garden for faculty and staff. The goal of the garden is to grow local food and to offer a chance for exercise. University employees will be able to choose their own plot or be part of a large community plot.
Macquarie U Plans to Engage Staff in Sustainability Projects
Macquarie University (Australia) has announced a four-point plan for staff sustainability engagement in 2010. The goals of the staff engagement plan are to increase understanding and awareness of sustainability throughout the University, embed sustainability into governance, and to create a culture in which staff are proud of their environment. The plan includes interaction will all new staff about the sustainability vision, goals, and objectives; the establishment of a Sustainability Representative Network comprised of sustainability champions for all departments and faculties across campus; the creation of sustainability competitions between campus departments; and the creation of sustainability committees.
Harvard U Building Services Staff Receives Green Building Mgmt Training
The Harvard University (MA) Office for Sustainability’s Green Building Services (GBS) team has completed an 8-hour Direct Digital Controls (DDC) training using a custom-made DDC simulator that is a full mock-up of all common pieces of HVAC equipment found in a building, including fans, heating and cooling coils, thermostats, and humidity sensors. The DDC training will help the GBS team ask better questions in project meetings, as well as recommend better solutions when auditing existing buildings. The training is part of an effort to keep the GBS team knowledgeable about the building systems they work with around campus, helping to reduce energy consumption and lower peak demand.
Grand Valley State U Names ED of Renewable Energy Center
Grand Valley State University (MI) has named T. Arnold Boezaart as the second executive director of the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC). Boezaart previously served as the vice president for Grant Programs for the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. In that role, he handled a project that put a wind energy turbine atop the Frauenthal Center in downtown Muskegon. Boezaart, who has been serving as the interim executive director of MAREC since April, hopes to focus MAREC's attention on job creation in the green economy.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Hires Interim Sustainability Director
The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh has hired an interim sustainability director after the previous director unexpectedly resigned. Professor of Biology Michael Lizotte, director of the Aquatic Research Laboratory, will serve in the one-year position. Lizotte helped to formalize the sustainability movement on campus and served as a co-captain of the 26-person campus sustainability team officially created in the fall of 2007.
Denison U Welcomes Sustainability Coordinator
Denison University (OH) has hired Jeremy King as its new sustainability coordinator. King's new role is to coordinate, stimulate, inform, and encourage the community as it takes on issues of sustainability. King received a Bachelor of Arts in biology and education from Denison and holds a master’s in natural resources from Ohio State University. He spent two years in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, where he was a natural resources conservation volunteer who worked with local governments and community organizations to implement sustainable projects.
Florida Gulf Coast U Receives $1 Million for Renewable Energy Chair
Florida Gulf Coast University has received a $1 million gift from John D. Backe, president of the Backe Foundation, to establish the Backe Chair in Renewable Energy Endowed Fund. The University hopes to attract a nationally renowned scholar in renewable energy to teach classes on renewable energy to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as to conduct research on the field of renewable energy. The University is also partnering with the Backe Group to develop a 1.2 million square-foot research and development area.
U California Santa Barbara Names Two Sustainability Fellows
The University of California, Santa Barbara has named David Cleveland, a professor of environmental studies, and Eric Matthys, a professor of mechanical engineering, as Sustainability Champions for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years respectively. The campus's Sustainability Champions are awarded a $25,000 grant to conduct research and to employ graduate or undergraduate assistants. In addition, champions are asked to teach a freshman seminar in their area of expertise and give a public lecture. During 2009-10, Cleveland plans to work with students in analyzing the Santa Barbara County agricultural and food system and encouraging discussion of alternative scenarios for a more sustainable future. Matthys plans to work with students to help spread the word about saving energy. The Sustainability Champion initiative was created by the UCSB Academic Senate's Work Group on Sustainability to focus the campus community on faculty leadership in sustainability-related matters.
Indiana U Office of Sustainability Recruits 18 Interns
Indiana University’s Office of Sustainability has hired 18 student interns. The graduate and undergraduate students work together to lay the groundwork for new sustainability initiatives on campus. Interns conduct research in areas ranging from energy and water conservation to making the athletic department more sustainable. This is the second year for the Office to offer academic-year internships.
U Saskatchewan Hires Director of Env't & Sustainability School
The University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Karsten Liber as executive director of the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS). In 2007-08, Liber was involved in developing the initial proposal for the creation of the SENS and served on the school’s advisory committee. Since July 1, 2008 he has served as the school’s acting director.
Virginia Tech Hires Sustainability Coord for Housing & Dining Services
Virginia Tech has hired Rachael Budowle to be the new Housing and Dining Services sustainability coordinator. Her main focus will be to make the dining services program more sustainable. Budowle has experience in waste reduction as well as local and organic food production. She hopes to bring these two areas of experience together in her efforts to make dining services more sustainable.
Kent State U Names Sustainability Manager
Kent State University (OH) has hired Melanie Knowles as the University's first sustainability manager. Knowles will guide Kent State in becoming more cognizant of environmental consequences in its operations and community interactions. She will also work closely with the Sustainability Task Force to serve and help educate the entire university community. Knowles holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and economics from Miami University and a Master of environmental science from the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University. She has worked in Northeast Ohio for several years, most notably for the Cleveland Green Building Coalition.
U Louisville Hires Sustainability Officer
The University of Louisville (KY) has hired Justin Mog as its first assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. Mog has served with the Peace Corps, worked as an environmental educator at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, conducted research on sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, and interned at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History.
U Maryland Holds Workshop for Sustainability in the Curriculum
The University of Maryland has launched an initiative to integrate sustainability across the curriculum. The Chesapeake Project, coordinated by the Office of Sustainability, is a learning community of UM faculty who are finding ways of teaching about sustainability in their existing courses. In May 2009, more than 20 faculty members participated in the first annual Chesapeake Project Workshop. The faculty -- who represent diverse disciplines including art, biology, business, dance, engineering, English, and theatre -- engaged in two days of interdisciplinary dialogue about sustainability while learning about critical environmental, social, and economic issues. Each faculty participant will revise at least one course taught this fall or spring to include sustainability. Their revised syllabi and more information about the Chesapeake Project are available on the Chesapeake Project homepage.
Kansas State U’s Ctr for Sustainable Energy Hires 14 Grad Assistants
Fourteen Kansas State University graduate students representing six departments and three colleges have been awarded assistantships to conduct research in sustainable energy for the 2009-10 academic year. K-State's Center for Sustainable Energy requests proposals annually from eligible K-State faculty in support of the assistantships for projects related to enhancing research on renewable energy topics. The assistantships are intended to expand the current research base at K-State and encourage new research clusters addressing issues related to renewable energy. Proposals included bioenergy research topics in plant genetics, biomass production, conversion processes and utilization, as well as wind, solar, and economic issues related to renewable energy.
Purchase College Hires Sustainability Director
Purchase College (NY) has appointed Joseph Tripodi as its director of the Office of Sustainability. Tripodi will coordinate the College’s efforts toward climate neutrality. He will concentrate on alternative fuels and vehicles, sustainability education across the curriculum, renewable energy, energy-recapture technologies, and the recycling process. Additional activities will include working with various groups to expand research and community outreach and participating in the College's tracking of progress towards its goals in sustainability.
Luther College Names Assistant Sustainability Coordinator
Luther College (IA) has named Maren Stumme-Diers to the position of assistant sustainability coordinator. Working with Daniel Bellrichard, Luther's sustainability coordinator, Stumme-Diers will help facilitate Luther’s sustainability programs and initiatives with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of the institution. She will help engage students, faculty, and staff in sustainability initiatives related to campus operations, student life, and teaching and research. She will assist Bellrichard in his work as a liaison between campus and community sustainability groups and in implementing strategies to achieve reductions in solid waste disposal and campus energy use.
U Iowa Triples Number of LEED Accredited Staff
The University of Iowa Facilities Management Department surpassed its goal to double the number of LEED-Accredited Professionals on staff to help ensure that every new building on campus is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The 17 newly accredited staff members were recognized by UI President Sally Mason. The UI accreditations coincide with the enactment of a new Iowa Board of Regents requirement that Iowa's public universities give preference for all new major building and renovation projects to design professionals with LEED certification experience. The board also now requires that all major building projects on campus meet a minimum of LEED Silver certification.
George Washington U Hires Green Stakeholder Engagement Coord
George Washington University (DC) has hired Sophie Waskow as its new stakeholder engagement coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. Waskow will be contributing to sustainability analysis, communications, reporting, and outreach of GW's sustainability efforts. Waskow previously worked at SustainAbility, a corporate social responsibility consulting firm, working with energy sector clients on their sustainability strategies, and is currently the co-chair of the Washington D.C. chapter of StartingBloc, a fellowship program dedicated to social entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability, and international development.
Luther College Names Sustainability Coordinator
Luther College (IA) has named Dan Bellrichard to the position of sustainability coordinator. Bellrichard will be tasked with assisting the College in achieving its sustainability goals and reducing the environmental impact of the institution by engaging students, faculty, and staff in sustainability initiatives related to campus operations, student life, and teaching and research. The new coordinator will also supervise student work-study sustainability employees, serve as a liaison between campus and community sustainability groups, and design and implement strategies to achieve reductions in solid waste disposal, campus energy usage, and recycling.
U Saskatchewan Appoints Chair in Env & Sustainability
The University of Saskatchewan has appointed Douglas A. Clark as Centennial Chair in the School of Environment and Sustainability. The Chair, a five-year appointment effective August 1, 2009, will provide leadership and vision in establishing an interdisciplinary research program and promote excellence in graduate student training. Clark earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Victoria (BC), a Master’s in Zoology from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University (ON). Since 2007, Clark has served as a scholar-in-residence at Yukon College, building the college’s research capacity and providing strategic advice on a new undergraduate environmental studies program.
College of William and Mary Names First Sustainability Fellow
The College of William and Mary (VA) has named Philip Zapfel as a sustainability fellow for the 2009-2010 school year. Zapfel, a 2009 graduate of William and Mary, will be the College's first full-time employee dedicated to sustainability. In his new post, Zapfel will be responsible for coordinating the Committee on Sustainability's (COS) sustainability initiatives and helping to promote the College’s sustainability goals. Other responsibilities will include researching fundraising opportunities, encouraging and coordinating campus sustainability activities by faculty, staff, and students, preparing press releases regarding sustainability actions on campus, and maintaining the COS website.
Connecticut Holds Sustainability Education Workshop
The Connecticut Partnership for Sustainability Education has completed a "Best Practices in Sustainability Education Workshop." The workshop provided opportunities for Connecticut schools to share their successes and challenges in integrating the principles of environmental sustainability into the curriculum and into campus practices. Faculty from Three Rivers Community College and several K-12 schools were in attendance.
Unity College Hires Sustainability Faculty and Staff
Despite the downturn in the economy, Unity College (ME) has hired three new faculty members to match the demand for its environmental curriculum, two new sustainable landscape horticulture assistants, and two new sustainable food production assistants. The creation of new positions is in response to a historically large pool of applicants, strong retention of students, new and ongoing public/private partnerships, and an increase in giving to the College during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Also, not a single job was cut.
Wake Forest U Hires First Director of Sustainability
Wake Forest University (NC) has hired Dedee DeLongpré Johnston as director of sustainability, a newly created position. DeLongpré Johnston’s primary responsibility will be working with student, faculty, and staff groups to develop strategic initiatives for integrating sustainability into university programs, from teaching and research to public service and campus operations. As a member of the campus administration, she will also work with local and regional community representatives to develop synergies between Wake Forest’s sustainability programs and larger communities.
Portland State U Hires Sustainability Leadership & Outreach Coord
Portland State University (OR) has hired Heather Spalding as its new sustainability leadership and outreach coordinator. In her new position, Spalding will work with faculty, students, student leaders, and group to improve their sustainability practices and leadership opportunities. Spalding graduated from PSU and is a former employee of the PSU Office of Sustainability.
U Utah, U Florida Hire Sustainability Officers
The University of Utah and the University of Florida have hired sustainability officers. Utah has named architect Myron Willson to head its Office of Sustainability, replacing the late Craig Forster, the planning professor who initiated the program and died last year in a hiking accident. Willson has a Master's degree from the University of Utah and has served as adjunct faculty in the College of Architecture and Planning. He assumes his new post July 8. The University of Florida has named Anna Prizzia, the former outreach coordinator of the University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability, as the new director of its office of Sustainability. Prizzia has a Bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and a Master’s of science degree in wildlife ecology and conservation with a concentration in tropical conservation and development from UF.
U Texas Arlington Names First Sustainability Director
The University of Texas at Arlington has named environmental lawyer Kathryn C. Poulos, a commissioner for the Environmental and Energy Advisory Commission in Oak Park, Ill., as the University’s first sustainability director. Poulos, who will begin her new job on August 1, 2009, earned her law degree along with a certificate in environmental law from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1993.
U Texas Austin Hires Sustainability Director
The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Jim Walker as its first director of sustainability. In his new position, Walker will be part of the University's Campus Planning and Facilities Management unit. He will work closely with the President's Task Force on Sustainability and plans to meet frequently with on-campus and off-campus stakeholders to identify existing sustainability efforts and opportunities for collaboration. Walker will assume his new position full-time by August 1, 2009.
Northland College Student Association Names Dir of Sustainability
The Northland College (WI) Student Association has named Byron Emmons as its first director of sustainability. Emmons will coordinate project selection for the use of the Renewable Energy Fund and will create a sustainability award for students who have shown exceptional efforts towards sustainability. The new director will also work to facilitate general advances in the practices, policies, and projects of NCSA and Northland College.
Dickinson College Hires Sustainability Education Coordinator
Dickinson College (PA) has hired Sarah Brylinsky as sustainability education coordinator in its new Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education. Brylinsky’s goal is to incorporate components of sustainability into every discipline at Dickinson College, and she'd like to make sure everyone on campus utilizes the center and its resources. The new coordinator earned a B.A. in communication management and design from Ithaca College (NY), with minors in environmental studies and women's studies. Brylinsky received the 2008 Student Sustainability Leadership Award from AASHE.
Rutgers U to Establish Professorship of Employee Ownership
The Rutgers University (NJ) School of Management and Labor Relations has received $2 million from the Foundation for Enterprise Development to establish the J. Robert Beyster Professorship of Employee Ownership. The professor will be responsible for developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate-level elective courses focused on employee ownership and related issues, and mentoring Beyster fellows at Rutgers and other academic institutions. The process for selecting the first J. Robert Beyster Professor, who will be appointed for a renewable five-year term, will begin in the fall of 2010.
U Texas Arlington Begins Office Green Team Initiative
The University of Texas at Arlington has launched the Maverick Office Green Team initiative, a new program that aims to promote environmentally friendly changes among faculty and staff. The program aims to take a coordinated, long-term, and campus-wide approach to help campus members reduce their carbon footprint through energy reduction, waste reduction, recycling, and promotion of other environmental initiatives. Each team is given a list of Green Team Initiatives, and depending on how many initiatives the group can complete, they are placed at either a bronze, silver, or gold level. The initiative will also provide resources, helpful guidelines, and on-going consultation to offices and/or departments as needed.
Northern Arizona U Launches Energy Tracking Website
Northern Arizona University's Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with Visible Energy, has launched the Visible NAU website as part of a campaign to help faculty and staff better understand their home energy habits by comparing their usage to other NAU faculty and staff. The site allows employees who are APS or Unisource customers to sign up to have their energy data anonymously uploaded to the Visible NAU website where it can be compared with other NAU employees. Users will only be recognized as members of a certain department. The site is able to track departmental scores and which department's employees improve the most. Everyone who participates will be entered in a raffle to win energy-efficiency products and services. Tracking, however, will continue even after the completion of the campaign.
