Grand Valley State U to Offer Household Member Benefits
The Grand Valley State University (MI) Board of Trustees has approved the expansion of health benefits for employees to include Household Member benefits. The new plan will cover an adult who lives in the employee's home for at least 18 months but is not a tenant or boarder or already a dependent of the employee, without regard to marital status or gender. The new, three-year trial benefit aims to attract and retain talented faculty by addressing the increase in households that contain couples living together without being married.
Green Mountain College to Assess Green Curriculum
Green Mountain College (VT) has received a $248,000 grant from the Davis Education Foundation to fund a project that will assess sustainability skills and knowledge students acquire in the College’s Environmental Liberal Arts (ELA) program. All Green Mountain students complete the 37-credit ELA general education program and all faculty members teach in it. Over the past twelve years, the environmentally-themed curriculum has changed incrementally in response to standard survey assessment results and the faculty’s evolving understanding of sustainability. The funding will be used over a three-year period to introduce new “ePortfolio” software which will be used to track students’ progress on learning outcomes, to help students across the entire ELA curriculum identify strengths and weaknesses, and guide their choice of future coursework. GMC will also post results of the assessment on its website and disseminate its model for assessing sustainability skills.
U Northern British Columbia to be Heated with Renewable Energy
The University of Northern British Columbia has received $3.5 million from the Government’s Innovative Clean Energy fund to become the first university in Canada to be heated largely with renewable energy. The proposed UNBC project is intended to focus on testing the economic, environmental, operational, and industrial viability of bioenergy and biomass fuels such as wood. The system would be added to the UNBC Power Plant and supplement the University’s existing boilers, which currently burn natural gas.
Christian Science Monitor Article on Green Campus Ratings
The Christian Science Monitor has published an article on campus sustainability rating systems and the importance of colleges and universities collaborating to improve their green ratings. The article mentions the Princeton Review, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card, and Grist Magazine's ranking of the top fifteen green colleges and universities in 2007.
UNC Charlotte Receives $57 M for Clean Energy Production Training Ctr
The University of North Carolina, Charlotte has received state funding for its Energy Production Infrastructure Center (EPIC) project in the amount of $57.2 million. EPIC will address the shortage of trained engineers capable of servicing and replacing an aging fossil fuel and nuclear infrastructure and developing future infrastructures for wind, solar, and biofuels. UNCC received $19 million last year for the center's design and planning.
Canadian Academic Programs Rated on Sustainability
Corporate Knights Magazine has released its fifth annual Knight School raking, a ranking that evaluates Canadian Business, Law, Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning, Public Policy, and Journalism programs to see how they fare in integrating sustainability into the school experience. The survey, modeled after the US-based Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey, scored the programs in the areas of institutional support, student initiatives, and course work. The following campus programs received a number one ranking: York University's (ON) MBA program; the University of Waterloo's (ON) Architecture, Urban Planning, and undergraduate Business programs; the University of Toronto's (ON) Law program; the University of Calgary's (AB) Engineering program' Carleton University's (ON) Public Policy program; and Ryerson University's (ON) Journalism program.
College of William & Mary to Implement Green Fee
This fall, the College of William and Mary (VA) will implement a $15 per semester green fee. The green fee, initially proposed by the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), will allow for facilities upgrades, student research grants for sustainability-related projects, and the creation of a new green endowment to fund further actions in the future. A student referendum showed 85 percent support for the measure, and the College’s Board of Visitors approved the proposal in May of 2008. The fees will be administered by the College’s newly-founded Committee on Sustainability.
FL Universities Form Renewable Energy Technologies Consortium
A Florida bill has been passed that will create the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, a group of Florida universities that will work to develop renewable energy technologies. The University of Florida will head the consortium receiving $15 million in funding. Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida will each receive $8.75 million as part of the consortium.
LA Times Covers the Increase of Green Buildings in Colleges
The Los Angeles Times recently published an article on the increasing number of environmentally friendly buildings being constructed at colleges and universities across the U.S. The article mentions green building initiatives at East Los Angeles College (CA), Santa Clara University (CA), Santiago Canyon College (CA), Stanford University (CA), Grinnell College (IA), the Los Angeles Community College District (CA), the University of California system, Mills College (CA), Warren Wilson College (NC), Northern Arizona University, Yale University (CT), and the University of Michigan. The piece also mentions the increase in student-initiated green fees that exist to help pay for green building initiatives.
Cuyahoga CC Develops State-wide Green Building Training Prgm
Cuyahoga Community College (OH) will receive a $600,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development/Ohio Energy Office to support a three-year project to develop a statewide training program, the Green Academy, for the Ohio residential building industry. The Green Academy, a permanent part of Tri-C’s Workforce and Economic Development Division, trains individuals in the principles of sustainability, green construction, and increased energy efficiency. Using newly-developed Green Academy course offerings, Tri-C will develop curriculum for use by training teams throughout the state. The Tri-C Green Academy will train 337 contractors/builders and 13 government building officials/raters during the project. This project will deliver Green Academy/OEO courses at Tri-C’s five campus locations beginning in the fall.
Princeton U Receives $100 M to Support Green Energy Research
Princeton University (NJ) has received a gift of $100 million from alumnus Gerhard R. Andlinger to accelerate research on effective and sustainable solutions to problems of energy and the environment. Princeton will use the gift to create the Gerhard R. Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment within the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Research at the Andlinger Center will focus on making fundamental discoveries in engineering and applied science and moving those findings rapidly into the marketplace. Major areas of research will include improving energy efficiency and conservation; developing sustainable energy sources; and improving management of carbon.
Princeton U Receives $4.5 M to Support Environmental Curriculum
Princeton University's (NJ) Environmental Institute has received a $4.5 million gift to establish an endowed professorship in Humanities and the Environment, to fund academic innovations in Environmental Studies, and to award an annual Environmental Leadership student prize. The Thomas A. and Currie C. Barron Professorship in Humanities and the Environment will be the first endowed chair at Princeton specifically designed for a scholar whose work bridges environmental issues and the humanities. The Barron Family Fund for Innovations in Environmental Studies will support projects that enrich the curriculum by making connections between humanities and the environment. This will include field work and independent work by students or faculty members and development of new courses. The T.A. Barron Prize for Environmental Leadership will be awarded annually to a student who exhibits exceptional devotion to environmental issues in any field.
Queens U Charlotte to Build Green Sciences & Health Building
Queens University of Charlotte (NC) has announced that the Duke Energy Foundation has committed a $5 million lead gift to fund the University’s new Sciences and Health Building. The facility will be named The Duke Energy Sciences & Health Building and feature green building technologies. The facility’s green technology and design will be incorporated into the science curriculum, providing students with an opportunity to learn more about air quality, water efficiency and energy efficiency. Green features will include water efficient landscaping, recycled content, and energy efficient HVAC systems. The University will seek LEED Gold certification.
Appalachian State U Prof Receives Winds Advocate Award
Appalachian State University (NC) Professor Dennis Scanlin has received the "Small Winds Advocate of the Year" award from the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Powering America program for his leadership in small-scale wind energy activities in Western North Carolina. Dr. Scalnlin is also a the Coordinator of the Appropriate Technology Program in the ASU Department of Technology.
Case Western Commits to Corporate Social Responsibility
Case Western Reserve University (OH), the city of Cleveland, and Cleveland Clinic have made a joint commitment to corporate responsibility towards the environment, human rights, labor rights, and anti-corruption. The three organizations have become members of the United Nations Global Compact, an international initiative to promote responsible corporate citizenship. Cities, corporations, academic institutions, non-profit groups, and other organizations join the compact to promote corporate citizenship to make business part of the solution to the challenges of globalization. By joining, these organizations voluntarily take responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities, and other stakeholders, as well as the environment through sustainability and ethical business practices.
NYU to Pursue Re-use of Existing Buildings Rather than Build New
New York University President John Sexton and Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer announced that NYU, elected officials, and local community groups have agreed to a set of principles to guide the University’s future expansion. As outlined, NYU, which projects a need for 6 million square feet of space over the coming decades, will pursue re-use of existing buildings before developing new facilities and will actively pursue academic and residential centers outside the Washington Square area. In addition, the principles are designed to emphasize contextual development, mitigate the effects of construction, enhance community consultation, and support community sustainability, such as preservation efforts aimed at local retail businesses. As embodied in the principles, NYU will also engage in extensive community outreach for new projects, work to minimize negative effects of construction including noise and dust, and develop a relocation policy for legal residential tenants displaced by University projects.
Stanford to Establish Center for Advanced Molecular Photovoltaics
Stanford University (CA) has received a $25 million grant from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to fund Stanford's new Center for Advanced Molecular Photovoltaics. The center aims to make solar electricity at a cost that is competitive with coal plants by constructing solar cells that are more efficient and last up to 10 years longer.
Washington Post Features Article on Campus Sustainability
The Washington Post recently featured a front-page article on campus sustainability entitled, "Higher Learning Adapts to a Greening Attitude." The article discusses the increase in sustainability in the curricula at college campuses across the US, and mentions, in particular, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, Catholic University (DC), Goucher College (MD), the University of Oregon, and Johns Hopkins University (MD). The article also mentions co-curricular sustainability activi
NC State U to Establish 2 Professorships in Energy Engineering
North Carolina State University's College of Engineering has announced that it will receive a $1.25 million endowment gift from the Duke Energy Foundation to support workforce development, teaching, and research related to the generation and delivery of energy. The gift will create two named professorships, one each in nuclear engineering and electrical and computer engineering, and will establish an endowed K-12 educational outreach fund to promote the continued development and diversification of the future engineering workforce. The endowed professor of nuclear engineering will help develop nuclear energy technologies, while the other endowed professor will lead a multi-university effort to study the integration of renewable energy sources into the nation's electrical power grid.
NYU Announces Green Grant Recipients
New York University has announced its 2008 Green Grant recipients, ultimately awarding a total of $160,000 to 23 projects. The winning projects aim to help the University reduce environmental impacts, engage the community, and advance applied research and educational goals. Awards were given to a community garden, an energy conservation initiative, a composting project, and bike-sharing pilot program. Other initiatives range from resource conservation and efficiency to outreach and communication to academic curricula and research.
Princeton U Receives Funding for 9 Sustainability Initiatives
Princeton University (NJ) has received a gift from the High Meadow's Foundation to support nine sustainability projects that focus on research, education, and civic engagement within the University's Sustainability Plan. Such initiatives include a course that evaluates energy efficiency in local homes, a new sustainability curriculum for Outdoor Action participants, and the installation of a student-designed garden at Forbes College.
UC Irvine to Establish Green Materials Graduate Program
The University of California, Irvine has announced that it will establish a Green Materials Program, which will foster research and graduate-level training at UC campuses. The announcement came after UCI was awarded $1.62 million to lead a University of California program on development of nontoxic alternatives to everyday products, such as electronics, plastics, lighting products, fuels, and pesticides. The Green Materials Program at UCI will bring together public health, toxicology, materials science, engineering, and social science experts to work on innovative approaches to reducing health and environmental hazards associated with materials use in society. Participants will study California policies within the context of emerging international initiatives such as the European Union’s new REACH law (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances) for the purpose of advising the state’s executive and legislative branches on regulations that could emerge from the new Green Chemistry Initiative and other local environmental protection agency studies.
U Colorado at Colorado Springs Students Approve Green Fee
Students from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs approved a $5 per semester fee to support the installation of solar panels on university buildings. The student-initiated statute is expected to generate more than $300,000 during its five-year duration. More than 76 percent of voting students voted in favor of the referendum.
Clarkson U Youth Program Focuses on Sustainable Energy
Clarkson University (NY) is offering the Young Scholars Program, a one week summer program in which, this year, talented high school students will work with faculty to identify opportunities to create a riverfront sustainable energy park as part of a new campus master plan. The students will develop proposals and models for a park that will enable the University to utilize renewable energy resources and limit its carbon emissions, while providing educational and research opportunities in renewable energy production. Additionally, the park they design must serve as a scenic recreation area. At the end of the week, the students will present their proposals and models to a panel of energy and architectural experts and Clarkson administrators.
Solutions for Our Future Features Campus Sustainability
Solutions for Our Future, a national project created to increase awareness of the many ways in which American colleges and universities serve the public, has published "Unifying Influence," an article by Bud Peterson, Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder, in which he discusses how universities can join together to address climate change and other social, economic, political, and environmental challenges of our society. He also lists the various sustainability programs CU has established to h
U Arkansas Launches Sustainability Newsletter
The University of Arkansas has published its first issue of "Go! Green Outreach," a quarterly electronic publication dedicated to sustainability. The first issue includes an interview with the university Executive Assistant for Sustainability, an update on the University Sustainability Council, a profile of a staff member who is incorporating sustainability into his daily life, and more. The newsletter is open to contributions from faculty, staff, and students.
U New Hampshire Receives Organic Dairy Grant
The University of New Hampshire has received a $380,000 grant to study UNH's organic dairy research farm as a sustainable closed agroecosystem, exploring viable strategies for becoming energy independent. The three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education program aims to explore whether closing energy and nutrient cycles could help small family dairy farms in the Northeast survive economic vulnerabilities.
Yale Launches Environmental Online Magazine
Yale University (CT) has launched "Yale Environment 360," a new online magazine that aims to become one of the leading websites for commentary and reporting on the crucial environmental issues of the day. The magazine’s inaugural edition features articles by noted environmental advocate and author, Bill McKibben; New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert; climate scientist Richard C.J. Somerville; marine biologist and author Carl Safina; British journalist Fred Pearce; and many other writers and thinkers.
Cloud County CC to Expand Wind Energy Training Program
Cloud County Community College (KS) has been awarded $155,000 by the Kansas Department of Commerce to help expand its Wind Energy Technology program and increase Kansas’ capacity for wind energy production. The funding will help CCCC acquire new staff and equipment for its Associate of Applied Science degree program in Wind Energy Technology, and it will assist in the development of distance education classes. The award comes from the Workforce Solutions Fund and is a direct response to the state’s immediate need for skilled technicians in the wind energy industry. Manhattan Area Technical College (KS) and wind energy company Horizon Wind Energy will partner with CCCC on the project, lending a combination of financial and technical support.
North Country CC To Establish Alternative Energy Program
North Country Community College (NY) has received a $50,000 grant to design a two-year degree and training program in alternative energy. The new program will initially focus on wind-power technician training with hopes to include special tracks on low-end hydropower generation and solar energy in the future. The grant was provided by Noble Environmental Power of Connecticut.
Portland State U Partners with Community to Win Service Award
Portland State University (OR), in partnership with the city of Portland and 112 community-based organizations in greater Portland has won the National Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration. The group won the award for its Community Watershed Stewardship Program, an initiative in which over 27,000 community volunteers have donated a quarter million hours to install 80,000 plants and restore 50 acres of watershed along two miles of river. Additionally, individual projects have been led and supported by 700 students working as part of class projects, resulting in two master’s theses and three research articles.
U Illinois Receives Energy Grants, Establishes Offices of Sustainability
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has received 3 grants from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation totaling over $4 million. The energy foundation grants will provide $1.2 million for lighting upgrades; $2 million for a wind turbine project and $825,000 for a bioenergy research project. In addition, sustainability offices will be established on the Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield campuses to coordinate administration and student efforts to encourage energy conservation, promote environmentally friendly practices and integrate green thinking into the campuses’ curricula, research, and extracurricular activities.
U Michigan Students Win Better Living Business Plan Challenge
Four University of Michigan master's degree students and one student from New York University have won the "Better Living Business Plan Challenge," a competition that was created to provide business students from around the world an opportunity to invent sustainable products or business solutions. Eight student teams presented their business plans to a panel of executives from Wal-Mart, non-governmental organizations, and other companies in April. The UM team was awarded $20,000 for developing a biodiesel
7 WA Campuses Receive State Grants for Solar Energy
The State of Washington Office of Financial Management has awarded seven Washington campuses state energy grants totaling $1 million to support the installation of solar panels. The grants were awarded to Central Washington University, Clark College, Pierce College, Skagit Valley College, South Puget Sound Community College, Tacoma Community College, and The Evergreen State College. Funding for the grants came from the 2007–09 operating budget.
Georgetown College Partners for Diversity
Georgetown College (KY) has partnered with the alumni from Bishop College (TX), a historically black institution that closed in 1988, to create the Bishop Scholars Program. The program allows for one student from each of the four largest African American Baptist denominations to attend Georgetown College on a full scholarship. A Bishop Scholar can also be recommended by a Bishop alumnus. The first five students that will take part in the program this fall were either recommended by Bishop-educated pastors or were legacies of Bishop alumni.
Haywood Community College Receives Biofuels Grant
Haywood Community College (NC) was awarded a $135,000 Biofuels Center of North Carolina grant for its Haywood County Biofuels Production, Education, and Training Project. The project will provide alternative fuel supplies for campus and county diesel vehicles; integrate biodiesel training into the college's existing Industrial and Automotive Systems Technology curricula and Continuing Education programs; incorporate biodiesel into a proposed Sustainable Technology certificate program; train members of the regional workforce in biofuels technology; and increase public awareness of biofuels and biodiesel production. Individuals will learn how to install and operate their own reactors/refineries. Waste-oil from county sources such as Haywood County Schools and the college café will be processed into biodiesel.
Hofstra U & Boston College Partner for Community Engagement
The Hofstra University (NY) National Center for Suburban Studies (NCSS) will receive $25,000 from the State of New York to create a Sustainable Suburban Neighborhoods Initiative, a joint project of the NCSS and Boston College’s (MA) Urban Ecology Institute. The collaborative, which focuses on suburban ecological and environmental issues on Long Island, is intended to explore ways to build bridges between high-quality research and the needs of the broader community, with the ultimate goal of creating ecologically, socially, and economically healthy neighborhoods. The aim is to engage Hofstra faculty and students with people living in economically challenged communities.
NY Times Covers Sustainability at Oberlin College
The New York Times recently published a story on one of Oberlin College's (OH) campus sustainability initiatives. The article discusses the creation of the Student Experiment in Ecological Design, Oberlin's sustainability house, and the experience students had as they moved in and adjusted to living in a more sustainable manner.
3 California Colleges Receive Energy Conservation Rebates
Contra Costa College (CA), Diablo Valley College (CA), and Los Medanos College (CA) recently received a rebate from Pacific Gas & Electric for reducing the amount of non-renewable energy used on campus. CCC will receive $1 million for energy conservation, and DVC and LMC will receive $2.8 million and $2 million respectively for solar panels installed on campus.
Bemidji State U Students Approve Green Fee
The Bemidji State University (MN) Student Senate recently passed a $5 per student per semester green fee to fund student projects and support 50 percent of the sustainability coordinator salary. Beginning in 2010, the green fee will subsidize 100 percent of the sustainability coordinator's salary. A survey of 318 students conducted before the vote found that more than 65 percent of students were willing to pay a green fee of $5 or more per semester.
Seattle U Named Greenest Campus in Washington State
Seattle University (WA) was recently named the greenest college in the state of Washington by Washington CEO . The magazine honored the University with a "Green Award," the first given to an educational institution in the state. SU received the honor for the maintenance of its 48-acre campus without the use of pesticides, for its custom-built compost facility for food waste, and for other green initiatives.
UC Berkeley Sustainability Projects Receive $2M
Students at University of California, Berkeley recently received $2 million in support for twenty-three projects aimed at helping people live more sustainably. Projects include cost-effective water purification and hygiene technologies, sustainable packaging, renewable fuels, and new courses and seminars on sustainability. The funding, provided by the Dow Chemical Co. Foundation, is part of a new Sustainable Products and Solutions Program that was created in late 2007 to provide students and faculty across campus with educational and research opportunities focused on sustainability.
UCLA Students Vote for Green Fee
University of California, Los Angeles students recently voted on a referendum to raise student fees by $4 per quarter to fund green efforts on campus. The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), which passed by a margin of 3 to 1, will provide over $200,000 per year to groups aiming to reduce UCLA's environmental footprint. The fund will go towards projects that address climate change, renewable energy, and educating the campus community on sustainability. The funds will be allocated by a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students.
WV Colleges Work with Nonprofit to Promote Green Business
Eight West Virginia colleges and universities recently partnered with the nonprofit, Center for Economic Options, to research how West Virginia can promote environmentally sustainable business. As part of the initiative, Marshall University plans to offer the interdisciplinary course, "Technology and Innovation: Creating Green Business Ventures in Appalachia." Other participating colleges include, Glenville State College, Fairmont State University, University of Charleston, West Virginia University, WVU In
College of William & Mary Unveils Sustainability Policy
The College of William and Mary (VA) recently unveiled its Sustainability Policy. The policy calls for the creation of a sustainability committee and establishes goals in the areas of energy, land use, water use, waste management, transportation, purchasing, and education.
Florida Atlantic U Receives Green Building Grant
Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science recently received a $50,000 planning grant through The Kresge Foundation's Green Building Initiative to help fund a potential platinum level LEED certified engineering complex on campus. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the fall of 2008, and the expected completion date is fall 2009.
Forbes Magazine Names America's Greenest Campuses
Forbes Magazine recently published an article on "America's Greenest Colleges." According to the article, the 10 greenest campuses are: Carleton College (MN), College of the Atlantic (ME), Dartmouth College (NH), Harvard University (MA), Middlebury College (VT), New York University, University Of California-Santa Cruz, University Of Pennsylvania, University Of Vermont, and University Of Washington. The list is comprised of higher achievers in the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainab
Furman U Receives Sustainability Award
Furman University (SC) recently received the Sam Johnson Leadership in Sustainability Award for its outstanding dedication and achievement in sustainability. In receiving the award, Furman was cited for its broad application of green cleaning practices, having the first building in the state to earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, proclaiming 2007 as the Year of the Environment, and mounting an educational outreach campaign aimed at building environmental awareness on campus and throughout the community. The Sam Johnson Leadership in Sustainability Award is given to a company or organization that displays a total commitment to sustainability. Criteria included a proven track record of sustainable facility care, green building practices and certifications, organizational commitment and communication to key constituents. A $5,000 gift is made to the World Wildlife Fund on behalf of the award winner.
MIT Receives $10M to Fund Solar Energy Research
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently launched a partnership with the Chesonis Foundation to transform solar power to an affordable, dependable, and mainstream energy solution. The Solar Revolution Project, funded by a $10 million gift from the Foundation, will explore new materials and systems that could dramatically accelerate the availability of solar energy. Specifically, the SRP will focus on the capture, conversion, and storage of solar energy with the goal of making solar power a viable, near-term energy source. The SRP will initially support 30 energy fellowships for students on a range of solar-related studies, from the development of novel materials for energy conversion and storage to using solar energy to produce hydrogen fuel from water. Each fellowship will last five years.
Princeton Review to Issue Green Ratings for Colleges
The Princeton Review recently announced that it will publish a green rating in future editions of its annual college guide starting with the 2009 issue which will be released this summer. The decision came after 63 percent of the 10,300 respondents to the 2008 College Hopes & Worries Survey said that they would value having information about a college’s commitment to the environment and that it might impact their decision to apply to or attend the school.” A full 23 percent said this information would "st
