U Massachusetts Lowell Formally Opens Sustainability Office
The new office sprouted from the efforts of a private consulting firm contracted by the university to assist in completing the campus' first STARS and Princeton Review assessment. The office aims to be a centralized place to provide support, services and advancement to university sustainability.
U Nebraska-Lincoln Pilots Campus Energy Audit Course
The first-time class allows students to work with the university's energy projects engineer to interview building users, review energy usage data, and document building conditions during a series of walkthroughs. The collected information will be used to generate a final report that includes a list of possible improvements.
U Nebraska-Lincoln Students Vote in Favor of Green Fee
A recent survey showed nearly 4 out of 5 voting students said they were interested in paying $2 to a green fund that would be available for student-led sustainability projects. As a result, the Environmental Sustainability Committee is exploring two options for implementing the fee.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Announces Campus Climate Dialogues
Inspired by the rising level of national and local discourse surrounding events and issues of equity and inclusion related to race, intellectual diversity, religion, identity and culture, the university recently began Carolina Conversations, a coordinated effort that gives the campus community an avenue to share thoughts and opinions with the administration. The campaign includes an interactive website, a calendar of all campus events related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a series of ongoing events to encourage dialogue.
California State U Monterey Bay Adds EV to Police Fleet
(U.S.): The university's police commander recently received a grant from the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District to purchase the efficient, all electric Nissan Leaf, which will be used for civilian employees of the department.
Cambridge U Studies Plant-Powered Bus Shelter
(U.K.): The prototype hub at the university's botanical garden has walls of plants in pockets made of carbon fiber that receive electrons, produced as a byproduct of photosynthesis, that power a light in the shelter.
Colgate U Student Government Restricts Styrofoam Use
(U.S.): The university's Student Government Association unanimously passed a resolution and bill against styrene, the non-biodegradable substance that is used to make Styrofoam. The bill prohibits certain student group funding to go toward purchasing foam products, and the resolution informs all university offices and departments that the student body dissuades the use of Styrofoam and suggests action to reduce Styrofoam purchasing.
Curtin U Master Plan Receives Green Rating
(Australia): The Green Building Council of Australia recently awarded the campus a 5 Star Green Star - Communities rating for its master plan, which was assessed for best practice benchmarks for governance and innovation, design excellence, environmental sustainability, economic prosperity and live-ability. The master plan calls for 281 acres of the university campus transformed through urban regeneration over a 20-year period.
Fitchburg State U Removes Drinking Straw Option
(U.S.): In an attempt to improve waste reduction, recycling and composting, the university removed the straws, which are hard to spot when conducting post-consumer, dish room garbage separation.
GMR Institute of Tech Imposes Vehicle Restrictions on Campus
(India): In an effort to curb noise and air pollution at the institution, the university recently banned vehicles on campus every Thursday whereby all faculty, staff and students park their motorized vehicles in assigned locations and reach campus by foot.
Indiana U Students Call for More Sustainability Awareness
(U.S.): The university's Residence Hall Association recently passed a unanimous resolution that proposes a sustainability section be added to the A-Z Guide to Furnished Apartment and Residence Hall that will contain information pertaining to the university sustainability office, energy and water use, and recycling.
Leicestershire College to Install Biomass Boiler
(U.K.): In an effort to avoid 45,000 pounds ($66,000) in utility costs and reduce associated carbon emissions, the university's new boiler system will use wood chips in order to reduce its dependence on oil.
Michigan State U Bolsters Campus Sustainability Research
(U.S.): The new Sustainability Fellows Program funds research projects that investigate topics in energy, waste, water and campus member engagement for the purpose of creating a positive impact on the university's sustainability goals, build the university's reputation as a sustainable campus community, and to develop a greater connection between the sustainability department, campus operations, and academic units.
Missouri State U to Install Solar Bike Parking Canopy
(U.S.): The university's Student Government Association will be installing the new renewable energy electricity structure, funded through the green fund, to decrease the university's dependence on coal and provide a covered shelter for bicycles.
Six Vermont Schools Participate in Food System Tour
(U.S.): As part of an effort to study local and global food systems, students from around the U.S. will visit Green Mountain College, Middlebury College, Sterling College, University of Vermont, Vermont Law School, and Vermont Technical College. The 21-day tour explores urban food systems, the local dairy industry and carbon economy, food system advocacy in the context of genetically-modified food, conservation, and climate change and its impacts on global food system.
Skidmore College Attains MSC Chain of Custody Certification
(U.S.): Haddock, pollock and cod at certain on-campus dining locations are now Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certified, which ensures that the seafood can be traced back to a fishery that has been certified as sustainable and well-managed against the global, science-based MSC standard.
Trent U Plows Student Operated Farm
(Canada): Spearheaded by the university's Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Society, the student-run, 3-acre plot will provide a variety of organic vegetables for use in cafeterias across campus.
U Alberta Bolsters Participation in Earth Hour
(Canada): The university is hosting an online platform that 13 schools participating in the 2015 Earth Hour will use to gauge the school with the highest percentage per capita of participation.
U Canterbury Students Launch Diversity Group
(Australia): At the launch of the university's inaugural diversity festival, the Students' Association recently initiated the Student Well-being Advisory Group, consisting of up to 14 students from a different groups, that aims to further develop diversity and inclusivity within the campus' decision-making.
U Edinburgh Faculty Urge Divestment From Fossil Fuels
(U.K.): Fifty academics from the university have signed an open letter calling for the institution to divest its 230 million pounds ($343.9 million) endowment fund from fossil fuels and the arms trade. The university is expected to make a decision about divestment in April.
U Malaya Initiates Zero Waste Campaign
(Malaysia): The new campaign, started by students driven by the desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from methane, includes food and garden waste, paper, plastics, metals, textiles, electronics and wood and includes a special focus on reducing organic material, which accounts for over 50 percent of discarded material.
U New Mexico Connects Solar Electric System
(U.S.): The new photovoltaic system, generating approximately 70 percent of the campus' electricity, enables the university to use cost avoidance savings to support future renewable energy projects on campus.
U Sunshine Coast Installs Water Bottle Refilling Stations
(Australia): Aligning with the university's goal to reduce waste and provide alternative choices, three new refilling vending machines have been installed that dispense chilled, filtered water or sparkling water at a low cost to users, in addition to 18 bottle refill stations.
U Sydney Introduces Centralized Recycling Stations
(Australia): Hoping to increase recycling rates and reduce the use of plastic bin liners across campus, the new two-bin system allows for mixed recyclables, plastic, glass, cans and paper, and general waste.
U Zamboanga Partners for 120KW Solar Installation
(Philippines): As as part of the university’s corporate social responsibility on the environment, the recently signed memorandum of agreement indicates the 120-kilowatt system will be installed by late summer 2015.
Virginia Tech Eliminates Foam To-Go Containers
(U.S.): With the high number of complaints about the university's use of foam containers, the university recently transitioned to compostable to-go containers available in four different sizes.
Visvesvaraya Technological U to Install Renewable Energy
(India): Despite some solar electricity in residential areas, the university plans to install photovoltaic systems on academic buildings at five of its campuses in order to reduce the capital expense of electricity and to supply energy to adjoining villages.
California State U Fullerton Hosts Campus Tour for Faculty
Recently the notorious commuter campus convened its faculty for a first-ever tour of the inner-workings of campus heating, cooling, ventilation and electricity systems, including a solar installation, in order to build a sense of community among the group.
City College Opens Campus Bike Shop
Embracing alternative transportation plans that encourage cycling, the new do-it-yourself bike repair shop allows students, faculty and staff to learn how to fix their bike and purchase bicycle parts and accessories. The shop will also host education classes and bike-focused events.
Dean College Completes Energy Efficiency Project
The college's newly completed project in seven campus buildings, including residence halls, consists of mechanical and lighting measures, and behavioral measures to engage building occupants.
Elon U Breaks Ground on Solar Farm
Projected to be completed in spring 2015, the 3-megawatt photovoltaic array, supplying electricity to Duke Energy, is being installed near the university's Environmental Center, a research facility for the university's academic programs that includes a greenhouse, agricultural plots, responsible architecture studio, and a composting facility.
Gonzaga U Green Fund Announces First Round of Funding
Started in 2011, the university $20,000 annual budget fund aimed at furthering campus sustainability chose four projects in its first year of operation: a composting program, increasing plants in classrooms, the campus garden, and participation in the Real Food Program.
MIT Holds Campus Sustainability Brainstorm Event
The aim of the inaugural Sustainability Connect was to convene campus stakeholders to discuss a transition toward the university as a living laboratory for exploring, testing and quantifying ways to make more efficient use of energy, water, buildings and equipment, and then to disseminate information about the most successful practices to have a global impact.
NY Times: 'Obama Signs Student Bill of Rights'
The recent post by The New York Times describes the Student Aid Bill of Rights signed by President Obama to help students deal with the growing burden of college loans. With the memorandum, Mr. Obama directed federal agencies to take steps to make it easier for college students to finance their education, pay back their loans, and avoid being taken advantage of by lenders.
Portland State U to Increase Local Food Procurement
Under the new amendment developed by the Campus Sustainability Office and the university's food services provider, Aramark, PSU Dining will increase total local and third-party certified food expenditures each by 5 percent annually, based on purchases made in 2014.
Rochester IT to Complete 2MW Solar Farm
With expected completion in spring 2015, the 2-megawatt photovoltaic array will be connected directly to the institution's electricity grid, helping to meet peak electricity demand by producing roughly 3.2 percent of the campus' total consumption.
Simon Fraser U Building Earns LEED Silver
The newly renovated space, certified through the Canada Green Building Council, features 30 percent reduction of potable water use from the baseline buildings, use of recycled lab furniture, and re-use of the existing raised floor system, including in wet labs.
Syracuse U to Start Bike Sharing Program
Because of a pilot bike-share initiative being organized by the university's Student Association, students will soon be able to use bikes for free, only paying fees if bikes are late, lost or damaged.
Texas Tech U Hosts Regional Sustainability Summit
The recently held inaugural summit, convening stakeholders from over 20 schools, helped create a statewide network among higher education institutions to collaborate on ideas about how to create environmental preservation, economic development, and social equity.
U Arkansas Launches Zero Waste Resource
The university's Office of Sustainability has developed a process for event planners to follow to achieve event landfill diversion rates of 90 percent or more. The sustainability office offers containers, scales and other materials for free check out in addition to interns for consultation.
U California Merced Building Achieves LEED Platinum
The university's student housing building, Half Dome, features water-efficient landscaping, a 96 percent construction waste diversion rate, a 48 percent of building materials feature recycled content, and a 98 percent of the building's wood is Forest Stewardship Council-certified.
U Maryland Receives Funding to Restore Campus Creek
Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the University Sustainability Fund and $1.5 million from the Department of Natural Resources, the waterway notoriously troubled with flooding, sediment and trash will be restored to improve the creek's stormwater output and general functionality.
Utah State U Installs Composting System
Contributing to the university's greenhouse gas reduction targets, the new Earth Flow compost unit handles approximately 25 tons annually of landscape waste and post-consumer food from the university. Each batch takes roughly three weeks to create usable landscaping material.
U Washington to Open Hub for Indigenous Students
Aspiring to bring together all walks, the new 8,400-square-foot building, which used traditional building techniques and materials, features a gathering space for 500 people, a smaller meeting room, and an outdoor area with a fire pit where salmon can be cooked in the traditional way.
