BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA JUNE 5, 2013 Contact: Patrice Sayre CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY ANNUAL REPORT Action Requested: Receive the annual report on the Campus Sustainability Plan Executive Summary: The FY 2013 Campus Sustainability Report provides a transparent accounting of the Regent institutions’ environmental impact through progress on the Campus Sustainability Plan, adopted March 2009, and highlights areas of achievement. The Plan is designed to provide an integrated and collaborative effort towards greater sustainability to make the Regent institutions leaders in the nation on: Operational practices Education Research Economic development As stated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), there is no commonly accepted and fully understood definition of sustainability or “campus sustainability,” let alone agreement on what indicators to use in measuring it. Regent institutions apply campus sustainability broadly – in the general operations of each institution, in the curriculum and experiences of students and employees, in effectively partnering with industry and government, and in technology transfer. The Regent institutions, with their more than 4,500 on-campus and 616 off-campus acres (excluding farm acreage), over 37 million gross square feet of space, more than 75,000 students, over 47,000 employees, and hundreds of thousands of visitors to the campus annually (including more than 870,000 clinic visits to UIHC), have a significant environmental impact. Conducting significant research with distinguished faculty, Iowa’s public universities are positioned within the state and nationally to lead in the greening of buildings, purchasing and transportation. Regent institutions have an educational responsibility to students to expand discussion about sustainability, create student awareness and provide programming incorporating the principles of sustainability. In this year’s report, the Campus Sustainability Coordinators at the universities have highlighted selected accomplishments in the area of sustainability (See attachments A, B, and C). This report relies heavily upon the Campus Sustainability Coordinators for up-to-date information on projects and initiatives: Elizabeth Christiansen – SUI, Director, Office of Sustainability Merry Rankin – ISU, Director, Office of Sustainability Eric O’Brien – UNI, University Sustainability Coordinator \ H:\BF\2013\june2013\0613_ITEM 04c Campus Sustainability Update.docx BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA ATTACHMENT A PAGE 2 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA SUSTAINABILITY REPORT June 2013 The annual sustainability report compiled by the Office of Sustainability reflects the University of Iowa’s commitment to sustainability. This report highlights a few of the recent accomplishments of many faculty, staff and students whose drive and passion for a more sustainable world have resulted in improved practices and innovative solutions. The following highlights of the past year position the University toward meeting its 2020 Vision for Sustainability. More information is available at http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/ Education & Research Wind Energy Certificate – The College of Engineering introduced a new undergraduate student certificate in wind energy to meet the emerging market needs in Iowa and elsewhere. The certificate in wind energy integrates coursework and faculty expertise from the Departments of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Geography in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The wind energy certificate requires 18 hours of coursework in energy, environment, and information science. National Recognition for Students’ Work in Dubuque – Graduate students in the University of Iowa School of Urban and Regional Planning received national recognition for their groundbreaking sustainability project in the city of Dubuque. The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the professional institute of the American Planning Association, honored the students with the 2013 Student Project Award for Contribution of Planning to a Contemporary Issue. Iowa Watershed Project – To restore and enhance Iowa’s agricultural landscape to better handle flood flows in coming years, the IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering and the Iowa Flood Center have selected four watersheds in Iowa for the initial phase of the Iowa Watershed Project. The four watersheds include the Turkey River; Middle Raccoon River; Soap Creek and Chequest Creek; and the Upper Cedar River. Researchers are working with local watershed management authorities, landowners and agency representatives to identify areas where flood mitigation projects are most likely to reduce downstream flood damages. BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA ATTACHMENT A PAGE 3 Campus Operations SUI Energy Use Remains Level From 2010 to 2013 – An intense focus on energy conservation has kept the absolute energy consumption on campus level, despite campus growth that has added six new buildings (Beckwith Boathouse, the College of Public Health, the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, the Sports Medicine Clinic, the State Hygienic Laboratory, and the Information Technology Facility), two major additions (Dental Science Building and Carver-Hawkeye Arena) and a major renovation (Stuit Hall). SUI Renewable Energy at 9%, New Biomass Efforts – Recently, the University of Iowa and the Johnson County Conservation Board completed a harvest of dead and dying non-native trees at Kent Park, with the plan to use the trees as fuel at the SUI Main Power Plant. Approximately 3,000 tons of wood chips were received. In addition, this spring the SUI will partner with a local producer in Muscatine and Iowa State University researchers to plant a field of Miscanthus giganteus, a perennial grass which may hold potential as a fuel crop. LEED Platinum Buildings – The SUI campus recently Opened two new LEED Platinum buildings. The - Wood chip fuel for SUI Main University of Iowa Information Technology Facility (ITF) Power Plant became the first building on campus to earn LEED Platinum certification. The College of Public Health Building became the first academic building on campus to receive the Platinum certification. As noted above, both buildings were opened without a corresponding increase in campus energy consumption. SUI Diversion Rate At 30% -- The SUI campus diversion rate includes single-stream recycling, confidential paper shredding, surplus operations and food waste diversion. RecycleMania – To expand awareness and increase student engagement, the University of Iowa competed in RecycleMania, a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs that promotes waste reduction activities on campus. With an event recycling rate of 28%, The University of Iowa ranked 138th out of 274 participating colleges and universities. SUI Hospitals and Clinics Ramp Up Recycling and Composting – As of March 28, 2013, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics began diverting food waste to composting and enhanced recycling opportunities in dining services. Food waste collection at SUI Hospital dining BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA ATTACHMENT A PAGE 4 SUI Receives Bike Friendly Honorable Mention – SUI received an “Honorable Mention” from the League of American Cyclists as a Bike Friendly University. SUI Parking and Transportation recently installed two bike repair stations on campus and initiated a campus bicycle master plan. Zipcar Comes to Campus – In August, 2013, the university and the City of Iowa City jointly launched a Zipcar program. This program supports a walking and biking lifestyle by offering affordable, accessible car rental by the hour. Zipcar comes to SUI Alternative Student Transportation – Student long-term parking permits have dropped 34% since 2007, reflecting a shift toward alternative transportation modes. Planning, Administration, and Engagement Living With Floods – The SUI College of Education conducted a three-day institute designed to assist teachers in areas affected by the floods of 2008 and 2011 incorporate environmental learning into their classrooms. Thirty-five middle and high school teachers participated. The UI is partnering with seven communities directly affected by devastating floods in the past five years: Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City and Muscatine. The program’s goals are to remember the flood, celebrate the progress made towards recovery, provide information on strategies to mitigate future floods and raise awareness of the interconnectedness of our environment and watersheds. Campus Activities and Events Another record-breaking year for Dance Marathon and they’re keeping it green with recycling and composting! BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA ATTACHMENT A PAGE 5 SUI students planting the new Student Garden Orchard. Waste audit on T. Anne Cleary Walkway. Bottled water or tap water – which Students swap clothing and tastes best? housewares at the Treasure Trade. Fixing a tire is easy at the new bike repair station. BOARD OF REGENTS AGENDA ITEM 4c STATE OF IOWA ATTACHMENT B PAGE 6 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY ANNUAL REPORT June, 2013 Beginning the fifth year of the Live Green! Initiative, Iowa State University is pleased to provide the following report highlighting accomplishments of the past year. Placing priority on providing a concise summary, the report focuses on a few