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As a former student Athlete and CGS/CAS alum I am disappointed at the lack of serious discussion the BU administration has so far engaged in with regards to bringing back football to the BU community. There are a number of current and former members of the BU family that would like to see President Brown's administration take a serious look at the issue and engage a number of present and former students, faculty and administrators in a meaningful discussion. I don’t believe that there is a question that the university as a whole can benefit from having the type of athletic programming that is commensurate with its status in the academic community. I was part of the 1993 football team that went undefeated for the first time in the school's history. The program was on it's way up in terms of reputation, national exposure, and fan base (in and outside of the BU community) The program was instrumental in helping bridge the gap between campuses, and well on its way to improving the school spirit which seemed to be lacking at BU. What other way to bring past, present and future BU family members if not during a homecoming game? Imagine being at a new state-of-the-art Nickerson Field, cheering for BU on a Big East football game against Uconn, Pitt or a West Virginia! Imagine having a showdown with our rival up the street that goes beyond the Hockey rivalry. It is amazing to me how a school like Uconn and Boise State now have Division I programs. These are a perfect example of programs whose schools invested on a long term strategy whose payoff is now being realized. I had the opportunity to play against both programs while at BU and it is unfathomable to me how BU has not realized that football, if done right can give the University a Return on Investment above and beyond dollars. Imagine having a revenue stream that includes not only tickets and concession sales, but also merchandising, TV, and other revenue streams that would offset the operational costs. If the argument is parity with women sports, why not do it for both? Look at it as part of the overall plan and invest into a couple of women’s sports that will bring parity and compliance with NCAA rules. All you need to do is take a look at what the Notre Dame, BC, Syracuse, Miami, Florida State and other big time programs bring to their schools. They have done it, why can’t we? Some will make the argument that no one cares about football and that there isn’t enough interest in the student community to see this through. My response to that is; why not find out and be absolutely certain that this is in fact the case? Put a commission together to look into the kind of support and money you could raise to do this. Partner with BTUFF (Boston Terriers United For Football) and other alumni groups that have demonstrated interest in reviving football, survey your current student body as to what they think the state of athletic programs is at BU currently, very simply, ask them what they would like to see in terms of collegiate sports at BU. Why not, what do you have to lose? I truly believe that “if we build it, they will come”. I believe that whatever strategic vision BU wishes to have, it should incorporate a plan to take its athletic programming to the Division I level it deserves to have. This is long overdue. The benefits of bringing a football program back to BU, far outweigh the challenges. Help us regain our sense of pride and Terrier spirit by bringing football back! Sincerely, Paul Francisco CAS ‘93
The concept of SUSTAINABILITY deserves an important place on the BU agenda. Environmental awareness comes first, and protocals should follow. BU, as an institution that prides itself on progressive practices for education and research, needs to come face to face with the wasteful realities of what I call, environmental complacency. BU has the financial means and the creative potency to fight the environmental battle-- let's talk SUSTAINABILITY. Let's talk about helping BU become scarlett, white, and GREEN. Let's have the administration think twice about cutting back spending on recycling programs. Let's have BU have stricter sustainability protocols, let's put it on the map as a Sustainable University. Let's refer to erudition as pride in the environment. Let's make Sustainability NOW. Thanks!
I am concerned with a glaring omission in the Strategic Planning Coordinating Task Force’s proposal: One BU fails to address the issue of spirituality/religion. Thousands of students, faculty, and staff regularly participate in on-campus religious events and discussions. Furthermore, in a contemporary world that is so dramatically affected by religion – both good and bad – it seems obvious that this component must be actively fostered by One BU. To ignore this facet of student/university life would be a great disservice to the BU community. It would lead to the failure of fostering a complete “personal development” for one of the largest groupings of individuals on campus. I sincerely hope that any future proposals include dialogue and input from representatives of Marsh Chapel and the University Chaplains. (The Strategic Planning Coordinating Task Force did not include any such individuals.) Please embrace One BU’s communicated commitment to “actively expand and enrich the… quality-of-life experiences” of each individual by not discounting the important element of spirituality/religion. Respectfully, Clinton P. Reed, IV ENG 2004
Nothing in the Report of the Strategic Planning Task Force attempts to say anything remotely close to the task of achieving university-wide environmental sustainability. The fact that BU considers itself a preeminent research institution, one on the cutting edge, while getting a "D" letter grade from the College Sustainability Report Card 2007 is preposterous. Our geography and geosciences programs were ranked third and ninth respectively by the Chronicle of Higher Education due to their excellent performances, but nevertheless none of the imminent environmental concerns that each department rallies around is a concern to the BU administration. That kind of neglect is a considerable shame and mockery to the hardworking faculty, staff, and students that pass daily through the Stone Science Building. After working for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and realizing what little funds and scant planning go into recycling services, this call to arms is much more dire. The additional recycling bins at Fitrec and the blue recycling bags handed out by the Office of Residence Life are just a beginning. Attention musts be paid to where the energy that powers our buildings and facilities is coming from, how efficiently it is being used, what waste streams we develop, and so on. Professor Cutler Cleveland of the Department of Geography and Environment in CAS is presently calculating the impact of BU's "ecological footprint" with help from his students. The Environmental Students Association conducts a trash and recycling audits "to show everyone on campus just how much we waste." Funding and support for projects like this need to continue. Every party is responsible, administration, faculty, staff, and students alike. In order to improve our Boston University, we need to address sustainable practices campus-wide.
BU needs to embrace the idea of Environmental Sustainability. As a senior, I have spent much of the past 4 years working with the recycling program and helping to promote sustainability at BU. It is an incredibly difficult task, because I have found that many administrators, while there are exceptions, do not see sustainability as something to be even mildly concerned with. It is hard to accept this apathy. Universities are at the head of developing the constantly changing knowledge base for environmental sustainability. Universities know the seriousness of this unprecedented environmental damage that our world faces. Universities learn how to help solve this problem. Clearly, Universities are in the business of helping individuals to succeed and of improving society. It would seem that, accordingly, Universities would help to promote a clean and healthy society. This last task, unfortunately, has not been a goal of BU. Universities are at the forefront of knowledge development in all areas, and that includes knowledge of the environment and of environmental problems. BU allows there to be a geography and environment studies department, yet BU disregards the knowledge within those departments. Currently, it is as though BU says to those professors in the environmental department, "yes, teach your students why businesses should be sustainable. Encourage them to try to make BU become sustainable. But just so you know, it ain't gonna happen." Of course, a University is a business, with a desire to maximize profits. It is not run by philanthropists. But if a University goes against the very things that its employees are paid to teach, it is a business that goes in circles and gets nowhere. Fortunately, I cannot think of many majors at BU, besides environmental studies, where the teachings of professors are so wholly ignored. Of course, if there are other departments that are ignored, I encourage anyone to leave feedback about it. It is true that BU is a business, but Universities are exceptional businesses. If BU so blatantly ignores the environment, apparently money has become the largest focus of the BU administration and the idea of creating a benefit to society has been forgotton. This statement can be expanded to say that apparently immediate money is the largest focus. Most environmental projects require an initial investment, followed by cost-savings, but even this is apparently unacceptable. Fortunately, many other individuals leaving feedback have given detailed explanations of certain environmental problems and why BU should work to alleviate them. My argument, however, is an ethical and moral argument. Ignoring the environment, supporting a department that teaches students how and why to protect the environment, yet disregarding the department’s knowledge, and forgetting the mission of a University to improve the condition of society, is unethical and immoral. BU needs to embrace the idea of Environmental Sustainability.
Four words: Change the guest policy.
Here are a few reactions to the "One BU" framework. I find it pretty far from "strategic." 1) Any plan, and certainly a strategic one, is in part a response to conditions. The framework would benefit from an articulation of those conditions that are thought relevant to planning -- e.g., critical issues or challenges, lesser issues that can now be addressed, milestones events or focal organizations that need to be put in place, and opportunities that have been presented or can be created. Here we have a proposed solution but little on the problem, answers without the guiding questions/critique. 2) A strategic plan is also a design for an imagined future. As such, it must fit into and contribute to the 'real' future, as best we project it. I see little here that comments on global trends, or even global educational trends, and that then rationalizes elements of this framework in terms of that perspective. Instead, it looks like a committee's well-meaning but localize, idiosyncratic suggestions. 3) I'm looking for an image of greatness, something worth signing on to. To caricature, this plan's biggest idea is to integrate CAS/CGS. I love this idea, but its a tactic, a mechanism... To put this another way, the 12 commitments are more motherhood, or "best practices," than strategy. 4) Perhaps my greatest concern is given by the name of the plan itself, "One BU." Innovation, prosperity, creation of communities, foundational advances, etc., all derive from constructive engagement among various populations. This plan is fundamentally circumscribed by BU itself (with a few connections into Boston, and core populations around the world). BU needs to be systemically viable and so must become systemically diverse and engaged. There should be 50 major ways of thinking about BU !! 5) Finally, a positive version of the previous, and the reason I favor the efforts to integrate CAS / CGS. In 1975 I had my favorite class at BU -- "Contemporary Perspectives on Reality". We saw 2001, A Space Odyssey, read Joyce, studied Picasso, and so on. The inter-disciplinary work was incredible. Moreover, I would venture it brought out the best in the participant team of professors that co-taught the class. It was highly creative and engaging. Inter-disciplinary in the small is systemic inter-dependence and emergence in the large. And so, I would like to see a vision for what BU might become, as a function of what it is and the world will likely become. I'd like to see a grand aim, or 3. I'd favor inter-disciplinary courses within, and systemic inter-dependence without, as the norms to be sought. I'd have BU be "one" only in the sense of "the forward dynamic of the many."
As a former student athlete, basketball & baseball, I find on returning to the University several times a year, a void in the late summer/fall activities around campus. For many years the student body and alumni would benefit from the comradery and renewal of relationships that was generated from the University's football program. As the University has grown over the years, the return of the football program needs to be a priority. it is well know that football in Div 1 programs are loss leaders, but the overall benefits from a well rounded program of athletics can't be simply measured in dollars and cents. BRING BACK FOOTBALL!
As an Boston University Alum (COM '79), and a parent of a BU freshmen, I was upset to read that the task force completed and released its highly anticipated 'One BU" report without 'environmental sustainability' as a stated goal. It is especially shocking in the light of the fact that BU is listed as an institutional member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), whose members are "committed to enhancing environmental sustainability in the daily activities of their campuses"! With global warming a recognized reality, numerous prominent (and not so prominent) colleges and universities are actively moving to 'green their campuses'. The June 2006 issue of University Business named Duke, The California State University system, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Tufts, University of British Columbia, University of California at Merced, University of Vermont, Penn, and Yale the top 10 “Higher Education Sustainability Stars”. But all colleges and universities can serve as natural early adopters when it comes to implementing new ideas, technologies and business practices for a variety of reasons. As nonprofit institutions they can afford to implement changes that for-profit institutions are loath to make (although the competitive necessity for 'corporate greening' may change that equation.) Campuses are diverse in their development (dorms, dining halls, offices, classrooms, laboratories, sports venues, theatres, and more) and provide a model environment for implementing new green building and landscaping practices. And since young people are often at the forefront of the pro-environmental movement and much of the research on environmental sustainability is being conducted in academia, colleges and universities can take an active leadership role in these areas. It seems to me that Boston University needs to revaluate its commitment to environmental sustainability or risk losing its position as a vibrant and viable educational institution. I decided to do a quick web search before writing this letter and was able to find many examples of how college and university communities are actively working towards environmentally sustainability (much of the information below came from the Worldwatch Institute site): Tufts University's Climate Initiative (TCI) stands out as a leading example of universities leading the way. In 1999, Tufts made a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions at a level consistent with the Kyoto Protocol—by at least 7 percent by 2012. To achieve this goal, TCI has initiated a host of innovative projects, including: replacing 3,000 incandescent light bulbs with more efficient and longer lasting compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in desk lamps, task lights, and chandeliers; installing more than 100 “Vending Misers” to reduce energy use from vending machines. Vending Misers utilize a motion detector to turn off the machines when no one is around, which can save up to 50 percent of the energy use of less-efficient machines; and to reduce emissions from transportation, TCI partnered with Zipcar to implement a car-sharing program on campus, using two hybrid-electric Toyota Priuses and two plug-in electric Toyota RAV4s. Tufts faculty, staff, and students can buy membership at a reduced rate. October 2006, New York University announced the purchase of some 118 million kilowatt-hours of wind power, an amount equivalent to the power the university purchases annually from the utility Con Edison. This represents the largest purchase of wind power by any U.S. college or university so far, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is also the largest wind power purchase by any institution in New York City and the 11th largest such purchase in the United States. NYU’s move toward greater renewable energy use is part of a broader sustainability initiative called the NYU Green Action Plan (GAP). NYU President John Sexton attributes the school’s decision to buy wind power to his participation in the Clinton Global Initiative meetings in September, where global warming was a key focus of discussion. “It was a sobering dialogue, one that has caused me to think even more deeply about what role universities in general, and NYU in particular, should play in addressing the great challenges of our time, from climate change to extremist violence to poverty,” he said. “The full nature of those responsibilities will only emerge, I believe, out of a long discussion on our campus involving students, faculty, and administrators. But, in the meantime, this decision—which will lead to more electricity being added to the grid from clean sources, rather than from fossil fuel sources—is an important step for our campus to take.” Among other NYU Green Action Plan initiatives completed, underway, or under consideration as of November 2006 are: - The creation and filling of a new Assistant Vice President for Energy, Engineering & Technical Services to develop and implement a comprehensive energy strategy that includes cogeneration and alternative energy sources, operation of the University’s cogeneration plant, identification and implementation of energy conservation projects, and development of engineering standards for NYU’s facilities that will improve their energy efficiency and infrastructure reliability. - Membership in the U.S. Green Building Council, which will enable the university to access “best practices” for green building design and incorporate those ideas into strategic planning. - Reviewing proposals for NYU’s co-generation plant to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions significantly below EPA standards. - Reviewing sites for additional bike racks around campus to encourage bicycle commuting. - The hiring of new employees to expand NYU’s recycling program (the university currently recycles up to 30 percent of its waste stream). As part of the NYU-GAP initiative, the senior vice president for university relations and public affairs, and the vice president for facilities and construction management will lead a university-wide Task Force on Sustainability. The task force—which will be composed of students, faculty, and administrators—will bring forward ideas, mobilize the community, and help develop a realistic set of goals to enable NYU to move forward its sustainability initiative. In 2005,Yale University created the Yale Office of Sustainability and has also developed an overarching Sustainability Strategy that aims to educate the university community about consumption, energy use, and other lifestyle choices, and to institute change. In October 2005, Yale pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 through conservation and the use of renewable energy, making it one of the first universities in the United States to commit to a 15-year strategic energy plan. The Yale Office of Sustainability houses a number of “sustainability committees,” including on energy, transportation policy, and building design and construction. According to the Office’s Fall 2006 newsletter, the university offset two-thirds of the electricity used in residential colleges during the 2005 academic year by purchasing 10,000 megawatt-hours of Renewable Energy Credits. The initiative was largely student driven. And by switching to a blend of 20 percent biodiesel (B20) and ultra-low-sulfur diesel, Yale has reduced transportation-based petroleum consumption by 20 percent, or 20,000 gallons (75,708 liters). Yale also continues to pursue its interest in getting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its buildings. Recent lab renovations at the Yale School of Medicine have provided a campus benchmark for green building certification, and the future FES Kroon Building, slated for completion in 2008, will use graywater recycling as well as east-west alignment to maximize sun exposure for solar heating. Harvard University is the ninth-largest university purchaser of green power in the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Green Campus Initiative works to promote conservation both among students and within university facilities. Harvard recycles about 45 percent of its waste and the university has 13 building projects that integrate the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. The school also has a $6.5 million revolving loan fund for conservation projects that is repaid with the savings generated from previously funded projects. University of California (UCLA) is currently developing a comprehensive Sustainable Transportation Plan. Under the university’s Vanpool Program, more than 1,500 staff, faculty, and students receive monthly subsidies toward the cost of their daily commute to campus aboard one of 150 UCLA-owned commuter vanpools. Since its inception in 1984, the Vanpool Program has eliminated 324 million passenger miles of travel, reducing 107,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 3,200 tons of carbon monoxide, 345 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 212 tons of hydrocarbons. For five-plus years, UCLA has also partnered with Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines) and Culver CityBus to provide the BruinGO transit pass program. More than 23,000 UCLA staff, faculty, and students take advantage of the subsidized transit programs in a given year. In addition, UCLA partners with the nationwide car-sharing company Flexcar to provide members with on-demand access to a fleet of seven low emission vehicles, including hybrid sedans, that are conveniently located across campus. UCLA originally partnered with Flexcar as a commuting enhancement service to encourage faculty, staff, and students over 21 to leave their cars at home, share the ride to campus. A new Flexcar for Undergrads pilot program has been implemented in fall 2006. UCLA has also sought to address the energy use and emissions of on-campus vehicles. The university’s 11 campus shuttle buses run on 100 percent Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), with on-campus CNG fueling in two locations, including one open to the public. To meet departmental transportation needs, fleet services also offers CNG, hybrid, and Low Speed Vehicles. Currently, 309 (30 percent) of UCLA’s 1,043 total fleet is alternatively fuel vehicles, and the university is consistently recognized as one of the Top 100 clean-fuel fleets nationally. Other sustainable transportation highlights include: - UCLA’s Fleet Maintenance recently received recognition by the State of California for being a Model Pollution Prevention Auto Repair Shop, demonstrating exceptional efforts to reduce hazardous waste, water, and air emissions. Fleet Services has identified new technologies to save money for the shop and support the University's goals to minimize environmental impacts. - UCLA recently produced its first campus Bicycle Master Plan. Acting as a blueprint for bicycle planning and accommodation at UCLA for years to come, it addresses infrastructure, rider education, and marketing bicycle commuting to more students, staff, and faculty. Bicycle ridership has increased 50 percent since plan inception. - UCLA has increased its supply of on-campus housing substantially from approximately 4,000 residents in 1990 to over 9,000 today, resulting in approximately 450,000 trips saved annually. - UCLA’s current employee drive-alone rate is now only 54.5 percent, down significantly (14.5 percent) from 69 percent in 1990 and 22 percent below the regional level. The University has exceeded the Air Quality Management District targeted Average Vehicle Ridership of 1.5 each year for the past five years. Macalester College students, faculty, staff, and administrators are joined by local businesses, organizations, and political and community leaders in a movement to change the way people interact with the environment. Recent achievements and activities at Macalester demonstrate that change is taking place on campus and beyond. In 2005–06, students developed the Clean Energy Revolving Fund (CERF), an innovative financial structure that will facilitate future projects focused on sustainability which led Macalester to the installation of two green roofs—planted roofs that include such benefits as improved insulation, reduced water runoff rates, and a reduction of the urban heat island effect. Students also raised awareness about energy conservation through a competition to reduce electrical energy consumption between on-campus dormitories called Dorm Wars. In the fall, incoming students of the class of 2010 were given energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and information on campus sustainability practices. Physical changes such as the newly installed green roofs are paralleled by a change in the consciousness of the Macalester College community. Everyone from potential students to President Brian Rosenberg has taken notice of the “Climate of Change” at Macalester. Members of the class of 2010, several of whom have joined the Macalester Conservation and Renewable Energy Society (MacCARES), were attracted to Macalester by the sustainable projects and initiatives in which students were engaged. Faculty, staff, and administrators are realizing the energy, ambition, and effectiveness of students working towards goals such as the reduction of carbon emissions, the sustainable construction of campus buildings, and the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy resources. In 2005, Oberlin's faculty and students collaborated to design and build a campus resource use monitoring system with real-time web-based feedback on electricity consumption. In combination with dormitory competitions, the system has resulted in up to 56 percent reductions in electricity use in winning dorms. The system has been funded through a variety of grants including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “People, Prosperity and the Planet” (P3) award. In the spring of 2006, students with Oberlin’s Environmental Policy Implementation Group worked with CityWheels, a Cleveland-based business, to create an innovative car-sharing program for Oberlin. The on-campus group is currently retrofitting 2,500 incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs in student-owned lighting fixtures. Oberlin has also expanded its recycling and source-reduction initiatives. A new student group, the Recycled Products Co-op (RPC), collects used office supplies and redistributes them for a donation. The donation is used to purchase recycled-content and environmentally friendly products that are then sold at cost. Twice annually, the College Recycling Assistants hold a campus-wide event called “The Big Swap”; at last semester’s Big Swap, they collected 388 bags of clothing, books, and dorm room items. And in November 2006, Campus Dining Service (CDS) Recyclers will be conducting a waste audit in the dining halls to increase awareness of food waste on campus. Oberlin as a whole supports sustainability initiatives as well. In 2005–06, the college made several advances in the area of “green” energy. The installation of a new solar parking pavilion adjacent to the existing photovoltaic array on the roof of the innovative Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies makes Oberlin the home of Ohio’s largest solar array, with a total rated production of 159 kilowatts. Oberlin is also one of two liberal arts colleges that made the EPA’s initial top-ten list for college/university green energy purchases, with 60 percent of its electricity supplied by green sources. Other highlights of 2005–06 include: - The Board of Trustees adopted a resolution that all new construction and major renovations will be at least LEED “silver” certified. - The inclusion of a “move toward environmental sustainability” in the Strategic Plan of 2005 integrates the comprehensive Environmental Policy, adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2004, into the college’s long-range plan. - The creation of an Office of Environmental Sustainability in 2006. - The completion of the new Lewis Center Annex, an adaptive reuse of an old home that now houses the Environmental Studies Laboratory. - A transition to 100 percent environmentally friendly cleaning products. - The hiring of an Eco-Purchasing Intern and the creation of an Eco-Purchasing Committee to draft a policy for green purchasing. Duke University's efforts have spanned many different areas, but perhaps the most significant is also the most basic: Duke is an eco-friendly shopper. Appliances purchased for use at the university, including heating and cooling systems, are among the best in the market for energy efficiency, and Duke consciously seeks out Energy Star-rated equipment whenever possible. In 2003, a campus organization called the Environmental Alliance was able to obtain a $28,000 grant from the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition to fund a program to fuel campus buses with a 20-percent biodiesel blend. The program continues today, with ALL Duke buses and maintenance vehicles now fueled with biodiesel. The College of the Atlantic currently offsets 100 percent of its one million kilowatt-hours of annual electricity use by purchasing “green tags” to fund renewable energy projects. As members of the Governor of Maine’s Carbon Reduction Program, the college has pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent by 2010. Ten percent of the reductions will be through campus conservation efforts, while the other 40 percent will be through the purchase of in-state renewable electric energy. All of COA’s marine research boats as well as the tractors used to maintain the school’s landscape and operate its organic vegetable farm run on biodiesel. All of its new structures will be designed to be energy efficient and, where possible, to use renewable energy for space and hot water heating. For examplea residence village to be completed by June 2008, will use solar energy and wood pellet boilers for space and hot water heating, among other innovations. American University has undertaken several ambitious environmental projects in recent years. In 2006, students introduced a Campus Climate Challenge Campaign to promote both major and minor reforms around campus—the most significant of which is to have the university running on at least 50 percent renewable energy by 2012. When put to a vote, 70 percent of AU students shared the group’s hopes, and the president of the university gave his optimistic blessing. The school plans to attain the goal through a mix of improvements that include using wind and solar energy, and is currently working to meet the requirements of the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point environmental manifesto that outlines various energy-efficiency and sustainability guidelines. AU has saved more than $100,000 in the last year through more-efficient energy usage. The university’s energy management system ensures that ventilation, heating, and air conditioning are always performing at maximum efficiency, used only when needed. The school also has a highly efficient central power plant on campus, which is connected to all buildings in a large loop to ensure that no energy is wasted. Moreover, new buildings will require no new energy due to the plant’s large capacity. American plans to begin construction for a new building, an addition to the School of International Service, in summer 2007. The facility will strive to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver standards for sustainable buildings. To achieve this, AU will equip the building with a green roof, rain gardens, and possibly solar panels. The parking garage will be located underground to greatly reduce runoff. In 2006, AU began transporting all of its food waste to an organic recycling facility in Maryland for composting, as well as sending waste oil to be turned into biodiesel. The school eventually aims to run its own bus system on biodiesel. AU has also been looking into Vending Misers, motion-detecting machines that automatically power down vending machines when no people are nearby, and is considering a water system that could reduce water waste through an array of new showerheads, toilets, and urinals. In addition to adopting conventional environmental practices, AU has also displayed a degree of ingenuity. Environmental Coordinator Riley Neugebauer has been organizing both student and non-student events around Washington, D.C. to promote awareness of sustainability and energy efficiency Aquinas College is continuing its strong tradition of leadership by becoming the only collegiate-level institution to offer an undergraduate major in Sustainable Business. The four-year curriculum includes training in traditional business and science courses combined with classes focused in environmental studies, sustainable energy systems, social capital, and sustainable business management. To facilitate the ever-growing interest in Sustainable Business, the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College (C4S) was developed in 2005. The Center is a web-based hub of information for consumers, business people, students, and governmental agencies interested in sustainable practices. The Center’s mission includes developing and advancing organizations and communities that promote economic vitality, natural world kinship, and social responsibility. Its initial programming focus is to undertake efforts to embed the sustainability paradigm into businesses.The Campus Sustainability Initiative, three standing sustainability committees, as well as a joint committee, was initiated in Fall 2006 by the three college governing bodies to coordinate the sustainability efforts of staff, faculty, and students. All Aquinas members are encouraged to submit a campus redesign idea to make the college an even better place to work and learn. Upon submission, the idea is developed with help from the corresponding sustainability committee and other interested parties, including teams of Sustainable Business students. The sustainability suggestion is then sent to the Provost for assessment and potential implementation. To further augment the effectiveness of the initiative, C4S is currently performing a full inventory of current Aquinas processes, practices, and curricula in the areas of social, environmental, and financial capital. The inventory tasks have been built into class assignments as well. Aquinas also has a variety of campus greening programs already under way. The college is participating in a small-scale pilot project aimed at testing the feasibility of an urban organic waste management system in the City of Grand Rapids with 10 area businesses, nongovernmental groups, and governmental organizations. If the pilot project is successful, the partnership will help develop a full-scale urban organic waste composting facility in an eco-industrial park located within Grand Rapids. Aquinas is also carefully examining the sustainable integrity and source of the food served on campus. The school’s head chef is a member of the Farmer-Chef Collaborative, a group of local farmers and chefs working to increase local, organic food purchasing. Using a “triple top line” standard, Aquinas community members are working with the campus food service company to examine the sources and practices used at farms growing food served at the college. In 2003, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Facilities & Services operation—an organization of 1,400 staff that supports the facility and service needs of the campus community—launched a program called BLUE Illinois. The purpose of BLUE (Building a Lasting University Environment) is to increase environmental awareness on campus and to educate faculty, students, and staff on best management and sustainable practices. BLUE encourages participants to use creativity and independent initiative within their own campus responsibilities to reduce waste, conserve energy and water, improve building efficiency, and protect the environment. Each year, all the divisions in Facilities & Services (F&S) collaborate on setting fiscal year goals for the coming academic year. Past goals have included: - Improve environmental compliance of F&S activities - Conduct sustainability awareness training for F&S staff - Assist the campus administration in realigning the utility cost structure to encourage energy conservation at the departmental level - Train all F&S planners, project managers, lead inspectors, facility directors, and other individuals responsible for campus design and construction projects in LEED green building standards and their potential application on campus - Increase use of electric or hybrid vehicles - Conduct an environmental audit of F&S operations - Coordinate a hazardous waste cleanout day of F&S areas - Incorporate native species into the south campus landscape plan One of the fundamental BLUE program elements that helps bridge the gap between academic research and facility operations is the annual faculty/student sustainability projects. With assistance from the university’s Environmental Council, F&S solicits and funds proposals for joint projects that address campus operational issues in a sustainable manner. These projects provide hands-on learning opportunities for students, and research opportunities for faculty. Current projects include the installation and evaluation of the efficiency of a biomass furnace for comfort heating and the construction and evaluation of a rain garden as a stormwater management technique. The rain garden project has generated interactions among a variety of interested parties, including professors of landscape architecture and art design, F&S laborers, municipal public works departments, and community gardeners. Facilities & Services has also convened a campus Environmental Stewardship Committee that is charged with developing a process of planning, implementing, reviewing, and improving the decisionmaking processes and actions by which the campus endeavors to meet its environmental stewardship and management goals. The primary tasks for the committee include: develop an Environmental Stewardship Communications Plan, begin development of a campus-wide Environmental Policy, begin outlining a campus stewardship implementation plan. Harford Community College's campus greening movement began in 1993, when the school founded its sustainability department and installed an “Energy Management System” to maximize energy efficiency in each new building. The school’s next step was to implement the use of waterless urinals campus-wide, resulting in a significant decrease in water use and waste. HCC has upgraded nearly all areas of its campus with motion sensing lights to save electricity. For equipment that can’t be fitted with these sensors, such as vending machines and the swimming pool, the school has established general hours of operation and turns off the lights and heating and cooling equipment when the facilities aren’t in use. HCC captures rain water, which otherwise would have washed down campus drains, for most of its landscape watering. The school’s efforts resulted in “Campus Ecology Recognition” from the National Wildlife Federation in 2002–03. Ball State University (BSU) has been a consistent recipient of environmental honors and awards for several years. In 2000, the school received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Recycling for its efforts to recycle concrete and other building debris from construction projects around campus. In 2001, BSU established its sustainability group “Greening-2,” and also received Second Nature’s “Best Practices Institution” award for its implementation of the Talloires Declaration, an international campus greening manifesto. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) gave BSU its own version of the award for recycling over 60 percent of its waste. In 2002, the school received a Best Practice award for its Sustainable Design Curriculum, organized to promote eco-friendly construction. And in 2003, BSU was one of 13 schools in the United States to receive NWF’s Campus Ecology Recognition Award. The award acknowledged two significant efforts around campus: (1) the school’s efforts to reduce mercury usage by keeping inventory of mercury-containing materials, and to promote recycling by encouraging students to turn in any unwanted mercury-containing products; and (2) the school’s purchase of a hybrid-electric bus, fueled by 20 percent biodiesel, for its on-campus fleet. BSU plans to construct each new on-campus building in the most sustainable and efficient way possible including a recent addition to their communications school, as well as a new residence hall. All the while, the school publicizes and emphasizes energy efficiency and sustainability with frequent articles in its newspaper. Students and faculty members at Pacific Lutheran University hold math classes in a building without a carbon footprint. Facilities management at Pacific Lutheran University distributed hundreds of green "extra-small" 1.5-liter trash cans to faculty and staff members as part of a "Can the Can" campaign. Employees fill the buckets, small enough to fit on a desk, only with material that's NOT recyclable -- such as candy bar wrappers. Everything else must be recycled. Staff members at the University of Washington drive hybrid cars and may soon be able to fill up other motor pool vehicles with biodiesel. UW students are exploring how to use cooking oil from campus eateries to fuel university cars. UW rebuilt part of the Center for Urban Horticulture, which had been destroyed by arson and was the first building on the UW's Seattle campus to seek and receive a silver LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The student body at Western Washington University agreed to pay up to $10.50 a quarter to buy renewable electricity -- becoming one of the first in the Washington state to go 100 percent green on the main campus. At Berea College the need for more housing for nontraditional students, such as parents, coupled with the desire to create an environmentally sustainable campus, led to the creation of an Ecovillage that has operated for two years. There is also an on-site sewage treatment plant that relies on natural processes to convert sewage to water that is then used to flush the toilets and for other nondrinking uses. Middlebury College touts many environmentally friendly initiatives including a dining hall with a vegetated roof that opened in 2005. University of South Carolina built a green residence hall, which used recycled materials and keeps energy use to a minimum through good engineering and usage changes -- lots of natural light, low-flow faucets, and motion-detected lighting. Appalachian State University will renovate/build Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified residence halls beginning the summer 2007. UC-Santa Cruz, dining halls directly purchase organic produce grown on local farms, which supports the area economy and reduces transportation time (and thus gas emissions) instead of using national mega-suppliers. The institution educates students about food waste through literature, changed their service delivery to minimize excess, and developed connections with local food banks to provide support when they do have extra provisions. Paper plates they use were selected for their low environmental impact. University of Colorado is one of many schools that has taken a critical look at its parking policies, its bike-friendliness, and its transit offerings with an eye on reducing emissions. I strongly urge the task force and President Brown to rethink the position of Boston University on this matter and amend the 'One BU' report to adopt environmental sustainability as a strategic goal and 'core value' of the BU community. Thank you.
I am troubled that the Strategic Planning Task Force report does not even address environmental responsibility. Other world class institutions are making significant strides in this area and BU risks damaging its reputation by ignoring this important topic. The BU recycling program is clearly subpar and would require very little effort to improve. How can this institution remain at this low level of effort and expect to remain competitive with other, more progressive schools?
