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With the publication of the College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these surveys offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the summer of 2009. To access surveys from other schools, go to the surveys section of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name: Jeffrey Corbin
Position (in student organization): Faculty Co-Chair
Date survey submitted: 7/21/2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: U Sustain
Number of active members: 70
Website: http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/sustainability/
Date of last meeting: May 2009
Frequency of meetings: Full committee: Each term. Subcommittees meet more frequently
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Calculation of carbon footprint and plan to reduce carbon emissions (CUPCC signatory); Coordinating efforts to make Union College’s operations more sustainable and have as small an impact on the environment as possible
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: See attached progress report
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or with other colleges?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please list details for each competition.
#1 - Name of competition: Do-it-in-the-Dark
Year initiated: 2007
Frequency of competition: Will be repeated this fall
Participants: Campus-wide
Incentives: Party budget for winning residence
Goal of competition: Reduce energy use by greatest amount
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: Approximately 4% in participating residences
Lasting effects of competition: Our electricity use in 2008-2009 was 1.9% lower than the previous year
Website: http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=7037
#2 - Name of competition: Recycle-Mania
Year initiated: Union’s participation began in 2009
Frequency of competition: Every year
Participants: Campus-wide
Incentives: None specific
Goal of competition: Reduce waste and increase recycling efforts. We have a friendly competition with other institutions in upstate NY including U Albany, Hamilton College, Colgate University, etc.
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: Unclear since this is our first year participating
Lasting effects of competition: We have identified areas in need of improvement, that will be the focus of education programs this year.
Website: http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/sustainability/initiatives/recycling.php
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Does your student government include a specific position or committee dedicated to campus sustainability issues?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please describe:
U Sustain is a sustainability initiative at Union College led by more than 70 environmentally and socially concerned faculty, staff, students, and administrators (http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/sustainability/). It coordinates Union College’s sustainability efforts. The goals of U Sustain are to reduce the ecological footprint of Union College, increase environmental awareness on campus and in the community, and make the College more sustainable. As an institution of higher education, we believe this is our responsibility. In 2008, U Sustain was awarded an Environmental Excellence Award by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the first College or University in the State to win the award.
Students form an integral part of U Sustain’s governance and activities. There are 2 Student Co-Chairs of the committee, as well as Student Co-Chairs of each of the seven subcommittees dedicated to pursuing sustainability efforts in specific segments of Union College’s operations (e.g. Dining, Waste & Recycling, Transportation, Energy, etc.) The Student Co-Chairs work with Faculty or Staff Co-Chairs to oversee activities.
The Union College Student Forum, the main student government, elects 3 additional representatives to act as liaisons between the Student Forum and U Sustain.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
U Sustain has initiated dozens of projects on campus that are increasing the efficiency and sustainability of Union College’s operations. Please see attached 2009 U Sustain Progress report for a full list. Some highlights of projects that had a significant student component:
Dining
- In 2008, students organized and operated Octopus’ Garden to grow food on campus for campus events and for local food banks. (http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=7798). In 2009, David Sanders (’09) constructed an eco-friendly straw-bale shed that serves as a storage area for garden supplies. (http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8473)
- Students organize and serve over 300 lunches every Friday to the campus community at Ozone Café, a local and/or organic meal. One of our two main dining halls closes on Fridays for lunch due to the popularity of Ozone Café. (http://www.union.edu/N/DS/edition_display.php?e=1449&s=7386)
- Students have spearheaded a campaign for Beef Less Mondays, whereby beef entrees will be replaced by other meat items such as chicken or turkey in order to decrease carbon emissions from dining services. This debuted on Earth Day in 2009 and will be implemented every Monday in 2009-2010.
- Jill Falchi (’09) has partnered with Campus Kitchens to prepare left-over food in campus kitchens for local food banks and other services that provide food to the less-fortunate. This is entirely student-operated, with logistical support from Campus Dining Services.
Education and Outreach
- Creation and implementation of sustainability training session in coordination with students in Prof. Cockburn’s ENS 460 class
- Planned and participated in Earth Day 2009 events on campus and at Schenectady County Community College (http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/sustainability/earth_day_09.php)
- Organized volunteers for Household Hazardous Waste Collections and Electronics Recycling events
- Updated Sustainability Guide for incoming first year students
- Students in Prof. Corbin’s Introduction to Environmental Studies have prepared Union College’s Carbon Footprint (2008) and Carbon Reduction Plans (2009) in order to meet our obligations under the CUPCC.
Waste and Recycling
- Student-run cardboard recycling program has expanded cardboard collection beyond central collection points to include academic and residential buildings
- Erin Delman (’12) and Kimberly Floeser (’11) established plastic bag recycling and “borrow a canvas bag” programs at the Union Bookstore to reduce plastic bag use and waste
Transportation
- Reed Olsen (’09) and others established the Union Bikeshare program, which provided 25 bicycles available for borrow on and around campus. (http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8337)
Energy and Facilities
- Jordan Siletti (’09) conducted an energy audit of two residences on campus that provided facilities with specific recommendations for energy savings
- A variety of research projects in mechanical and electrical engineering have conducted research into the feasibility of alternative energy including wind and solar on the Union campus.
Purchasing
- Cathy Griffen (’09) developed U Exchange (http://www.vu.union.edu/~uexchange/), a Craiglist-style marketplace for the Union community that will help items find new homes other than the landfill.
5) Please list and briefly describe any other student-run organizations related to campus sustainability at your school, and provide URLs if available (e.g., student groups; student government committees; student-run food co-ops, gardens/farms, bike co-ops) and provide contact information of the student leaders, if possible:
All links available via http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/sustainability/index.php
Ozone House – Environment and Sustainability-themed residential house.
Octopus’ Garden – Organic garden on campus
Union Bike Share Program
Union Environmental Club
Ozone Café – Student-served local and/or organic lunch served every Friday.
Questions 6 is for informational purposes only; your response will NOT be included in the Report Card evaluation process.
6) Please list any regional or national networks with which your group is affiliated (e.g., Energy Action Coalition/Campus Climate Challenge, Sierra Student Coalition, a state PIRG, a state student sustainability coalition):
Union College is affiliated with Sustainability Coordinators and committees at other Colleges and Universities in upstate NY, including U Albany, Colgate, Hamilton, Skidmore, Hudson Valley Community College, Bard, Vassar, etc. There is a very active listserv that is used to exchange information.
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