1. Sustainability Case Study
Kevin Gilford

2. Some Pertinent Facts Founded in 1965.
520 acre campus, much of it not yet developed
8000+ students, ~900 faculty and staff
85% commute, most single-occupancy vehicles
Over 900 students live on campus
Fastest growing university in Colorado
Up to 15,000 students by 2021; 30,000 by ?
Residence halls filled for the first time – waiting list.
Fastest growing CU campus (Colorado public university).

3. Ecological Footprint 2004 Campus = 514 Acres Footprint = 34,543 Acres
Ecological footprint is almost 70 times the size of the physical footprint

4. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Almost a third of the emissions from commuting students, faculty and staff.
Over half due to emissions from operations of buildings (electricity, natural gas).

5. Sustainability Organizations
Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (SEAS)
Organize student-led sustainability events, education and conservation campaigns, social equity activism
Students, faculty advisor
Sustainability Committee
Advocates for sustainability in all campus sectors, networking, education
Faculty, students
Sustainability Council
Assessment reports, organize educational events, advise administration
Staff, faculty, students, community
Climate Action Committee
Implement directives to achieve climate neutrality
Administration, faculty, staff
Office of Sustainability
Research, develop, direct and implement sustainability strategies and initiatives, organize educational and behavioral campaigns, give sustainability tours
Staff, students
Before the history, a few definitions of campus sustainability organizations.
SEAS M I S S I O N: To create a community of involved students, faculty,  staff and administration to implement sustainable practices at UCCS.   
Sustainability Committee: advocates for sustainability in all sectors of the campus.
Sustainability Council: Develops assessment reports, organizes sustainability educational events, advises administration on sustainability issues.

6. Sustainability History
Sustainability Committee formed
SEAS founded
Sustainability Office created
Sustainable Development Minor
Chancellor signs ACUPCC
Sustainability Strategic Plan
Student Solar Referendum
First Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report
Sustainability Summit
Campus Sustainability Report
Sustainability at UCCS started as a grass-roots effort.

7. Sustainability Vision
To be a recognized leader in sustainability, integrating social, economic and ecological values into institutional policies, programs and practices.

8. Sustainability Mission
UCCS seeks to foster a culture of sustainability throughout the university’s extended community.
Leadership
Education
Operations
Where committed administrators, in partnership with faculty, staff, and educated student body, provide leadership and contribute expertise to local, regional, and global environmental efforts, and foster links with other institutions;
Where we recognize our obligation to educate the university community about the importance of individual and institutional environmental responsibility and prepare our students by integrating sustainability literacy into academic learning and research across the curriculum and between the colleges;
Where sustainability is integrated into all aspects of university functions, including buildings, grounds, operations, planning, and purchasing, in such a way that we minimize the impact of our growing, dynamic campus upon the earth. (ACUPCC)

9. Sustainability Policies
Strategic Plan
Sustainability Strategic Plan
Facilities Strategic Plan
Diversity Strategic Plan
Landscape Plan
Signing of ACUPCC
Strategic Plan includes “Become a Sustainable Campus”:
Strategies:
Provide leadership, knowledge, and communication inspiring action in sustainability
Increase sustainable operations to create a living laboratory for sustainability
Support campus innovations leading to sustainability
Selected Measures:
In five years (2012), UCCS is recognized as a leader in sustainability within the Pikes Peak region
Achieve LEED certification or equivalent on new buildings and renovations
Demonstrate decreases in annual greenhouse gas inventories and utilities usage, increases in recycling rates and availability of local and organic foods.
Distribute sustainability awards and recognition
Signing of ACUPCC: 1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible, 2. Initiate two or more of the following tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed, 3. Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available by providing them to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for posting and dissemination.

10. Sustainability Programs
Leadership:
4 High Performance Buildings (LEED certification)
Student Solar Referendum
Partner in Colorado Higher Education Wind Farm Study
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Buildings: Rec Ctr, Dwire, Science/Eng, Event Ctr -- Achieved by staff, students and faculty
85-95% construction waste recycling on new buildings.
Solar referendum; Passed by students in Spring 2008, $5/student/semester, $400,000 in four years, solar photovoltaic panels on one building on campus.

11. Sustainability Programs
Operations:
Sustainable Design Guidelines
Recycling Program - 26% rate in RecycleMania
Solar Thermal System in Recreation Center
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Buildings: Rec Ctr, Dwire, Science/Eng, Event Ctr -- Achieved by staff, students and faculty
85-95% construction waste recycling on new buildings.
Solar referendum; Passed by students in Spring 2008, $5/student/semester, $400,000 in four years, solar photovoltaic panels on one building on campus.

12. Sustainability Programs
Education:
Sustainable Development Minor
Freshman Seminar Sustainability Modules
Experiential Education Opportunities

13. Sustainability Practices
Energy Use Intensity Reduction
EUI = Energy Use Intensity
Dropped 20% in the four-year period.
Downward trend but leveling off.
$1.3 million energy performance bond that funded Energy Conservation Measures.
Energy conservation measures probably helped but needs to be analyzed and quantified.

14. Sustainability Practices
Reduction in water use
General downward trend in domestic use even though campus is growing, particularly residence halls.
18% reduction from
But irrigation use is up though acreage is not.
Not being monitored closely enough.
Water conservation measures, retrofits, in progress.

15. Communication/ Community Engagement
Campus Sustainability Report
Sustainability Summit
Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities (SCSC)
Ft. Carson collaboration
Member of AASHE and pilot partner in STARS
2008 report and summit
SCSC Conference November 20, 21
Ft. Carson awarded UCCS Community Partners Award in 2007.
STARS: Sustainability Tracking and Reporting System, similar to GRI. Admin/Finance, Education/Research, Operations/Energy. Participate in AASHE national conference.

16. “Become a Sustainable Campus”
Sustainability Goals
“Become a Sustainable Campus”
Strategies:
Provide leadership, knowledge, and communication
Create a living laboratory for sustainability
Support campus innovations leading to sustainability
As defined in the Strategic Plan.

17. “Become a Sustainable Campus”
Sustainability Goals
“Become a Sustainable Campus”
Selected Measures:
In five years (2012), UCCS is recognized as a leader in sustainability within the Pikes Peak region
Achieve LEED certification or equivalent on new buildings and renovations
-- Demonstrate decreases in annual greenhouse gas inventories and utilities usage, increases in recycling rates and availability of local and organic foods.
Distribute sustainability awards and recognition
As defined in the Strategic Plan.

18. Sustainability Benefits
Money savings on operations, energy and water
Community perception of UCCS as a leader
Experiential educational opportunities
Increased interest from high school students, potential college students
Local high schools seek out UCCS for sustainability tours.

19. Power of One Judith Rice-Jones Chair of Sustainability Committee
Member Sustainability Council (Education)
Member Heller Committee
Member Landscape Committee
Teaches Freshman Seminar
Guest lecturer
Maintain sustainability library
A few key players: students Emily Tamayo and Joe Lavorini (co-exec SEAS), faculty Carole and Tom Huber.
Staff librarian: 300 sustainability-related monographs. Sustainability shelf.
Also active in community, church, social justice, sustainability, gardening (Master Gardner), Green Cities Coalition

20. Sustainability Future
Unique opportunities: young, growing university, relatively undeveloped
Unique challenges: requires campus culture and community, alternative transportation, local food
Requires leadership, commitment to sustainability, measurement, transparency
As students and future alumnae…
University not hindered by traditions or old hard-to-heat buildings. Opportunity to plan sustainable campus as a community.
We are students for a few years, but alumnae for life. We take UCCS with us and we reflect on the institution--sustainability too.
…Sustainability Change Agents?

21. Questions?