University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS)
Contact Information
Education and Research:
Currently a committee comprised of the Provost, upper-level administrators, the Sustainability Director, faculty, and students, is developing a plan to increase sustainability and climate education as part of the ACUPCC. In 2006, UCCS initiated an interdisciplinary Sustainable Development minor that offers more than 30 courses from numerous departments and colleges and emphasizes an experiential, project-based, and service-learning curriculum. In 2008, UCCS introduced two sustainability modules, focusing on alternative transportation and using GIS to identify and map environmental and social issues, for inclusion in freshman seminars.
Faculty, staff, and students are involved in a diverse variety of sustainability research - recently published articles, books, and theses on sustainability can be accessed at http://www.uccs.edu/~sustain/research.html. UCCS is in a partnership of university and automotive engineers (with General Motors and the University of Michigan) that will design components and accelerate development of advanced battery technology for the next generation of electric cars. The Kraemer Library has 300 sustainability-related monographs and 25,000 online and print journals permit students and faculty to keep up-to-date with the latest sustainability research.
In 2008, UCCS held its first Sustainability Summit for the campus and the community with local and national speakers and a focus on organic and local foods. UCCS organized the academic track of the 2008 Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities conference. At the Family Development Center the preschool class learns about growing vegetables and flowers, ecology, and composting while working in the organic Children’s Garden. The Sustainability Office offers campus sustainability tours. Green touchscreen kiosks providing green building education and real-time energy and water use data monitoring are available in the LEED Gold Recreation Center and the Science & Engineering Building (submitted for LEED Gold). Sustainability presentations are given to all new faculty and staff.
In 2008, students overwhelmingly approved a solar referendum that funds solar panels on campus. UCCS has become a demonstration campus for solar and renewable energy education with solar thermal and thin-film laminate systems, and a traditional photovoltaic system is planned. The Sustainability Office employs three students and conducts behavioral education campaigns in energy, water conservation, and recycling. A building monitor program has staff representatives in each building, who serve to educate occupants about energy and water conservation and recycling. Each year public educational events are held on Earth Day and Campus Sustainability Day.
UCCS recognizes that sustainable development considers how environmental resources and quality of life can benefit society in ways that break down divisions of race, gender, nationality, and social class. UCCS recently launched an undergraduate degree program in Women’s and Ethnic Studies, which focuses on intersections of race, gender, sexuality and other forms of inequality in society and draws from humanities and social sciences. The Knapsack Institute, a nationally-renowned workshop that helps scholars and teachers from a range of academic disciplines to build diversity and inclusiveness into course content and teaching methods, is a creation of UCCS’ Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, which is a primary co-sponsor of the annual White Privilege Conference.
Campus Operations:
UCCS is committed to integrating sustainability values into its programs and practices. UCCS instituted a policy of constructing and operating to the highest LEED certification possible for buildings that receive a minimum of 25% state funding. There are four buildings on campus, completed or in progress, that will be LEED certified:
- Recreation Center, 2007 – LEED Gold achieved. The first public LEED Gold building in Southern Colorado
- Science Engineering, 2009 – LEED Gold pending
- Event Center, 2010 – Goal of LEED Silver
- Science renovation, – 2010 – Goal of LEED Gold
Despite being the fastest growing university in the state, UCCS is committed to energy and water use reduction. UCCS applied a $1.3 million Energy Performance Bond toward energy and water efficiency projects and implemented a xeriscape and native landscape program. In three years, EUI has decreased by 21% and water use by 11%. In 2009, the university received an award from Colorado Springs Utilities for its conservation efforts and the utility financial savings have preserved campus jobs during a state budget crisis. A solar thermal system that provides two-thirds of the energy required to heat the swimming pool and spa is installed on the roof the Recreation Center. Funded largely by a student referendum, a thin-film laminate solar photovoltaic system is installed on the roof of the new Science & Engineering Building. Due to these accomplishments, UCCS was selected by CRES to host this year’s ASES Solar Home Tour. UCCS is a partner in a Colorado Higher Education Wind Farm Feasibility Study to secure local wind power for many of the state’s schools. In 2008, UCCS completed its first Greenhouse Gas Inventory and is developing strategies for future carbon footprint reductions.
UCCS initiated a comprehensive recycling program in 2007 with a two-year goal of recycling 26% of its waste (achieved). In 2008, UCCS placed 41st overall and 17th among public institutions in its first time participation in RecycleMania, with a 25% recycling rate. In 2009, UCCS moved to single-stream recycling and increased the presence of recycling bins throughout the campus. UCCS initiated many paper reduction strategies including paperless billing, online course catalog, paperless pay stubs, and a pay-per-page printing system that has reduced paper use by over 50%. The university has an Energy Star policy and guidelines for green purchasing of paper, cleaning and other products from socially responsible companies. Though the campus is situated on a hill and the city offers few alternative transportation options, UCCS hosted a community TDM workshop, installed additional bike racks/lockers, and piloted a staff telecommuting program. The campus fleet includes electric, propane, hybrid, and flex fuel vehicles – all five of the campus shuttles run on bio-diesel. The Department of Public Safety recently purchased 2 hybrid cars for patrol. Campus food service works with distributors to obtain local/organic foods when available. Coffee is Fair Trade Certified, organic or Rainforest Alliance Certified. An organic vegetable garden is maintained by the Family Development Center with another one planned.
Administration and Finance:
Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak states, "UCCS seeks to play a pivotal role in creating a culture of sustainability, providing both the knowledge and practices that students can carry with them into their lives after college.” In that role, UCCS is a charter signatory to the ACUPCC and the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan adopted sustainability as one of fifteen goals for the University. Five-year measures towards this goal are to be a recognized leader in sustainability in the Pikes Peak region, achieve LEED certification or equivalent in all new buildings and renovations, demonstrate decreases in greenhouse gas emissions and utilities usage, demonstrate increases in recycling rates and availability of local and organic foods, and distribute sustainability awards and recognition. In less than two years, UCCS has achieved all of these goals except one. In the 2007 Sustainability Strategic Plan, UCCS identified forty-six specific five-year targets, performance indicators, and action steps to improve sustainability in the areas of leadership, education, and operations. The Facilities Strategic Plan Update features sustainable design principles, pedestrian-scaled development, mixed-use planning, preservation of open space, and energy-efficient building orientation. The Diversity Strategic Plan addresses diversifying the campus community, fostering an inclusive campus climate, and providing effective student support.
Sustainability started as a grassroots effort at UCCS and several organizations formed to institutionalize a culture of sustainability on campus. The Sustainability Committee was formed by faculty in 2002 to fill a need for increased awareness about sustainability and is a regular standing advisory committee of the Faculty Assembly that is part of the university governance. The Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (SEAS) club was formed in 2003 to work toward creating a more conscientious campus community with regard to conservation of resources and social equity. The Sustainability Council is a formal committee composed of faculty, staff, students, and a community member that advises the administration on sustainability issues and directs sustainability assessments, reports, and strategic planning for meeting CO2 reductions. Created in 2005, staff and students in the Sustainability Office research, develop, direct and implement sustainability strategies and initiatives, organize educational and behavioral campaigns, and explore ways in which UCCS can incorporate a triple bottom line emphasizing economic, environmental and social criteria to inform university decisions.
UCCS provides sustainability leadership in the community as well. UCCS organized the academic track at the 2008 Southern Colorado Sustainable Communities conference to highlight sustainability strategies and progress of schools in the region. UCCS has received the Community Partners Award from Fort Carson for leading the way in successfully implementing sustainability programs. UCCS also serves on the Colorado College Sustainability Council, The Green Cities Coalition, the Pikes Peak Sustainable Business Network Advisory Committee, and the Quality of Life Indicators Project. UCCS’ Office of Sustainability has co-presented with AASHE at two conferences and advised and participated in the STARS pilot program. In fall 2008, the university published its first Campus Sustainability Report and organized the first Sustainability Summit for the community. In spring 2009, UCCS presented two faculty members with the first Campus Sustainability award.
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