University of Illinois at Chicago
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Education and Research:
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) approaches education and research in sustainability through multiple avenues. Undergraduate and graduate students may choose to take courses in many disciplines with an environmental or sustainability focus. Undergraduate students may major in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Urban Planning with an environmental concentration or Civil and Materials Engineering, which has a specialty in environmental engineering. Graduate students may pursue degrees those programs as well in addition to Energy Engineering and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. UIC also has an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) grant, Landscape Ecological and Anthropogenic Processes, which is a multi-disciplinary doctoral program that focuses on understanding ecological processes in human-altered landscapes.
UIC is fortunate to have the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy to foster multidisciplinary research and scholarship within the environmental and health sciences, engineering, economics and the social sciences. The Institute has six joint faculty in four different colleges that conduct interdisciplinary sustainability research. In 2008, the Institute sponsored three town hall meetings to address the current status of interdisciplinary environmental research and curriculum at UIC.
In spring 2009, UIC conducted a survey of sustainability-related and sustainability-focused research and courses to assess the course offerings and research areas on campus. The Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs recognize that there is an interest on the part of faculty and students to expand the curriculum in the area of sustainability.
UIC also provides co-curricular activities in the area of sustainability. There are at least seven student groups with a mission that encompasses sustainability. These organizations sponsor events and activities on campus. For example, the student environmental group, EcoCampus, organizes a yearly event in April, EcoJamapalozza, with music and activities around sustainability. UIC has celebrated Earth Month in April since the late 1990s by organizing programs and events on campus. Other programs in AY2009 included presentations on LEED, programs on bicycling, a webinar on green labs, and a panel on how units are making their workplace more sustainable.
Outreach is another way to educate the faculty, students and staff about sustainability on campus. Orientation for new employees now directs staff to review Green Guides on the Office of Sustainability website. This year, the Office of Sustainability organized the Great Stuff Exchange, an event in which departments donate unused or unwanted office supplies and which is then available for free to the faculty, students and staff. UIC celebrated its first Sustainability Awareness Week in September with daily themed activities such as Walk or Ride, Conserve Energy, Recycle, Eat Local and Reuse.
The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum features a weekly program, Re-Thinking Soup. Over a bowl of soup made with locally grown ingredients, attendees learn about issues such as urban farming and sustainable food supply. This event is open and free to the campus and community. They have also started an urban farm on campus to grow food for their kitchen.
Campus Operations:
UIC strives to utilize its financial and environmental resources prudently through numerous operational initiatives. The University of Illinois has established a policy that large construction and renovation projects at UIC will earn at least LEED® Silver certification and smaller projects will be LEED® Silver equivalent to the extent possible. The first building at UIC constructed for LEED® Silver certification is Lincoln Hall, scheduled for completion in August 2009. This will be the second building served by geothermal heating and cooling and the first building to have photovoltaic solar panels on the roof. The majority of the other buildings are heated and cooled by UIC’s two natural gas-fired cogeneration plants, which also provide a portion of the electricity.
Recently over 40,000 older fluorescent lamps are in the process of being replaced with efficient lamps with assistance from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. UIC’s Facilities Management is installing meters in the largest, energy-consuming buildings on campus. This will allow for a shadow billing system so colleges and administrative units will be aware of the real energy costs.
Since 2001, UIC’s potable water consumption has decreased nearly 10% despite an increase in campus square footage. Facilities Management is transitioning to “Green Seal” certified cleaning products as old supplies are depleted.
UIC has installed a green roof on the Art and Architecture building and is currently putting an accessible green roof on the Behavioral Sciences buildings. Nearly 120,000 square feet of reflective roofing material and R-21 insulation have been installed over the past 2 years.
For the first time, the campus participated in “Recyclemania” in 2009. During this 10-week period recycling at UIC increased 4.5%. This year, UIC was awarded two grants from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to expand the UIC’s comprehensive recycling program into three buildings and the medical center. The Environmental Health and Safety Office administers a chemical redistribution program and is implementing a xylene recycling program for the hospital.
There are a number of transportation initiatives on campus. UIC participates in Illinois’ Clean Fuel Fleet program which has led to emission reductions by using natural gas buses, 10% biodiesel, E-95 and recently purchased 9 hybrid vehicles. The Transportation Department plans to utilize biodiesel from food service vegetable oil waste produced at the Environmental Health and Safety facility. The anticipated production is about 90 gallons a week.
UIC participates in the Transportation Options Intern Program funded through a grant to the Chicago Department of Transportation to promote active transportation. UIC completed a Campus Commuter Survey to learn more about faculty, students and staff transit behaviors. UIC has a pre-tax transit option for employees and students receive a U-PASS, a Chicago Transit Authority pass with unlimited usage during the semester. UIC runs a free intercampus shuttle service and a commuter shuttle to and from the Chicago train stations.
UIC’s food service provider, Sodexo has instituted trayless dining service, uses mostly Fair Trade coffee and always offers vegetarian options.
Administration and Finance:
UIC’s Strategic Plan and the 2010 Strategic Thinking document set an environmentally sustainable campus and accessible education to a diverse student community as priorities. The current Campus Master Planning process includes sustainability as a guiding element.
UIC has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability as an inaugural signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, signing the Illinois Sustainable Universities Compact and the Talloires Declaration. The Chancellor established the Office of Sustainability in 2008 and Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy to oversee UIC’s progress towards goals and actions.
UIC is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Campus Wildlife Federation and Illinois Recycling Association and is considering joining the Chicago Climate Exchange.
There are also six Chancellor Committees focused on diversity (Asian Americans, Blacks, Latinos, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, Persons with Disabilities and Women). UIC is currently developing its Diversity Strategic Plan and has a number of programs and support groups to serve underrepresented groups as UIC has one of the most diverse student populations in the country. UIC has a faculty mentoring program with a special concentration for under-represented faculty members.
A hallmark of UIC’s engagement is the Great Cities Commitment. UIC has a responsibility and unique opportunity to contribute to the well-being of urban life. Its engagement with communities includes hundreds of teaching, research and service programs. UIC invests more than $160 million each year in public service activities, from health care programs to education to small-business assistance.
As a powerful economic development engine for the City of Chicago, UIC is the 15th largest employer in Chicago with more than 14,000 employees, 35 percent of whom are African-American or Latino. The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago and clinics serve more than 600,000 patient visits a year and a diverse patient population.
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