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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Campus Category: 
Four year and graduate institutions 5,000 – 15,000 student FTE

Contact Information

Almut
Beringer
Director of Sustainability
Education and Research:

Teaching:

  • Four UW Oshkosh faculty attended AASHE ‘train-the-trainer’ workshops to lead faculty workshops on infusing sustainability in classes.
  • UW Oshkosh Faculty Development paid for the Winnebago Project, a two-day faculty college on infusing sustainability in classes, offered in May 2008 and May 2009. Total number of participants to date: 30, all revising their class or designing a new class with sustainability focus.
  • The Winnebago Project faculty development program is influencing revision of the curriculum to include sustainability beyond the classes being revised or created in the Project. It is influencing faculty in their teaching philosophy and affecting departmental curriculum reforms toward sustainability.
  • The Sustainability Office is creating a web page listing all sustainability-related courses and programs, allowing students to see at “quick glance” where sustainability is offered on campus.
  • Major and minor offered in Environmental Studies since 2003.
  • Social Justice major/minor has an environmental justice track
  • ES 320 Campus Sustainability class, since spring 2009

Research:

  • UWO conducts research on renewable energy options, toward making the campus energy independent by 2012 (a State mandate)
  • ongoing research on sustainability literacy will complement the liberal education reform which sees sustainability become an essential learning outcome for all students

Faculty:

  • the UW Oshkosh Director of Campus Sustainability is an award-winning sustainability educator, a full professor in environment and sustainability, and an adjunct professor in the UW Oshkosh environmental studies program.
  • due to continued growth of the Environmental Studies program, the University approved an additional full-time position of environmental scientist for the Environmental Studies program.

Curriculum:

  • faculty Senate approved “knowledge of sustainability and its applications” as an essential learning outcome for all UW Oshkosh graduates in spring 2008; this means sustainability will be infused into formal learning throughout UW Oshkosh.
  • a series of brown bag lunches held in spring semester 2009 brought together faculty from all disciplines, departments and colleges to discuss the meaning of sustainability for general ed and discipline-specific curriculum, how to measure and assess sustainability as a learning outcome, and how to infuse sustainability into the curriculum
  • informal sustainability learning continues to expand through green events, such as Earth Week 2008 and 2009, Earth Charter Community Summit, every October since 2001, and participation in the national collegiate recycling competition, Recyclemania

UW Oshkosh promotes sustainability throughout the academic year in various special events:

  • Earth Charter Community Summit week of events, October; largest Earth Charter Community Summit in the country
  • first weekend in March each year, state-wide Aldo Leopold Weekend,
  • each April, Chill-Out web cast on campus climate change action
  • Earth Week April each year 

 

Campus Operations:

Energy:

  • EPA Green Power partner since 2002, purchasing 11% of its energy from renewable sources. The State of Wisconsin has also purchased an additional 10% of campus power through sustainable sources since 2008, total green energy 21%.
  • lighting retrofits to gymnasium and Kolf and Albee Halls from mercury halid to fluorescent fixtures, saving 72,266 kWh/year
  • approximately 80% of lighting fixtures are compact fluorescent or other energy efficient lighting (i.e. motion detectors)
  • approximately 20% of all appliances on campus are Energy-Star-rated

Climate change:

  • comprehensive GHG emissions assessment completed 2008
  • achieved first three milestones of ACUPCC by the specified dates
  • climate action plan to be submitted September 2009

Buildings:

  • Taylor Residence Hall renovation designed to LEED certification, 2002
  • Student Recreation and Wellness Center built to LEED silver certification, 2007
  • New Academic Building to be certified minimum LEED Gold. Building has been designed with an aggressive energy goal of 50 kBtu/sf, which is one-half the energy requirement of the building code, expected finish 2011
  • Elmwood Commons renovation LEED Gold, expected completion in 2011

Food and dining:

  • cage-free shell eggs since 2008
  • only fair trade coffee served by Dining Services
  • 60% of food service equipment is Energy Star-rated
  • 100% of seafood is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council
  • all food outlets offer vegetarian options
  • campus community garden run by a student group will provide food for students and the community beginning in summer/fall 2009
  • trayless dining option available in the main student dining hall
  • closed-loop dishwater water recycling and food waste pulper in Dining Services

Parking and transportation:

  • three-story, 488-stall parking ramp, completed in 2008, minimizes the surface area to accommodate vehicles
  • all new purchases for the campus fleet are either flex fuel or hybrid vehicles. Four E-85 Chevy Impala Sedans bought in 2007.
  • Oshkosh Transit allows students, faculty and staff to ride the city buses for free
  • University established a late-night shuttle service
  • a bicycle and pedestrian plan will be an integral component of the revised Campus Master Plan (in progress)
  • limited parking available for freshpersons living on campus

Waste:

  • Recyclemania competitor in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, UWO ranked first in Wisconsin, 45th in the county.
  • a student environmental group purchased $2,000 worth of recycling bins for classrooms in 2008
  • all office copy paper contains recycled content
  • exceeded recycling target of 40 percent waste diversion

Janitorial services:

  • green cleaning chemicals used throughout the campus

Water:

  • replaced water-cooled air conditioning and refrigeration equipment with air-cooled equipment at several buildings, saving 5,210 gallons/year
  • retrofitted 34 urinals and 63 toilets throughout campus with lower water consuming devices; saving 1,399,056 gallons/year
Administration and Finance:

Sustainability commitment since early 2000s:

  • In September 2007, UW Oshkosh Chancellor Richard H. Wells formed a 23-member Campus Sustainability Team consisting of staff, faculty and students. Team charged with writing a comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan, which sought to infuse sustainability institution-wide. Campus Sustainability Plan approved Earth Day 2008, covers (1) organization and oversight; (2) operations (electricity, heating, energy, fresh water, storm water, facilities, transportation, purchasing, solid waste, food services, and grounds); (3) teaching; (4) research; (5) outreach; and (6) assessment. Each section states goals, recommendations for immediate consideration, recommendations for future consideration; top priorities were identified.
  • The Plan established a Campus Sustainability Council, co-chaired by the Director of Environmental Studies and the Director of Facilities Management. The Council consists of representatives from all major units on campus (e.g. Dining, Transportation, Procurement), and includes faculty and students. The Council advises the Campus Sustainability Director and makes recommendations to senior management. The Council meets every two weeks during the academic year, once a month in the summer.
  • UW Oshkosh appointed a full-time Campus Sustainability Director in February 2009. Reflecting the institution-wide commitment to sustainability, which bridges academics and operations, the Director reports directly to the Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs & Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services. The Director works in close collaboration with the Campus Sustainability Council co-chairs. This is the first director appointment in the 26-campus UW System.
  • The Director has established the UW Oshkosh Sustainability Office, which serves the campus community and the City of Oshkosh.

Declarations

  • In 2003, UW Oshkosh became one of the few universities in North America to sign the Earth Charter. The Earth Charter highlights the social aspects of sustainability in its explicit commitments to care, nonviolence, democracy and peace.
  • In September 2008, UW Oshkosh became the first Fair Trade University in the country, setting a precedent regarding the social aspects/social justice issues of sustainability and championing what is likely to become a national movement.
  • In October 2008, Chancellor Wells signed the Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

Policies

  • UW Oshkosh administration is in the process of approving a policy that all future constructions and renovations will be LEED Silver minimum
  • A green procurement policy is in the draft stage

Memberships

  • AASHE member since 2007
  • Campus Ecology Champion program, since early 2000s (2003?)

Positions

  • paid Green Events Coordinator student position, to assist with green events outreach and organization, since 2008
  • paid Community Garden student intern position, since 2009
  • paid Sustainability Office student position, to assist with campus sustainability initiatives, since 2009
  • Director of Campus Sustainability, since February 2009

 

Please email resources@aashe.org with any suggestions, additions or updates.