University of Florida 2008 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award Application

Category

Four-year and Graduate Institutions over 7,500 FTE

Albert and the First Lady Go Carbon Neutral
Photographer: Anna Prizzia

Contact

Dedee DeLongpre
Director
Office of Sustainability
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
(352) 392-7578
dedee@ufl.edu

Governance & Administration

Office of Sustainability

The University of Florida inaugurated its first fully funded Office of Sustainability in 2006. This milestone is the culmination of more than a decade of student, faculty, and administrative commitment to sustainability on campus. The President of the university created and funded the campus-wide office following resolutions from both the faculty and student senates.

The mission of the Office of Sustainability is to make UF - in its operations, education, research, and outreach - a model of sustainability, integrating the goals of ecological restoration, economic development, and social equity. The office encourages and facilitates the collaborative efforts of faculty, students, and staff to assume leadership in transforming the university's fourteen guiding principles for sustainability into practices. 

Sustainability Committee

Sustainability at UF is supported by a joint committee composed of faculty members elected by the faculty senate, faculty or staff appointed by the President's designee, and student members selected by the dean of students.

The committee's role is to promote sustainability within the university and in the larger community and to enhance the university's standing as a global leader in sustainability. Under the committee's charge, working groups meet monthly to address sustainable transportation, carbon neutrality, and waste reduction.

Master Plan

The campus master plan outlines policies for responsible stewardship of land resources and sustainable development that supports the university's mission. The university employs an inclusive and comprehensive approach to engaging the campus community, host community, and governmental agencies in the plan development process.   

Social Equity

The University of Florida has set aggressive hiring and retention goals to ensure the university reflects society's racial, ethnic and gender diversity. UF also strives to ensure that all personnel are rewarded with fair wages and benefits, including benefit packages for spouses and domestic partners of university employees. The university minimum wage exceeds the state minimum wage by more than $2/hour. The university seeks to ensure that contractors affiliated with the university meet or exceed the wage policy established for university employees. Since 2006, the university's fulltime graduate students have been offered health insurance.

Vision for the Future

The university president has set two visionary goals for UF: Zero Waste by 2015 and Carbon Neutrality by 2025. In support of these declarations, the Office of Sustainability brought together over 100 representatives from diverse stakeholder groups across campus to develop a collaborative vision for campus sustainability. Each group of representatives focused on a different topic area that corresponded with UF's existing fourteen guiding principles for sustainability. The results of this effort are guiding the collaborative strategic implementation planning process.

Reporting

The 2007 UF Annual Report featured sustainability as a central and prevailing theme. In coming years, as UF engages in STARS reporting, these metrics will be included in the university's annual reports, highlighting the university's commitment to the integrated bottom line.

Memberships

UF is a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, an institutional member of AAHSE, and a signatory to the ACUPCC. UF's VP for Business Affairs is a member of NACUBO's sustainability task force.

Operations

Buildings/Energy

In 2006, UF commited to LEED-Silver standards for all major new construction and renovation projects. The campus boasts two Gold-certified buildings, 8 certified buildings, and seven that are registered.

Thirty-two buildings across campus are part of the UF Portfolio Pilot Program for LEED Existing Buildings. UF was selected by USGBC as one of 12 entities to pursue this portfolio approach.

In 2007, UF built its first green roof. The roof helps reduce storm water runoff and insulates the building against heat and sound.

Non-toxic cleaning products are used by custodial staff whenever possible; 61% of expenditures on cleaning products are Green Seal-certified.

In 2007, UF hosted the first-ever carbon neutral college football game. This year, UF will host an entirely carbon neutral home football season. All of the offsets are being generated through gains in energy efficiency in low-income areas of the local community.

Food

Since the early 1970's, the university has administered organic garden plots on campus. These 75 plots are cultivated by some 100 faculty, staff and students year round.

UF has worked with its dining services provider, ARAMARK/Gator Dining Services, to implement principles of sustainability into food service operations, including regional sourcing of food, green catering, waste management and diversion, energy conservation, transportation impacts, and sustainable procurement.  UF was named one of the Top 10 Vegetarian Friendly Schools by PETA in 2006 and 2007.

Transportation

UF urges alternative modes of transportation through discounted carpool decals, an online rideshare matching service, a Zipcar shared vehicle fleet, and pre-paid universal regional transit for all faculty, staff, and students. Ridership has risen from less than a million people per year to nearly nine million in ten years.

UF provides bicycle lanes and bike racks for parking throughout campus. The University Police Department offers bicycle registration in order to aid in recovery in the case of bicycle theft. Student Government offers free bike repair on campus.

The university has committed to purchasing high fuel efficiency hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles. Additionally, the university stocks biodiesel and E85 ethanol for use in its fleet vehicles.

Land/Water

UF maintains 31 conservation areas on campus, including 60 acres on campus dedicated to teaching students and the public about ecology and biotic diversity. In 2005 the university achieved designation as an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary.

UF's three million gallon a day water reclamation facility enables over 90% of the university's irrigation needs to be met with reclaimed water.

Purchasing/Waste

The university has instituted a sustainable purchasingpolicy to support the purchase of products that will minimize any negative environmental or societal impacts of university operations.

UF recycles nearly 40% of the waste stream. Additionally, UF is currently recycling 85% of its deconstruction debris. The volunteer-based Tail-Gator recycling program collected over 26,000 lbs during the 2007 home football season. The Veterinary Medical Center repurposes animal waste through a composting partnership with the Forestry Service. UF established an Electronics Reuse/Recycling Policy as well as an accompanying step-by-step guide for disposal and recycling and a recovery program.

Curriculum & Research

The university provost created a Provost's Fellowship in Sustainability in 2006. The fellow works with the administrative staff and faculty to connect UF's rich and diverse current course and research offerings to create dedicated courses of study in sustainability.

The provost commissioned a study of all existing coursework and degree offerings, with the goal of amplifying current strengths and finding new opportunities for student engagement in this important interdisciplinary effort. The study revealed over 100 courses that emphasize interrelated threads of sustainability, some of which are organized into graduate or undergraduate concentrations, such as those in Building Construction, Environmental Engineering, Law, and Architecture. 

Bringing together faculty from eleven different UF colleges and units, the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science; Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science; Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Ecology; and Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Ecology. SNRE offers undergraduate specializations in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Environmental Policy and Business, and Environmental Education.

Beginning fall 2008, undergraduate students may pursue a Minor in Sustainability Studies. The Minor is thoroughly interdisciplinary, benefiting from the teaching and research of faculty from multiple departments and colleges. It is explicitly designed to complement any major area of study. In keeping with the university's commitment to service learning, students may apply to participate in the minor's capstone course, "Sustainability in Action." The capstone course allows students to develop practical experience and skills by way of internships, service learning opportunities, or integrated research projects.

Students in the College of Design, Construction, and Planning will also be able to pursue the college's new Major in Sustainability in the Built Environment beginning fall 2008.

To prepare a new generation of environmental lawyers to meet the interrelated challenges of environmental degradation and changing environmental and land use law policies and applications, the University of Florida Levin College of Law now offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Environmental and Land Use Law.

The Water Institute, formalized in 2006, brings together research efforts in more than 50 existing programs to improve understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological processes in aquatic systems.  Its mission is to enhance understanding of how human activities and attitudes affect aquatic systems and to develop and promote the adoption of improved methodologies for water management and policy development. 

The Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy brings together research capabilities necessary to create a sustainable energy future. FISE encompasses more than 150 faculty members and 22 energy research centers at the University of Florida. In the last few years alone, UF's Federal and State funded energy research exceeded $70 million.

The FISE Energy Technology Incubator was created through a $4.5 million Florida Center of Excellence award by the Board of Governors. The Incubator includes a Prototype Development & Demonstration Laboratory and a Biofuel Pilot Plant to accelerate commercialization of energy technologies and processes. Thus helping Florida's economy by simultaneously creating new high-tech industries and addressing the state's growing energy needs.

Campus Culture

Perhaps the most significant area of success for UF's sustainability efforts has been the integration of sustainability into the campus culture.

There are over fifteen student groups across campus with a mission that relates to sustainability, from Students Making Trade Fair, to the Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Society, Environment, Science & Policy Society, and Change the World: Student Social Entrepreneurs at UF.

Sustainability is a major area of focus for student government and student senate. The student government ad hoc sustainability committee has successfully advanced a variety of important initiatives: the Minor in Sustainability Studies, the addition of B20 biodiesel in regional transit buses, the implementation of Web-based GPS tracking of campus buses, and the "greening" of their student center - an auxiliary unit on campus with a self-operated hotel.

The fraternities and sororities support sustainability through their Greeks Going Green campaign. The campaign was launched at UF by the Delta Delta Delta sorority and now reaches across the country with chapters forming on multiple campuses. Fraternities and sororities compete to earn sustainability points in campus wide challenges.

The student group, Gators for a Sustainable Campus, boasts nearly 700 members. In 2008, they were given the Outstanding New Organization award by the Center for Student Involvement. The group works with UF's Office of Sustainability to promote RecycleMania, the annual Battle of the Halls residence hall energy competition, the Earth Day celebration on campus, local creek clean-ups, concerts, an annual sustainable economy forum, and much more.

The Student Renewable Energy Coalition ran a Renewable Energy Fee ballot referendum campaign in 2006, with 78% of voting students in favor of the $.50/credit hour fee. Representatives of the student coalition have since had the opportunity to present the fee to the board of trustees with a resoundingly positive reception.

350 graduating Gators signed the Green Graduation Pledge in 2008, vowing to take sustainable practices with them into their careers and communities.

UF integrated sustainability into its freshman programming, welcoming students to the campus with a reusable water bottle and a Gator Green Guide - a guide written by students, for students - featuring tips for leaving a smaller footprint on campus and in the community. New students participate in a common reading program focused on sustainability issues, this year When the Rivers Run Dry. Related classes cover sustainability at UF through First Year Florida programming.

In 2008, UF established a Green Team network to empower staff and faculty to lead the way in developing departmental strategies for the implementation of our campus-wide goals.  Green Team members promote and encourage sustainable actions and attitudes in the workplace through leadership and example. Teams generate innovative ideas, build partnerships, and share information about sustainable research and practices with the campus community.

Through UF's Sustainability Speakers Series, Sustainability in Business Summit, as well as national events like Focus the Nation, RecycleMania, and Campus Sustainability Day, UF offers multiple opportunities for members of the campus community to find relevant points of entry into the campus sustainability movement. 

Community Service and Outreach

The University of Florida is a land grant institution, and thus has the opportunity to provide outreach across the state.  Each of the state's 67 counties has an extension office, and many provide education and research benefits that focus on sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, and reduced impact landscaping. The Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program, Florida Integrated Pest Management, the Program for Resource Efficient Communities, and the Bushnell Center for Urban Sustainability are just a few examples of the sustainability-related education and support provided though extension. In addition, targeted educational outreach is promoted by, among others, College of Engineering, which works through grant-funded faculty to introduce children from low income families to the fields of science and engineering.

The university hosted a statewide conference on October 25-26, 2006 to coincide with National Campus Sustainability Day.  The conference, titled Campus and Community Sustainability: Sharing Best Practices and Visions for Florida's Future provided opportunities for members of the state's higher education community to meet municipal, county, and state leaders to discuss visions for a sustainable Florida. The conference provided an opportunity for establishing stronger relationships between institutions and their communities, and emphasized the role of higher education in creating a more sustainable future.  With the goal of empowerment through distributed leadership, UF asked the Council for Sustainable Florida to take the lead in identifying a host campus for this annual statewide conference in following years.  In 2007, the conference was hosted by Florida State University; the 2008 conference will be held at the University of Central Florida.

Service learning opportunities are a unique chance for students to engage through coursework, as individuals, or through clubs, to address issues of social equity, environmental protection, and economic development, and to get involved in a real-world setting in which they observe and work to address some mix of these issues. A program to support service learning at UF exists within the Center for Leadership and Service, which helps introduce students to the value of community service and service learning opportunities, provides information to students on existing opportunities, and supports faculty in developing new service learning courses by connecting them to community contacts and current faculty teaching such courses. Students working through the Office of Service Learning provided over 175,000 hours of service in the Gainesville community during the past academic year.

Through the Florida Alternative Breaks program, students have the chance to work and learn about international sustainability in areas as diverse as Costa Rican coffee farming, HIV education in Belize, and assembly of cooking stoves for Mayan families in Guatemala.

Students work on a variety of partnership projects in the local community like the restoration of the historic Cotton Club. The building earned its fame as young acts like B.B. King and James Brown came through on the Chitlin' Circuit. The site's rich history is being preserved through a restoration partnership between The Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church and the University of Florida's Powell Center for Construction & Environment's Historic Preservation Program.