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Project Updates for collection: 2015 iCAP Objectives

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  2. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 3/29 and 4/5

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Meeting from 4/5/2023

    Summary: Ethan and Sarthak met via zoom where they discussed the work on the plan that Ethan has done so far. They also discussed the thorough plan for the next year to describe to the stakeholders, in regard to their involvement with the 2024 plan. Ethan is expected to respond to stakeholders by next week, add onto the plan (mainly the executive summary, goals & objectives, introduction, and planning process sections). Ethan will send Sarthak separate emails about his Urban Planning presentation on their work for school, and request for GIS information.

    Meeting from 3/29/2023

    Summary: Ethan and Sarthak met briefly via zoom (Ethan was out of town dealing with a family emergency so there was not much to discuss). Ethan is expected to make a Google Sheet with stakeholders' information and responses, a sheet of timeline for the planning process, and a document for the 2024 plan.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Energy iCAP Meeting 3/27/2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy iCAP Team
    Building-Level Energy Efficiency
    LEED Certification
    Changing Usage of Individuals

    The Energy iCAP team met on Monday 3/27/23 to discuss recommendations on energy standards for newly constructed buildings and improving communication of energy research on campus between labs and the broader campus community.

    View the recording: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_9vmyh6sl

    Attached Files: 

  5. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 3/1, 3/10, and 3/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Meeting notes from 3/22:

    • LRTP 2045 review it
    • They are starting work on 2050
    • Subject line for email: Name of Person/Organization
    • Expect 5-7 meetings (Landscape Architects, SPO, Transportation iCAP team, SSC, maybe League of American Bicyclists, Champaign County Bikes, RPC)
    • The rest will be communicated with through emails and/or CTAC
    • April 27th, morning meeting with CTAC
    • Start document for 2024 Campus Master Bicycle Plan (start outlining sections i.e introductions, executive summary, etc.). Use the 2014 plan as a template. 
    • In April we will start filling some of the information on the 2024 plan (Introduction, Planning Process).
    • In April will present to Bumsoo Lee and DURP to show progress

    Meeting from 3/10:

    Sarthak and Ethan met via zoom to discuss plans for the rest of the semester. Ethan is to finalize the email template which they will begin sending out after Spring break (last two weeks of March). Ethan is also to finish readings mentioned by Stacey by the next meeting in two weeks. 

    Notes: 

    • Be ready for reach out process, email ready, finish readings, you will hear from us in coming months, there will be future stakeholder meetings, feel free to share some ideas over email now, attach 2014 bicycle plan and 3 reports (at least the 2019 and 2022 one) (link it in email itself). 
    • Start report for undergraduate project early April.

    Meeting from 3/1:

    Sarthak and Ethan met via zoom to reflect on their meeting with Stacey. Ethan and Sarthak made note of stakeholders that she suggested that we reach out to and other readings to review. Ethan is to draft an email for reaching out to stakeholders once we return from Spring Break. Ethan is also expected to review RPC Bike Plan, Campus Master Plan, Crash Data, and TDM Plan.

    Notes:

    • Readings to do:
      • RPC Bike Plan
      • Campus Master Plan
      • Crash Data
      • TDM
      • APBP and League of American Bicyclists we will reach out to
      • Look at TDM report for Bicycle Friendly University updates
      • TDM to be published this year
    • Starting introductory email template and we would greatly appreciate your input and guidance when developing plan
    • Give info on what the old plan was and progress
    • Suggestions on adding more 
    • Ethan: start draft of email 
    Attached Files: 

  6. Housing Sustainability Re-Cap

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Increase Recycling Rates

    Below is an email exchange regarding University Housing recycling:

    It was great talking with all of you about sustainability in University Housing. I hope my input didn’t scare you too much. Given our size, and the number off residents we house, we have to maintain some discipline in how we communicate to and interact with our residents. I’m sure we can find a viable method for reaching our residents to inform them of sustainability issues and event across campus. Below are a few talking points I jotted down during out meeting.

     

    • Below are four key communication methods for reaching our residents.
    1. 11x17 posters in the dining halls. You would need to produce 200 posters to reach all the halls. I can share any drafts you have with various people in Housing to get their feedback before they are printed.
    2. Digital Signs Link: https://housing.illinois.edu/resources/policies/digital-signs
    3. Dining hall napkin holders (I need to double check with Thurman Etchison on availability, or Meredith can ask him next time she talks with him)
    4. Housing Insider and Family and Graduate Housing Newsletter. The Housing insider a weekly newsletter we send to all undergraduate residents. The FGH Newsletter is sent to all graduate and apartment residents monthly. Notices in the Housing Insider are typically one and done. They don’t like to run the same notice for consecutive weeks at a time.
    • I attached our standard recycling container label. This is placed above all recycling containers in Housing and in the trash/recycling rooms in the residence halls.
    • Placement of a QR code on the residence hall room recycling containers, similar to what was displayed on the Don’t Waste It recycling containers. I suggest we wait until next summer when the students are not in the rooms to add this to the containers. It’s far less complicated if the residents are not in their rooms. Although, like Meredith suggested, we could explore providing the stickers at the residence hall front desks for the students to place on the containers themselves.
    • We discussed incorporating a short segment on sustainability in the RA training at the beginning of the academic year. I will bring this idea to the Residential Life leadership to get their thoughts.
    • We also discussed how we might be able to include components on sustainability in our programming to Housing residents. Nathan Sanden is responsible for implementing the Residential Curriculum, so I will share this idea with him for thoughts and input.

     

    I ended up closing the meeting invite without saving, which I was using to keep notes during the meeting. So please let me know if I missed any key takeaways.

     

     

    BRYAN JOHNSON

    ------------------------------

    Hi Bryan,

     

    Daphne Hulse and I have been developing plans for a campus-wide plastic waste reduction campaign. I think the communication methods you mention below could be valuable for messaging. If you agree, Daphne can incorporate these into the strategy.

     

    We remain interested in adding a sticker with a QR code to the residence hall room recycling containers to direct students to a website with more information about recycling and waste management. Can you provide an estimate of how many stickers we would need?

     

    I also want to follow up on your last two points about incorporating sustainability into RA training and programming to Housing residents. Our survey data indicate that first year students are more likely to purchase single-use plastic bottles, so we think targeting this group is important. Has Residential Life leadership and or Nathan Sanden responded to your inquiries concerning this issue?

     

    If you would like to discuss any of these items further, Daphne and I would be happy to join you on a call.

     

    Thank you,

    Jen

    ------------------------------

    Okay, I have some answers for you. Attached is our proposal to the SSC to fund the recycling containers. The original purchase was for 6,511 containers, but I would guess a few have disappeared by now. I was not able to find anyone within our Sustainability LLC to help mange this project or take on submitting another request to SSC to fund the stickers. If we move forward with this project, we will need to meet with Housing Facilities staff to iron out the logistical details. Our facilities staff will not be able to assist with placement of the stickers, so we will need to find a different avenue for getting them placed. I copied Matt Brown and Mark Kuehl from Housing Facilities on the email to keep them in the loop.

     

    Herb Jones, Director of Residential Life, said he is open to a conversation to talk through your thoughts on incorporating a sustainability component into our RA training. Jenny Bates, copied here, manages his calendar, if you would like to reach out to her and schedule a time to meet.

     

    Also, here is an updated link to Housing’s website for digital sign requests. We redesigned our webpage a couple months ago and the old link was inactive.  https://www.housing.illinois.edu/digital-signage

     

    Also, also, I am still trying to confirm if we rent out the space on the napkin holders in the dining halls. We have not done this in the past, but we have a new Director of Dining who might have a different direction for these.

     

    Thanks,

    BRYAN JOHNSON

    ------------------------------

     

    Bryan,

     

    Thank you for sharing this information. It is all very helpful!

     

    Daphne and I can look into developing an SSC proposal, perhaps with the assistance of our iCAP Engagement team. I think we can also find people to help with sticker placement if the project is funded.

     

    We are looking forward to discussing incorporating a sustainability component into RA training with you on April 7 at 3:00 pm.

     

    Best,

    Jen

  7. Campus Rainwater Management Plan SSC Grant Application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management
    Rainwater Management Program
    Rainwater Management Plans

    Hello Student Sustainability Committee. Attached is a SSC Step 1 funding application request for the campus Rainwater Management Plan. I have also included a photo of the Boneyard Creek since it is a campus waterway and the application requested one map, graphic or picture. Please contact me with any questions and thank you for considering.

    Betsy

    Attached Files: 

  9. Daily Illini Article: How can students support waste management on campus?

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Increase Recycling Rates
    Project4less
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola

    How can students support waste management on campus?

    https://dailyillini.com/life_and_culture-stories/2023/03/17/students-was...

    By Lily Perez, Contributing Writer
    March 17, 2023

    Have you ever placed something in a recycling bin and wondered what happens next? Does it actually get recycled, or does it just get tossed in the landfill without ever being sorted out?

    Students said it can be hard to be committed to sustainability when resources to do so are not always clear.

    Adeline Hoegberg, junior in FAA, said she does not have a lot of knowledge about where the trash on campus is taken or how big of a difference the University is making with their waste management systems.

    “I’ve heard that all of the recycling would just end up in the normal trash,” Hoegberg said.

    The Waste Transfer Station in Champaign filters out around 30% of the trash that comes in, but still sends around 50 pounds to the landfill each day. This is not taking into account busier times like holidays and move-in days for students.

    The Waste Transfer Station is located just off of St. Mary’s Road in Champaign and takes in trash from all various places on campus. This includes instructional facilities, University Housing, Illini Union and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.

    Daphne Hulse works as the Facilities & Services zero waste coordinator, a new position focused on decreasing the amount of waste that goes through the University. Hulse works on various outreach projects, including hosting tours of the Waste Transfer Station.

    “These tours are a really unique opportunity to illuminate to the broader campus community what goes on after you put something in the bin,” Hulse said.

    Adam Soper, senior in FAA, recalled seeing several recycling places on campus but, like many other students, hasn’t heard of the Waste Transfer Station on campus.

    “I know all the dorms have dedicated recycling bins,” Soper said. “But I’m not necessarily sure where those get dumped to.”

    Another program that Hulse is facilitating in collaboration with Coca-Cola and the DIA is the “Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste” campaign. This campaign has students volunteer at basketball games to encourage recycling at sporting events. The last zero waste basketball game was March 2 and had 100 volunteers.

    “(We’re) creating that general awareness for sustainability in an audience with not just students but townies, out of state folks and athletic rivals,” Hulse said.

    Despite these programs, it can be hard for students to recycle on campus and even more so on their own where businesses and residencies don’t provide recycling services. Along with a lack of opportunity, some students feel that recycling doesn’t have a huge impact.

    “I’m under the strong feeling that you can’t solely rely on us recycling,” Hoegberg said. “It’s more about the corporations if you really want to fix things.”

    Soper said he would most likely not see discernible difference in a world without recycling.

    “It wouldn’t be a whole lot different because the recycling practices aren’t widespread enough to be making a huge impact on the scale that we’d be able to really see,” Soper said.

    Hulse recognizes that sustainability can seem isolating at times but encourages students to join organizations and communities that bring collective action. She highlighted the RSO Project4Less, whose members package leftover food in good condition and ship it out to food assistance programs in the surrounding area.

    “The human connection component of climate change is so important,” Hulse said. “I think we often feel stuck by ‘what can I do as an individual’ in this global planetary crisis.”

    Aside from joining sustainability-focused communities, Hulse also recommends learning what people can about what’s happening in the community and leading by example.  

    “We know reduce, reuse, recycle. But what about at the start of all of that, refuse,” Hulse said. “What could you refuse in your day-to-day life and start small. For example, I know students really enjoy coffee and many, many, many places around campus will take your reusable cup.”

    Hulse was particularly inspired by her mother who showed her that small habits, like using reusable bags at the grocery store, can make a big change. Hulse encourages students to look for that positive influence around them and wants students to be that influence in their own sustainability journey.

    “A community that is pursuing zero waste imperfectly is far better than a few individuals doing it perfectly,” Hulse said.

    lilygp2@dailyillini.com

     

  10. Check in about C2P2

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature

    Hello,

     

    I'm the Carbon Offset Fellow with Second Nature. I would like to check in with someone from UIUC about your participation in the C2P2 program. We are preparing to contract with an accredited third-party verifier to seek verification of all credits between July 1 2020 and Dec 31, 2022, and for the revalidation of UIUC's project crediting period. The cost for this for UIUC is significant and will require site visits by the third-party verifier.  I need confirmation from someone on your team that you do want us to contract these services on your behalf. 

     

    My cell phone number is 828 582 5039. Email is also a good way to reach me. 

     

    Thank you for your attention to this. I look forward to your reply!

    Meredith

    -------------------------------

    Hi Morgan,

     

    Is this something you would like me to assist with?

     

    Thanks,

    Jen

  12. Sarthak's work at New Employee Orientation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Appropriately Staff Sustainable Transportation Efforts
    Appropriately Staff Zero Waste Efforts

    Attached is a Transportation Demand Management presentation created for Employee Orientation.

    Below is an email exchange between Morgan White and Sarthak Prasad on Sarthak's involvement in employee orientation:

    Hi Sarthak,

     

    Can you please provide a short statement here about what you for New Employee Orientation, including slides, topics, and time commitment.  We are looking to increase the F&S presence in new employee orientation, and I shared that you are already involved.

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

    -------------------

    Hi Morgan,

     

    Please see attached the slides that I use for the IHR New Employee Orientation. It is a 30-45 minute commitment for me per month, including travel time. These orientations are held on the first Monday of every month, and I talk for about 15-20 minutes. The orientations are usually at the Conference Center, but sometimes they have it virtually.

     

    I will be updating the slides for next month’s orientation to include It’s Your MTD and Commuter Program information. I have been attending these since fall 2021.

     

    I had also worked on slides for Sustainability on campus, but you had asked me to wait before you reviewed it. Thank you,

    Sarthak 

    Attached Files: 

  13. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 2/23 and 2/24

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Sarthak and Ethan met with Stacey DeLorenzo to discuss their development of the planning process for the 2024 Campus Master Bicycle Plan which will occur this semester. Stacey approved of a bicycle audit happening in the fall as well as gave some suggestions for some other stakeholders to include such as Ride Illinois. They also discussed more readings to refer to such as the TDM Plan and Urbana bike plan. This semester will culminate with the meeting with CTAC discussing the working structure and plan for the next two semesters. They also talked about other potential ideas to include in the plan such as scooter parking, more bike share programs, and more bicycle education programs. Stacey agreed to meet with Sarthak and Ethan once a month to get updates on their progress. 

    Attached Files: 

  14. Clean vehicle tax credits

    Associated Project(s): 
    UI Ride
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Decrease Emissions from UI Fleet

    Following is Pete Varney's response to the question from Morgan, "In addition to the Ford Lightning EVs, could we potentially get EV versions of the turtle-top 15-person vans?  Also, is there any discussion about getting Hybrid buses for UI Ride?"

    When discussing EV we have to look at manufacturer availability and operational needs. Car Pool vehicles, 15-pass vans, need to be able to operate both locally and on extended trips ruling out EV due to range restrictions.

    We won’t be looking to replace the first UI Ride bus until FY24/25. We can explore hybrid, but this class of vehicle is different from MTD hybrid buses. Electric may be an option. When the time comes, we’ll discuss with the System office as they put the $$ into UI Ride.

    Thank you,

    Pete

  16. Sarthak & I (Alec) met to discuss the 2023 Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) Application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Friendly University Status
    2014 Campus Bike Plan [ARCHIVED]
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Sarthak & I met for an hour on 2/27/2023 to discuss the 2023 BFU application. I checked some answers with him. We determined who we need to ask for some questions and answered other questions.

     

    The current version of the 2023 BFU Application Log is attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Sarthak & I (Alec) met to discuss the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Friendly University Status
    2014 Campus Bike Plan [ARCHIVED]
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Sarthak & I met on 2/20/2023 to go over some questions I had about the BFU application. We talked about the built environment of the campus (question A8), and clarified the total campus enrollment statistic. I also showed Sarthak the log I created to keep track of the my progress on the application, which is attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 2/15

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Ethan and Sarthak met via zoom to discuss Ethan’s progress in reviewing relevant documents toward the former 2014 Bicycle Plan and for the future 2024 Bicycle Plan. Ethan has finished reading the 2019 and 2023 progress reports on the bicycle plan and reviewed which projects have been finished and are yet to be finished. Ethan’s main goal is to develop a presentation for a meeting with Morgan and Stacy to discuss the work he and Sarthak have been doing. Also, they must present their plan for the semester in regard to developing the planning process for the next year, in reference to the 2024 Bicycle Plan. Ethan and Sarthak also discussed highlighting the bicycle audit expected to be done in the Fall.

    Attached Files: 

  19. Land & Water iCAP Meeting 2/17

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)
    Water Audit / Inventory
    Monitor Soil Health
    Cover Crops on South Farms

    On February 17th, the Land & Water iCAP team met to discuss the details of a permeable pavers recommendation. The team then split off into breakout rooms to organize future soil and water committee initiatives. 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

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