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  1. Composites in Aviation

    Student Aircraft Builders (SAB) is an organization dedicated to teaching students from all across campus how to work together as a team to successfully construct a flyable airplane. The goal of the Composites in Aviation project has two phases. The first phase constructs a quarter scale glider powered by alternative energy. The second phase graduates from a model to a full-sized glider. Through the use of composite materials and an innovate design from an aerospace engineer, the finished glider will exemplify the future of more fuel-efficient long-range flight.

  2. Sustainable Agriculture Food System Tomato Processing

  3. Solar Powered Cookstoves Funding Letter

    The Solar Powered Cook Stoves project is an innovative effort to implement cook stoves powered by solar energy. The stoves associated with this project will utilize innovative new technology to overcome some of the key limitations of current solar cooking. Specifically, they will offer high-temperature cooking and grilling while in use while also storing energy for cooking at night or during other periods of reduced sunlight. Once completed, these stoves will provide a clean source for cooking and grilling that does not use fire, gas, wood, or charcoal.

  4. Zero Waste Plan has been drafted

    A Zero Waste Plan has been drafted for the Urbana-Champaign campus at the Univeristy of Illinois.  The plan is currently being reviewed by the Purchasing and Waste SWATeam.  Once agreement is reached, the document will be forwarded to the Sustainability Working Group for consideration of implementation.

  5. Game Day Recycling Challenge

    The University is participating in its first Game Day Recycling Challenge at the October 25th homecoming game against the University of Minnesota.  For the event the usual landfill bins will be replaced with 3-bin stations to separate landfill, recycling, and compost.  The materials collected will be weighed, the diversion rate calculated, and then entered into a friendly national competition.  To volunteer for this event, please email Bart Bartels at bbartel@illinois.edu.  

  6. Shantanu is adding two Lab buildings for glove recycling

    Associated Project(s): 

    Blake Ashley from Kimberley Clark spoke with Shantanu Pai.  Blake said they thought we are doing Labs, and Shantanu is going to work on implementing it at RAL, CLSL, and Housing.  Tanya from Fisher is working with Shantanu on this project.  RAL has a meeting being scheduled on June 23.

  7. Update from Shantanu Pai

    Associated Project(s): 

    Shantanu Pai and Madeline (an ISTC intern) are taking over the implementation of the Nitrile Glove Recycling program at Housing Dining Services, after Seth Reints left the university.  Shantanu has 24 containers that can hang on the edge of Dining's slim containers.  Dawn Aubrey also needs containers that hang on the edge of the larger brute containers.  Madeline has created a 3-D printed prototype, which will be sent to Shantanu's contact in Canada for replication.

    Morgan provided Shantanu with the information that Seth had received or provided to SSC. 

  8. Archived web info - F&S Energy Liaisons

    The Energy Liaison Program

    Ambitious goals reflect the University’s commitment to sustainability - environmental, social and fiscal. Although energy conservation is a universal problem, its solution begins with individuals.


    Departments and colleges across campus have designated Energy Liaisons to promote energy conservation and share ideas and suggestions.

    Energy liaisons:
    • Coordinate and share energy saving information with their respective areas
    • Lead efforts to establish college/department short- and long-term energy conservation goals
    • Are conduits through which ideas and suggestions reach Facilities & Services

    Creating Obtainable Goals

    1. Identify areas for reduction
      • Fume Hood usage
      • Lighting Usage
      • Space Usage
      • Computer Policies and Practices
      • Equipment Procurement Practices
      • Air Conditioning and Ventilation Usage
      • Laboratory Equipment Usage


    Establish obtainable short-term and long-term goals

    Examples: Short-Term Goals

    • Create policy for turning off computer work stations
    • Ask faculty and staff to turn off lighting and equipment not in use
    • Create awareness across your department/college
    • Require purchase of Energy Start rated equipment
    • Close fume hoods when not in use


    Examples: Long-Term Goals

    • Identify areas of high energy usage and develop a plan for reduction
    • Consolidation of fume hoods and equipment
    • Facilitate systems retrofitting with F&S Retrocommissioning Team
    • Develop a plan for space and classroom usage Investigate the consolidation of climate-sensitive projects/equipment
    • Develop a plan and timetable for reaching the 17 percent reduction in five years
    usda_greenhouse.gif
    Energy Liaison Toolkit
    Toolkit
    Materials

     

     

  9. Archived web info - CSE Energy Liaisons

    Energy Liaisons

    salad bar with local foods

    The Energy Management Division of Facilities and Services initiated anEnergy Liaisons program in 2008. Departments, colleges, and other units across campus have designated Energy Liaisons to promote energy conservation and share ideas and suggestions.  Facilities and Services regularly hosts workshops with the Energy Liaisons to discuss energy conservation opportunities.  These Energy Liaisons serve as grassroots contacts for conservation initiatives.  

     

     

  10. Archived web info - CSE Prairie Project

    Design & Assessment

    The Center for Teaching Excellence has been actively involved in developing and executing the Prairie Project curriculum workshop.  Their expertise in course design and the assessment of student learning has proven valuable to the workshop participants.  Below, you will find resources shared by the CTE.

    A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning

    Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP)Essential Learning Outcomes

    AACU High-Impact Educational Practices

    Second Nature fact sheet on a framework for sustainability curriculum (download as pdf)

  11. Archived web info - CSE Prairie Project

    Courses and Syllabi

    Participants in the Prairie Project were inspired to include sustainability in their courses.  Below you will find revised syllabi and some example assignments with clear linkages to the Sustainability Learning Outcomes.  In addition, there are resources from other universities that offer similar curriculum workshops and national organizations.  We encourage you to integrate sustainability into your course.

    BADM 532 Sustainable Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces

    BADM 533 Sustainable Product Design and Business Plan Development

     

    Example Syllabi for Sustainability-Infused Courses:

    Courses of the 2010 Prairie Project Resource People and Participants

    NRES 285: Wetland Delineation and Classification (PDF)

    NRES 287 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY – SPRING 2010 (PDF)

    Conservation and Ecosystem Health (PDF)

    Ecotoxicology of the Northern Hemisphere (PDF)

    IB 105: Environmental Biology Fall 2010(PDF) 
    IB 105: Environmental Biology Spring 2010 (PDF)

    Political Science - Learning Outcomes - Introduction to International Relations (PDF)
    Political Science 280 Fall 2010 (PDF)
    Political Science 280 Fall 2009 (PDF)

    LAS 101 Fall 2010: Environmental Sustainability & World Citizenship (PDF)
    LAS 101: Homework 5 on ecological footprinting and environmental sustainability (PDF)

    CEE 498: Multilateral Environmental Agreements Fall 2010 (PDF)
    CEE 498: Multilateral Environmental Agreements (PDF)

    CEE 535: Environmental Systems Analysis II Sustainable & Resilient Environmental & Water Resource Systems (PDF)
    CEE 535: Spring 2011 Upper Embarras Project Terms (PDF)

    UP 204, Chicago: Planning and Urban Life, Spring 2011 (PDF)
    UP 204, Chicago: Planning and Urban Life: Course Description (PDF)
    UP 204, Chicago: Planning and Urban Life: Overview (PDF)

     

    External Examples:

    Association for the Advanceemnt of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) examples of courses on campus sustainability (PDF)

    AASHE course inventories*

    AASHE list of Web sites with example syllabi*

    Ponderosa Project Web site, containing course syllabi and other resources

    Piedmont Project syllabi and course modules

    * These sites require a members-only login to the AASHE site. The University of Illinois is an institutional member and you can create an account for free with a uiuc.edu (and hopefully Illinois.edu) e-mail address.

  12. Archived web info - CSE Prairie Project

    Readings

    Below you will find readings collected from experts associated with the Prairie Project workshop.  The suggestions are intended to provide an introduction to the topic of sustainability, however, some provide greater detail. 

    Is there a suggested reading or other resource you would like to share?  Please let us know.


    Building the Sustainable Community:Is Social Capital the Answer? (PDF)


    Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’s Synthesis report


    Understanding the Social Dimension of Sustainability


    Beyond Fences: Seeking Social Sustainability in Conservation


    The Sustainability Seminar reading list from Spring 2010.

    The Sustainability Seminar reading list from Spring 2011. 


    A very short primer on ecosystem services by the Ecological Society of America (professional organization of ecologists): 


    Ecology of infectious diseases and influences of climate change

  13. Archived web info - CSE Prairie Project

    Teaching Sustainability Workshop 2013

    Providing skills, knowledge, and resources for infusing environmental sustainability into your courses

    Sustainability is one of the great global challenges of the twenty-first century. Whether you teach accounting or aerospace engineering, Portuguese or pathobiology, you likely have something to contribute toward addressing this challenge.The Center for a Sustainable Environment will be hosting the Teaching Sustainability Workshop on April 12-13, 2013. Apply here.

    Friday, April 12 - Reception
    4:00pm
    Temple Buell Art Gallery, 111 Architecture Building
    Guest speaker David Schejbal, print flyer

    Saturday, April 13 - Workshop
    Allerton Park & Retreat Center, Monticello 

    The workshop will bring together a group of University of Illinois instructors who want to learn more about adding sustainability to the courses they already teach. Participants in the workshop are typically professors and instructors who are curious about sustainability and want to engage it, but who also have too much to do to become experts in sustainability. After participating in the workshop, you will have a:
     

    • Working definition of sustainability.

    • Framework for understanding the components of sustainability and how each relates to your expertise.

    • List of readings and short videos that you can use to prepare your class or use in your class.

    • Draft of exercises you might use in your classes and examples of how other instructors have incorporated sustainability into their courses.

    • Set of opportunities for exploring sustainability on campus through the landscape, buildings, operations, and transportation.

    • Cohort of colleagues who have similar goals about infusing sustainability into their teaching and on-going support as you test your ideas in the classroom.

    • Stipend of $500 that you can use however you see fit. 
       

    Our goal is to provide you with a set of ideas, concepts, models, and examples that you can modify to fit your courses. You’ll get a list of readings and short videos that you might want to use in your classes. And we will work to craft some initial ideas for exercises that you might use as you teach. 

    The workshop consists of five components that are designed to make it as easy as possible for you to add sustainability to your teaching.

    1. Teaching Sustainability Reception. There will be a reception on Friday, April 12, 2013 at the School of Architecture, Art Gallery from 4:00-6:30pm. The 2012 participants will receive their certificate for completing the workshop, followed by guest speaker, David Schejbal. This reception will give you an opportunity to network with last year’s participants. 

    2. Teaching Sustainability Retreat. We will meet on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at Allerton Park (http://allerton.illinois.edu) from 8:30 to 5:00. This is the main event of the Workshop. We will learn from experts who have the capacity to explain concepts about sustainability in a way that is accessible to those of us who are not experts. During the day, you will develop some initial ideas, lesson plans, and exercises that you can use in your courses. We will serve you a continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks. 

    3. Feedback and Revision. During the summer of 2013, we will get together with sustainability experts to provide feedback on your initial plans and course revisions.

    4. Fall Check-In. Near the end of the fall 2013 semester, we will get together for lunch to learn from the members of the group who taught their revised courses and discuss the lessons they learned and what they might have done differently.

    5. Debriefing. During the spring 2014 semester, we will get together to share experiences, assess results, and make recommendations for how this process might evolve. We’ll get together with next year’s cohort.

    Faculty and instructors will receive a stipend for participating in these five aspects of the Workshop. Graduate students and post-docs who will be assisting with modifications of existing courses or development of new courses are also welcome to attend. 

    By applying for this exciting and interactive opportunity, Teaching Sustainability Workshop participants agree to:

    • Participate in the events above.

    • Commit to preparing and submitting a description of the course modification or creation by the end of the retreat, and revising as needed over the summer.

    • Provide a final syllabus, course modifications, and brief summary of outcomes from the experience.


    Please follow up with Amy Rosenbery (husted@illinois.edu) if you have questions about this opportunity. Based on current plans, we anticipate that 20 instructors will be accommodated. Applicants will be notified by mid-March if they have been selected to participate.

    Participant Agenda
    Teaching Sustainability Workshop Reception
    Friday, April 12, 2013, 4:00-6:30pm, Temple Buell Hall Art Gallery, 111 Architecture Building
    4:00pm - "The Changing Nature of Higher Education and the Role of Sustainability Education in the Process" presented by David Schejbal. Print flyer

    Sustainability Curriculum Retreat,
    Saturday, April 13, 2013 
    8:30am-5:00pm, Allerton Park & Retreat Center
    More details to come!

    This event is supported by the Center for a Sustainable Environment and the Office of the Provost.

    Attached Files: 
  14. Archived web info - CSE Prairie Project

    Faculty Resources

    FacultyResources.jpgThe Office of Sustainability has collected information from a variety of sources that are useful to faculty who are considering adding sustainability to courses.  The OS has co-sponsored the Prairie Project in 2010 and 2011 with surprising results.  Combined statistics indicate participation by more than 30 faculty, instructors, lecturers from nearly every college.  This translates into teaching some facet of sustainability to 6,500 students per year!  The suggested readings are primarily those recommended to participants of the curriculum workshop.  The courses and syllabi page provides examples from our campus as well as from external sources.  The last section on design and assessment includes valuable resources shared by the Center for Teaching Excellence.

     

  15. Archived web info - ECI Energy Dashboard

    Independent Projects

    Illini Energy Dashboard
    The Illini Energy Dashboard provides clearly visible understandable information data and information to students and staff of selected University buildings describing energy consumption rate (electrical, chilled water and steam) so that users can make educated choices about the way they can affect energy consumption and conservation.What is Displayed? The gauges on the each building page displays real-time energy use data by building for heating, cooling and electricity.

  16. House Bill 2427

    House Bill 2427, once signed by the Governor, will authorize a $30M renewable energy fund in Illinois.


    Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act to provide for a supplemental procurement process for the procurement of renewable energy certificates from new or existing photovoltaics. Authorizes the expenditure of up to $30,000,000 from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund for that purpose. Provides that renewable energy certificates from new photovoltaics that are procured pursuant to the supplemental procurement process must be procured from devices installed by a person who meets certain qualifications. Requires public hearings. Provides for a procurement administrator, a procurement monitor, pre-qualification of bidders, establishment of standard contract terms, benchmarks, and contingencies in the event of a default by a supplier. Effective immediately.

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