This is a list of projects that need students to work on.  It will be updated periodically by sustainability staff members, the last update was 9/16/21:

• The campus MS4 stormwater permit currently has 49 Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have to be completed annually https://fs.illinois.edu/services/safety-and-compliance/about-the-program . One of the 49 BMPs is a Public Education and Outreach requirement to broadcast or publish one stormwater Public Service Announcement (PSA) on social media, radio, television and/or internet. We currently have a couple on our website and would like to keep it up to date with new materials whenever possible.  https://fs.illinois.edu/services/safety-and-compliance/about-the-program/events-and-outreach. Another opportunity is for a Public Participation and Involvement BMP to discuss and provide opportunity for public input on the Storm Water Program (permit BMPs), climate change and environmental justice topics. This could be met by webinars, PSAs, posters, etc. Contact is Betsy Liggett. ~ Morgan
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Huff Hall. ~ Meredith
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Armory. ~ Meredith
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Bevier Hall. ~ Meredith
• CCNet Website: Work with the Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) leadership team to redesign and publish the CCNet website (old version is online at http://www.champaigncountynet.org/). There is a monthly brown bag sustainability networking event on the Third Thursday of each month, but the website hasn't been updated since 2016. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu. ~ Morgan
• We are seeking a student volunteer who can do tree identification for a series of trees in the Arboretum, and work with the University Landscape Architect, Brent Lewis, and the Superintendent of Grounds, Ryan Welch, to compare the tree identification to the draft tree inventory. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu. ~ Morgan
• Help iSEE develop a Sustainability Literacy Assessment. Contact Meredith Moore, mkm007 at illinois.edu. ~Meredith
• Help iSEE work with Student Sustainability Committee grant to expand small scale campus composting. Contact Meredith Moore at mkm0078 at illinois.edu. ~ Meredith

• This project is a collaboration with the Illinois State Section of the American Planning Association; we have been asked to create a community land use and revitalization plan for a small town in Kankakee County.  It is a rural community, predominantly people of color, originally settled by folks leaving the South during the Great Migration.  There are many layers to the story, but it is ultimately a story of environmental equity as The Nature Conservancy and Field Museum have been collaborating with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire land to create the Black Oak Savana nature preserve.  The majority of residents are opposed to this preserve, primarily because land has been purchased via tax sale and foreclosure, therefore taking land out of Black ownership.  This also further burdens remaining property owners because the nature preserve land becomes tax exempt, shifting the property taxes that are no longer paid on nature preserve property to a smaller and smaller portion of land owners.  

  Students interested in this project could assist with GIS analysis and help identify opportunities to balance environmental sustainability goals and land preservation with social and economic sustainability goals and to identify economic opportunities that accomplish all three.  Contact Lacey Rains Lowe at lacey.rains <at> champaignil.gov.

• Expand on existing statistical analysis with ArcGIS and spreadsheets of potential race/income disparities in provision of street trees, sidewalks, urban heat, parks, bus stops, etc.  Data sets provided. Contact is Scott Tess at srtess <at> urbanaillinois.us.

• LIVESTOCK FACILITY DECOMMISSIONING at the Imported Swine Research Laboratory - The push to expand the UI Research Park will require decommissioning of the waste lagoons associated with the Imported Swine Research Laboratory (ISRL). This presents an nice opportunity for a class to develop and design a decommissioning plan with associated costs and timeline. Colleen Ruhter is the point of contact, cruhter <at> illinois.edu.

If you have a project idea, please contact us at sustainability@illinois.edu, or submit it through the iCAP Portal Suggestions page.

This is a list of projects that need students to work on.  It will be updated periodically by sustainability staff members, the last update was 8/30/21:

• The campus MS4 stormwater permit currently has 49 Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have to be completed annually https://fs.illinois.edu/services/safety-and-compliance/about-the-program . One of the 49 BMPs is a Public Education and Outreach requirement to broadcast or publish one stormwater Public Service Announcement (PSA) on social media, radio, television and/or internet. We currently have a couple on our website and would like to keep it up to date with new materials whenever possible.  https://fs.illinois.edu/services/safety-and-compliance/about-the-program/events-and-outreach. Another opportunity is for a Public Participation and Involvement BMP to discuss and provide opportunity for public input on the Storm Water Program (permit BMPs), climate change and environmental justice topics. This could be met by webinars, PSAs, posters, etc. Contact is Betsy Liggett.
• Develop informational messaging about SmartWay, get more UIUC departments aware of the program, and coordinate a related student event.  Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
• Support the Champaign County Design and Conservation Foundation (CCDCF) Board with their county-wide efforts for conservation and design.
• Conduct a campus poll (fall semester 2021) regarding the Top 10 most iconic/significant/impressive trees on campus (including the arboretum). Develop an online survey tool (i.e., an online poll) whereby students and campus employees can nominate their favorite campus trees. Upon conclusion of the survey, work with Jay Hayek to tabulate and rank the results and create a publicly viewable ArcGIS Online StoryMap showcasing campuses Top Ten Trees. Prepare a presentation of results for the annual Arbor Day Celebration. Contact Jay Hayek at jhayek at illinois.edu.
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Illini Union.
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Huff Hall.
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: ECE Building.
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Armory.
• Follow through with Facility Liaisons for implementation of recommendations from NRES 285: iCAP Sustainability Ambassadors class: Bevier Hall.
• CCNet Website: Work with the Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) leadership team to redesign and publish the CCNet website (old version is online at http://www.champaigncountynet.org/). There is a monthly brown bag sustainability networking event on the Third Thursday of each month, but the website hasn't been updated since 2016. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
• We are seeking a student volunteer who can do tree identification for a series of trees in the Arboretum, and work with the University Landscape Architect, Brent Lewis, and the Superintendent of Grounds, Ryan Welch, to compare the tree identification to the draft tree inventory. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
• Work on outlining sustainable initiatives that DIA can take in support of the Green Sports Alliance. Contact Meredith Moore, mkm0078 at llinois.edu.
• Help iSEE develop a Sustainability Literacy Assessment. Contact Meredith Moore, mkm007 at illinois.edu. 
• Help identify and develop opportunities for intersecting sustainability and the arts (sustainability murals, utility box artwork, etc.). Contact Meredith Moore, mkm0078 at illinois.edu. 
• Develop permanent posters for the Solar Farm 2.0, to guide tour participants at the site. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
• Help iSEE work with Student Sustainability Committee grant to expand small scale campus composting. Contact Meredith Moore at mkm0078 at illinois.edu.
• If you have a project idea, please contact us at sustainability@illinois.edu, or submit it through the iCAP Portal Suggestions page.

The attached project list is being considered by the nearly 200 CEE first year students for the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Project Based Learning class this year. The project idea list had been formed over several years and was last updated on August 23, 2021.

This year, the CEE project based learning course transitioned to a requirement for all incoming CEE students and a permanent part of the curriculum.  It has 188 students, meets 4-6 on Mondays and Wednesdays in 0035 CIF, and is still team-taught by CEE faculty with F&S assistance. There are also some online students and a mirrored course that Dr. Art Schmidt is teaching for a partner school in China via Zoom.

Jessica Nicholson, one of the authors of ISG Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement Resolution, sent the following updates on 5/12/21:

================

Good Morning,

I hope you all are well. Thank you all for expressing interest in the resolution to create a Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. Towards the beginning of the semester, I shared this resolution with each of you and most of you let me know that you would like to stay updated on the status of the resolution. Many of you have endorsed this resolution as faculty members, sponsored as members of ISG or UC senate, or provided additional support and guidance. That being said, I appreciate all of your support and involvement.

I have a few updates on the progress of our resolution and I want to invite you all to participate in a working group that will draft a formal proposal based on our original resolution. The purpose of this proposal is explained below, so please read through and fill out the attached form if you are interested in being involved. Feel free to share this message and this form with anyone else who you think may be interested as well.

Sustainability Gen-Ed Proposal Working Group Interest Form: https://forms.gle/dfKfTKwaocMpKovi8 

We have added some supporting materials to the appendix of our original Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement resolution, so the updated resolution is attached below for your reference. I also recently gave a brief informational presentation to the UC senate about our initiative. This presentation contains some valuable information about our next steps and plan to write a proposal, so I have attached the slides for your reference if you want to take a look.

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rMDHj0NpwaJR8TSPg7o9WsONWnnXDGEoEvWIFHwvXK4/edit?usp=sharing

ISG Senators Dana, Creen, Tyeese and I have consulted with iSEE, the Gen-Ed Board, and the Educational Policy and Senate Executive Committees of the UC Senate to determine how best to bring our Sustainability Gen-Ed resolution to the UC senate floor as a binding piece of legislation. Based on input from all of these groups, we have decided to draft a formal proposal that adds critical information to our original resolution.

Unlike our original resolution, this proposal will contain sections that detail steps the University must take to implement the Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. Our proposal will include logistical considerations such as resource reallocation to courses that fulfill the requirement and the needs of each academic unit. These additional sections should minimize confusion and concerns over the implementability of our Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. In order to write these sections into our full proposal, we need to meet with each academic unit to understand their specific needs and determine how this requirement should be implemented within their unit. We also need to determine factors such as current capacity, estimated seat demand, and additional seats needed among courses that fulfill the Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement.

These considerations are critical for a new Gen-Ed requirement, so they will be the main focus of our working group when we write the proposal. We welcome you all to join our working group, and we particularly value any experience you can share regarding course logistics to help with the considerations above. Please fill out the form above if you want to get involved in our working group or are interested. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you!

Jessica

--

Jessica J Nicholson

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Class of 2022

College of Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Illinois Student Government | Engineering Senator, Chair of Internal Affairs

Illini Rotaract Service Organization | District Rotaract Representative

Each of the five teams presented their work and building recommendations at a presentation ceremony on May 14, 2021. Click here to view the recording.  

Five buildings were assessed this semester by student teams of 3-5 people. These buildings were: 

• Illini Union
• Electrical and Computer Engineering 
• Huff Hall
• Bevier Hall
• Armory 

Click here to view the final reports and presentations. 

The Sustainability Council met on April 28, 2021 and discussed the following: 

• iCAP Dashboard
• Post-pandemic Implications for iCAP 
• Student Sustainability Leadership Council
• Engagement001: General Education Board Sustainability Task Committee
• Land Management
• Overview of F&S Energy Management Plan 
• Energy004: ACES Energy Performance Contract 

See PowerPoint attached.