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Projects Updates for theme: all

  1. Cost Question for Water Bottle Stations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics

    Hi Matt,

     

    It’s nice to virtually meet you - I’m the Sustainability Programs Coordinator at iSEE. I’ve been working with colleagues involved in zero-waste efforts to start drafting a proposal to install hydration stations with water bottle refillers in residence halls on campus. Alma is supportive of this idea and approved the idea of submitting a proposal to the Student Sustainability Committee.

     

    I was wondering if you have any cost information available for the following:

    • Equipment cost of different models of hydration stations
    • Installation costs
    • Filter costs
    • Maintenance costs (both for stations with filters and without)

     

    If you can provide any of that info, that would be a big help. Please let me know if you have questions or need any clarification.

     

    Best,

    Miriam

     

    Hi Miriam,

     

    I’m glad to hear a proposal is in the works for hydration stations with water bottle refillers!

     

    We’ll gather the information you’ve requested.

     

    MATTHEW M. BROWN (he, him, his)

    Director of Facilities for University Housing

     

    Hi Matt,

     

    I wanted to reach out again because we are aiming to submit a proposal by March 20, which is the Spring 2024 deadline for SSC project proposals over $10,000. Do you think it would be possible to gather the cost information before then?

     

    I was also wondering if you could share insight on what a realistic timeline for this project could look like. If we receive SSC grant money at the end of May, would it be feasible to install the hydration stations over the summer?

     

    Thanks and please let me know if you need any other info from me!

     

    Best,

    Miriam

     

    Hi Miriam,

     

    Here is information on these items:

     

    • Equipment cost of different models of hydration stations – Filtered are around $1,500; Without filter around $1,000
    • Installation costs – Estimate $250-$500
    • Filter costs – $65-75 depending on model
    • Maintenance costs (both for stations with filters and without) – minimal beyond changing filters

     

    The installation timeline will vary depending on how many units are obtained and when. Summer is a very busy time of year for us. We would likely prioritize locations for installation if possible, work in as many as we can during summer, and continue steadily installing as needed.

     

    MATTHEW M. BROWN (he, him, his)

  2. ISTC-UIUC Waste Characterization Study: Draft Document Discussion

    Associated Project(s): 
    Waste Stream Characterization Study Phase 3

    Hey, all!!

    Thanks for the great meeting.

    We were glad to hear that Daphne liked the dining glass recycling numbers (130,955lb!), the process flow charts, and the BSW-related engagement section. We're moving ahead with the plan to publish the entire report, and we'll also work on making a clear and concise (1-3 page??) executive summary too. Here's what I got for notes:

     

    Daphne's to-dos:

    • P14. Send GFL Battle Creek info
    • P14. Hear back from GFL on Novelis info
    • P26. Investigate dining's Tin Can recycling??
    • P14. Keep working on Effective Diversion Rate calculation w interns
    • P17. Send public box file on (ordering MaxR??)
    • P43. Send Green basketball rates for March 3+5
    • Recommendation Table:
      • What other ideas do you have?
      • Any existing recs need higher priority/more detail?
      • Provide draft "responsible party" for each
    • Poke Dr. Garg for project updates?

     

    ISTC's to-dos:

    • P6 and P16. Include specific numbers of 245 MaxR bins, mostly 3-bin stations, across 70 buildings
      • Union has 9 with, 7 w/o shadowboxes
    • P14. Add a little more explanation of "auxiliary" -- means it has to "pay for itself," basically
      • But F&S still services external dumpsters
    • P14. Transition to F&S servicing/replacing outdoor bins happened at end of calendar 2023
      • Replacing bins -- currently ~50, but 125 dual bins by Fall 2024.
    • Make executive summary
      • Determine what's important to include
      • Determine how to present it / where to put that information (iCAP portal? ISTC website? Box?)

     

    Have a great Wednesday! We'll plan to meet again soon to discuss these items.

    Betsy

     

    Betsy Ruckman
    Sustainability Technician

  4. Engagement iCAP Team Meeting Minutes 3/22/2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Engagement iCAP Team

    The Engagement iCAP team met on 3/22/2024 to go over 2020 iCAP objectives and discuss plans for the 2025 iCAP. The director of the Office of Civic Life, Gina Lee-Olykoya, joined as a guest speaker to discuss her work with engaging volunteerism on campus and in the C-U community. The group also briefly discussed updated on our Comparative Analysis for Residence Halls.

    Attached Files: 

  5. Weekly Update: Spring break, M-F open

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, We were closed for Spring Break, and I guess mother nature decided that was when it would actually be spring, and now it’s back to winter. This week we reopen to M – F 2 - 6p. Considering the cooler temps, likely won’t be super busy on those days.

    We were thwarted by the weather right before break and unable to clear bikes from the barn but will try again this week.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 29
    Sales: $302.50
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $40

    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 13 for $75

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  6. Edu009 - Updating College of Business Course Descriptions - Transmitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Inventory Sustainability Courses
    Education iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    On 3/16/2024, the Edu009 Updating College of Business Course Descriptions was transmitted to Dean Jeff Brown at Gies College of email with the following email. The iWG assessment is attached.

     

    Dear Dean Brown,

     

    The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) Working Group (iWG) recently approved recommendation Edu009 from the Education iCAP Team to update College of Business course descriptions to reflect the sustainability content. This recommendation aligns with Objective 6.2 of the iCAP 2020: Establish a comprehensive online repository for courses and academic programs with sustainability content. Additional details can be found in the attached assessment.

    The Formal iCAP Procedures include a section on campus unit responsibilities upon receipt of a recommendation, and we respectfully request your response to this recommendation by March 29th. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please let me know. 

     

    Sincerely,

     

    Jennifer Fraterrigo

     

    See the Edu009 Updating College of Business Course Descriptions recommendation here.

    Attached Files: 

  7. iSEE New Green Event Certifications - February 2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Certified Green Chapter Program
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Certified Green Event Program

    The Greener Campus Program would like to recognize the most recent events certified under the Green Event Certification Program.

     

    These events include:

    - Office of the Provost's Student Success Symposium; hosted February 8th, 2024 

    - Office of the Provost's Celebration of Academic Excellence; hosted February 20th, 2024 

    - Sustainable Aviation Fuel Workshop; hosted February 23rd, 2024

     

    Congratulations and keep up the great work! 

  8. Discussion about SSC projects in iCAP Portal - March 13, 2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Miriam Keep, Codie Sterner, and Michael McKelvey met to discuss the status of embedding projects from the iCAP Portal on the SSC website.

    Discussion items:

    • Michael shared a demo of SSC project embedding (TEST site) which includes a map which responds to filters.
    • Codie suggested adding the following SSC-specific fields to projects:
      • (SSC) Project Lead
      • (SSC) Project Lead Email
      • (SSC) Financial Advisor (all)
      • (SSC) Financial Advisor Email
      • (SSC) Project Advisor (only applicable to student-led projects)
      • (SSC) Project Advisor Email
      • (SSC) Team Members (unlimited plain text fields, just like in Contacts tab)
    • Change SSC tab title to: SSC Specifics
    • Project Funding discussion:
      • Prefer to separate out the 2 funding sources (SCEF, CETF) - perhaps instead of one "Funding Source" in iCAP Portal for SSC, could have 2 - one for each fund. Funding Type in the Funding Details could be a way to group together all SSC funding regardless of source (?)
      • When SSC funds a project, each semester needs to be reported separately, which is a different structure from how "projects" are represented in the iCAP Portal. For one-off funding, this isn't a problem, but sometimes (~5%?) SSC funds projects multiple times, which would require creating multiple Projects in the iCAP Portal to record SSC info about what the iCAP Portal would consider a single "project." How do we handle this? Some potential options include:
        • Always create a sub-project for each semester of SSC funding related to a project (lots of "extra" projects in the iCAP Portal created only to record SSC funding info). Projects created explicitly for SSC which don't have a more logical parent could go potentially go under the SSC project.
        • Use the Project Funding system in the iCAP Portal to record information by semester. The "Project Funding" content type is meant to act as a bridge between Funding Sources and Funding Details, so it might be the right place to store this information.
        • Create a new content type specifically for SSC projects. Perhaps use Metrics as a template? Not sure if there's an advantage to this over repurposing the Project Funding system, except this would be a single-purpose system built specifically for SSC, so it might be more streamlined.
      • Michael and Codie plan to meet March 22 to continue the discussion.

  9. Discussion about iCAP recommendations - March 13, 2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Michael McKelvey, Miriam Keep, and Morgan White have a meeting scheduled on Friday, March 22 to discuss how to structure Recommendations, probably by diagramming on a whiteboard. In the meantime, Michael and Miriam met briefly to discuss iCAP Recommendations while the discussion at last Friday's meeting is still somewhat fresh. Our takeaways:

    • Perhaps we shouldn't use Project Updates after all, but should pattern the new Recommendations feature after Metrics:
      • A Recommendation is associated with a project and contains some additional general information
      • A Recommendation can have many "tracking" updates including at least a status and some notes
      • This would mean that each tracking record for a Recommendation wouldn't automatically generate a Project Update. Is that ok?
    • We also discussed using the iCAP Portal for the Recommendation workflow. We're not sure whether that would reduce complexity or increase it. Further discussion is warranted. Sample project updates with initial recommendation form attached:

    We look forward to diagramming this out on a whiteboard in Morgan's office!

  11. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - March 8, 2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Agenda

    • Homemade caramels!
    • Update: Miriam Keep, Sarthak Prasad, Christina Tran, and Michael McKelvey met to discuss a proposed structure for updating iCAP recommendations: Discussion about updating iCAP recommendations - February 21, 2024
    • Lots of back-end updates/upgrades over the past couple weeks - Michael's been testing and retesting to try to catch any incompatibilities with the new updates, and so far things are looking good. Let him know if you encounter any issues!
      • One update of note: the module that creates automatic redirects when titles change has gotten smarter, so those infinite loops should be a thing of the past!
    • Google Analytics reporting

    Discussion/Decisions:

    • Project Updates:
      • Add field "To Do Item(s)" at top of Tasks section
        • Show field in Pending Tasks listing?
        • Q: who should be able to view the content of this field? Other task-related fields are restricted to iCAP Admins & iCAP Moderators, but if you want to assign a task to a non-admin or non-moderator, they'll need to be able to view this task field (and the other fields) in order to view the task. Should we expand the scope of who can view task-related fields? At least add iCAP Clerks, or perhaps even all logged in users?
      • Q: Also add field for tagging iCAP Portal user(s) as responsible party for tracking tasks and updating when they're completed? (note: separate from "Assigned To" field which allows free editing and doesn't associate with user accounts
        • What should this field be called?
        • Should it allow multiple people to be entered?
        • Add a My Tasks page where logged in users can view all tasks assigned to them. Also show tasks they've assigned?
        • Started work on this on test site: Michael's test task
    • Pending Tasks list:
      • ✔️Change Title column to "Project Update"
    • Recommendations:
      • May not need to allow a Project to "subscribe" to Recommendations:
        • Recommendation has associated Project (allow multiple, but typically only enter one)
        • Project page shows all Recommendations pointing to this project (possibly instead of a project being able to "subscribe" to recommendations)
        • iWG project: instead of showing all the recommendations, provide a link to the page showing the recommendations
      • Recommendation add/edit form could be used to receive suggestions for new recommendations
      • Need to discuss further - Morgan, Miriam, and Michael will meet next week to discuss & diagram out on a whiteboard

  13. Google Analytics changes to user counts on portal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Ok, I added last year’s user stats, which looks like the only one we didn’t have yet. We had to migrate to a new version of Google Analytics last year, so the process for looking up the user count will change for FY24. Fortunately, there was overlap between the old Google Analytics system and the new one, so we could get all of FY23 on the old system and all of FY24 on the new one. The new system counts things a bit differently (for example, it focuses on Active Users rather than Total Users), and the numbers are often lower than the previous system, so we should probably expect a bit of a dip in the future. For example, for the period of time where both the old and new systems were collecting data (Jan 9, 2023 – Oct 4, 2023), the old system counted 35,311 users while the new system counted 27,206 users. At least that’s what I’m finding with what I think is the most equivalent user count. The new system is much more complicated to use (and powerful!) than the old system, so there may be another way to count the users that will give us something more similar to the old system. I’ll keep messing around with it to see if I can build a report that’s useful for counting users, and I’ll let you know what I come up with, Quinn.

     

    Additionally, the old system will be shut down on July 1, 2024, and all its historical data deleted, so if there’s any information we want to glean from it from before January 9, 2023, we should do that in the next couple months. I’ll put that discussion on the agenda for Friday’s meeting.

     

    </Michael>

     

    Michael McKelvey

  14. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Business as usual last week. We cleared some space up in the back to accommodate more for sale bikes, as we were out of room in the lobby.

    After this week, we will be closed all of Spring Break and afterwards reopen M – F.

    Will continue to grab bikes from the barn this week. Another unseasonably warm week ahead!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 38
    Sales: $467
    Bikes: 1 for $180
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 2 for $30

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  18. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 2/28/2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Electric Vehicle (EV) Task Force
    2024 Campus Bike Plan

    The Transportation iCAP Team met on 2/28/2024 to discuss the outlined proposal of the DESMAN report, the 2024 Campus Bike Plan, and end-of-year reporting initiatives. Attached is a link to the meeting recording.

    Attached Files: 

  20. 2024 Campus Bike Plan Meeting Held on 02/27/2024

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan

    I had a meeting with Sarthak on February 27th, 2024 to discuss the working document of the 2024 Campus Bike Plan.

    Below are the notes of the meeting, mentioning the action items:

    • A weekly update on the working of the document to be uploaded on ICAP portal.
    • Review and edit the summary of the progress reports, if needed, written by Kejsi and Ethan.
    • Review the section for Equity and Inclusion in Chapter 3: Goals and Objectives.
    • Chapter 2: Stakeholders
      • Add DRES as a stakeholder.
    • Chapter 4: Equity and inclusion
      • Add about parking for tandem bikes, E-bikes.
      • Add the circuit map created, showing the route taken by wheelchair athletes.
      • Mention the meeting with Adam and the concerns regarding the infrastructure for wheelchair athletes.
      • Describe the routes taken, their existing condition, issues and proposed interventions.
      • Add description about the condition of Peabody Drive and the proposed intervention.
      • Add description about the condition of Pennsylvania Avenue till Lincoln Avenue and the proposed intervention.
      • Mention about coordinating with TDM and Capital Programs at Facilities & Services for street level improvements along the routes mentioned in circuit map.
    • Chapter 5: Network
      • Proof read and propose changes wherever necessary.
    • Chapter 7: Additional Considerations
      • Proof read and propose changes wherever necessary for Education section and beyond.
    • Bike rack inventory maintenance audit:
      • Fill in the remaining details and complete the sheet.
      • Visit locations of bike racks with blurry or no photos or where the rack capacity is not mentioned.
      • Classify different types of bike racks based on their condition and maintenance level and create separate pdf’s for each.

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