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Project Updates

  1. Education iCAP Team December Meeting

    Education iCAP Team had its final monthly online meeting of the semester on Monday, December 5th, at 5 PM. The team had two guests from GIES College of Business: Gopesh Anand and Sharon Shavitt. The team discussed potential ways to improve sustainability education at the College of Business with the guests. Afterward, the team further discussed the Sustainability in Study Abroad Recommendation draft, which is ready to be submitted to iWG. Finally, the team chair, Jessica Nicholson, gave updates on the Sustainability Gen-Ed project. The meeting minutes are attached. 

  2. 12-7-22 External Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 

    On December 7, UIUC sustainability representatives met with Coca-Cola and discussed the following:

    Attendance: Jake Slager, Shawn Patterson, Dominika Szal, Sarah Carten, Thurman Etchison, Daphne Hulse, Liz Doeschot, Jen Fraterrigo

    • Debrief from last week’s call:

      • Thinking about how we can integrate the Don’t Waste campaign into our existing initiatives that we have planned for spring 2023: Big Ten basketball game (February/March), ISTC waste audit (March), Earth Month (April), Earth Day (April 22), Housing/F&S Dump & Run (May).

      • Social media: Don’t Waste Wednesdays - spread the responsibility and partnership across F&S, iSEE, the Union, Housing/Dining, DIA so it is feasible to achieve.

        • Allows the different groups to specialize in their areas (e.g. iSEE sharing research-related news, Dining sharing food-waste related news).

        • Jake suggests that we could create friendly competition to keep the entities engaged and wanting to produce content.

      • Interest in exploring the Illini App for sustainability initiatives / GIS maps (water bottle refill stations).

      • Jen is planning to coordinate small internal group to talk through the reusable cup idea. It needs more exploration.

      • Interest in pursuing a zero waste basketball game in the spring (Big Ten).

    • Cadence for next year: how often should we meet, who should be included?

      • May consider meeting less than once per week (maybe every other week) unless there is an upcoming event where we need to meet every week leading up to it.

    • What do we need bin-wise?

      • Temporary bins tend to be inherently flimsy.

      • The cost of sturdier bins is much greater.

      • May be worth a revisit in the future to figure out an alternative.

    • Feedback: what’s been helpful with Coke calls? What can they continue to support?

      • Helpful that Coke facilitates a synergy across different entities at U of I that don’t always get to communicate so regularly on issues of sustainability.

    • Next week will be the assessment call for waste management.

    • Spring planning: Earth Month, Earth Day, surprise & delight, events.

    • Would need to contact concessions to see if they can track the amount of items sold.

      • having their input would help us get more accurate data.

     

  3. Campus Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) fall 2022

  4. Fall Meeting Follow-up

    Associated Project(s): 

    Below is an email from Big Ten and Friends:


    Subject: Big 10 & Friends Sustainability Network: Fall Meeting Follow-up

     

    Hello Big 10 & Friends Sustainability Network,

     

    Thank you to all who attended our fall meeting last month.  We are currently working with the presenting schools to schedule our next meeting sometime in February - details to come soon! In the meantime, if you haven't already, make sure you are checking out this year's affinity groups on specific topics you'd be interested in exploring more!

     

     

    This year's affinity groups are:

    • Green Labs
    • Agricultural/Land Based Sequestration Strategies
    • Staff Engagement
    • Engaging Facilities
    • Waste Reduction
    • Data Analysis
    • Funding Decarbonization

    If you are an affinity group lead and haven't already - please consider scheduling a meeting with your group before our February meeting. Affinity groups will have the opportunity to share out to the entire network during the February network meeting.

     

    If anyone else has proposed agenda items for the February network meeting, please let us know.

     

    Thank you,

    Co-Chairs:

    Tom Reeves (OSU)

    Nicole Berg (UM)

    Ken Keeler (UM)

  5. Energy011 Priority Technologies and Practices for a Clean Energy Plan - Submitted

    The Energy iCAP Team submitted the attached recommendation Energy011 Priority Technologies and Practices for a Clean Energy Plan to the iWG on 12/1/22. The attached recommendation states:

    The Energy iCAP Team recommends that F&S and any external consulting group consider the feasibility and overall effectiveness of the following technologies and practices in the development of a clean energy plan for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign:

    • Energy Conservation & Energy Efficiency
    • Micro-nuclear energy
    • Geothermal Energy
    • Hydrogen Fuel
    • Energy Efficiency Renovations
    • Expansion of solar energy production
    • Wind energy
    • Carbon capture and sequestration
    • Power Purchasing Agreements
  6. Edu008 Sustainability in Study Abroad - Submitted

    The Education iCAP Team submitted the Edu008 Sustainability in Study Abroad recommendation to the iWG on 12/6/22. The recommendation (attached) states:

    The Illinois Abroad Council Steering Committee (IACSC) with the Environmental Sustainability and Study Abroad Working Group will charge the Directors of each college’s study abroad program with assigning a member to this study abroad sustainability working group. Further, each Director should be charged to meet with the  Environmental Sustainability and Study Abroad Working Group once per semester, at minimum. Through involvement in this working group, these representatives will gain the background needed to develop a collaborative effort to address climate-related impacts associated with study abroad. This would elicit a set of best practices and policy for all college-based international programs office in the areas of program orientation, re-entry programming, program policies regarding travel, community engagement, short term faculty led programming, environmental awareness and education. Continued support from iSEE and ongoing consultation with iSEE will be appreciated. As the program evolves, public updates on the iCAP portal will be of benefit to all stakeholders.

     

     

  7. Res004 Student Support for Coordinated Rainwater Management Plan - Submitted

    The Resilience iCAP Team submitted the attached recommendation Res004 Student Support for Coordinated Rainwater Management Plan to the iWG on 12/2/22. The recommendation states: 

    Provide internship funding support for developing a coordinated rainwater management plan, focusing on the local urbanized areas of Urbana, Champaign, Savoy, and campus communities. This plan should contribute to the green infrastructure on campus as student interns research and use campus resources as a model for the stormwater management systems for the cities. Lisa Merrifield at U of I Extension will recruit, work with, and advise the student intern for this project. Ideal candidates will be in a master’s degree program and have an interest in community green infrastructure and stormwater management planning.

  8. Weekly Update (week of November 28): Kids bike give away, for-sale bikes

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, [Ed. note: Apologies for getting this in late.] We’ve finalized our Kid’s Bike Giveaway date/time with the Bike Project and have been working through our supply of donated bikes. Serendipitously we got nearly a half dozen kids bikes donated last week, even before we put the word out on the giveaway event.

    This week we kept working through that supply. I was out on Tuesday/Wednesday but visits have been lower since the cooler weather hit.

    While we’re working on the kids bikes we’ve also been able to fix up a few for-sale bikes, sitting at about 6 done and ready to go. Still have a large supply at the warehouse, which I’ll have more time to tackle after the 17th (date of the Kids Bike Event).

    Next week I’ll move over the finished kids bike to Urbana as we’re running out of space for them here.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 25
    Sales: $185.50
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Misc. parts: 19 for $95.50

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  9. 12-5-22 Internal Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 

    On December 5, UIUC sustainability representatives met and discussed the following:

    Agenda:

    1. Walk through campaign proposal slides as an internal group.

      1. Brainstorm a vision for spring 2023.

      2. Particular “activations” to focus on.

      3. Tie into existing or anticipated initiatives for spring 2023:

        1. Big Ten basketball game recycling event — February/March.

        2. ISTC waste audit — March.

        3. Earth Month — April.

        4. Earth Day — April 22.

        5. Housing/F&S Dump & Run — May.

          1. Bryan Johnson is the contact for Housing.

        6. iSEE initiatives for spring?

        7. Clean up events — twice a semester, at most (turnout, weather)

      4. Plug into social:

        1. iSEE.

        2. F&S.

        3. Housing.

        4. Union.

        5. Athletics.

    2. Basketball recycling events:

      1. Can we track attendance data?

        1. Attendance for 11/14 game?

    3. Reusable cups:

      1. Small group to strategize and gather information.

    4. Residence Hall orientation:

      1. Alternative route to new student orientation.

      2. Gretchen - New Student Orientation.

    5. Illinois App:

      1. Campus Calendar - integrated.

      2. Public Affairs is in charge of it.

    6. Man on the street:

      1. Steve or Travis CR&C.

     

  10. Pollinator Signage Final Report

    Several students apart of the Sustainability Living-Learning Community attended the 2017 AASHE Student Summit and participated in a Bee Campus USA workshop. These students decided that the University should obtain Bee Campus USA Certification for UIUC. Displaying signage focused on pollinator conservation was one of the requirements for this certification. Four signs were installed, and since their installment UIUC is a part of Bee Campus USA.

    Attached is the full report.

     

  11. December 2, 2022 Illini Lights Out Data

    Associated Project(s): 

    At last Friday's Illini Lights Out event, 4,204 light bulbs were shut off that otherwise would have been left on all weekend, saving $639.62 in energy costs. This also prevented 5.14 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from the average car driving 12,757 miles. That's a huge impact!

    Friday was the semester's last Illini Lights Out event, but there will be five more events in the spring. Stay up to date with the dates of these events and other sustainability-related events and news by signing up for the Institute of Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) newsletter here.

    Illini Lights Out addresses objectives 2.2 and 2.2.2 of the iCAP, or Illinois Climate Action Plan, to increase energy efficiency and reduce building-level energy. Find out about other iCAP objectives here and read the entire iCAP here.

    Illini Lights Out is a certified Green Event! Click this link to learn how to green-certify your own event.

  12. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 12/2/22

    The transportation iCAP team met on Friday, December 2nd at 3:00 P.M. CST to discuss electric vehicle charging, and updates on bike shelter procurement for the university. Due to a software error, the meeting minutes were not recorded.

    Link to meeting recording: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_u3g573fb

  13. Energy iCAP Team Meeting 12/2/22

    The Energy iCAP Team met on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 to discuss potential recommendations on standards for new buildings and developing a committee of energy researchers to share knowledge across campus.

  14. New iSEE Green Certifications

    Congratulations to the Office of the Chancellor for Special Events, OVCRI, Pi Phi, and the Office of Academic Programs (College of ACES) for their recent green certifications!

    Green Event:

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events Il v. Monmouth Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events IL v. Lindenwood Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events IL v. Syracuse Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. Penn State Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v Alabama L&M Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. Bethane-Cookman, Certified November 2022

    OVCRI Research Development Day 2022, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. WIsconsin Men's basketball game, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. vs. Michigan State Men's Basketball, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. vs. Indiana Men's Basketball, Certified December 2022

     

    Green Chapter: Pi Beta Phi, Silver, Recertified November 2022

     

    Green Office: Office of Academic Programs (College of ACES), Silver, Certified November 2022

     

    Keep up the great work!

  15. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - December 2, 2022

    Associated Project(s): 

    Done:

    Discussion:

    • Adding Fliss project
    • Adding green food truck project
    • Objectives page
      • Make it easier to find a specific chapter

    TODOs:

    • Discussion of archiving projects
    • Search: can it be less rigid?
    • Main nav: move focus to search box when Search is clicked
    • Objectives page:
      • Add "jump to chapter" option:
        • Dropdown list for mobile, theme icons for larger screens
        • Reporting Progress icon jumps to chapter 9
        • Don't show Funding icon
    • Fancy project page - make images in image banner clickable (go directly to image)
    • Fancy project layout mockups - keep tweaking #3 to improve contrast
    • Collections page:
      • Add image upload option
    • Discuss metrics
      • Metrics with lots of data
      • Consider how to handle old metrics that no longer track new data. Archive somehow?
      • Fun with math (e.g. combining multiple metrics)
      • Calculated Metrics on Dev site
    • Use "Take Action" project to encourage students to get involved with sustainability (link from homepage?)
    • Track down and resolve informational message on full listing page for Project Updates by Key Objective (see, e.g. Projects Updates for key objective: 1.0 iCAP 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan)
    • Why is the Achieve Zero Waste project map page not loading?
  16. Undergraduate Library rehomes 6 3-bins to other facilities on campus

    Associated Project(s): 

    The Undergraduate Library rehomed 6 3-bins at the onset of redevelopment:

    • Armory took 4 (P10E62260 second floor east side right out of the elevator, P10E62264 third floor southside center outside restroom, P10E62261 third floor northside center outside of restroom, P10E62265 in landing area in front of Room 232 under glassed bulletin board).
    • Mechanical Engineering Laboratory took 2 (P10E62262 and P10E62263 on first and second floors).

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