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Northern Arizona University 2007 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award Application

Category

Four-year and graduate institutions over 7,500 student FTE

NAU emphasizes renewable energy and sustainable construction as a model for the campus community

Contact

Shelley Silbert
Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 5765,
Flagstaff, Arizona
928-523-7635
shelley.silbert@nau.edu

Governance & Administration

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has placed sustainability at the heart of the university by including a sustainability goal in its latest strategic plan: "Further the environmental, economic, social, and cultural vitality of our communities through collaborative stewardship of place." Cultivating areas of basic and applied research excellence in the environment and sustainable systems are noted as an initiative under this goal. A principal strategy is for NAU to serve as a model of environmentally responsible and sustainable operations and education.

President John Haeger formally adopted a campus Environmental Sustainability Plan in 2004. Our first campus sustainability report, a 14-page color document highlighting the university’s successes and plans, was published in September 2006 and over 2000 copies have been distributed across campus, regionally, at numerous national conferences, and via the web. The report highlights the university’s successes and plans in the areas of transportation, high efficiency buildings, waste management, water conservation, energy, food, regional events and creating a culture of sustainability. In spring 2006, NAU established a campus sustainability website, http://home.nau.edu/sustain. A university-wide Sustainability Ambassadors Network also formed to bring together staff, students, and faculty to increase sustainable practices at NAU.

In January 2007, President Haeger joined the Leadership Circle of the American College of University President’s Climate Challenge as a charter signatory. The group’s goal is to model ways to minimize global warming emissions and to provide the needed knowledge and educated graduates. In June 2003, the President cemented this commitment by joining other leaders in Washington, D.C. to formally adopt the climate challenge. Haeger commented, “Creating a sustainable campus has been a part of our strategic plan for the last three years. NAU is a leader in climate change research and curriculum, and through collaborative efforts throughout campus we are assessing ways to reduce our own greenhouse emissions. We are pleased to officially commit to developing the diversity of skills needed to reverse global warming.”

This year, the provost signed an agreement for collaboration with the International Slow Food Association to join a worldwide network of universities and research institutes to pursue efforts to protect the environment, agricultural biodiversity and cultures and to develop programs of academic training, research, and exchange programs in support of “quality agricultural food products that are small scale and economically, socially and ecologically sustainable.” This agreement follows upon NAU’s years of leadership in research, outreach, and education on the impacts of food production, transport, and processing.

NAU also has membership, an MOU, or closely collaborates with these organizations working on sustainability issues: AASHE, ACUP Climate Challenge, Campus Climate Challenge, International Slow Food Association, Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, U.S. Green Building Council, Wind Powering America (DOE), Governor's Growing Smarter Task Force, Governor’s Solar Energy Advisory Council, Coconino County Sustainable Economic Development Initiative.

Operations

NAU completed its capstone sustainable construction project in May 2007, the Applied Research and Development facility (ARD). Its recently submitted USGBC LEED application counts 61 points towards a required 52 points for the LEED Platinum rating. Key features include:

•  40% energy reduction through daylighting, solar thermal panels, enthalpy wheels, heat exchangers, and automated shades;
• 30-50% reduction in water consumption through reclaimed water, waterless urinals, low-flush toilets, and low-pressure faucets;
• 75% construction waste recycling, 40% fly ash in concrete, and purchase of recycled and local materials.
• 20% of energy load provided by a 160-kilowatt photovoltaic system.
• Energy monitoring and real-time energy and water consumption figures.
• Estimated 85% carbon neutrality.
• Docent-led public tours begin in the fall.

NAU completed the College of Business Administration (seeking LEED Gold) and the renovated College of Engineering and Natural Sciences (seeking LEED Silver) in spring 2006.

Campus potable water use was reduced by 90% by converting irrigation systems to reclaimed water, using reclaimed water for waste conveyance in new buildings, installing waterless urinals, and increasing xeriscape gardens.

NAU has reduced surface parking to encourage bicycling and walking, upgraded the campus bus system, and added carpool spaces with reduced parking permit costs.

Residence Life buildings, comprising more than 1 million square feet, have had sustainability improvements:

• Energy efficient windows installed in thirteen of twenty residence halls
• Low flow shower heads retrofitted in all housing and low flow toilets installed in apartment style housing
• All fluorescent fixtures converted from traditional to electronic ballasts
• Many incandescent fixtures converted to compact fluorescent fixtures
• Many 500 gallon boiler storage tanks replaced with smaller “on demand” boilers
• All exit signs converted to LED technology
• Motion detectors installed on security lighting
• All residence halls utilize “outside temperature resets” to adjust heat production
• Sustainable design principles incorporated in McKay Village construction:
  • recycling of all building materials during demolition
  • all “energy star” appliances
  • combined domestic hot water and heating system
  • photo cell controlled low pressure sodium exterior lighting
• Discarded clothing recycled through Big Brothers/Big Sisters
• All halls have separated recycling

NAU Printing Services has adopted the use of soy-based inks, non-petrol cleaners, recycled paper upon request, cloth vs. paper towels, and recycling of paper and plates.

NAU Dining Services:

• Provides every incoming freshman on campus a recycle mug with discounts for refills
• A 2006 student project led to donation of all surplus prepared food from campus kitchens to the Flagstaff Family Food Center, providing as many as 1,000 meals/month
• Uses recycled napkins in all serving areas and recycled cups in coffee shops.
• Offers locally-grown and organic foods
• Serves fair trade coffee.
• Uses china and silverware in the dining halls.
• Donates $5000/year towards the Hooper Student Sustainability Fund.
• Last spring’s RFP for food services made sustainability a focus for companies bidding on the contract by adding sustainability specifications.

Curriculum & Research

Academics:

• In 2006, NAU began a Bachelor of Science program in Environmental Studies; 20 students enrolled as majors.
• NAU offers B.S. degrees in Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Forestry, and Parks and Recreation Management; undergraduate majors in biology (ecology emphasis), fish and wildlife management, journalism (environmental communication emphasis), economics (environmental focus), physics and astronomy (environmental emphasis), environmental planning, land use planning, environmental geology, humanities (environmental humanities emphasis), public humanities, and liberal studies (emphasis areas in environmental communication and environmental science).
• The Applied Indigenous Studies program offers an applied indigenous environmental studies certificate.
• Construction Management emphasizes sustainable building and development.
• Graduate programs include: MS in Engineering (environmental engineering emphasis); MA, MPA, and PhD in political science (emphasis in environmental and natural resources policy), MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy, MS and PhD in forestry, and Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) (emphasizes environmental and social dimensions of sustainable communities). MLS offers a summer institute of sustainability, with all courses open to the public.
• A graduate certificate in conservation ecology.

Three new interdisciplinary courses were added this year:

• Climate Mitigation -- students constructed a carbon footprint of the university from 1990-2005 and made recommendations for NAU to reach carbon neutrality by 2020;
• Sustainability in Natural and Built Systems -- examines characteristics of ecosystems and applies them to human-made systems;
• Research in Campus Sustainability -- students complete an original research project addressing a campus or community sustainability issue.

NAU’s endowed chair in Community, Culture, and the Environment supports courses, workshops, and exhibits that help students conceptualize interdisciplinary solutions for the challenges of sustainable living.

Research:

Some highlights:

• In August 2005, NAU was chosen as one of five universities to host DOE’s Western Regional Center of the National Institute for Climatic Change Research and will receive $10 million for projects in 13 western states.
• In fall 2006, NAU released a one-hour public television documentary, A River Reborn, on the decommissioning of the Fossil Creek dam and hydroelectric facilities, a research focus of five NAU natural and social science departments.
• In June 2006, NAU’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Management hosted the seventh annual international Think Tank on sustainable tourism.

These key programs involve students in the environment:

• Center for Sustainable Environments emphasizes the conservation of biological and cultural diversity and promotes sustainability,
• Ecological Restoration Institute researches and restores fire-adapted forests and other ecosystems;
• Sustainable Energy Solutions develops sustainable energy-based applications such as wind and solar power and trains students renewable energy technologies.
• Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research seeks to understand environmental change on the Colorado Plateau;
• Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals trains professionals and sparks collaborations to protect Native American natural resources,
• Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit focuses on Colorado Plateau natural and cultural resources.
• Information on other programs can be found in Navigating the Green Road: A Guide to NAU’s Environmental Resources, at: www.emaprogram.com/emaweb/ema/site/GreenRoad.asp.

Campus Culture

In 2006, NAU launched the Sustainable is Attainable pledge campaign. In its first year, students, staff and faculty pledged to reduce energy consumption by 10%; the second year pledge focused on transportation alternatives. Aside from campaign educational efforts, NAU produced the Green Practices Guide in 2006 to give tips and ideas for sustainability in offices and residences. Students and staff shared NAU’s achievements in a session entitled “Creating a Culture of Sustainability” at the October 2006 AASHE Conference.

The NAU chapter of the Campus Climate Challenge formed in September 2006. Over 50 students attended the first meeting, and by spring 2007 over 120 students, staff, and faculty registered as members of the group. Two active focus groups have been created: Education/Outreach and Policy.

The Society of Environmental Communicators student group is flourishing and working diligently to:

• convince the university to switch to more sustainable paper products,
• building on success in hosting NAU’s annual Earth Day celebration, the group is planning NAU’s biggest day of climate action, Focus the Nation, on January 31, 2008. http://www.focusthenation.org/
• establish a Yellow Bike Program on campus; the university administration has agreed to collect and donate abandoned bikes to a public bike program. These bikes, painted in yellow and maintained by volunteers, would be put out for public use on campus, with implementation planned for fall 2007.

A student-initiated group meets with the Director of NAU Dining Services to increase organic and local food options, research biodegradable food containers and reduction of bottled water sales, and explore other sustainable campus food options. Some members of this group worked with the Center for Sustainable Environments to produce 5000 directories of local and organic products, which are given out for free at the Flagstaff Visitor’s Center, the Museum of Northern Arizona and at regional retailers.

The Hooper Student Sustainability Fund, established in 2001, continues its annual competition for student sustainability project funding of $500 to $2500. In 2007, a new merit-based sustainability award of $1500 was added to encourage freshmen and sophomores, who may not be ready to initiate a project, to continue their active engagement in environmental concerns on campus. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students are encouraged to apply for awards of $2500 for sustainability projects on or off-campus. Native American students are particularly encouraged to apply, and each year awards have been made for projects involving students in sustainability work in reservation communities.

The Eco House/Sustainability Learning Community connects approximately 20 freshmen of various majors with other environmentally-minded students. Eco House residents strive to promote sustainable and environmentally-sensitive living within the university setting. NAU is also developing a program for incoming freshmen to explain the topic of sustainability, NAU goals and actions, and what expectations a student must meet at a sustainable university.

Community Service & Outreach

NAU has collaborated effectively with Native American tribes on environmental issues. For example, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) holds trainings on air and water quality and waste management with 120 tribes across the country each year. In 2006, ITEP was awarded a $7.6 million grant to train tribes across the country in air quality management. In 2007, ITEP held the first tribal green building workshop in Flagstaff, attracting 40 participants from six tribes to learn about alternative building and remodeling, sustainable energy and water use, making green building affordable, and developing codes and strategies for Native American communities.

In January 2007, NAU hosted a Community Tribal Investment Workshop in which 50 participants sketched plans to develop a multi-level renewable energy program for the reservations.

NAU faculty and students in 2007 presented a session on global warming and climate justice at the Youth Leadership Summit, bringing together high school students with leadership potential from regional Native American communities. In conjunction with the Black Mesa Water Coalition and the Sierra Student Coalition, NAU students planned and hosted the Southwest Climate Justice Summit to train students from six states on climate change.

NAU also co-sponsored Flagstaff’s “Step it Up 2007” event with a local faith group, Christians for the Earth, on the National Day of Climate Action. The event sought to deliver a critical message to Congress: put America on course to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

In related work, NAU worked with Arizona PIRG representatives to educate the campus public on alternative fuel vehicles and to encourage state representatives to support legislation for greening the state fleet of automobiles.

At the county level, four NAU programs provided critical leadership to the development of the County’s Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI). This effort, which began in 2006, works to create and preserve a high quality of life for Coconino County residents by expanding sustainable economic opportunities to foster social equity, economic prosperity, and ecological health.

In 2007, NAU formed the Northern Arizona Group Purchasers of Renewable Energy with other major energy users. The group has set a goal to acquire 5% of its electrical needs through renewable energy in the first year.

In 2005-2007, a consortium of programs at NAU and off-campus held an Environmental Lecture Series to bridge university and town communities. Speakers included Helena Norberg-Hodge, Derrick Jensen, James Howard Kuntsler, Ray Anderson, Charles Wilkinson, Scott Russell Sanders, Sim van der Rhyn, Timothy Beatley and others.

In other community outreach, NAU continues to sponsor the Flagstaff Community Farmer’s Market and Canyon Country Fresh, a network of local food producers of the Four Corners area. In January 2007, the director of the Center for Sustainable Environments, Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan, was awarded the Quivira Coalition’s Outstanding Leadership Award in Albuquerque, recognizing his “remarkable and enduring leadership in the difficult job of working in the radical center – the place where people are coming together to explore their common interests rather than argue their differences.”

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