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Environmental Efforts • Sustainability Efforts as of January 2009

Table of Contents

  1. Business Operations
    1. New Construction Projects
      1. College of Pharmacy
      2. Patient Care Addition
      3. Forage Animal Production Research Lab
      4. Digital Village Building Design
    2. Physical Planning
      1. Bicycle Plan
      2. Legacy Trail
      3. GIS Services
      4. Coldstream Research Campus Master Plan
      5. College of Design Study
    3. Physical Plant Management
      1. Renovation
        1. Interior Design
        2. Building Renovations
          1. Chemistry Physics Building
          2. Boiler Replacements
          3. Chiller Replacements
          4. Roof Replacements
          5. Classroom and Office Upgrades
            1. General
            2. Law Building
            3. Observatory
      2. Operations
        1. Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESCO)
        2. Electrical Upgrades
        3. Janitorial Services
        4. Campus Wide Recycling
        5. Campus Energy Management
        6. Campus Vehicles
          1. Motor Pool
          2. PPD Service Vehicles
          3. Parking and transportation
        7. Purchasing Services
        8. Resident Life
        9. Dining and Catering
        10. Housing
        11. Central Facility Stores Operation
  2. Academic / Research Activities
    1. Arboretum
    2. Maine Chance Farm
    3. LDDC
    4. College of Agriculture
    5. Environmental Programs at UK
  3. Outreach / Community Engagement
    1. Initiatives
      1. Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community
      2. Sustainable Lecture Series
      3. President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee
        1. Sustainability Advisory Committee - Academic Subcommittee
      4. UK Grant and Kentucky Pride Funds Support Outreach to Fayette County Schools for Environmental and Sustainability Education
      5. Big Blue Goes Green: a Sustainability Showcase
  4. University of Kentucky Statement on Sustainability Policy

Sustainability Efforts as of January 2009 Report (PDF)


The University of Kentucky views "Sustainability" in terms of three broad areas. These areas include:

  1. University business operations,
  2. academic and research activities and
  3. community engagement.

This report is intended to document the numerous activities taking place within each of these areas.

This report is updated annually by the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

1. Business Operations

1.1. New Construction Projects

1.1.1. College of Pharmacy Building (under construction 2008 to 2010)

ARCHITECTURAL and GENERAL Sustainable Design Considerations:

HVAC Sustainable Design Considerations:

PLUMBING Sustainable Design Considerations:

ELECTRICAL Sustainable Design Considerations:

1.1.2. Patient Care Addition (new Hospital building – under construction 2007 to 2010)

Sustainability Considerations

General Planning:

Site:

Energy:

Materials:

Indoor Environmental Quality:

1.1.3. Forage Animal Production Research Lab (In Design)

A new building being designed for the College of Agriculture Campus will be designed to LEED and will incorporate many green features like a true green roof, a rain garden that helps form the building entrance and LABS21 Environmental Performance Criteria.

1.1.4. Digital Village Building

A 40,000 gross square foot building in design that will become the University of Kentucky’s first LEED certified building.

1.2. Physical Planning Activities

1.2.1. Bicycle Plan

Implementation of the 2005 Campus Bicycle Plan: Shared paths have been created on campus that link residence halls to the campus core using existing pedestrian paths that are wide enough for bikes and pedestrians. Improvements to sidewalks and streets are being made to connect the shared path system to the city streets to facilitate off-campus bike trips. A new pathway will be created through the Arboretum Woods providing a critical link in Lexington’s north-south trail system. Recent counts of bicycles in racks on campus in October 2008 indicate a significant increase in bicycle use compared to 2007.

1.2.2. Legacy Trail

The Legacy Trail is a joint UK/LFUCG project to construct a 5.6 mile shared use path through Coldstream Research Campus and Maine Chance Farm.

1.2.3. GIS Services GIS Services

University of Kentucky PPD GIS Services has converted many campus and utility documents to GIS and are in the process of sharing information and streamlining operations with enterprise GIS. Areas currently being pursued using GIS for sustainable reasons are listed below.

1.2.4. Coldstream Research Campus Master Plan

This planning project will explore ways to redirect the development of Coldstream Research Campus by introducing a more urban model including mixed-use facilities that will introduce new services that support the research component more effectively and make Coldstream more a desirable place to live and work. Live and work concepts are being explored to encourage reduction in the use of the automobile and greater use of biking and walking paths. The planning is also focused on the city park as an amenity and as a means of managing storm water from the development.

1.2.5. College of Design Building Study

This study recommends a design that would incorporate many sustainable features like captured rainwater, gray water treatment, pervious paving evapotranspiration and solar heated water. The building would take advantage of its location to provide diffuse light into occupied space and use direct sun exposure to feed a photovoltaic array on the roof. Passive solar massing would lower heating and cooling loads and a geothermal exchange system would reduce energy consumption.

1.3. Physical Plant Management

1.3.1. Renovation Activities

1.3.1.1. Interior Design

Interior Finishes & Furnishings:

Floor coverings:

Furniture:

Upholsteries:

1.3.1.2. Building Renovations

1.3.1.2.1. Chemistry Physics Building

Green Features incorporated into the recent Chemistry Physics Building renovation projects are as follows:

1.3.1.2.2. Boiler Replacements

Two new ultra-low NOx gas boilers were installed at the CUP plant behind BBSRB. These boilers were specified to operate while producing extremely low NOx levels (9 ppm) and with a capacity turn down of 16%, allowing for precise matching of capacity to load. They have also been provided with exhaust stack economizers to improve efficiency.

1.3.1.2.3. Chiller Replacements

Four (4) old and inefficient, 1,000 ton chillers were replaced at Cooling Plant 1 with 4 new 2,250 ton chillers. The new chillers have an operational efficiency of 0.646 KW/ton at the design conditions. Installed two 5000 ton chillers in CP # 2 with synchronous electric motors to help control our electric power factor penalty cost.

1.3.1.2.4. Roof Replacements

Recent roof replacements have typically utilized foam overlay in lieu of a roof tear-off. Using this approach retains the value of existing insulation and provides a highly reflective (white) surface, reducing energy consumption and reducing construction waste.

1.3.1.2.5. Classroom and Office Upgrades

1.3.1.2.5.1. General:

Classroom Renovations have improved the teaching environment in older buildings like Chemistry Physics. Refurbishing older facilities is a green practice.

1.3.1.2.5.2. Law Building:

Renovated offices and faculty lounge, adding day-lighting to windowless spaces.

1.3.1.2.5.3. Observatory:

Located this facility on the roof of an existing parking garage, saving green space and providing a location with minimal light pollution.

1.3.2. Business Operations

1.3.2.1. Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESCO) (Bid 2008/2009 with Construction and Renovation in 2009 to 2011)

These services are to reduce energy consumption associated with facilities operations (and for services which do not reduce consumption per se but are aimed at reducing carbon emissions). The goal is to identify cost savings measures that will offset the capital investment. The ESCO will also include training of facility staff in measuring and verifying ongoing operational costs and savings.

This 2009 contract will include:

Status: The process of consultant selection is underway. A firm will be selected by late spring 2009 and cost reduction and significant overall energy reduction will commence in fiscal year 2009/2010.

1.3.2.2. Campus Electrical Upgrades (ongoing practices)

1.3.2.3. Janitorial Services (2007/2008 implementation)

The University now utilizes green cleaning products and techniques in all campus buildings and many of the Medical Center buildings (a major change in practices).

1.3.2.4. Campus Wide Recycling

Solid Waste

Other Waste

1.3.2.5. Campus Energy Management

UK operates a sophisticated 24 hour/7 Day manned centralized energy management control center (Delta Room) which centrally monitors and controls the majority of HVAC and other equipment on campus. e.g. night reduction in use and other off peak activities. This central control has lowered campus energy use and is estimated to save $1.5 to $2.0 million annually.

1.3.2.6. Campus Vehicles

1.3.2.6.1. Motor Pool

The use of bio-Diesel fuel and ethanol in the UK fleet of vehicles reduces oil dependency. Management Operations also applies alternate fuel strategies to farm activities

1.3.2.6.2. PPD Service Vehicles

Physical Plant purchased 5 additional electric carts bringing the current fleet to 63, including 3 loaner carts (new program) that are available for various purposes. The use of carts is less intrusive, reduces emissions and lower cost.

1.3.2.6.3. Parking and Transportation

Planned 2009 Sustainable Parking and Transportation Initiatives:

1.3.2.7 Purchasing Services

The University purchases the following green products and services:

Building Maintenance Products

Janitorial Products:

Office Equipment and Supplies:

Miscellaneous Items:

1.3.2.8 Residence Life

The Office of Residence Life employs a full-time sustainability coordinator and this person coordinates the following initiatives.

1.3.2.9 Dining and Catering

1.3.2.10 Housing

1.3.2.11 Central Facility Stores Operation

2. Academic / Research Activities

2.3 Arboretum

The Arboretum has completed the following projects:

2.4 College of Agriculture

Maine Chance Farm - As part of an ongoing process to improve environmental quality on the University’s Farms, the College of Agriculture (COA) has implemented many projects to improve the sustainable of the farms. These projects include the enhancement of stream corridors that traverse through the farm and management of what, some may consider, wastes as beneficial materials. The areas listed below represent some of the environmental initiatives that have been implemented.

2.5 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AT UK

Bioenvironmental Option, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Administrative Unit: Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. Steve Workman
Staffing: 18 faculty
Type of Program: concentration for B.S. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Requirements: BAE curriculum plus 4 environmental engineering technical electives
Relevant Courses: BAE 438G (Fundamentals of Groundwater Hydrology), BAE 532 (Introduction to Stream Restoration), BAE 536 (Fluvial Hydraulics), BAE 538 (GIS Applications for Water Resources)
Age of Program: 50 yrs (program renamed in 2000)
Enrollment: approximately 20 students
Number of Students Graduated: 4 per year
Placement: consulting firms, graduate school

Environmental Engineering Certificate

Administrative Unit: College of Engineering
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. Lindell Ormsbee (Department of Civil Engineering)
Staffing: course instructors, plus committee made up of departmental faculty liaisons and program director
Type of Program: undergraduate certificate
Requirements: major in a participating department (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mining Engineering) with a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 (higher in some departments), plus:

  1. A 3-hour interdisciplinary introductory course in environmental engineering.
  2. A minimum of 6 hours of environmental science courses with at least 3 hours of biology and 3 hours of chemistry selected from the following: BIO 208 (Principles of Microbiology), BIO XXX (Environmental Physiology), CHE 230 (Organic Chemistry I), CHE 236 (Survey of Organic Chemistry).
  3. At least 12 hours of approved environmentally-elated engineering courses with at least 3 hours from one of the other participating departments.

The student must achieve a grade of C or better in each course taken as part of the certificate program.
Age of Program: 13 years
Number of Students Graduated: 41 certificates awarded since 1995

Environmental Studies

Administrative Unit: College of Arts & Sciences
Responsible/Contact Person: Dr. Ernest Yanarella (Department of Political Science)
Staffing: seven faculty members, one part-time instructor
Type of Program: undergraduate minor
Budget: $7,000
Requirements: ENS 200 (Introduction to Environmental Studies) and ENS 400 (Senior Seminar in Environmental Studies), plus 6 credit hours of approved socio-cultural courses and 6 credit hours of approved science-technical courses
Relevant Courses: a growing list of undergraduate courses from political science, sociology, geography, forestry, biology, chemistry, anthropology, philosophy
Age of Program: 10 years
Enrollment: 45 students
Number of Students Graduated: 5–10 per year
Placement: most students pursue advanced degrees in either socio-cultural programs (public policy and administration, political science, environmental sociology, environmental law) or scientific-technical areas (environmental biology, environmental chemistry, engineering, forestry)

Natural Resource Conservation and Management

Administrative Unit: College of Agriculture
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. Craig Infanger (Chair, NRCM Coordinating
Committee [Department of Agricultural Economics]); Dr. Larry Grabau (Director of Undergraduate Studies, NRCM [Department of Plant and Soil Sciences])
Staffing: 13 core faculty (six of them are among seven members of NRCM Coordinating Committee), one part-time instructor
Type of Program: interdisciplinary undergraduate major (B.S. degree)
Requirements: 31-32 pre-major credit hours (in specified BIO, CHE, MA, STA, GLY, PLS, ECO courses), 39 core credit hours, 18 credit hours in area of concentration (9 of those credit hours must be at 300 level or above)
Relevant Courses:

Age of Program: 14 years
Enrollment: high 50s – low 60s
Number of Students Graduated: 12 to 33 (average 20), 2002–2007
Placement: private sector; local, state, and Federal government agencies; graduate and professional schools; non-profits

SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT UK (updated 11/4//08)

Ecological Anthropology

Administrative Unit: Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences http://web.as.uky.edu/anthropology/index.html
Responsible/ Contact Person(s): Dr. Chris Pool (Chair, Department of Anthropology); Dr. Lisa Cliggett (Director of Graduate Studies, and Faculty Contact for Ecological Anthropology Concentration).
Staffing: 11 core faculty; 17 adjunct faculty. Most departmental faculty teach courses in the ecology track and also conduct research that intersects with ecology, through which many graduate students gain research experience.
Type of Program: Area of concentration in the master’s and doctoral degree program in Anthropology.
Budget: none designated specifically, but a significant portion of departmental general budget promotes the ecological anthropology concentration (colloquium, guest speakers, field trips, etc).
Requirements: Standard coursework, thesis (MA), exam (PhD) and dissertation (PhD) in anthropology with a concentration in Ecological Anthropology. For specific requirements see the departmental web site: http://web.as.uky.edu/anthropology/gradreq.html
Age of Program: Since 1926. UK’s anthropology department was one of the first independent departments of anthropology in the country, started in 1926 with a focus on Archaeology and Kentucky prehistory. The department quickly expanded to become a leader in applied anthropology (cultural and archaeological) and in ecological and economic anthropology. Enrollment: Current graduate student enrollment is approximately 61 students, with close to half having research interests in ecology/environment.
Number of Students Graduated: In the last decade approximately 35 students have completed a PhD or MA degree with coursework and research that intersects with Ecological Anthropology.
Placement: faculty at colleges or universities; government and private sector; domestic and international agencies.
Relevant Courses:

Environmental Economics

Administrative Unit: Department of Economics, Gatton College of Business and Economics
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. John Garen (Chair, Department of Economics), Dr. William Hoyt (Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics)
Staffing: faculty member primarily responsible for the coursework is Glenn Blomquist. No other staffing.
Type of Program: part of the doctoral degree program in economics
Budget: none designated for this field
Requirements: Coursework in environmental economics and a dissertation in the field. The Ph.D. program requires two fields; some students take the environmental economics courses for a second field and write in another. Core courses in Ph.D.-level microeconomics and econometrics are prerequisites.
Age of Program: The environmental economics field of specialization has been offered for a long time; 15 to 20 years.
Enrollment: Approximately 6 to 8 students take the coursework every other year.
Number of Students Graduated: An average of one student per year completes a dissertation in environmental or a related area.
Placement: faculty at colleges and universities; federal and state government.
Relevant Courses: Year-long, two-course sequence: ECO 721 (Environmental Economics, Regulation and Policy) and ECO 724 (Environmental Economics). Coursework is offered every other year.

Environmental Health Sciences, Master of Public Health and Doctorate of Public Health

Administrative Unit: College of Public Health
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. Robert McKnight, Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health
Staffing: seven faculty (Gail Brion, Youcheng Liu, Scott Prince, David Mannino, Ray Garman, Terry Bunn, Robert McKnight), plus others
Type of Program: graduate professional degrees (MPH and DrPH)
Budget: (to be determined)
Requirements: For the MPH degree, 12 hours of master’s content in environmental health is required, along with a capstone project. For the DrPH degree, nine hours of additional environmental health content are required, plus a doctoral-level capstone.
Age of Program: The MPH program (previous degree, the MSPH) has been available at UK since about 1990. The DrPH program has been available since 2004.
Enrollment: In a typical year, the master’s program will enroll four or five students, the doctoral program one or two students. These numbers fluctuate.
Placement: public health departments, federal agencies, faculty at colleges and universities.
Relevant Courses:

Environmental Management concentration, Master of Public Administration

Administrative Unit: Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Dr. Dwight Denison
Staffing: nine core faculty, 15 joint faculty, three administrative staff
Type of Program: graduate professional degree with certificate available through the Environmental Systems program
Budget: There is no program budget. The Martin School annual budget is $2,184,000.
Requirements: 42 credit hours, including the MPA core and six hours in the area of concentration. Students wishing the ES Certificate must complete an additional five credit hours in the ES program.
Age of Program: 32 years
Enrollment: generally about 2-4 a year
Number of Students Graduated: generally 1-2 a year
Placement of Graduates/Former Students: Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, Council of State Governments, Area Development Districts, an environmental compliance program at UK, an environmental consulting firm, local governments
Relevant Courses:

Environmental Systems

Administrative Unit: Graduate School
Responsible/Contact Person: Gail Brion (Dept. of Civil Engineering and College of Public Health, Program Director)
Staffing: four faculty (David Atwood, Gail Brion, Michael Healy, Kiyoung Lee) plus two part-time instructors
Type of Program: graduate certificate
Budget: $24,000 for instructors in AY 07-08; no budget for AY 08-09
Requirements: Two core interdisciplinary courses (3 hr each) and one additional 3-hour course, plus two units of 1-hr seminar
Age of Program: 19 years
Number of Certificates Awarded: 0 to 22 (average 7), 1990–2007
Relevant Courses: ES 600 (Environmental Systems Seminar), ES 610 (Engineering and Physical Sciences in Environmental Systems), ES 620 (Natural, Biological, and Medical Sciences in Environmental Systems), ES 630 (Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Environmental Systems)

Toxicology

Administrative Unit: Graduate Center for Toxicology, College of Medicine
Responsible/Contact Person(s): Drs. Mary Vore and Davy Jones
Staffing: 12 faculty, 4 classified staff (full-time), 25 research staff (full time)
Type of Program: M.S./Ph.D.
Budget: Salary and benefits: $1,682,764.10 (no operating budget dollars from state funds)
Requirements: See http://www.mc.uky.edu/toxicology/Grad_program/Curriculum.asp
Age of Program: 29 years
Enrollment: 37 students
Number of Students Graduated: 5 per year
Placement: post-docs and faculty at universities, federal agencies, drug and biotech companies
Relevant Courses: TOX 509, TOX 680

3. Outreach / Community Engagement

3.1. Initiatives

3.1.1. Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community

On August 24th, 2005, the University of Kentucky, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and Fayette County Public Schools formed the Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community, an initiative aimed at stimulating greater regional commitment to environmental issues by government, schools, businesses, private citizens and young people. Since the beginning the BPGC have added many community partners to strengthen the commitment of the Partnership and to expand the expertise of the committees and their work. Ten committees or teams have been formed to identify and implement projects to help create a greener bluegrass.

Energy Efficient Buildings: Develop an energy policy; identify and highlight successful energy programs and share those programs with the community; implement training for facilities personnel; develop a proposal for an energy accounting initiative. Contact: Larry Porter at larry.porter@kctcs.edu

Transportation: Safe Routes to School is a program to make walking and bicycling to school safer for children and to increase the number of kids who choose to walk and bike on a daily basis. On a broader level, SRTS programs can enhance children’s health and well-being, improve air quality, ease traffic congestion near schools and improve the quality of life of communities by making them more walkable and bike-friendly for all residents. Promote and expand the use of biodiesel among the Partnership; develop an ambassador program between UK and Fayette County Public Schools to promote student use and understanding of public transportation. Conduct Safe Routes to School workshops for school professionals. Contact Shane Tedder at dshedd0@uky.edu

Education: Oversee the 2010 by 2010 Rain Garden Initiative; build demonstration gardens at key locations, develop curriculum and resources for schools wishing to build rain gardens and outdoor classrooms on their school grounds, develop professional development sessions for school personnel and teachers around the use and benefits of rain gardens. K-12 education in Green and Healthy Schools and Earth Force Contact: Maxine Rudder at Maxine@kentuckypride.com

Purchasing: Develop a joint purchasing agreement among all partners so each partner can benefit from cost savings due to economy of scale. The agreement would include purchasing and disposal. Contact: Carol Hanley at chanley@uky.edu

Sustainable Foods: Green and Healthy Schools Summit, Creating and Maintaining Community Gardens, On-going Community events to promote best sustainable practices. Contact: Jim Embry at Jgembr0@cs.com

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle: Participating in the 2007 National Aluminum Recycling Program (winner of the 2006 National Aluminum Recycling Program Advertising Campaign), organizing an electronics recycling program. Contact: Tom Webb at tomw@lfucg.com

Water/Storm Water: Design and Implement signage in each of the Fayette County Watersheds, distribute public services announcements developed by the Commonwealth Watershed Education Program, participate in Community Based Field Studies teaching K-12 students about Non-point source pollution, organize and host the Kentucky Watershed Summit. Contact: Amanda Gumbert at Amanda.gumbert@uky.edu

Greenspace: Students in the science club at EJ Hayes Middle School are conducting an environmental assessment of Jacobson Park. They will be analyzing the habitats at the park and creating field guides for the park. Students in the Kentucky Studies class at Bryan Station High School will be learning about park facilities and the differences between parks in Lexington. They will then be creating a master plan for a new park on Briar Hill Road. A new competition will be begin later this month called Green Mapping. We hope that middle school and high school classes will participate in discovering our green resources throughout the community or around their schools. Analysis of Lexington City parks with k-12 students, coordination of the Lexington Green Map competition. Contact: Cindy Deitz at cdeitz@lfucg.com

Equestrian Games: Working to assist the Kentucky Horse Park and the United States Equestrian Olympic Committee to provide information and resources for hosting sustainable events. Contact: Carol Hanley at chanley@uky.edu

Outreach and Communication: Serve at the BPGC communication hub, keeping the Partnership members informed; promoting projects and initiatives with the broader Bluegrass Region; coordinating the WUKY 91.3 FM envirominutes broadcast each Tuesday at noon. Contact: Louise Caldwell Grant at louisec@lfucg.com

Green Living Expo: Developing, implementing and coordinating the Bluegrass Green Living Expo. Contact: Ben Perry at benperry@a-spi.org

3.1.2. Sustainability Lecture Series

The University of Kentucky President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee has created a new Sustainability Lecture Series to serve as a catalyst for increased discussion and debate about sustainability issues on campus. Organizers hope the lecture series will foster a culture of sustainability on campus that balances ecological integrity, economic vitality and social justice.

The inaugural lecture is scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in the Worsham Theatre of the UK Student Center. The speaker will be Thomas J. FitzGerald, environmental attorney, graduate of the UK College of Law, and recent recipient of the Heinz Award in the Environment.

The lecture series was made possible with the support of UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. The UK Greenthumb Environmental Club, the state’s largest student environmental club, aggressively pursued a new student fee that would fund sustainability related initiatives on campus. After a Board of Trustees committee declined to approve the fee in April 2008, Dr. Todd committed an equivalent amount of money to the President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee. That gift provided the necessary resources to create the UK Sustainability Lecture Series.

3.1.3. President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee

In December 2002, a diverse group of students, staff, and faculty met to discuss the state of environmental/sustainability issues at the University of Kentucky. Coordinated by the student environmental group, UK Green Thumb, the unofficially named "Environmental Task Force" discussed what initial steps could be taken to lead the university towards sustainability. The group concluded that before we could move forward with seeking change, we needed a more comprehensive base of knowledge on what had occurred at other universities. The group met twice during the 2002-03 academic year, gained momentum, and continued to meet regularly. The Sustainability Task Force continued to meet in the 2006/2007 academic year and into the 2007/2008 academic year.

In March of 2008, President Todd formally upgraded this task force to the level of a presidentially appointed advisory committee. Carol Hanley and Mark Williams were elected as the first co-chairs of the committee which currently has 12 members. Membership on the committee is comprised of:

  1. Two members from University Business Operations
  2. Two faculty members
  3. Two student members
  4. One member from the College of Agriculture
  5. One member from Student Affairs
  6. One member representing our research mission
  7. One member from the Lexington Committee
  8. Two at Large

The committee has several subcommittees and makes an annual report to the President and Board of Trustees.

3.1.3.1. Sustainability Advisory Committee - Academic Subcommittee

Proposal to Develop and Conduct Sustainability Lunches For The Spring 2009 Semester

Description:

At least one brown bag sustainability lunch per month will be held starting in January 2009 and culminate during Earth Week, in a location that will hold approximately 75 people. The Tracy Farmer Center will provide drinks and dessert for the events. Although curriculum issues would be the primary focus, other issues could be raised, including research, sustainability practices, improving communications, and community building.

Audience:

The January event would be for students, February for faculty and staff, March for community members and the lunch in April would be a culminating discussion.

Purpose:

Format:

Each lunch discussion would be driven by questions, which may or may not be the same for each session. Each session would be facilitated by a pre-chosen moderator from the targeted audience. Discussion questions might include

3.1.4. UK Grant and Kentucky Pride Funds Support Outreach to Fayette County Schools for Environmental and Sustainability Education

An environmental workshop for middle and high school science and social science teachers at Fayette County public schools was held on Saturday, October 25, 2008, at the Shaker Village, Pleasant Hill, KY. The workshop brought teachers in the sciences and social sciences together to learn about: available published and DVD materials on environmental education; opportunities for environmental education field trips in Lexington and the surrounding Bluegrass region; and environmental education "best practices." Several thousand dollars in resources (environmental education books, environmental science manuals, and DVDs and videos) were distributed to teachers and high schools for courses in the social and natural sciences and school libraries. The workshop was underwritten by a grant from the Kentucky Department of Education’s Environmental Council. Dr. Ernest J. Yanarella, co-principal investigator of the grant, coordinated and facilitated the workshop.

3.1.5. Big Blue Goes Green: A Sustainability Showcase – year two

The goal of the annual showcase is for attendants and participants to learn about all of the "green" projects, curriculums, business practices and research being implemented at UK. The showcase featured displays, booths, movies and forums. In addition, the showcase provided students, faculty and community members the opportunity to learn about sustainability volunteer opportunities both on and off campus. The event was held on September 23, 2008 in the UK Student Center.

4. University of Kentucky Statement on Sustainability Policy

The University President and senior administrative staff approved the policy as proposed by the Advisory Committee in January 2009.

Section I. Commitment

The University of Kentucky recognizes that in its mission to improve the lives of Kentuckians, its greatest challenge in our time is to engage the University community to create policies and programs that will simultaneously advance economic vitality, ecological integrity and social equity, now and into the future. As such, it calls upon all levels and constituencies of the University to participate in a continuous and on-going effort to institute the teaching, research, and practice of sustainability and to establish an institutional culture of sustainability.

Section II. Definition

Sustainability has been variously defined and popularized over the past two decades. The most well-known and quoted of definitions defines sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs" (Brundtland Commission Report). Others have defined sustainability more simply as "equity extended into the future" (Herman Daly). Still others have seen the transition to sustainability as associated with "moving from linear to cyclical processes and technologies" (Karl Henrick-Robert). More ambitious and encompassing is the definition of sustainability that see it as a "local, informed, participatory, balance-seeking process, operating within its Sustainable Area Budget, exporting no harmful imbalances beyond its territory or into the future, and thus opening the spaces of future opportunity and possibility" (UK Center for Sustainable Cities).

Section III. Cardinal Principle:

The Sustainable Campus as Exemplar. The University of Kentucky strives to be an exemplar in the application of sustainability principles and practices and to become a sustainable campus by utilizing participatory techniques, such as multiple scenario-building, which bring diverse perspectives to the on-going process of building a sustainable campus.

Section IV: Other Supporting Principles:

Subd. 1. Leadership. Through its pursuit of excellence in advancing sustainability education, research, outreach, and stewardship, the University of Kentucky strives to be on the cutting edge of educational, scientific, technological, social, and cultural advances in scholarship, to take the leadership role in demonstrating the feasibility of inventions of sustainability and resource efficiency, and to produce trained specialists, informed citizens, and public and other leaders knowledgeable of the meaning and wisdom of sustainability and its practices.

Subd. 2. Commitment to Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Sustainable Research. In its aspiration to become a sustainable campus that fosters sustainability in the wider community and across the Commonwealth, the University shall (a) promote innovative, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects in the natural sciences, engineering, agriculture, design, business, social sciences, and humanities to inform campus operations as well as the broader community; and (b) engage in collaborative projects and programs to translate these University efforts into programs that foster sustainable towns, cities, and regions.

Subd. 3. Education. If this University is to meet its obligations to pave the way to a sustainable world, its primary mission of educating present and future generations of students must better address the many facets of sustainability through curricular innovation. Undergraduates must be prepared to become engaged citizens involved in facing the challenges of climate change, global pollution, soil depletion, oil and other natural resource scarcities, and the mounting water crisis with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary understanding, scientific and technical enlightenment, and cultural and social sensitivity. Graduate students and professional degree candidates must be educated and trained to tackle these same problems as civic professionals through professional knowledge and wisdom, and civic commitment, and community leadership.

Subd. 4. Community Engagement. As a land-grant institution and the Commonwealth’s flagship university, the University of Kentucky shall promote community outreach activities that enrich citizens, businesses, public and civic entities in the Commonwealth and beyond in living a more spiritually wholesome, physically healthy, and culturally harmonious relationship with their natural and built environment. Whether in its relations with the local community, the Bluegrass region, the entire state or its other geographic touchstones, the University’s responsibilities as societal exemplar and educational laboratory of sustainability entail the necessity of forging new and enduring partnerships with these agencies to build a sustainable future for all.

Section V. Implementation

Subd. 1. Administration. The University administration of its sustainability program shall include a presidentially-appointed Sustainability Committee and a Sustainability Coordinator reporting to the Vice President for Facilities Management to advance sustainability goals informing administrative policies and procedures in the areas of planning, decision making, execution, assessment, and reporting. These policies and procedures shall rely on scientific analysis and support the efforts described in subds. 2-6 of this section. The primary responsibility of the Sustainability Coordinator will be to facilitate these activities through participatory, collaborative means. The Sustainability Coordinator shall also be responsible for publicizing the work of campus sustainability programs and their outcomes among students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the larger public. The President’s Cabinet will promote the University’s sustainability agenda within its domain of influence and report to the campus community how it is advancing the culture of sustainability in support of these policies.

Subd. 2. Operations. Each University unit shall participate in an ongoing University-wide collaborative process that seeks synergies and sustainable balances in the areas of physical planning and development, including building and infrastructure; operations; transportation; purchasing; and waste management and abatement. The results of this process will include:

  1. meeting and working to exceed all applicable and emergent energy, building, and resource conservation regulatory requirements;
  2. working to prevent pollution at its source;
  3. working to attain carbon neutrality;
  4. reducing dependence on non-renewable energy and encouraging renewable energy alternatives;
  5. and fostering the use of a life-cycle cost evaluation process in campus purchasing and construction.

Subd.3. Unit Planning. Each University Unit/College will demonstrate a commitment to developing the University’s leadership role in a culture of sustainability by: incorporating sustainability principles across the curriculum, rewarding sustainability-related research, teaching, and service.

Subd. 4. Funding. A continuous revenue stream for funding this sustainability initiative should be generated by the Vice President for Facilities Management. In addition, savings generated by successful natural resource conservation and campus-wide synergies should be re-invested into subsequent sustainability initiatives and for the benefit of the University.

Subd. 5. Accountability. The Sustainability Committee through the direction of the Sustainability Coordinator shall propose to the President measures of success in the implementation of the principles outlined in this policy in consultation with appropriate faculty, staff, students, and experts in the wider community.

Subd. 6. Reporting. The President or delegate shall report to the Board of Trustees annually on the progress toward implementing this policy to identify opportunities for subsequent improvement and greater synergies in University teaching, research, service and outreach, planning and operations.

Sustainability Efforts as of January 2009 Report (PDF)