Colleges and Universities

Working with Sectors

The Sector Strategies Program works collaboratively with 12 sectors to improve environmental performance while reducing regulatory burden and providing an expert staff liaison for each sector in the program. The program is part of the National Center for Environmental Innovation at U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovations (OPEI).

On May 1, 2003, the Colleges and Universities sector was selected to become one of eight new sector partners in the Sector Strategies Program. This partnership is an exciting opportunity for U.S. EPA and colleges and universities to work together to achieve sector-wide environmental gains through innovative actions. The Sector Strategies national liaison works with six College and University national organizations to develop sector-specific approaches to assist colleges and universities in advancing the use of environmental management systems, reducing regulatory performance barriers, and measuring environmental progress.

Links

Campus ERC - The Environmental Resource Center for Higher Education
Campus ERC - The Environmental Resource Center--CampusERC--is intended to be a great library of resources to support campus environmental performance improvement. Developed collaboratively by NACUBO, C2E2, CSHEMA, APPA and the EPA, the primary audience is staff, administrators or faculty who are looking for resources to better understand environmental regulations, find relevant contacts, seek model practices, track news or build and manage better environmental programs.

The site is designed so users can enter the library through different doors. Generalists may wish to enter through the door marked Virtual Tour for information associated with specific locations on campus and best practices. For information concerning specific regulatory requirements applicable to campus, enter through the Resource section marked Regulatory Guide. Users sicking information about physical impacts or environmental footprint associated with campus life may wish to enter the Topics section and look at Inputs and Outputs, which provide information about resource usage and wastes. Information concerning model practices, hot topics, management and leadership is found throughout the library. It's just a search away - the search button is on every page.

Links to Major College & University Associations Involved with Environmental Programs

Assiciation for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
AASHE is a member organization if colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. Their mission is to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional developement. They work in partnership with business, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that support our mission.

American Council on Education (ACE)
ACE, the major coordinating body for all of the nation's higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

APPA Leadership in Educational Facilities
APPA promotes excellence in all phases of educational facilities management, including administration, planning, design, energy/utilities, maintenance, nd operations. Membership is open to all educational professionals, including those from public and private, two-year colleges and universities, medical and law schools; seminaries, public ands private K12 schools and districts; museums and parks; military installations; federal, state and city-county governments, and business partners that serve educational facilities.

Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2)
The mission of the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2) is to support the continued improvement of environmental performance in higher education through environmental professional networking, information exchange, the development of professional resources and tools, and the advancement of innovative regulatory models. Environmental performance includes campus regulatory compliance, environmental management, and sustainability initiatives. This mission is carried out through bi-monthly meetings, active workgroups, and projects identified by the consortium's membership.

Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA)
CSHEMA provides information sharing opportunities, continuing education, and professional fellowship to people with environmental health and safety responsibilities in the education and research communities. CSHEMA leads by listening to its members, organizing their efforts, developing leadership that responds to the needs of the education and research communities, and striving for excellence in everything it does.

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
Located in Washington, D.C., NACUBO serves a membership of more than 2,500 colleges, universities, and higher education service providers across the country. NACUBO represents chief administrative and financial officers through a collaboration of knowledge and professional development, advocacy, and community. Our vision: to define excellence in higher education business and financial management.

Other Resource Links

Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) for Colleges and Universities -- Your Guide to Creating and Maintaining an Effective EMS
The roughly 4,000 colleges and universities in the Unites States often resemble small cities and grapple with a wide range of environmental issues caused by their facilities and activities. To bring a sense of order to the environmental compliance process and encourage continual improvement, many campuses are establishing Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). An EMS’ systematic approach provides a greater assurance about maintaining environmental compliance as well as a wide range of other benefits – from cost savings to public relations opportunities.

Environmental Virtual Campus
The Environmental Virtual Campus (EVC) on C2E2's website was conceived by MIT and the U.S. EPA. It helps colleges and universities understand how to achieve compliance through a unique, interactive Web site demonstrating environmental regulatory requirements for a typical research university.

Environmental Compliance Assistance Guide for Colleges and Universities (PDF) (1 pp, 496K, About PDF)
This book is a joint publication from the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA) and The Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA). The guide provides colleges and universities with a basic understanding of the various obligations environmental law imposes on colleges and university campuses. It also assists schools in developing compliance plans for their campuses.

Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC)
HEASC is an informal network of higher education associations with a commitment to advancing education for a sustainable future, both within their constituencies and within the system of higher education itself. HEASC was formed in 2006 with the purpose of creating a forum for member HEA's to support each other's sustainability programming by meeting on a regular basis to share information and exchange ideas, and engaging in joint projects as appropriate to each organization's mission. Second Nature coordinates the network, and the National Association for College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) serves as fiscal agent.

National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology Program
The program aims to transform college campuses into models of sustainability and train future environmental leaders, all the while ensuring a strong future for America's environmental movement.

University Leaders for Sustainable Development
University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) assists colleges and universities in making sustainability an integral part of curriculum, research, operations and outreach.

EPA Voluntary Programs for Colleges and Universities

Voluntary Program	Description	No. of Participating Institutions
Energy Star - Higher Education Laura Helmke phone: 202-343-9207 email: helmke.laura@epa.gov	Maximizes energy efficiency in commercial, industrial, and residential settings by promoting new building and product design and practices. 1-888-STAR-YES	142
WasteWise - Colleges & Universities Michael Scozzafava phone: 703-308-6114 email: scozzafava.michaele@epa.gov	Promotes cost savings and efficiency through waste prevention, recycling, and buying/manufacturing recycled content products.	93
Labs 21 Dan Amon phone: 202-564-7509 email: amon.dan@epa.gov	Helps new and retrofitted laboratories cut their energy costs and reduce environmental damage.	17
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment Chen Wen phone: 202-564-8849 email: wen.chen@epa.gov	Educates health care professionals about pollution prevention opportunities in hospitals and health care systems.	45
Smart Growth Network Matthew Dalbey phone: 202-566-2860 email: albey.matthew@epa.gov Kevin Nelson phone: 202-566-2841 email: nelson.kevin@epa.gov	Supports smart growth principles, facilitates the sharing of best practices and acts as a catalyst for implementation of ideas in reference to built projects, policies and plans, small communities, and equitable development
Diesel Retrofit National Clean Diesel Campaign Jim Blubaugh phone: 202-343-9244 email: blubaugh.jim@epa.gov	Improve the emissions performance of existing diesel vehicles and equipment by encouraging the use of newer technology on their engines.

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