University of Alaska Fairbanks
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

UAF's master plan makes sustainability priority from the very beginning by listing it as one of the goals of the master plan. At UAF our focus is on sustainability in a northern climate, and overcoming the challenges specific to living in a northern environment. Here is what the campus master plan has to say about Sustainability: "Defining and supporting sustainability on campus is a concern shared by faculty, staff and students. To express their commitment, in 2009 the student body voted for a $20 per semester student fee to support sustainability efforts on campus. The funds generated from the fee will be used to address sustainability issues, including energy efficiency, transportation and education. UAF has the potential to not only improve the sustainable aspects of its buildings and grounds, but also to integrate sustainability into instruction, research and outreach - the core mission of the university. Examples include research on deep well geothermal technology, cold climate energy efficiency, subarctic micro climates and ecology. Success and innovations in these areas can teach students valuable lessons in service to Alaska. Defining Sustainability It is important for the University of Alaska Fairbanks to create a definition of sustainability that is relevant to its northern environment. In 2008, the recommendations from the Chancellor’s Sustainability Transition Team defined sustainability as: Environmental sustainability is like old wine in a fashionable new bottle; the concept is old but the term is new. The concept is based on the fundamental rules of conservation that were recommended long before global warming was a concern. Those fundamentals are: Reduce dependence on non-renewable, nonrecyclable materials, as these will run out. Harvest renewable resources no faster than they can be renewed, or they will also run out. Produce wastes no faster than nature can absorb or break them down, or we will poison our own nest."