University of Colorado Colorado Springs
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

The UCCS Student Government President proposed the Solar Fee, and the UCCS Student Body passed the fee in April 2008. The goal was to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels with a $5.00 student fee. The Solar Fee funded three solar projects before being repurposed to fund a broader range of sustainability projects. In Spring 2011, an amendment to the $5.00-per-semester student Solar Fee Referendum passed, naming the fee to the Green Action Fee and expanding the purpose of the solar fee from strictly solar energy projects to include a broader range of sustainability-related projects on the campus. Since 2012, the Green Action Fund Committee, led by students, has approved over $1.4 million for over 150 projects.

Mission: The Green Action Fund aims to reduce the ecological footprint of UCCS and promote sustainable environment, social, and economic values through various student-sponsored projects.

Highlighted Projects 2021-2023

Secure Bike Storage - Spring 2022
The Green Action Fund supported the building of a secure bike storage facility in Alpine Garage. This location is accessible to residential and commuter students. It will be used as proof of concept to find other funding sources to install additional secure bike storage across the campus. The bicycle storage facility supported the reduction of single-occupancy vehicles (SOV), encouraged active commuting, and fostered a more bike-friendly campus. It sought to solve bike-specific goals of providing a secure storage solution to encourage students to bring their bikes to campus, increase the amount of high-quality bike parking, and protect our students' investments.

Sustainable Roof for the Farm and Sustainability Demonstration House - Fall 2022
The Green Action Fund supported a project that demonstrates more sustainable roofing materials at the UCCS Farm and Sustainability Demonstration House. These innovative shingles will prevent the university from replacing the roof, thus reducing waste, saving money, and protecting people and property from the weather. The thermoplastic shingles are significantly more durable and less wasteful than asphalt shingles. In terms of durability, the REVIA F Wave shingles have the highest ratings for hail (Class 4), fire (Class A), and wind (resistant up to 150 mph). They come with an industry-leading 50-year warranty and 5-year hail coverage. They will significantly reduce the waste generated from the replacement of shingles after a major wind or hail event. Sustainability Demonstration House visitors will be able to learn about this more sustainable shingle material through an interpretative and interactive display.

Ozone Garden - Spring 2023
This project proposed moving the existing Ozone Garden from the Office of Sustainability to Osborne Building. The relocation promoted greater active and passive student engagement over the long term. UCCS faculty will continue engaging the students by incorporating the ozone garden into academic courses, such as biology (BIOL 1060 labs). The educational signage placed in the Ozone Garden as well as the location (in a high traffic pedestrian area) promotes passive engagement for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors walking past and into the Osborne building. The Ozone Garden allows students to participate in tracking the effects of ground-level ozone pollution on ozone-sensitive plants through qualitative observation and monitoring, as per the research design set up by NCAR (in Boulder) and NASA Ozone Gardens. Fundamentally, this project exposes students to potential health equity and environmental justice by learning about the negative effects of tropospheric (ground level) ozone on human and plant health. It also encourages a sustainable lifestyle by actively reducing ozone-producing behavior.

The Office of Sustainability is based out of the Sustainability Demonstration House (SDH). The SDH is a residential house on campus, open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and is open to the public. It is used as a meeting and workspace not just for employees of the Office of Sustainability but also for classes, clubs, organizations, etc. The goal of the SDH is to reach "Net Zero and reduce the use of all resources” and to encourage social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The house is equipped with various sustainable features through donations and partnerships with community entities. It is meant to be an "interactive, educational platform to engage our community on the impact their homes have on their personal carbon footprint." The house showcases new sustainable innovations that demonstrate the most cost-effective and low-impact technologies in the pursuit of net zero. Some features include low flush toilets, reused sustainable carpets, high insulation windows, solar panels, Energy Star appliances, a certified wildlife habitat, drought-resistant front yard xeriscape renovations, and more. The house recently installed durable shingles, and there are plans to install and demonstrate electric heat pump technology for heating and cooling the house. The Sustainability Demonstration House serves as a living laboratory to educate students, staff, faculty, and the community on the newest and most reliable sustainable innovations.

https://sustain.uccs.edu/SDH

The Compass Curriculum is the signature undergraduate education program at UCCS for all majors and all colleges. This program endeavors to provide students with the tools for professional and personal success that they need upon graduation. All parts of the program incorporate the skills employers say they want students to have from their education (critical thinking, oral and written communication, ethics, innovation, problem-solving, understanding inclusiveness and sustainability).

"Goal 3) Act and Interact. Students will cultivate self-awareness and understanding of their impact-locally, nationally, and globally. Students will be prepared to participate effectively in a society that encompasses diverse experiences, perspectives, and realities. This area includes [among others]:    

Sustainability-understanding the interaction between human development and the natural environment"  

In order to achieve the terms of this goal, students will learn about key principles of sustainability including social equity, environmental protection, and economic development, among others. The sustainability GE goal will be achieved by integrating teaching about sustainability within discipline-specific coursework and/or other GE components, or in general elective courses. 

Integrated content and/or courses will vary across disciplines and will examine the integrative nature of the sustainability concept to their disciplinary work.  Ideally, students will gain knowledge about how to promote sustainability in their place of employment (e.g. support diversity, environmental activities such as recycling, reduction of waste, etc.)