University of Texas at Arlington
EN-9: Community Partnerships

1. UT Arlington is working with several energy service companies, the State Energy Conservation Office and the American Public Power Association (APPA) Lone Star Program to pursue grants and loans for additional energy conservation.Through these efforts and others, UT Arlington saves critical resources and operates with environmental, ethical and fiscal responsibility. 2. University partners with the City of Arlington on carbon footprint analysis' that have helped the City reduce energy consumption by 25% over the last 4 years. 3. University partnered with TXU on tree planting program across the University. To date 100 trees have been planted. 4. Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for Enterprise Excellence is located at the Automation & Robotics Research Institute of UT Arlington and works with small businesses to assess their performance in Profit, People and Planet to ensure they have a balanced Triple Bottom Line. 5. Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) located at the Automation & Robotics Research Institute of UT Arlington, TMAC collaborates with manufacturers to improve their competitiveness and sustainability by identifying opportunities and implementing appropriate solutions in processes, operations, global competitiveness and workforce development. 6. Zero Waste Network is a part of UT Arlington’s Center for Environmental Excellence in the Division for Enterprise Development, collaborates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop cost-effective methods to conserve natural resources. 7. UT Arlington is collaborating with the City of Arlington to design a community garden on University property. It will provide access to fresh produce and plants and offer satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, a sense of community, and a connection to the environment. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access, and management. Property has been secured and the garden will be completed in spring 2011. 8. Ecofest, sponsored by the City of Arlington and supported by UT Arlington is a free, family oriented event, helps build a sense of community, stimulates environmental awareness, and promotes stewardship across North Texas. Local businesses are invited to showcase their green products and practical do-it-yourself solutions for home improvement and maintenance, as as well as discussions to enlighten North Texans on different environmental issues and what we can do to help reduce, repair and prevent these problems in the future. 9. Air North Texas (www.airnorthtexas.org): A regional clean air partnership campaign organized by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Their goal is generate public awareness and voluntary participation in improving air quality in an all-inclusive branding effort. UT Arlington is the first educational entity to partner with Air North Texas, launched July 15. 10. The University President recently voiced his support of increasing student and campus involvement in this nationwide program with a focus on developing innovative and creative ways to green University campuses through Ecomagination challenge (http://www.ecocollegechallenge.com/aboutTheChallenge.html) as well as, Campus Climate Challenge (http://climatechallenge.org/) a nationwide program aimed at increasing student and campus involvement on creating and fostering local and regional climate policy.

UT Arlington is the first educational entity to partner with Air North Texas. The regional clean air campaign aims to be a comprehensive resource and promote a consistent air quality message. Air North Texas, formed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with support from the Air Quality Public Relations Task Force, encourages residents to make clean-air choices. Nine North Texas counties, including Tarrant and Dallas, are classified as nonattainment areas for eight-hour ozone levels by the Environmental Protection Agency. Visit www.airnorthtexas.org to learn more.

UTA has partnership with the City of Arlington to transform an open space into community garden. The 0.5 acres property on UTA offers 78 plots to local community to grow their own food. The Community garden was launched in April 2011 and has 88 plots for Arlington citizens to practice organic gardening.