University Business - June 2009 - (Page 38)

Keeping It Green In addition to artistic solar panels, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College leaders measured hallway lighting levels and adjusted fixtures to reduce usage while maintaining safety. Renovating for Sustainability “Renovations aRe going to be the main driver of projects for the next five years, because campuses are thinking of what they can do with what they have,” says David Damon, a LeeD associate principal in the boston office of Perkins+Will. Replacing carpeting with linoleum, reclaimed wood, or carpet tiles is one trend Damon is seeing. Community colleges in oregon are carefully considering adaptive reuse as the best way to utilize bond money and federal stimulus funds, says Mark stoller, senior associate with Yost grube hall architecture. Repurposing existing buildings could potentially save both money and the environment. While changing lightbulbs is the first, easy step many higher ed institutions take to go green, administrators at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College have gone the extra step of addressing lighting levels. “We’ve found that we’ve had inconsistent light levels from building to building,” explains CFo James F. blumreich. guided by a light meter and national standards, fixtures are being replaced to achieve optimum levels while maintaining safety, and new paint and carpeting help enhance lighting. Retrofits of major systems such as lighting and Shared Wheels, Economical Deals on Campus Formal campus car-sharing programs continue to gain momentum, despite the recession. They’re certainly good for the environment. Zipcar reports that for every one of its cars on a campus, 15 personal cars can come off the campus. students, faculty, and staff with the car-sharing perk are more likely to use alternate modes of transportation if they know they have access to an inexpensive rental vehicle for hourly use. But what leaders at colleges and universities with car-sharing programs know—and appreciate in this economy—is that these environmentally sustainable efforts are also designed to be financially sustainable. They can even help an institution save capital funds. While programs vary by institution and provider, they generally require an individual to apply online for an annual membership (usually at a cost) and then pay a nominal per-hour fee or a daily rate to reserve use of a car that’s parked on campus with key inside. a swipe of a membership card through the car’s rFiD reader unlocks the door. reservations are taken in multiple ways, including by cell phone, so one could be standing next to a vehicle and reserve it in seconds. gas, maintenance, and insurance are covered for the school and the users, although the contract may include a revenue guarantee to cover costs in case there aren’t enough rentals. For example, smaller schools and programs partnering with Zipcar must guarantee $1,500 per car, per month. With u car share, offered by u-haul, on the other hand, the only guarantee institutions must make is for help in marketing the program. These programs are designed to be cost neutral once they’re up and running. matt malloy, vice president of international university operations at Zipcar, says institutions may even save the $30,000 to $140,000 it costs to build a single new parking space. “multi-tier structures cost a fortune to build,” he explains. as universities grow, administrators may be “stuck with the dilemma of building more classrooms or building more parking,” adds mike colman, program manager of u car share. so choosing car sharing also helps keep the focus on students. u car share partner institutions choosing to pay for staff usage can set monthly monetary limits to keep spending in check. Stanford University has taken its program to the next level by integrating Zipcar and Zimride, a social online ride-sharing community. Zipcar members can seek, offer, and share rides with friends inside and outside of their social networks, and Zimride ride sharers can use Zipcar as their vehicle. one no longer needs to own a vehicle to carpool, malloy explains. “That’s the big innovative piece.” —M.E. Where to Turn: Car Sharing Connect by Hertz, www.connectbyhertz.com Innovative Mobility Research, www.innovativemobility.org U Car Share, www.ucarshare.com WeCar, www.wecar.com Zipcar, www.zipcar.com “We did it as a means of reducing the need for parking.” —President David C. Joyce, on the free bike program at Ripon College (Wis.) 38 | June 2009 universitybusiness.com http://www.connectbyhertz.com http://www.innovativemobility.org http://www.ucarshare.com http://www.wecar.com http://www.zipcar.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - June 2009

University Business - June 2009
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Keeping It Green
Joining Forces
From A to V
Independent Outlook
Internet Tech
End Note

University Business - June 2009