Energy Awareness Letter from President Allen

October is Energy Awareness Month so it is fitting that I take this opportunity to update you relative to campus activities and actions that are focused on making UNI a responsible energy partner. As you know, last year I appointed an Energy Conservation Committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students charged with identifying, considering and recommending strategies that will enhance environmental awareness and energy conservation efforts. That committee, through each of its four subcommittees, has worked diligently over the past year to develop programs and ideas to help us move responsibly, yet aggressively, toward the ideals of a “sustainable university”. Much is still to be done, and the committee will continue its work, but because of their efforts, a number of strategies are underway:

• UNI is now a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). University faculty, students, and staff can avail themselves of the AASHE information and resources.
• Facilities Services has reallocated funding to support a position as Assistant Director/Energy which will focus on providing leadership, programming, data, and recommendations to improve awareness and responsible energy decision making on the campus.
• Facilities Services has also funded a student internship for the balance of this academic year to develop a “white paper” which will include a comprehensive review of past UNI strategies to maximize energy conservation, incorporate current data, and assist in developing further strategies and recommendations for consideration.
• Each Vice president will work with division, college, and department technical personnel to incorporate automatic computer shutdown software on all applicable computers, with the goal of having this substantially complete by the end of the academic year.
• A study regarding the cost/return on investment in moving toward hybrid vehicles for use in the UNI car pool will be conducted by Transportation Services.
• The Cabinet will review the feasibility of optimizing class scheduling to consolidate evening/after-hours classes and summer classes to focus on efficient campus scheduling, building usage, and energy consumption.
• I have asked the Energy Committee to identify budget priorities for programs/strategies to be incorporated into the FY09 budget planning cycle.
• The Energy Committee will continue to bring forward recommendations for improving energy conservation efforts on the campus.

Responsible energy usage is, however, not the sole responsibility of this committee. Each member of our campus community must take an active role in making decisions that will reduce energy demands, not only because this is fiscally responsible, but because it is socially and environmentally conscientious. With the work of this committee we will continue to elevate policies and programs that will challenge what we do, and how we do it. I am confident that the UNI community understands the need to change, and is willing to take personal actions and embrace those changes as they come forward. I look forward to continued progress and actions that will lead this university toward a sustainable energy future.

October, 2006