Mark your calendars for WOHESC 2025!
The Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference will be March 5-7 at Portland Community College. WOHESC is an exciting leadership and professional development experience that helps create enduring communities in higher education that are environmentally conscious and socially responsible. The conference fosters a culture of sustainability, promotes ethical practices, and encourages collaboration among students, faculty, and staff to address environmental and social challenges.
Funding will be available for students to attend! Applications for student funding will open early February. We will announce it via this newsletter and our social media, so stay tuned! Faculty and staff wishing to attend should register with this link for 30% off registration!
Sustainability Council
The OSU Sustainability Council unites student clubs and organizations – and individual students – with passion for sustainability and social justice at OSU. As part of Council, students support new and existing sustainability work at OSU – such as deciding how to allocate university resources or volunteering for events like the Clothing Swap. Stay up to date with council on instagram! @osu.suscouncil
OSU Recognized as a Top Performer in 2024 Sustainable Campus Index
Oregon State University has again been recognized in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index! This year, OSU tops the list for the institution with the most STARS reports of any school, and for a perfect score of 100% for Coordination and Planning! The Index, a publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). View the report here!
Recommissioning Campus Buildings Reduces Carbon Impact
Facilities Services and the Sustainability Office have been working together to optimize building heating and cooling systems to reduce wasted energy. Since the effort began in the summer of 2022, OSU has saved an estimated $215,000 in energy costs and moved closer to the goal of carbon neutral by 2025. The process is called recommissioning, which includes analyzing and improving the existing mechanical and building control systems to better meet occupant needs and increase energy efficiency. Two recent projects have included the Linus Pauling Science Center and Nash Hall. Linus Pauling Science Center reduced its energy usage by $100,000 in the first year since recommissioning and Nash Hall is estimated to save $75,000 per year.