How the University of Sotuh Florida is Going Green

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1

How the University of South Florida is Going Green2-10

Glossary of Terms 11

Annotated Bibliography 12-13

Works Cited 14

Responsibilities 15

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Executive Summary

In recent years, many organizations and firms have been pressured to

increase the environmental friendliness of their facilities due to inherent

waste of their actions. Other entities, such as the University of South

Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) has voluntarily committed to environmental

stewardship and sustainability as one of their six strategic goals in

preparation for a better future. In order to attain this goal, USFSP has made

significant efforts to “go green” by increasing its environmental

friendliness. Many of these changes are spearheaded by student initiatives

such as the SGEF and Student Government that are all situated on campus.

As a result of this push, many alterations had to be made to pre-existing

buildings, facilities, and infrastructure. These alterations have not been

made without considerable cost though the benefits are meant to far

outweigh the expense. To address whether USFSP has been successful with

their efforts, this paper details the changes USFSP have made via the

examination of groups and organizations within and without USFSP that

have initiated these changes, and the results of these changes.

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How the University of South Florida is Going Green

To many a sprawling complex of buildings, concrete, wire, and machines is the opposite

of energy efficient, but at University Of South Florida in Saint Petersburg it begins to define

what energy efficient is. Saying a school consumes a portion of energy would be an

understatement, running air conditioning, lighting, electronics, and all the parts that make this

place of fine higher education great take its toll financially and on the environment. But, the

University of South Florida is taking steps to advance the future and shape it for those to come.

The students have gotten together with many companies to discuss ideas and plans for advancing

the green potential. The companies didn’t just look at the easy, cheap, or quickest way to

implement their ideas; instead they planned to make the best and most efficient.

USF has many programs that have made it one of the nation’s most green colleges. These

programs have helped USF gain recognition in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green

Colleges, this is the first publication that goes in depth to research and recognize the schools that

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are going above and beyond to take on environmentally friendly programs on their campuses. To

show that they are serious about creating initiatives that are environmentally friendly USF has

established The Office of Sustainability, this serves as the center for all of the programs that are

created to help our environment.

USF has done many things to distinguish themselves as one of the top green schools in

the country. USF has a hand in things during the year to get people together to discuss the very

important topic of going green. Every year they host a conference for schools around the state of

Florida to be able to share ideas of what they feel are important things to do to make sure our

state has a sustainable future. In addition they have hosted an expo for the greater Tampa Bay

area to discuss objectives that will help our entire region. Showing that their involvement in the

green movement goes beyond their campuses and their immediate surroundings and extends to

the environment as a whole, a stance that will stimulate ideas and help future generations as a

whole live a better life. At the forefront of many of these initiatives are the students. Often times

many sustainability issues are included in general education courses. With this solid base of

awareness students at USF have taken it upon themselves to make sure their campus is one that

strengthens their minds as well as the environment. This awareness has made a very positive

impact. One thing that students accomplished was being able to lobby for a $0.75 per credit hour

charge to help in buying renewable energy. (Cash, 2010) In addition to this the students have

shown their personal commitment by ranking 25th in a 2010 program that looked at how much

waste was generated per person on campus. This ranking goes to show this is not a small number

of activists, rather a large group of people striving to make sure everyone on campus is doing

their part to make sure to avoid waste. “USF students are active in the sustainably movement

through participation in five environmental student groups, including Emerging Green Builders,

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Engineers for a Sustainable World, and the Student Sustainability Initiative.” (Cash, 2010)

Another program that has been very impressive is SIFE, which has won the championship

regionally three of the last five years for their work. Their latest project was taking two

businesses in their local community and helping their operation become greener, and show them

how they can run their business while using more sustainable business practices. In addition to

working and being noticed in their local community USF’s students have also been nationally

recognized by the EPA. In recognizing the great work they are doing the EPA gave them a grant

that is only given to six teams in the nation. These various awards and recognitions are not only

earned by the students, research teams from USF are also garnering their fair share of attention.

“A process developed by a team of USF researchers which converts common organic materials

such as sawdust, yard clippings and even horse manure into jet fuel is among an elite group of 12

projects named as semi-finalists in the prestigious Global Venture Challenge 2010.” (Cash,

2010) Being that natural resources that are used for fuel are one of the most hotly debated topics,

processes such as this could provide breakthroughs that will not require our use of such resources

in the future. Thus saving the resources and also preventing the addition harm they cause to the

environment because of the emissions they cause in the machines that use them. Lastly, USF is

making strides in lowering their use of water. On the main campus they have installed low

volume irrigation units and have stopped watering certain areas that do not need it, these two

seemingly small steps have reduced the water usage by up to 40%. The few items here along

with many other programs are destined to keep USF on the list of schools that are doing their

part to keep our environment intact for future generations.

One of the many initiatives they have taken was to eliminate Styrofoam on campus. By

doing so USF was able to eliminate the disposal of 250,000 containers a year, which accounted

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for 30% of all garbage generated by USF. In addition to helping the environment using

environmentally friendly containers also saves them $6000 a year. (Wilma, 2011)

The SGEF is a student led initiative that was formed in 2007 at USF in Tampa. It

garnered support in USFSP as well, leading to a SGEF organization being established at the St.

Petersburg campus. Since then, SGEF has been funded through a $1 fee per credit hour taken.

This has thus far proven to be enough to fund university efforts to reduce energy costs via

conservation, promoting the usage of clean and renewable energy facilities and lowering

greenhouse gas emissions. SGEF is an open organization, allowing every student on campus to

vote on its varying projects and proposals. Its freeform structure also lets any student submit

proposals on their own, as long as they fall within SGEF’s goals and are appropriately detailed.

To facilitate these proposals, SGEF provides a rubric and guidelines for proposals so that they

may be easily completed and ready for presentation before the SGEF committee in meetings that

they hold every week. Proposals may even be submitted online. In addition to this on campus

involvement with projects to move the green initiative forward, SGEF also provides sessions and

meetings to inform students and faculty of issues and their organization. These educational

meetings also serve to educate those in attendance of solutions to sustainability, such as alternate

ways of transportation via carpooling or public transit and the added benefits of recent projects

such as recycling bins and differentiated wastebaskets. Given SGEF’s purpose and what it strives

to do, it is no surprise that they are one of the leading organizations on campus in USF St.

Petersburg’s campaign to go green.

USF has taken many steps to show how engaged they are in going green, and being one

of the few campuses in the world that our LEED certified. This is a huge undertaking and takes

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lots of money, time, and ideas; all of which couldn't and wouldn't be possible without SGEF.

This fund is taken from donations from students to better the school we all attend and make it a

better place. The SGEF was responsible for the refillable water bottle fountains that were placed

all over campus, the energy creating treadmills and bikes that are in the fitness center, and for the

partnership with Duke energy that covered the parking garage in Solar Panels. There are still

many projects in place, and student government is always looking for more ideas. Currently the

Student Green Energy Fund has been able to contribute $300,000 over the course of 3 years, and

incredible amount of money but there is always room for more. One example of how the St.

Petersburg campus is going green is by conducting beach plantings and clean-ups along Bayboro

Harbor. The Science and Technology building is the first LEED certified building and the

University Student Center is on the way to getting its certification. This building is certified

because it has prerequisites and credits in different rating systems. There is also a recycling

program that helps recycle batteries, computer parts, old ink cartridges and even purchasing of

recycled paper.

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To be certified by LEED first the building has to be put into a certain rating system that

meets the uniqueness of the building that is being assessed for certification. Some examples of

these ratings are: Building Design and Construction, Interior Design and Construction, and

Neighborhood Development. Once the project team chooses a rating it will move on to see if the

building has the appropriate credits to be considered for the LEED certification. Within each

category there are prerequisites that the project must satisfy to earn points. The number of points

earned determines the level of LEED certification that the building will receive. There are many

examples of these categories, but just to name a few there are: Location and Transportation,

Water Efficiency, Innovation, and Neighborhood Pattern and Design. The four levels of

certification are: 40-49= Certified, 50-59= Silver, 60-79= Gold, and 80+ points = Platinum.

Some people may ask why people want their buildings to be LEED certified. This is

because they just simply wanted a better building for their environment and it comes with a lot of

efficient things. LEED buildings can save money, conserve energy, reduces water consumption,

improve indoor air quality and much more, These buildings cost less to operate, reduce energy

and water bills by as much as 40%, With these buildings saving the environment and saving the

company money this helps businesses create more jobs and expand operations as well. There are

other great aspects to these buildings. The buildings use materials that have components for

human health and the environment. There is indoor environmental quality to ensure improved

occupant comfort. And it provides a clearer picture of the water efficiency by evaluating total

building water use (LEED 2012-2015).

    SGEF has very recently presented five projects in keeping with their objective of

improving USF St. Petersburg’s environmentally friendliness. Two of the projects involve LED

lighting for areas of recreational activity: the gym and the newly rebuilt USFSP Soccer Field. In

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addition, they want to promote composting through the use of a composting machine known as

an Earth Tub, which will taste waste from campus and break it down into nutrients for soil. Solar

docks are the fourth project, which are proposed to be added to outside the residence housing and

the library for renewable energy outside. The last proposal is to add four more recycling stations

to campus in order to promote recycling for trash and recycled material.

USFSP is aided in their efforts to go green by the SGEF. This student organization

accepts, creates and submits ideas for improvements that could potentially make USF St.

Petersburg more “green” to a committee that oversees funds specifically allocated for such

projects. So far they have been successful in getting many of their projects and ideas

implemented, including more efficient water fountains that encourage reuse and recycling

through water bottle refilling stations attached to them. 

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There are plenty of other great examples on how USF is going green, and the students

and staff are helping with this movement. One of these movements is that the school is trying to

get many of the buildings to be LEED certified. The Science and Technology building is the first

LEED certified gold building in the USF system and the new University Student Center is trying

to obtain its LEED certification (“Green Initiatives, 2013). To explain a little bit more, LEED

means Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and the program recognizes the best-in-

class building strategies and practices. Each building that is trying to receive this certification has

to pass prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. There are other

great aspects to these buildings. The buildings use materials that have components for human

health and the environment. There is indoor environmental quality to ensure improved occupant

comfort. And it provides a clearer picture of the water efficiency by evaluating total building

water use (LEED 2012-2015).

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SGEF has very recently presented five projects in keeping with their objective of

improving USF St. Petersburg’s environmentally friendliness. Two of the projects involve LED

lighting for areas of recreational activity: the gym and the newly rebuilt USFSP Soccer Field. In

addition, they want to promote composting through the use of a composting machine known as

an Earth Tub, which will taste waste from campus and break it down into nutrients for soil. Solar

docks are the fourth project, which are proposed to be added to outside the residence housing and

the library for renewable energy outside. The last proposal is to add four more recycling stations

to campus in order to promote recycling for trash and recycled material.

In an effort to combine USF’s going green initiative with students need for recreation, the

Campus Recreation at USF has re-opened the “Borrow Our Bikes” program. In the past the

“Borrow Our Bikes” program was terminated due to inconsistency at which their bikes were

returned; the program had many bikes that went missing or damaged beyond repair. In an effort

to combat the problem the previous program had encountered the “Borrow Our Bikes” program

now tracks their backs and ensure that the student who borrowed a bike will be held responsible

if anything should happen to the borrowed bike.

At the re-opening of the “Borrow Our Bike” program in the fall of 2010 around 1600

bikes were borrowed; students who borrow bikes are able to burrow free of charge however if a

bike should be late, damaged or missing the student responsible will be fined. One of the main

features of the program is that student are able to choose between mountain, cruiser or hybrid

bikes which can be ridden around or off campus. Students who commute to campus also have the

option of parking in special lots that allows them to borrow a bike to ride on campus for the day

and return the bike the following business day by 10 am.

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Another service offered by “Borrow Our Bikes” is a free bike repair offered to students

who already own bikes; student who already own bikes even have the option of self-serviced

repairs. So how does “Borrow our Bikes” coincide with going green? Well USF’s intentions

behind “Borrow Our Bikes” were that the program would promote a healthy sustainable

community lifestyle for its students.

Between the University of South Florida’s LEED program, student government program,

and solar concepts the University are doing many things to keep up with the always-changing

world. Having things such as a net zero building that absorbs energy is hard to find. University

of South Florida is taking steps to advance the future and shape it for those to come. It’s because

of these programs that the university is as far as it has come and also because of this program

that the university is even as far as it was.

Glossary of Terms

EPA- Environmental Protection Agency

LEED- Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

SIFE- USF Students in Free Enterprise

SGEF- Student Green Energy Fund

USF- University of South Florida

USFSP- University of South Florida Saint Petersburg

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Annotated Bibliography

Our environment continually faces challenges from overuse of our natural resources and waste. We are looking into what steps the University of South Florida (USF) has taken to become environmentally conscious and a responsible member of our society. We have sources that focus on the different programs USF is implementing to cut down on waste. Our sources cover everything from how USF to stands up to their peers down to the student organizations that are running these various programs. We want to see what these programs are currently accomplishing and where they are headed in the future.

Blias, Jessica. "USFSP News Center »Duke Energy to Invest $1 Million in USFSP Research Project." University of South Florida St Petersburg. University of South Florida St Petersburg, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

The article takes an in depth approach and look into the new solar system that was installed in the parking garage. Factoring in what type of panels and energy usage the article is helpful to point out why this is a great step and a good instrument for the university to use so they can become greener.

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Cash, Jacqui “USF One of Nation’s Top Green Colleges.” USF News, Web. 5 May 2010.

This article relates directly to how USF stacks up against their peers. It gives multiple statistics of where USF ranks in various aspects of going green. We are going to incorporate these statistics along with the programs that are being used to help attain them. This review alongside specific programs will show the definitive steps that USF is making to help our environment.

Construction.” Category. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

This page contained information about current plans for construction at the University of St. Petersburg Florida. This is important as it contains highlights of projects that will increase the environmental friendliness of the campus.

"Green Initiatives." Undergraduate Admissions. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

This web article focuses directly on the St. Petersburg campus of USF and mentions how environmental stewardship and sustainability is one of the university’s six core strategic goals. There are a few examples of this, like our buildings being LEED certified, their initiatives and partnerships in having an environmentally friendly computing experience, student initiatives, the Green Energy Fund and much more. I just thought it had a lot of great information on how the campus is trying to and has succeeded in going green.

"LEED | U.S. Green Building Council." LEED | U.S. Green Building Council. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

The LEED certification for buildings was found on the link above that I used. I looked into the website and decided it was important for others to also learn about what this certification is. USF already has some buildings that are LEED certified and they are trying to get many more. This website is the U.S. Green Building Council and it explains what a building has to be in order to be LEED certified, and the different other certifications it could also be approved for. This website also explains why LEED buildings are better for the earth and explains the different ways they are. I just thought this was a really detailed website that explains one thing that USF is trying to do to help the environment.

McCann, Nancy. "SGEF Sponsors "green" Idea Drive." Crow's Nest. Crow's Nest, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.          

This article talks about on campus efforts made by students and student organizations in order to make the campus more environmentally friendly. This is useful in showing that the move to go green comes from without as well as within.

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"USF St. Petersburg Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF)." USFSP Connect. University of South Florida St Petersburg, 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

The USFSP Connect page spoke about the Student green fund and the funds goals. The whole piece is used to talk about where the money comes from, what the goals are, and where the fund is headed. It’s a great piece to see what the future of the green initiative is. 

Wilma. “Going Green and Saving Green: University of South Florida Celebrates One-Year All Ecos Anniversary.” G.E.T. Enterprises Inc., Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

This article talks about the program USF has implemented to use environmentally friendly take out containers in their cafeterias. It shows tangible results to the effort of going green. We will use this to discuss the specific advantages of using these containers for the environment. It will also show that sometimes going green can be cost efficient as well.

Works Cited

Blias, Jessica. "USFSP News Center »Duke Energy to Invest $1 Million in USFSP Research Project." University of South Florida St Petersburg. University of South Florida St Petersburg, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

Cash, Jacqui “USF One of Nation’s Top Green Colleges.” USF News, Web. 5 May 2010.

Construction.” Category. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

Dining With USF. Reusable TO-GO Box. Photograph. Campus Dish. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

"Green Initiatives." Undergraduate Admissions. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

"LEED | U.S. Green Building Council." LEED | U.S. Green Building Council. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

McCann, Nancy. "SGEF Sponsors "green" Idea Drive." Crow's Nest. Crow's Nest, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.    

Neoli. LEED Credit Categories. 2014. Photograph. Bisagni Environmental Enterprise. Web. 10 Apr 2015.       

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"USF St. Petersburg Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF)." USFSP Connect. University of South Florida St Petersburg, 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2015..

USF. Green College Honor Roll. 2013. Photograph. Dr. Kiran C. Cpatel College of Global Sustainability. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

USFSP. Student Green Energy Fund Proposal Flow Chart. Photograph. Student Green Energy Fund. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Wilma. “Going Green and Saving Green: University of South Florida Celebrates One-Year All Ecos Anniversary.” G.E.T. Enterprises Inc., Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Jason- Research and writing, Put paper together (table of contents, format, organized annotated bibliography, glossary, and works cited), and wrote an additional 500 words per recommendations after initial draft.

Leah- Research and writing, tables and graphs, and wrote an additional 250 words per recommendations after initial draft.

Luke- Research and writing, and Executive Summary, and wrote an additional 250 words per recommendations after initial draft.

Joshua- Research and writing, Introduction, and Conclusion.

Sachiyo- Graphic Design, and wrote an additional 250 words per recommendations after initial draft.