University Environment Committee

3/24/08

Presiding: Charles Hodson

Regular members in attendance: H. McKinnon, D. Lawrence, C. Hodson, M. Montgomery

Ex officio members in attendance: P. Cox, M. Schmidt, J. Gill

The meeting was called to order at 3:30 pm as a provisional meeting, since a quorum was not present.

Actions of Meeting

1. Minutes of 2/28/08

One correction was made to the February minutes, but the minutes were not approved because of the lack of a quorum.

2. Announcements

Gill received an award for improving access in higher education from the North Carolina Association on Higher Education and Disability.

Hodson received requests for an environmental liaison to the city council from ECU and forwarded that request to the administration.

3. Discussion of landmark tree subcommittee

Hodson suggested that a landmark tree subcommittee be formed. Gill and Lawrence volunteered to serve on this committee. Schmidt indicated that Claudia Jolls from Biology might be interested in serving.

Hodson asked if the subcommittee should identify landmark trees even in designated green spaces, and Lawrence and Gill agreed that trees should be identified in these spaces. Montgomery asked what the goal of the subcommittee would be. Hodson replied that the subcommittee could help ECU to direct funding to preserve landmark trees. Gill indicated that having landmark trees designated would make it easier for him to argue for preservation during the planning process for new infrastructure.

Gill reported that the big tree outside Wright has received prescription fertilizers but root excavations cannot be conducted.

Lawrence mentioned concerns about healthy trees in the past being taken out by accident.

4. Plans for next year

· Standing subcommittees

Hodson suggested forming standing subcommittees and Schmidt agreed with this idea. Montgomery suggested two possible subcommittees: landscape and sustainability. Gill suggested that we add a conservation subcommittee to distinguish between current and future efforts.

McKinnon suggested a subcommittee on LEED certification. Gill noted that a landscape architect in Facilities Services is starting the LEED certification process, along with someone from Architectural Engineering Services. Schmidt replied that LEED would fall under a sustainability subcommittee.

Hodson suggested that, in the context of plans for ECU’s growth and the absence of a master plan, we might need a campus planning subcommittee and McKinnon noted that this planning subcommittee could deal with LEED issues. Lawrence observed that bike lanes are also related to planning.

Schmidt suggested a subcommittee for education and student outreach.

· Recommendations for campus sustainability

Montgomery asked about the upcoming faculty senate presentation of UEC recommendations for campus sustainability. Hodson replied that the recommendations list will be put on next faculty senate meeting agenda as a motion and Schmidt’s biology students’ conservation report will be submitted for information only.

Lawrence emphasized that the committee’s main goal next year should be following up on the recommendations list. Montgomery suggested that the recommendations list could serve as a kind of agenda for next year. There was discussion of alternative energy—both wind and solar—feasibility for the campus. McKinnon noted that several recommendations are small-scale and could be achieved quickly while others are more visionary.

Hodson observed that the request for a sustainability officer is an umbrella priority that would help to achieve many of the other recommendations, and Montgomery agreed that the committee should push hard to have a sustainability officer hired as soon as possible. McKinnon noted that without plans for many new buildings and no upcoming bond issue, ECU can work on improving existing buildings. There was discussion about whether the sustainability officer would work effectively as part of Facilities Services or should be located in the Chancellor’s office.

Montgomery asked about small-scale changes: do campus buildings have to be so cold? Schmidt agreed that her students suggested this change. Cox and Lawrence explained that air conditioners run for dehumidification as much as for cooling.

McKinnon suggested that ECU should go on record as joining the 413 universities who have added environmental awareness to their missions. Cox replied that the establishment of a sustainability office would be a significant move in this direction.

Hodson asked what a climate statement implies. Cox replied that it puts sustainability above space. McKinnon added that it commits ECU to building energy-conscious buildings. Lawrence notes that it might be difficult to get support from ECU for such a statement. Hodson added that the board is pro-growth. McKinnon suggested that UNC Tomorrow might require such a move, and Hodson mentioned the possibility of legislative mandates for campus sustainability. Montgomery asked if the recommendations list was sent to UNC Tomorrow and Hodson replied that he would check. Cox noted that many universities have created their own sustainability statements but stopped short of signing a general statement. McKinnon pointed to Chapel Hill as an example and asked if the committee should focus on the sustainability office idea and not worry about the statement. Lawrence agreed that ECU might resist a public commitment but might be persuaded to make sustainability improvements more quietly. Cox agreed that he is less concerned about statements than actual results. A sustainability office would help to build slow support for a later commitment. Many of the UEC recommendations are already planned by Facilities Services.

· Meeting day/time

Hodson suggested changing the monthly date, since the committee misses several meetings due to holidays and McKinnon requested that the committee consider meeting on a day besides Thursdays.

5. Annual report

Hodson is preparing the committee’s annual report and posed the question: what has hindered our work? He suggested one answer: the lack of a master plan.

There was a motion to adjourn and the meeting was adjourned at 4:20pm.

Next meeting: 4/24/08, 3:30 pm

Item to be discussed:

Finalize standing subcommittees and goals for next year.