IUPUI Supports A Sustainable Future Through A Focus on Sustainability on Campus
Over the past few years IUPUI has added 30+ water filters to campus, switched over to single stream recycling, planted two campus gardens, and added an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Management and Policy through their School of Public and Environmental Affairs, whose current roster also includes a Masters Degree in Public Affairs and Urban Sustainability. In addition, IUPUI offers other degrees in sustainability, including: Natural Resources and Environmental Law, Environmental Health, and Sustainable Energy Engineering. On July 15th, 2014 the IUPUI Office of Sustainability released IUPUI’s comprehensive update of completed, ongoing, and future sustainable campus initiatives.
IUPUI aims to decrease the number of cars on campus by offering and encouraging the use of alternate modes of transportation such as Zipcars (pictured above), Pacer’s Bikeshare pods (pictured to the right), and a shuttle bus to and from IU-Bloomington’s campus to IUPUI’s downtown Indianapolis campus.
Sustainable events are the new norm on IUPUI’s campus with the students driving the initiative through pitching and working on innovative sustainability solutions and participating in university sponsored sustainability events. Since 2012, IUPUI has been celebrating Campus Sustainability Day, a national, annual event for universities to recognize the successes, challenges, and innovations of sustainability in higher education. Each year a different topic is chosen to focus on, years past included bicycling, local foods, and recycling. Each April, the Student Sustainability council plans a month full of activities to celebrate Earth Month including: a dumpster dive, an Arbor Day tree planting, and a denim recycling program. IUPUI also has a student-led food pantry run through the Community Service and Civic Engagement in partnership with the Student Organization for Alumni Relations.
Applications for Greening IUPUI Grants are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Projects previously funded by the grant include three bike maintenance stations (pictured), a native plant landscape in the University Library, a Recycling and Sustainability educational center, and an outdoor fitness park.
IUPUI provides an exemplary model of a campus culture embedded in sustainability and serves as a helpful model for other Indiana universities to follow.
To become involved in IUPUI Sustainability activities or to learn more about their programs, visit: sustainability.iupui.edu
Submitted by:
Marisa Heiling SI2016 Intern
Marisa Heiling is a political science and biology double major at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and plans to attend law school after graduation to study environmental law. Contact her at:mheiling@butler.edu to talk more about what you are doing to live a more sustainable life.