Student Programs, Groups, and Clubs

In addition to the annual student-led Beautification Day and HU Goes Green Week, students have led major green education outreach efforts.

HU’s own Marine and Environmental Science Club has planned and acted as facilitators at the 2011 Our Planet Our Time! Teen Environmental Conference and the Retro Green 2012 Youth Environmental Conference. This club also has members that visit area schools to talk about conservation and environmentalism.

Student groups such as the SEEDS Ecology Club and the Marine and Environmental Science Club hold clean-ups throughout the year on campus and participate in the International Coastal Cleanup.

Honors College has through the City of Hampton’s Clean City Commission Adopt-A-Spot program taken up the task of keeping the downtown section of North King Street litter free.

Marine and Environmental Science majors frequently have engaged and continue to engage in research experiences for undergraduates to study conservation, ecology and environmental health.

The HU TerraCycle collection program is a new student initiative to collect and to recycle candy wrappers, chip bags, cookie bags and gum wrappers on campus.

Green Buildings

Multi-Purpose Facility (enlarge)

The Department of Physical Plant has implemented new initiatives to ensure all newly constructed and renovated facilities are assembled with energy efficient products. The goal is to reduce operating costs, improve the health and productivity of the occupants, and minimize negative environmental impacts over the life of the building. Heating, cooling and lighting designs will be done to optimize energy performance and increase ventilation. High performance windows and doors along with more efficient roof and wall insulation are other ways of creating more efficient buildings.

A geothermal heating and cooling system has been installed in the newly constructed Multi-Purpose Building on campus. This facility houses offices on the first floor, and female students on the second and third floors. This increased focus on heating, ventilation and air conditioning efficiency improvements will be necessary to make a substantial improvement in our energy and environmental footprint, which will result in a reduced carbon footprint.

Other initiatives include a switch to energy saving lighting products and sustainable cleaning products.

Transportation

To reduce carbon emissions, the University has purchased vehicles that are fuel efficient and some older vehicles in the University fleet are being replaced with electric golf carts. The fuel efficient vehicles that the University has purchased are three (3) Toyota Prius’, four (4) Ford Fusions and five (5) Hybrid Vans.

Vehicle Services recycles used oil, old tires, and old batteries. Also, we use regular gasoline in our vehicles.

Recycling

The University’s recycling and solid waste management program has place receptacles in 100% of the buildings on campus with scheduled pick-up weekly. Also the University has placed “Shred It” receptacles strategically throughout the campus to discard confidential information.

Steam Plant Emission

The physical age of the University’s steam plant (built 1945) exclude the use of a lot of the latest clean coal technologies that are applied to new coal-fired power stations. However, the University procures low chlorine coal and engaged the services of an outside consultant to perform monthly calculations of our coal usage and hazards air pollutant (HAP) emissions.

Purchasing

Hampton University’s Green Purchasing Procedure is to take into consideration the environmental impact when making purchasing decisions, giving preference to more environmentally friendly products when quality and cost performance are equal or superior. To balance environmental and fiscal responsibilities, the Purchasing Department will make every effort to purchase materials that are durable, non-toxic or minimally toxic, preferably biodegradable, highly energy efficient, and recyclable. Computer and electronic equipment purchases meet the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standards and qualify as Energy Star. The University also buys in bulk, as well as reduces shipping and packing waste materials.

Student Initiatives

Annual “Beautification” Day and HU Goes Green Student Rally.

Other

Other green initiatives include:

• Increased bicycle patrols for University Police officers;
• Placement of HU Goes Green “Please Turn Off Lights” stickers on all light switches;
• The purchase of uniforms made of organic or recycled fibers (avoids dry clean);
• The conversion of paper forms to an electronic format to eliminate paper waste;
• The setting of computers to energy saver settings;
• Maintaining good ventilation and the use of low VOC paints (air quality control);
• The use of recycled take-out food containers.