University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls was founded in 1874 as the fourth State Normal School in Wisconsin and the first in the northwestern part of the state. The present name came with the merger of the state universities and the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1971. A boom in growth began after World War II. Since then, hardly a year has passed without an addition to the campus in the form of new lands, buildings or remodeling.
While UWRF has had a long history of sustainability-based courses, curriculum, facility design, and operational initiatives, 2005 marked the initiation of a campus strategic planning process that brought the breadth and depth of such to the forefront. Goal #2 of the plan is that “UWRF Will Model and Champion the Principles of Sustainable Community Development.” In 2006, Gov. Jim Doyle selected the UW-River Falls campus as one of four UW schools to be “Off-the-Grid by 2012”. A celebration of the opening of the new University Center in January of 2007 reflected the role that 'green' building will play on campus, in the region and beyond. As a Charter and Leadership Circle signatory to the ACUPCC, UWRF Chancellor Don Betz joined what is now more than 600 other college and university presidents in formally committing the campus to carbon neutrality. Also in 2007, UWRF received a $500,000 grant for sustainable agriculture curriculum and outreach projects from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The St. Croix Institute for Sustainable Community Development (SCISCD) was founded in May of 2007 to become a premier venue for deliberation and demonstration of sustainable community development principles on campus, in the community, around the region, state, nation, and internationally. The Director of the Institute is Chair of the Sustainability Working Group, which is responsible for all sustainability initiatives on campus and through targeted community outreach. Some of the sustainability highlights on campus include 100% green block electricity for residence halls and the university center provided by student fees; dining service waste vegetable oil conversion to bio-diesel for use in campus vehicles; a sustainability kiosk for education and on-campus energy use/conservation updates; masters degree program in sustainable community development; and work toward a locally sourced food service model. The Earth Consciousness Organization (ECO) club is a student organization involved in activities and events in support of sustainability. Off campus, we are involved in a number of high profile projects targeting “Cash Positive - Carbon Negative, Sustainable Community Design Models”, especially for energy and food independence. Examples are the Osceola, WI “100 x 25 Project” (100% energy and food self-sufficiency by 2025 for the Village and School District), and the “Eco-Village Project” for the St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity chapter in River Falls, WI.
