Hi Oles,
We recently had occasion to report on some aspects of the sustainability program at St. Olaf. Because I know that many students (and parents, and alumni) find our sustainability efforts exciting, I thought you might be interested in what we reported.
1. St. Olaf has written unique Sustainable Design Guidelines and they are
incorporated into our architecture/engineering and our construction contracts, including those governing the current construction of the new Science Complex.
The Science Complex is designed to achieve LEED Gold designation, with the intent of using the project and completed building to teach about sustainable construction, and operations.
2) All st. Olaf diesel powered vehicles have been switched to B20 bio-diesel
fuel.
3) A wind turbine generates about one-third of the campus's
energy. Moreover, 720,000 gross square feet of new and extensively renovated buildings have been designed using our utility's Energy Design Assistance Program.
St. Olaf has completed carbon emissions work for the campus proper, and is
measuring the metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalencies (MTCDE) per
student FTE. Using this measure, along with Total BTUs per Square Foot per
Degree Day (BTU/SF/DD), we are continually evaluating our efforts and
comparing to others to judge the effectiveness of our programs.
As we re-roof older buildings damaged in a recent hail storm, we are bringing these buildings up to the current energy code.
We can measure our progress in this area. In 1988 our peak steam flow on the coldest day was about 75,000 pounds per hour with 1,350,000 gross square feet. In 2007 on the coldest days, peak flow was under 75,000 pounds per hour with 1,820,000 GSF.
4. Our residence hall recycling program is long-standing, and the work is
largely performed by work study students, with a student coordinator for the
entire effort. The custodial staff supplies and supplements the work.
3.5 tons of aggregated food waste is gathered each week for composting. All of the compost is in turn used on the campus in planting beds, on the student run organic vegetable farm that supplies the food service, and as top dressing.
For more information about the programs discussed here, or about sustainability at St. Olaf generally, you can visit the following websites:
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/science.html
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/turbine/index.html
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/report/status/7.html
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/composter/index.html
http://www.stolaf.edu/green/report/index.html
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Greetings, Oles
Hi Everybody, and welcome back!
Having a blog is like having a pet: you have to pay it constant attention and treat it well. At least, that the case with our dog, Troy. My goal this year is to treat my Oleville blog as well as we treat Troy by keeping it up to date and relevant to students. I'll try to keep you up to date on issues before the College, the activities of the Board of Regents, and other big news. Your comments are welcome at any time. My email is anderson@stolaf.edu.
The week before new students arrived there was an Opening Banquet for staff and faculty of the college, and it's traditional for the President to make a "State of the College" address at the banquet. I did, and I invite you to read it because it lays out the key planning challenges facing us this year and in the near term. You can read the speech on my website. The URL is http://www.stolaf.edu/president/. When you get there, just click on the picture of a podium and you can read the Opening Banquet speech and any other ones archived there that may interest you.
By clicking on the picture of a suitcase you can see where I am when I'm not on campus. The picture of me with headphones (should have gotten the more expensive Bose ones) shows some of the music on my IPod, and the picture of a bookshelf shows what I've been reading.
I hope you find the speech interesting and that your semester is off to a great start. See you on campus.
David Anderson '74
Having a blog is like having a pet: you have to pay it constant attention and treat it well. At least, that the case with our dog, Troy. My goal this year is to treat my Oleville blog as well as we treat Troy by keeping it up to date and relevant to students. I'll try to keep you up to date on issues before the College, the activities of the Board of Regents, and other big news. Your comments are welcome at any time. My email is anderson@stolaf.edu.
The week before new students arrived there was an Opening Banquet for staff and faculty of the college, and it's traditional for the President to make a "State of the College" address at the banquet. I did, and I invite you to read it because it lays out the key planning challenges facing us this year and in the near term. You can read the speech on my website. The URL is http://www.stolaf.edu/president/. When you get there, just click on the picture of a podium and you can read the Opening Banquet speech and any other ones archived there that may interest you.
By clicking on the picture of a suitcase you can see where I am when I'm not on campus. The picture of me with headphones (should have gotten the more expensive Bose ones) shows some of the music on my IPod, and the picture of a bookshelf shows what I've been reading.
I hope you find the speech interesting and that your semester is off to a great start. See you on campus.
David Anderson '74
Friday, April 20, 2007
Trees and the new Science Complex
Hi Oles,
I thought you would be interested in this email from Jim Fisher, St. Olaf's esteemed Grounds Manger. In it, he reports the progress we are making in repopulating the site of the Science Complex with native trees to replace those that were removed to make way for the building, many of them non-native species.
David Anderson
Here's Jim's email:
Small factoid regarding trees at New Science site. By the time I leave work today we will have replaced 81 of the 140 trees marked for removal on the original Barr drawing. This includes the Arborvitae I put in before the project began, the oaks, maples, elms and ironwoods spaded in last fall and the larches I am currently installing. Off the top of my head I cannot say how many of the 140 trees removed were "non-native" but all of the replacements fall in the native category. I have an additional 50 aspen coming in sometime next week so by the end of the month we should be closing the gap between loss of trees on the disturbed site and replacement. My count of new trees in the area does not include the arborvitae I installed in the Allens backyard to screen the road.
I thought you would be interested in this email from Jim Fisher, St. Olaf's esteemed Grounds Manger. In it, he reports the progress we are making in repopulating the site of the Science Complex with native trees to replace those that were removed to make way for the building, many of them non-native species.
David Anderson
Here's Jim's email:
Small factoid regarding trees at New Science site. By the time I leave work today we will have replaced 81 of the 140 trees marked for removal on the original Barr drawing. This includes the Arborvitae I put in before the project began, the oaks, maples, elms and ironwoods spaded in last fall and the larches I am currently installing. Off the top of my head I cannot say how many of the 140 trees removed were "non-native" but all of the replacements fall in the native category. I have an additional 50 aspen coming in sometime next week so by the end of the month we should be closing the gap between loss of trees on the disturbed site and replacement. My count of new trees in the area does not include the arborvitae I installed in the Allens backyard to screen the road.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
A Session for Students with the Consultants on Land Use
Hi Oles,
Greetings on this beautiful spring day. On Monday, April 23, Jim Kleinfeldt and Paula Mitchell, of Boldt Consulting Services, will be back on campus to speak with members of the community about possible uses for the land north of campus. Two sessions will be held, one at 4:00 PM, the other at 6:00 PM, both in the Viking Theater in the Buntrock Commons. These sessions are intended to be for students, and I encourage you to attend.
There will also be a follow-up session the next morning, 4/24, at 11:30, also in the Viking Theater. This will be brief session in which Jim and Paula are planning to feedback all of the issues they've heard from us. This is a way for us to check that our input was heard.
Greetings on this beautiful spring day. On Monday, April 23, Jim Kleinfeldt and Paula Mitchell, of Boldt Consulting Services, will be back on campus to speak with members of the community about possible uses for the land north of campus. Two sessions will be held, one at 4:00 PM, the other at 6:00 PM, both in the Viking Theater in the Buntrock Commons. These sessions are intended to be for students, and I encourage you to attend.
There will also be a follow-up session the next morning, 4/24, at 11:30, also in the Viking Theater. This will be brief session in which Jim and Paula are planning to feedback all of the issues they've heard from us. This is a way for us to check that our input was heard.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Dr. Edia Berrio Announces her Retirement from St Olaf
April 11, 2007
Dear Oles:
On Monday, May 7, 2007, as faculty and staff gather to honor and celebrate the colleagues who are retiring from our College, we will be joined by the Dean of Community Life and Diversity, Dr. Eida Berrío, not only in her role as organizer of this event, but as one of the retirees.
You are perhaps as surprised by this news as I was a week ago when Eida spoke to me about her desire to reorient her time and energy in the next few years so that she can spend more time with her family. Eida has served our College for six years in a critical role, and her contributions to all aspects of our community life have been far-reaching. I know you will miss her, and so will I. St. Olaf is a more diverse community, in all of the meanings of that rich word, because of her work here.
Meanwhile, it is important to insure continuity in the areas and programs Eida has been supervising. She and I and her staff will be working closely to make that happen. This is also the time to think about how we can best propel the work of this office, and I will be asking a group of colleagues to help me think that through in the next couple of months so that we can then proceed expeditiously with a search for Eida’s successor.
We will have many opportunities between now and the end of May individually to express to Eida our thanks and regards. I hope each of you will seize that opportunity when the time is right for you.
Sincerely,
David R. Anderson '74
Dear Oles:
On Monday, May 7, 2007, as faculty and staff gather to honor and celebrate the colleagues who are retiring from our College, we will be joined by the Dean of Community Life and Diversity, Dr. Eida Berrío, not only in her role as organizer of this event, but as one of the retirees.
You are perhaps as surprised by this news as I was a week ago when Eida spoke to me about her desire to reorient her time and energy in the next few years so that she can spend more time with her family. Eida has served our College for six years in a critical role, and her contributions to all aspects of our community life have been far-reaching. I know you will miss her, and so will I. St. Olaf is a more diverse community, in all of the meanings of that rich word, because of her work here.
Meanwhile, it is important to insure continuity in the areas and programs Eida has been supervising. She and I and her staff will be working closely to make that happen. This is also the time to think about how we can best propel the work of this office, and I will be asking a group of colleagues to help me think that through in the next couple of months so that we can then proceed expeditiously with a search for Eida’s successor.
We will have many opportunities between now and the end of May individually to express to Eida our thanks and regards. I hope each of you will seize that opportunity when the time is right for you.
Sincerely,
David R. Anderson '74
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
St. Olaf's Response to Student Loan Concerns
Hi Oles,
Here's a copy of a letter that I am sending to all current St. Olaf students and parents of current St. Olaf students at their home addresses. It's about a matter that has been in the news this week--namely, concerns raised by Minnesota's Attorney General about whether some colleges and universities might be steering students and their families to certain lenders in exchange for financial inducements from those lenders. Good news: St. Olaf does not receive any rebates or payments or other inducements from private lenders. This letter explains what we do and why. Hope this is helpful.
Dear St. Olaf Parents and Students:
Along with every College and University President in Minnesota, I today received a letter from Lori Swanson, Minnesota's Attorney General, about an inquiry she has begun into the student loan industry. You may be aware from news reports that Attorneys General in several states are making similar inquiries of colleges and universities in those states. In her letter, Ms. Swanson asked for full disclosure from colleges and universities about monetary incentives they receive from private lenders. The concern is that colleges or universities may be receiving payments from lenders in exchange for promoting those lenders' products with students and their families.
St. Olaf College does not participate in any revenue sharing with lenders.
We do have a list of “Preferred Lenders” whom we recommend to families that choose to use private lenders to help finance a St. Olaf education. We keep such a list because there are hundreds of lenders serving the student loan market, and not all of them offer advantageous terms. We developed our “Preferred Lender” list after extensive research with the intent of helping students identify loan programs that offer the best terms and student benefits, excellent service, and efficient processing systems. St. Olaf receives no payments or rebates for recommending any particular lender to a family.
Of course, students may borrow funds from any qualified source, whether the source appears on our list or not. Our goal is simply to provide our families with good information about attractive loan options that may best meet their needs.
If you have questions or concerns about the issues surrounding private loans, I encourage you to be in contact with Kathy Ruby, Director of Financial Aid, at (507) 646-3019.
Sincerely,
David R. Anderson ’74
President
Here's a copy of a letter that I am sending to all current St. Olaf students and parents of current St. Olaf students at their home addresses. It's about a matter that has been in the news this week--namely, concerns raised by Minnesota's Attorney General about whether some colleges and universities might be steering students and their families to certain lenders in exchange for financial inducements from those lenders. Good news: St. Olaf does not receive any rebates or payments or other inducements from private lenders. This letter explains what we do and why. Hope this is helpful.
Dear St. Olaf Parents and Students:
Along with every College and University President in Minnesota, I today received a letter from Lori Swanson, Minnesota's Attorney General, about an inquiry she has begun into the student loan industry. You may be aware from news reports that Attorneys General in several states are making similar inquiries of colleges and universities in those states. In her letter, Ms. Swanson asked for full disclosure from colleges and universities about monetary incentives they receive from private lenders. The concern is that colleges or universities may be receiving payments from lenders in exchange for promoting those lenders' products with students and their families.
St. Olaf College does not participate in any revenue sharing with lenders.
We do have a list of “Preferred Lenders” whom we recommend to families that choose to use private lenders to help finance a St. Olaf education. We keep such a list because there are hundreds of lenders serving the student loan market, and not all of them offer advantageous terms. We developed our “Preferred Lender” list after extensive research with the intent of helping students identify loan programs that offer the best terms and student benefits, excellent service, and efficient processing systems. St. Olaf receives no payments or rebates for recommending any particular lender to a family.
Of course, students may borrow funds from any qualified source, whether the source appears on our list or not. Our goal is simply to provide our families with good information about attractive loan options that may best meet their needs.
If you have questions or concerns about the issues surrounding private loans, I encourage you to be in contact with Kathy Ruby, Director of Financial Aid, at (507) 646-3019.
Sincerely,
David R. Anderson ’74
President
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
St. Olaf Announces 2007 Commencement Speaker
Hi Oles,
Commencement is just around the corner, and the good news is that we have an outstanding commencement speaker. He is Mark W. Olson, who graduated from St. Olaf in 1965 with a major in Economics. Mr. Olson is Chairman of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a non-profit corporation formed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. That law was enacted in response to numerous corporate accounting scandals, including the collapse of Enron. Its mission is "to oversee the auditors of public companies in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, fair, and independent audit reports."
Before taking on this post in 2006, Mr. Olson was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Federal Open Market Committee. He has also served on the staff of the Senate Banking Committee, worked for national auditing companies, been a banker, and started off working as a legislative aid for Bill Frenzel, who was elected from Minnesota to the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1970s.
St. Olaf named Mr. Olson a Distinguished Alum in 2003.
His talk will focus on ethics and values in the workplace, and will include a salutory message to the Class of 2007 and to all Oles who aspire to do good work.
Commencement is just around the corner, and the good news is that we have an outstanding commencement speaker. He is Mark W. Olson, who graduated from St. Olaf in 1965 with a major in Economics. Mr. Olson is Chairman of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a non-profit corporation formed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. That law was enacted in response to numerous corporate accounting scandals, including the collapse of Enron. Its mission is "to oversee the auditors of public companies in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, fair, and independent audit reports."
Before taking on this post in 2006, Mr. Olson was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Federal Open Market Committee. He has also served on the staff of the Senate Banking Committee, worked for national auditing companies, been a banker, and started off working as a legislative aid for Bill Frenzel, who was elected from Minnesota to the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1970s.
St. Olaf named Mr. Olson a Distinguished Alum in 2003.
His talk will focus on ethics and values in the workplace, and will include a salutory message to the Class of 2007 and to all Oles who aspire to do good work.
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