Progress Report for American Public University System

American Public University System is a fully online university serving more than 105,000 students studying in all 50 states and in more than 100 countries. Most of APUS’ students are working adults, many with families and about half in the military. The online format that APUS provides to these students allows them the flexibility to study from anywhere and monthly course start dates provide additional scheduling assistance to our busy students. The school’s online format is also beneficial to its total carbon footprint and APUS has remained committed to reducing its environmental impact since the school signed in September 2007. Because of current green construction and a significant growth in both student population and, in turn, staff, the university’s carbon emissions have increased. As construction continues in conjunction with growth, the use of space has not been ideal. In the next several years, however, the use of space will be consolidated and the university expects to see a decrease in overall carbon emissions as a result.

Since signing, the school has undertaken 28 energy efficiency retrofit projects and has completed construction on a 45,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building currently in the LEED certification process. The building which houses the university’s Academic departments is situated on a brownfields site and APUS took significant measures to mitigate the environmental damage left by the site’s previous use as a junk yard. The completed building boasts a highly efficient HVAC system, storm water retention pond, motion and heat sensor lighting, abundant natural light, and native landscaping surrounding. All materials used within the building were built or purchased within 500 miles of the building site. There are 99 solar panels on the roof of the building which provide approximately 3 to 5 percent of the building’s energy (because the building has been occupied only one year, the university does not have full data). Just behind the new Academic Center, the university is constructing another building which is being built to LEED Gold standards. The highlight of this building which will house the university’s Finance departments is a vast solar array of 1600 panels. These solar panels are expected to provide approximately 60 percent of the building’s energy. The solar array will serve as a covered parking lot and include 15 universal electric car charging stations, at least one of which the university will provide for public use. Once the new construction projects are completed, the university will consolidate employees who are currently spread among many buildings, ultimately using its total space more efficiently and likely reducing its carbon emissions per square footage.

Administratively, the university system has grown to keep pace with significant student growth. As a result, usage of consumables, especially paper, seems to be up significantly but not up on a “per employee” basis. In sum, the university system has seen in increase in paper usage that coincides with an increase in employee numbers. The APUS Sustainability Committee is working to educate employees about how to reduce their paper usage and is encouraging paper recycling at the same time. In addition to education efforts, the Sustainability Committee partnered with the university’s Payroll department to promote a “Paperless Payroll” initiative to staff, encouraging them to participate in ADP’s iPay program to opt out of receiving hardcopy paystubs if enrolled in direct deposit. To date, approximately 90 percent of APUS employees receive their pay through direct deposit; of those, approximately 20 percent have enrolled in the iPay program and no longer receive paper paystubs. The APUS Human Resources department has taken many of their trainings and paperwork functions to the online environment including the university’s benefits enrollment process, management training, discrimination and harassment prevention training, FERPA training, and many others. The Office of the President and Marketing departments continue to show their commitments to reducing the university’s paper usage by sending electronic holiday cards for the last several years.

Because APUS is a fully online university, its students are not on “campus” as they are in more traditional institutions. This provides tremendous benefit to the specific student demographic that APUS serves and also to the school’s carbon footprint and sustainability efforts. Even though its students are spread across the world, APUS has still managed to promote sustainable practices to and through them. Most obviously, the school has a very strong Environmental Studies program and is known for having faculty with practical, industry-specific experience, providing students with more than just a theoretical experience. APUS faculty engage many students in research and presentation opportunities. In addition, the university has provided many resources related to sustainability in public forums around the internet. The APUS Sustainability Committee maintains a blog where it shares articles related to sustainability in higher education. For the past 2 years, all students who attended APUS’ commencement ceremony wore Oak Hall’s GreenWeaver green gowns, each made from 23 plastic bottles.

Finally, the school has undertaken several outreach projects with its local and global communities. The university sponsored several industry-specific environmental conferences across the country including the National Military Fish and Wildlife Conference and the North American Wildlife and National Resources Conference. In July 2011, the school hosted the First Annual APUS Sustainability Summit, bringing together representatives from local government, higher education, construction industries, and others for a day-long discussion about the potential for green renewal in the region. The year prior to that, the school’s Sustainability Committee partnered with the City of Charles Town to undertake a community clean-up day. On a regular basis, the university system conducts an “Adopt-A-Highway” event on a highway near its Charles Town, WV offices.

Climate Neutrality Target Date:	2050

Interim Milestone Emission-Reduction Target	Target Date	Baseline*
2% reduction in Commuting Emissions	by 2013	relative to baseline emissions in 2008
50% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions	by 2025	relative to baseline emissions in 2008
90% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions	by 2040	relative to baseline emissions in 2008

[click to view Climate Action Plan - American Public University System Climate Action Plan]

GHGs summary

GHGs for American Public University System

Reporting Year	Gross Emissions	Net Emissions	Full Time Enrollments	Total Bldg. Sq. Ft.	[action]
2008	2242.0	2242.0	15659.0	107698.0	[ view ]
2010	4226.029	4226.029	23520.0	135038.0	[ view ]
2012	5109.99	5109.99	39672.0	189338.0	[ view ]

• Change in GHG gross emissions
  

  1984.029

  APUS has grown by an incredible amount in recent years - in both student and staff populations. Because of the increase in populations, APUS has been working on green construction that will house additional staff members. One green building has been completed, one is in progress, and one is slotted for ground-breaking sometime after 2012. Once these buildings are built and occupied, use of space will improve and the university system anticipates that carbon emissions will decrease as a result.



• Change in GHG emissions per 1000 sq.ft. building space
  

  10.4776384482

  As of January 2012, APUS has 31,362 square feet of building space, a significant increase since from the amount noted in the 2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. Increased square footage has increased carbon emissions but with additional construction to accommodate significant growth, the university system anticipates that within the next 3 to 5 years it will be able to use its existing space more efficiently to cut overall carbon emissions.


• Change in GHG emissions per full time enrollment (FTE)
  

  0.0365016556925

  Because APUS is a fully online university, there are no students on campus to contribute to the school's carbon footprint. APUS' GHG emissions per FTE has historically been just a fraction of those of more traditional schools. With more than 105,000 students learning in all 50 states and more than 100 countries, APUS' total GHG emissions per student is virtually non-existent when compared to "brick and mortar" institutions.

Curriculum

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Co-Curriculum

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Research

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Community Engagement

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Energy Efficiency Projects

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• Number of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects planned, but not yet implemented:

  2



• Number of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects completed since signing the ACUPCC:

  28



• Number of buildings that have received a green building certification since signing the ACUPCC:

  0



• Number of green buildings planned or scheduled for completion in the next 2 years:

  1



• For all buildings, the green building certification/rating used is:

  USGBC:LEED

Renewable Energy

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• Annual output (in kWhs) for each renewable energy system utilized by American Public University System

  • Solar output: 425 kWh
  
  

• Other GHG mitigation efforts:
  Academic Center: The university system purchased an abandoned brownfields site to build its 45,000-square-foot Academic Center. The site was previously used as a junk yard and various contaminants were found in the soil. APUS took measures to mitigate the environmental damage already done and construction progressed in an environmentally-conscious nature. The building was completed in November 2010 and occupied in December of that year. The building boasts a highly efficient HVAC system, a storm water retention pond, motion and heat sensor lighting, abundant natural light, and native landscaping surrounding. All materials used within the building were built or purchased within 500 miles of the building site. Additionally, there are 99 solar panels on the roof of the building which provide approximately 3 to 5 percent of the building’s energy. The building is currently in the LEED certification process and the university system has applied for LEED Gold certification. In an interesting academic opportunity, a graduate student working toward a MS in Environmental Policy and Management conducted his final project on the building. He documented the building’s progress through a blog (http://apus-green-building.com/) and provided information to his readers about the various green elements within the building.
  
  Finance Center: APUS is currently constructing another building which will be built to LEED Gold Standards. The building is located behind the school’s Academic Center and will eventually house the school’s Finance department. The highlight of this building is the vast solar array which will accompany its construction. 1600 panels will provide nearly 60 percent of the new building’s energy needs, offsetting an estimated 350 tons of carbon each year. The array functions as a covered parking lot and will include 15 universal electric car charging stations. APUS will make at least one of these stations available for public use. Based on historical increases in utility rates of approximately 7 percent per year, over the life of the system, it is estimated to save APUS more than $9,000,000. The university system is in the process of verifying that this is the largest solar installation in the state to date.
  
  Carpooling: In late 2010, APUS introduced a comprehensive carpooling package to all fulltime employees. The carpooling website is hosted by Carpoolworld.com and employees are able to enter their personal information (including scheduled, route, personal preferences, etc.) and the carpoolworld.com software proactively matches employees with each other based on these parameters. Though the program has only been in place for a little more than one month, it has already shown great potential. Within just 24 hours, nearly two dozen employees had created accounts with carpoolworld.com and several matches were already showing for many employees. The staff and employees who have used the software have provided favorable feedback about the product. The APUS Sustainability Committee will continue to monitor progress in employee carpooling as staff commuting has consistently been one of largest contributors to the APUS carbon footprint. Another benefit of the carpoolworld.com program is that employees who were already carpooling or using other green methods of transportation have been prompted to contact the Sustainability Committee. Knowing who these “green commuters” are will assist in completing the schools Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
  
  Paper Usage: A paper consumption audit conducted for the period beginning January 1, 2011 and ending October 19, 2011 revealed that during that time, APUS employees printed 3,310,949 sheets of paper, equivalent to nearly 400 trees. This is more than 413,868 sheets each month. At the time of APUS’ Climate Action Plan, the monthly paper usage was approximately 234,800 sheets each month, of approximately 525 pages per employee per month. The university has grown significantly in the last several years and when one considers the growth in employees, the total amount of paper used per employee is down significantly. Whereas each employee was using approximately 525 pages per month in 2009, as of the most recent paper consumption audit, per employee usage was down to only 440 pages per employee per month. This is significant progress especially considering that much of the growth has been in the very paper-intensive Finance department which has more than doubled its total staff in less than a year. The Committee continues to seek out ways to educate staff about how to avoid printing and for the last two months, APUS has been purchasing recycled printer paper. Additional education will be provided to staff regarding paper usage and staff will be advised on tips for reducing paper usage. In another administrative function gone paperless, APUS has recently introduced a “Paperless Payroll” initiative to staff, encouraging them to enroll in ADP’s iPay program and opt out of receiving their paystubs in hardcopy. Currently approximately 90 percent of APUS employees receive their pay through direct deposit. Of those, approximately 20 percent have enrolled in the Paperless Payroll (iPay) program since introduced in March 2011. The APUS Sustainability Committee continues to promote the program in conjunction with the Office of the President, Payroll, and Human Resource departments. During APUS’ New Hire Orientation Program, Payroll and Benefits staff as well as the speaker representing the Sustainability Committee educate new hire employees about the benefits of the Paperless Payroll program and encourage participation. The Office of the President and Marketing departments displayed their commitment to reducing the use of paper by sending electronic holiday cards for the second year in a row.
  
  Digitization: In other ways, however, the university system has managed to reduce the volume of paper used in operations. For example, the Student Records and Accounts Payables departments have been completely digitized with all processes, forms, and other materials available and housed in an online format. Various other operational procedures have been digitized, reducing paper and creating a more effective process overall. For example, the Manager Self Service system, a web-based service that gives managers immediate access to personnel information for their direct reports, has proven effective at assisting managers with administrative functions and trainings. In addition to procedural effectiveness, the MSS provides additional security by eliminating the need for paper forms and passing of potentially confidential documents between manager and HR staff. Because of this increased security, this process is highly regarded as a Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) best practice. Employee training courses have been put into an online format, as well. For example, 1,174 employees have conducted various trainings through the online program LawRoom including, Ethics & Code of Conduct, Supervisor Anti-Harassment, Data Security and Privacy, FERPA: Protecting Education Records, Avoiding Retaliation in the Workplace, Accommodating Workers with Disabilities, Hiring I: Identifying Candidates, among others. In an another administrative function gone paperless, APUS has recently introduced a “Paperless Payroll” initiative to staff, encouraging them to enroll in ADP’s iPay program and opt out of receiving their paystubs in hardcopy. Currently approximately 90 percent of APUS employees receive their pay through direct deposit. Of those, approximately 20 percent have enrolled in the Paperless Payroll (iPay) program since introduced in March 2011. The APUS Sustainability Committee continues to encourage employees to enroll for the ADP iPay Paperless Payroll program.
  
  Recycling: The APUS Sustainability Committee has continued to refine and enhance the recycling programs at both of its campus locations. The Sustainability Committee worked with the school’s Facilities department to obtain lids for the recycling bins on the Charles Town campus when it was discovered that employees were putting the wrong recyclables in the bins (paper in the co-mingled bin, for example). The co-mingled bins have lids with round holes in them to remind employees of the materials that may go in that bin (ie: aluminum cans, glass bottles, etc.). The paper recycling bins have hinged slots that items larger or shaped differently from paper will not fit into. The Committee continues to work on appropriate signage to display in prominent places on campus to remind employees to recycle and educate them on how to do so.
  
  Lighting: Of its 22 buildings, half have been outfitted with motion sensor lights which have helped to ensure that unnecessary energy is not used lighting empty rooms. The sensors are located throughout the buildings, including in work areas as well as conference rooms and common areas. In the latest additions to campus (the school’s IT building and Academic Center), abundant natural light allows for minimal use of artificial light.
  

Financial Data

savings...

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• Has your Climate Action Plan and/or related sustainability efforts saved your institution money so far, e.g. by reducing operational expenses?

  not sure



• Amount spent on CAP projects:

  $10-20M



• Estimated amount saved to date from implementing your CAP projects:

  $10-49k



• Estimated total savings expected from implementing entire Climate Action Plan

  $1-10M



• Additional information or context to support expected savings:

  Finance Center solar array alone will save approximately $9,859,000 over the life of the system based on historical increases in utility rates of approximately 7% per annum

funding....

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finance methods...

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• Financing Methods utilized for Mitigation or Renewable Energy Projects:
  • Other
    Cash

This data is available to ACUPCC signatories with reporting system access.