The University of Windsor reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a culture of environmental sustainability on campus and beyond with the installation of a new dual drive, electric-steam turbine chiller — the first of its kind at a Canadian university.

The chiller, which drives the heating, cooling, and ventilation systems of about 30 buildings across campus, was unveiled Wednesday alongside University leadership, students, staff, and Enbridge Gas representatives. The project denotes one of the largest sustainability initiatives undertaken by the University this year and is part of an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent in seven years and net zero by 2050.

“This milestone project marks our unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency,” said Gillian Heisz, UWindsor vice-president, finance and operations. “It not only supports our sustainability objectives, but also hopefully inspires others to embrace similar measures.”

Nadia Harduar, the University’s sustainability officer, added: “This fall, we are thrilled to unveil our Campus Carbon Neutral Master Plan, a comprehensive roadmap that outlines our bold strategy to further reduce emissions and create a more sustainable campus for generations to come. This plan works to address one of the priorities outlined in the University’s overall strategic plan released in the summer.”

Located within the Energy Conversion Centre on Patricia Street, the York YST chiller uses energy-efficient electricity, complemented by alternative steam energy. By seamlessly combining these two energy sources, the advanced hybrid technology will reduce the equivalent of 8,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year by minimizing natural gas usage and saving an estimate of over $1 million annually.

The reduction in emissions is equivalent to removing 2,000 cars off the roads in a single year. This measure alone will achieve 82 per cent of the University’s 2030 emission reduction target.

Representatives from Enbridge Gas were on hand to celebrate the chiller installation and present incentives of $200,000 in recognition of the University’s participation in the utility’s Commercial Energy Efficiency program. The program rewards companies for meeting their sustainability goals. The University has received more than $438,400 from Enbridge Gas since 2018 by reducing reliance on natural gas through energy-efficient equipment upgrades, installation of demand-control ventilation systems, and more.

Sarah Van Der Paelt, director of marketing and energy conservation for Enbridge Gas, said the company is proud to work closely with clients to maximize efficiencies.

“Through a combination of innovation, collaboration, and conservation efforts, we have created a successful strategy to reduce emissions while embracing a clean energy future,” Van Der Paelt said.

Heisz agreed and said reaching emissions targets will require every member of the campus community to look at opportunities for efficiencies big and small.

“As a community of change-makers, the University is prepared to take bold steps to shape a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future,” she said.

Learn more about the University of Windsor’s campus initiatives at uwindsor.ca/sustainability.

The Finance Department has prepared a questionnaire seeking feedback on the University’s policies on travel, procurement, and entertainment.

Under the Ontario Broader Public Sector Accountability Act, the University is obliged to review each policy at least every five years.

Finance is looking to gather any comments, questions, or feedback from various groups on campus through a public consultation process.

“We sincerely appreciate your input into the policy consultation process and your insights, recommendations, and perspectives provide valuable clarity and help us make informed decisions regarding policies,” says Vincent Yeung, associate vice-president, finance.

His department will review feedback from the consultation process and prepare final drafts of the policies for consideration in September by the Board of Governors Resource Allocation Committee.

The current policies are available for review, along with questionnaire, on the finance website. The questionnaire is open until Sept. 7.

Lancer football will open its 2023 season on the road, heading to Hamilton to line up against the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, Aug. 26.

Last year, the Lancers finished with a 4-4 record, qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and ended their run with a 43-40 quarter-final loss to Ottawa.

McMaster’s 2-6 2022 record was the program’s first losing result since 1997.

Saturday’s kick-off is at 7 p.m. Fans can catch the action on OUA.tv.

Windsor will play its first home game Sunday, Sept. 3, hosting the Guelph Gryphons on Alumni Field at 7 p.m. Admission is free for UWindsor students, $12 general admission, $10 for youth and seniors, and $15 for gold section seats. Purchase tickets here.

Mementoes and awards previously posted in the lobby of Chrysler Hall Tower are out of sight but not out of mind, reports Facility Services.

Plaques acknowledging the winners of the President’s Achievement Award, Healthy Workplace Award, and the Kevin Doyle Award for Service to the Media have relocated to the University Archives, while varied certificates and honours from the United Way, Toronto District School Board, Canadian Association of University Business Officers, and others, are being held in temporary storage by Facility Services until they can be distributed to appropriate departments.

“We have heard people wondering what has happened to these items that have hung on the walls for years,” says Heather Cantin, space management assistant. “We want to reassure the campus community that they are safe and secure.”

Archived materials become part of the special collections tracing the history of the University of Windsor and are organized, catalogued, and stored with special care toward preservation. Learn more on the Leddy Library website.

In “Creating Prints with Nature,” the last in the series of Sundays in the Studio! workshops led by artist Sarah Smitherman, participants will explore various types of leaves while making monoprints.

“We will exercise our creativity by cutting leaves and arranging them on printing plates with other material,” says Smitherman, a graphic designer in the UWindsor Department of Public Affairs and Communications.

The workshop, Sunday, Aug. 27, at Art Windsor-Essex, is free with admission to the gallery. It will run on a drop-in basis from 1 to 4 p.m. in the second-floor Education Studio at 401 Riverside Dr. West.

Tryouts for Lancer Gaming — the official epsorts teams of the University of Windsor — begin Friday, Aug. 25.

The program competes against hundreds of other universities and colleges across North America in three different online games: Valorant, League of Legends, and Rocket League. Team membership is open to all full-time UWindsor students.

“We are excited to announce that tryouts for the 2023/2024 season starting this Friday,” says Cindy Crump, director of the Student Success and Leadership Centre. “Eligible students who earn a place on a team receive $2,000 in financial awards!”

Visit Lancer Gaming for more information on dates and times for each esport, and register here for a tryout spot.

GATAcademy 2023, offering professional development to UWindsor graduate and teaching assistants, will run on Microsoft Teams next week.

Each day from Monday, Aug. 28, to Friday, Sept. 1, will feature three workshops on such topics as running effective labs, fostering engaging classroom discussion, and best practices in grading and feedback.

Registration is free; get details on the GATAcademy website.