The University of Oregon is a co-sponsor of the the Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) and delighted to be hosting the next conference in March 2020! Conference details and registration information will be available here.
WOHESC is a regionally focused opportunity for those teaching, working, or studying within higher education to come together and learn about sustainability in academics, operations, and research. Participants will explore ways to advance campus sustainability through the sharing of best practices, presentations on creative solutions to common challenges, and the development of regional collaborative networks. Through these facilitated conversations, workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities conference goers will help advance environmental performance at Washington and Oregon State institutions of higher education, support regional policy goals, and drive the development of a generation of professionals who strive to live and work sustainably.
2019 Summary
In 2019 the University of Washington hosted the WOHESC conference in Seattle February 25-27. Despite an epic snowstorm in Eugene that derailed some travel plans, staff from the UO and several students made it to Seattle for the conference. For students from the Environmental Leaders ARC it was their first professional and academic conference. Students from the Student Sustainability Center presented about the amazing work they are doing with social and environmental justice at the UO.
2018 Summary
In 2018 the Washington and Oregon groups joined energies to create one Pacific Northwest focused consortium, becoming WOHESC. The 2018 conference was hosted by Portland State University. The UO Office of Sustainability took a group of students to participate in one d ay of the conference, with travel costs covered by the university.
2017 Summary
The UO Office of Sustainability staff drove a van to the WAHESC (Washington Higher Education Sustainability Coalition) Conference from Wednesday February 15th to Friday Feb. 17th, 2017 in Spokane Washington. The Office of Sustainability supported nine UO students to attend the conference. ALL travel and lodging cost were covered by the Office of Sustainability, Campus Planning and Facilities Management, and the Student Sustainability Center. The 2017 WAHESC conference website is available here.