Campus Engagement
Introduction
Engaging in sustainability issues through co-curricular activities allows students to deepen and apply their understandings of sustainability principles. Institution-sponsored co-curricular sustainability offerings, often coordinated by student affairs offices, help integrate sustainability into the campus culture and set a positive tone for the institution. Faculty and staff members’ daily decisions impact an institution’s sustainability performance. Equipping faculty and staff with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to adopt behavior changes that promote sustainability is an essential activity of a sustainable campus.
Featured Resources
New Resources
Brandeis University’s Year of Climate Action
- Brandeis University (MA)
In 2019, a task force set out to write a new climate action plan for the university. Among its recommendations was to dedicate an entire year to catalyzing and deepening ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Addressing Climate Anxiety through Resilience and Community Building
- Portland Community College (OR)
Sustainability and climate work require resilience to fend off burnout and avoidance. While our college does good work promoting sustainability through our Climate Action Plan and curricular and co-curricular environmental ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
"Improv to Improve the Earth"
- University of California, Merced (CA)
The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) in partnership with Quarantine Improv (QI) hosted its second annual Earth Day event, "Improv to Improve the Earth". The goal was to bring ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Bottle Filling Stations at UCI 2023
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
UCI Facilities Management in collaboration with the Campus as a Living Lab class brought together interns to embark on the revitalization of the bottle filling stations program. The pandemic halted ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Equity and Justice Working Group- Tufts Eco Reps
- Tufts University (MA)
I implemented an Equity and Justice Working Group (EJWG) within the Tufts Eco Rep program Fall 2022 with the goal to integrate DEIJ principles into the core of the Eco ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Yale Undergrad Confronts the Emanating Climate Threat of Refrigerant Leaks through the Yale Refrigerants Initiative (YRI)
- Yale University (CT)
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many (if not all) universities’ sustainability offices had to reimagine what engaging with their communities looked like and how they’d meet campus ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
WSU Office of Campus Sustainability
- Wayne State University (MI)
The Office of Campus Sustainability holds around 25 engagement events throughout the year and reaches around 350 students and countless community members. Each of the student leaders within the Office ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Marquette Career Closet
- Marquette University (WI)
Marquette Career Closet is a student-founded, university-adopted, service that provides access to professional clothes to students on campus to encourage them to pursue their career aspirations. This is done by ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Eco Film and Media Arts Festival
- University of Southern California (CA)
The inaugural Eco Film and Media Arts Festival was designed to bring together student filmmakers and artists engaged in climate storytelling and activism. The festival featured 11 student films that ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Addressing the Social Pillar of Sustainability by Enhancing Racial Equity of Minorities in STEM Higher Education through the CREaTE Pathway
- El Paso Community College (TX)
- University of Texas at El Paso (TX)
The Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education (CREaTE) is a national center for research in engineering, science, and technology education at The University of Texas at El Paso ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Campus foodscapes as sites of transformation: mapping policy and projects in US universities envisioning just, sustainable and healthy food systems
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Melbourne (Victoria)
Globally universities have expanded their mission beyond teaching and research: recognising their broader responsibilities to their students, communities and civic neighbours, and to sustainable operations and infrastructure. This research considers ...
- Posted May 31, 2023
- Publications
- View more
Choose to Reuse
- Boston University (MA)
- ARAMARK at Boston University
Boston University’s Choose to Reuse program, offered at seven retail dining concepts in the George Sherman Union, provides students staff, and faculty the choice between ordering their meal on ...
- Posted May 23, 2023
- Case Studies
- View more
Sustainability Week at USFQ
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)
In honor of Earth Day, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) hosted the first Sustainability Week from April 17 to 21, with various activities carried out for the institution and ...
- Posted May 22, 2023
- Photographs
- View more
EcoArt Entertainment
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Wearing upcycled costumes, Brooklyn based Artichoke Dance Company performs as part of Campus Earth Day 2023. Artichoke Dance are EcoArtists and Environmental Activists. They are known for performances paired with ...
- Posted May 22, 2023
- Photographs
- View more
EcoArt Entertainment
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Wearing upcycled costumes, Brooklyn based Artichoke Dance Company performs as part of Campus Earth Day 2023. Artichoke Dance are EcoArtists and Environmental Activists. They are known for performances paired with ...
- Posted May 22, 2023
- Photographs
- View more
KAUST SDG Highlight Report 2021/2022
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Makkah)
The KAUST SDG Highlight Report 2021 & 2022 features major projects, programs, and initiatives that have been set up or have been continuously running at KAUST across three broad categories ...
- Posted May 18, 2023
- Publications
- View more
Cooking with Purpose – Empowering Food-insecure College Students to “Take Back Cooking” for Climate Mitigation, Nutrition and Budget Benefits!
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- AASHE (MA)
Food pantries on college campuses have a wide variety of food choices with a wide variety of cost, nutritional, and greenhouse gas impacts. In an effort to encourage food-insecure students ...
- Posted May 18, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
- View more
Black and Brown Bodies in Green Spaces. How to Create Structural Change in the Zero Waste Movement
- Generation Conscious, Inc. (NY)
Join G.L. Genco as he shares his story on the founding of Generation Conscious and how he builds networks and power for intentionally exploited communities. Through this discussion, he ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Campus-Community Partnerships: Building Food Sovereignty and Fostering Collaboration
- Lafayette College (PA)
This session will explore how Lafayette College has succeeded and failed at building campus-community partnerships to address food sovereignty with an opportunity for participants to explore their own campus-community engagement ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Can Colleges and Universities Become Bioregional Regeneration Learning Centers?
- Otterbein University (OH)
- Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice (OH)
Daniel Wahl, in his manual-for-the-future DESIGNING REGENERATIVE CULTURES, calls for colleges to become “bioregional learning and research centers” in order to best make use of our expertise for addressing the ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Students Taking on Oil & Petrochemicals Fellowship
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
PLAN’s Students Taking on Oil and Petrochemicals (STOP) Fellowship supports students that attend universities in Appalachia, a region threatened by an impending petrochemical buildout. This year-long fellowship provides students ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
An Educational Program on Organic Waste Composting and Compost End Use at Kean University
- Kean University (NJ)
An institutional-wide educational and behavior change campaign was initiated in 2021 at Kean University (KU) to promote organic waste recycling and composting on campus. The program focused on three areas ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Radical Voices: How Students Want to Learn in a Crises World
- Catawba College (NC)
- University of Connecticut (CT)
This session shares experiences of students in higher education in an effort to provide a platform for the "radical" voices within the Academy. We use the term radical in a ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Sustainability Event Planning
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
Learn about sustainability and event planning with Kenzie Luterbach, the events coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at UW-Stevens Point. Learn about the events that have gone on at the ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Using Google Tools to Support Visitors and Student Employees at the Mills College Reuse Depot
- Mills College (CA)
Both student employees and sustainability staff are always looking for increasing impact and efficiency. Simple and free tools like Google Calendar supports Mills Sustainability's, the sustainability division at Mills ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Recipe for Hosting a Successful On-Campus Engagement Event
- San Mateo County Community College District Office (CA)
Successful on-campus engagement events are challenging to pull off. The purpose of this session is to equip busy sustainability staff with the best tips and tricks to coordinate large-scale, engaging ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Ask Me Anything About How to Start an "Ask Me Anything Series
- University of California, Merced (CA)
In May 2020, the University of California, Merced launched a monthly “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) Series where an expert guest is featured for an hour long session answering attendees’ questions ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Eliminate Waste and Provide for the Underprivileged- A Free Store
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
The University of Tennessee – Knoxville’s program, The Free Store, is a community-based resource dedicated to helping UT students, faculty, and staff reduce their environmental impact and save money. It ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Campus Sustainability Starts in the Lab
- My Green Lab (CA)
Recent years show a global movement in sustainability as more organizations see the benefit of reducing their operations’ environmental impact. Thousands of universities have pledged to be more sustainable through ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Engage Your Campus Community Through Social Media
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
Have you ever wondered how to connect to students using social media as a tool to spread awareness of your sustainability initiatives? Are you struggling to grab students’ attention online ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Stay Rad, Post Grad
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
Are you graduating? Are you panicking? Or maybe you know exactly what you want to do, but it’s just a matter of making it happen. Join the PLAN staff ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Bringing Out the Change-Maker in All of Us
- City University of New York, Hunter College (NY)
- PIPS Education Fund (NY)
Can you think of any games that use some form of currency (coins, tokens, etc.) to encourage people to keep playing? Have you ever gotten hooked on such a game ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
UVA Green Labs: A Holistic Approach to Technical Communications
- University of Virginia (VA)
The UVA Green Labs Program has implemented a tiered model for communications that provides helpful and accessible resources to a broad range of stakeholders on Grounds. This approach has been ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Importance of Student Leaders in Project-Based Sustainability Spaces
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
University students are the main drivers of change on campus, but getting this change initiated can seem challenging and intimidating. Join student leaders and teaching assistants from the University of ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Empathy Mapping: A Design Tool for Impactful Sustainability Programs
- Davidson College (NC)
In this session, attendees will practice the skill of empathy mapping, the first step in design thinking. To create value for their own work, attendees will then be asked to ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
I Am Not Throwing Away My (Up)Shot: Pandemic Pains Prove Resiliency Benefits Everyone
- Texas A&M University (TX)
A full two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, most of us are overly acquainted with the online fatigue brought about by our virtual workscape. Prolonged separation from in person meetings ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Knowing Your Community Expectations Can Drive Sustainability Outcomes
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
The value of knowing your community expectations can drive sustainability outcomes. The University of Tasmania runs biennial student and staff sustainability surveys since 2016. Using the Sustainability Culture Indicator (SCI ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Lightning Talks: Student Organizing & Activism
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Creighton University (NE)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Seattle University (WA)
This session consists of 3 15-minute Lightning Talk sessions related to student organizing and activism. The Lightning Talks are: Campus ESG: Development of Student-Run Sustainable Investing at Arizona State University ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
How to Create a Sustainable Virtual Event Certification Program
- Concordia University (IL)
- McGill University (QC)
- University of Manitoba (MB)
In the context of increasingly affordable (but not universal) access to digital equipment and technologies, virtual events have become more prevalent. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual events ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Sustainability Graduate Studies: Where, Why, and How
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- University of North Carolina, Greensboro (NC)
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
- University of South Florida (FL)
Undergraduate students are welcome to attend a panel discussion about sustainability graduate studies. Learn more about the value of a graduate degree, ways to determine which program is the right ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Inspire Just & Sustainable Behaviors via Your Biggest Influencer: Sports
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of Southern California (CA)
- Wake Forest University (NC)
- Honeycomb Strategies (CO)
This session seeks to educate and inspire sustainability professionals to partner with their athletics departments to improve sustainability systems and motivate fans to enhance their personal sustainability behaviors at home ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Engaging Students Beyond Individual Sustainability Action
- California State University, Fresno (CA)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
- Tufts University (MA)
- University of Michigan (MI)
- University Mohammed VI Polytechnic
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJ)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Students have boundless energy and passion, but often express frustration that many sustainability solutions place emphasis on individual action and/or their efforts do not make a significant impact on ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Who is the Post-Landfill Action Network?
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) was founded in 2013, by a group of college students. These students witnessed a systemic waste problem on their campus and developed the first student-led ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Small Actions, Massive Impact: Fighting Waste on Your Campus 101
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
Getting involved is a big step! This is an excellent session to attend if you are interested in starting a project to address waste systems on your campus but aren ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Finding Your Point of Intervention
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
In the zero waste community, there’s been a longstanding debate about whether individual action vs. collective action prompts the most effective change. What is your stance? How do you ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Alumni & Student Engagement: Building Relationships and Career Pathways
- Elon University (NC)
- University of Virginia (VA)
- Green LMN LLC (NJ)
Now, more than ever, students need support finding professional development opportunities and career pathways. Connecting alumni to students expands opportunities for students to engage in meaningful sustainability work and can ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Composting: Community Based Solutions to Food Waste & Climate Challenges
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Food loss and food waste are global challenges; an estimated 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. Food waste is directly related to food insecurity, poverty, and the ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Greek Sustainability: Leveraging Change, Empowering Leaders
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
Students have been organizing chapter houses to host a "Green Chair" or also popularly known as "Green Greek Reps". We will share our resources, strategy, and recent academic year's ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Augsburg University’s Local Food Initiative: Student-Designed, Locally-Sourced
- Augsburg University (MN)
In 2020, Augsburg University’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship launched Augsburg Local, a campaign to leverage Augsburg University’s purchasing power to support local businesses. Purchasing at Augsburg ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Creating a Sustainability Survey: From Development to Assessing Impact
- Yale University (CT)
Are you interested in gaining a better sense of the sustainability needs and interests of your community? Is your institution seeking points in STARS? In this session, the Yale Office ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
- View more
This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
EN 1: Student Educators Program
- Percent of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the student educators program (1st program)
- Description of the student educators program (2nd program)
- Brief description of the student educators program (3rd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per students served
- Website URL - Student sustainability educators programs
EN 2: Student Orientation
- Percent of entering students that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new student orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in student orientation
EN 3: Student Life
- Description of the active student groups focused on sustainability
- Description of student gardens, farms, CSAs, fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects
- Description of the student-run enterprises
- Description of student sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives
- Description of sustainability-focused conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events for students
- Description of sustainability-focused cultural arts events, installations, or performances
- Description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles
- Description of sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences
- Description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills
- Description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution
- Description of graduation pledge(s)
- Description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives
EN 4: Student Life
- Website URL - Central sustainability website
- Description of sustainability newsletter or social media platform(s)
- Description of the signage that highlights campus sustainability features
- Description of the sustainability walking map or tour
- Description of the guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience
- Description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications
EN 5: Student Life
- Description of the first sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of the second sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns
EN 6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
- Description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (upload)
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (description)
- Website URL - Assessment of sustainability culture
EN 7: Employee Educators Program
- Percent of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the employee educators program (1st program)
- Description of the employee educators program (2nd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained employee sustainability educators per employees served
- Website URL - Employee sustainability educators programs
EN 8: Employee Orientation
- Percent of new employees that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new employee orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in employee orientation
EN 9: Staff Professional Development & Training
- Estimated percentage of regular, non-academic staff that participates annually in sustainability professional development and training
- Description of any internal sustainability professional development and training opportunities
- Description of any external professional development and training opportunities in sustainability that are supported by the institution
- Estimated percentage of staff for which sustainability is included in performance reviews
- Description of how sustainability is included in staff performance reviews
- Website URL - Information about staff professional development and training in sustainability
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.