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
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Food insecure student clients of a university-based food bank have compromised health, dietary intake and academic quality
- University of Alberta (AB)
University and college students in wealthy countries may be vulnerable to financial food insecurity. If food insecure students have suboptimal health, their ability to learn and excel in their education ...
- Posted Aug. 14, 2016
- Publications
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Institute of Applied Agriculture Certificate
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
The Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) is a 60-credit, two-year academic certificate program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. The ...
- Posted Aug. 12, 2016
- Academic Programs
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Implementation Model: Tying Energy Costs to Building Occupants
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- United States Department of Energy (DC)
UC Berkeley's Energy Management Initiative (EMI) targets building occupants through building surveys and energy dashboards, and allocates energy cost responsibility to individual campus operating units to achieve savings of ...
- Posted Aug. 8, 2016
- Tools
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Northern Arizona University Energy Mentor Program
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
This is a how-to guide for higher education institutions who wish to carry out behavior based energy conservation programs. The guide is based on a program that has been implemented ...
- Posted Aug. 3, 2016
- Publications
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Communicating Sustainability Online: An Examination of Corporate, Nonprofit, and University Websites
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Sustainability, here defined as environmental quality and well-being, has emerged as a core business strategy and a focal area of investigation among communication scholars. This study analyzed sustainability landing pages ...
- Posted July 28, 2016
- Publications
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Educating for Sustainable Fashion: Using Clothing Acquisition Abstinence to Explore Sustainable Consumption and Life Beyond Growth
- Kansas State University (KS)
- Louisiana State University (LA)
- Oklahoma State University (OK)
This paper reports outcomes from a research study whereby fashion-oriented students experienced life where the ability to acquire new clothing was removed. Students volunteered to participate in this experiential learning ...
- Posted July 28, 2016
- Publications
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Icebox Detox Challenge
- Arizona State University (AZ)
The Icebox Detox Challenge addresses environmental stewardship activities by promoting an environment where laboratories have an accurate inventory of all biological samples at ASU. This innovative approach allows researchers to ...
- Posted July 27, 2016
- Case Studies
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Message in a bottle: what shapes university students’ understanding of sustainability?
Our research question concerned how life stories shape university students’ understanding of the sustainable use of natural resources. We searched for an answer for this question by listening to the ...
- Posted July 25, 2016
- Publications
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An integrated leadership model for leading education for sustainability in higher education and the vital role of students as change agents
- University of Plymouth (Devon)
This paper explores the leadership of education for sustainability (EfS) in higher education, focusing specifically on the key role students can play as internal catalysts for change. It presents a ...
- Posted July 21, 2016
- Publications
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Toward a Sustainable Future: The Role of Student Affairs in Creating Healthy Environments, Social Justice, and Strong Economies
- ACPA - College Student Educators International (DC)
Toward a Sustainable Future: The Role of Student Affairs in Creating Healthy Environments, Social Justice, and Strong Economies is a call to action for college student educators, articulating the crucial ...
- Posted July 21, 2016
- Publications
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Collective action competence: an asset to campus sustainability
- Duke University (NC)
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to operationalize theories of social learning and collective action for campus sustainability practitioners at higher education instititions (IHEs) to enhance their work, and ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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Enhancing sustainability curricula through faculty learning communities
- University of Vermont (VT)
Purpose
Although the number of higher education institutions adopting sustainability-focused faculty learning communities (FLCs) has grown, very few of these programs have published evaluation research. This paper aims to report ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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Greening the campus: a theoretical extension of the dialogic communication approach
- Michigan State University (MI)
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the strategic organization-public dialogic communication practices of universities in the USA. The authors used the dialogic model of communication to explore ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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Recycling as a result of “cultural greening”?
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
- The College of New Jersey (NJ)
Purpose This study aims to test whether faculty and students who have developed the most pro-environmental values and concerns are also the most likely to reduce the on-campus waste stream ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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The value of adding ambient energy feedback to conservation tips and goal-setting in a dormitory
- Middlebury College (VT)
Purpose The majority of research on energy feedback has been conducted in residential households; in this study, the authors aim to examine the effectiveness of similar initiatives in a college ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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What goes on behind closed doors?: How college dormitory residents change to save energy during a competition-based energy reduction intervention
- University of Southern California (CA)
Purpose The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of a competition-based intervention combining high-resolution electricity feedback, incentives, information and prompts on college dormitory residents’ energy consumption and ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Materials Guidebook
- ACPA - College Student Educators International (DC)
ACPA’s Sustainability Task Force partnered with the Commission on Assessment and Evaluation with the goal of creating assessment tools to help ACPA members effectively measure student learning around sustainability ...
- Posted July 18, 2016
- Publications
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Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program
- Audubon International (NY)
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) is an education and certification program that helps organizations and businesses protect the environment while enhancing their bottom line. The “plan-do-check-act” approach of the ...
- Posted July 15, 2016
- Tools
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Regenerative Sustainable Development of Universities and Cities The Role of Living Laboratories
Now that the Earth has reached the limits of its biophysical carrying capacity, we have to change technologies, social practices and social norms relating to material production and consumption to ...
- Posted July 5, 2016
- Publications
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Environmental Navigation Network: Developing a Peer Mentor Program in the Environmental Program at the University of Vermont
- University of Vermont (VT)
The acknowledgement of complex environmental problems and society’s work to address them during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, inspired higher education to respond by developing a ...
- Posted July 5, 2016
- Publications
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Go Green at Oakton
- Oakton Community College (IL)
Created in house by our Media Services Department, this video was developed as an introduction of sustainable initiatives at Oakton Community College to students and campus visitors. We focused on ...
- Posted July 1, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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A Big Hairy Audacious Goal: Marketing University Sustainability Credentials
- University of Leeds (West Yorkshire)
- St. Lawrence University (NY)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- University of Plymouth (Devon)
- Bradford University (West Yorkshire)
- Northland College (WI)
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
- University of Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire)
This paper explores the potential recruitment and retention benefits arising from the marketing of University of Plymouth’s sustainability credentials. It attempts this by:
- reviewing academic and professional literature on ...
- Posted June 27, 2016
- Publications
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More colleges using green as selling tool
- USA TODAY (VA)
USA Today reports that "universities and colleges across the country are increasingly putting on the green to attract students who are serious about environmental issues."
- Posted June 27, 2016
- Publications
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First-year student attitudes towards, and skills in, sustainable development
- Higher Education Academy (York)
This report on student attitudes towards, and skills in, sustainable development describes the results of an online survey of 5,763 first-year higher education (HE) students, across all four UK ...
- Posted June 23, 2016
- Publications
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University Students as Change agents? A Comparative Study of the Role of Students in Higher Education for Sustainable Development in Germany and Sweden
- Uppsala University
To readjust the direction of social development and to enable sustainable learning for students at all levels, international policy emphasises the necessity to transform education systems based on a whole ...
- Posted June 23, 2016
- Publications
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Campus sustainability at the edges: Emotions, relations, and bio-cultural connections
- Temple University (PA)
The university campus is often considered a key site for the development of environmental sustainability initiatives. At the same time, the concept and practice of sustainability has been critiqued for ...
- Posted June 20, 2016
- Publications
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UT Farm Stand
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
UT Farm Stand is a student-led project that provides local and organic fresh foods to the University of Texas at Austin students, faculty, and staff. Our mission is focused on ...
- Posted June 16, 2016
- Case Studies
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Atlanta People's Climate March and Climate Summits
- Georgia State University (GA)
Sustainable Energy Tribe (SET), the largest student environmental group on Georgia State University's campus, worked to make climate change and environmental justice major themes for the year. These efforts ...
- Posted June 16, 2016
- Case Studies
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ReCycle Bikes
- Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TX)
ReCycle Bikes is a bike rental program designed to allow students, who demonstrate a need, access to free, eco-friendly transportation in exchange for sustainability project-related volunteer hours and peer-to-peer education ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Rescued Food Feast
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Aramark (PA)
The Rescued Food Feast was an event held at Arizona State University and was a collaboration between the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Aramark Higher Education, Sprouts Farmers ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Students and Sustainability: Mechanism for making Green Leaders
- Ball State University (IN)
Introduction: Lead primarily by student initiative, a sustainability program has evolved into a new program whose mechanics are meant to make action, foster sustainable leaders, and educate a sustainable culture ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Students for Sustainability
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona’s Students for Sustainability program empowers students, builds leaders, and pursues institutionalized sustainability. The program embodies the University’s 100% student engagement model through its organizational ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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UCLA is the Largest Public University in the U.S. to achieve Fair Trade Status
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
University of California, Los Angeles, part of a national initiative by Fair Trade Campaigns to engage college/university students in issues of global poverty, officially received designation as a Fair ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Point of Departure: Place Making and Identity Via Integrated, Didactic & Sustainable Transit Shelters
- University of Kentucky (KY)
The College of Design (CoD) & The Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) saw an opportunity to advance the University of Kentucky’s sustainability agenda by developing real world projects ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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UW Green Greek Representative Program
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Officially launched in November 2015, the Green Greek Representative Program (GGRP) is a student run program working through UW EcoReps and supported by UW Sustainability to make the Greek Community ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Sustainable Carolina Leadership Program
- University of South Carolina (SC)
The Sustainable Carolina Leadership Program is a sustainability-focused, student professional development program at the University of South Carolina, . It was conceived and developed over the course of six years to ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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Mohawk College Environmental Management Plan
- Mohawk College (ON)
In 2011, Mohawk College was the first college in Ontario, Canada to release a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) that laid out steps to enhance campus sustainability and set a ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Sustainable Office Program - SOP
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
The Sustainable Office Program (SOP) is designed to assess department offices all over campus and categorize each office into four levels of sustainability. The four levels are Bronze, Silver, Gold ...
- Posted June 11, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Shawneetown Gardens: a Sustainable Campus Community Garden Cultivated through Creation of Place
- University of Kentucky (KY)
Rooted in the revitalization of a community garden on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky, this project impacts a culturally diverse, multigenerational community through a multi-disciplinary effort led ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Cinnamon Roll Challenge: Promoting Reductions in Energy Consumption Through Energy Dashboards and Behavioral Influence
- Rice University (TX)
With an understanding of buildings as major sources of energy waste, our team set out to reduce student consumption in dorm rooms, the area that we have the most control ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Publications
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Empowering Students, Sustaining the University: The Southwestern Environmental Studies Capstone Experience
- Southwestern University (TX)
Southwestern University’s Environmental Studies department has created a unique curricular program for their capstone students that allows them to identify aspects of the university where the social, economic, and ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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First Student Sustainability Symposium
- Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)
- New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJ)
Innovation of Sustainable Communities was a unique symposium organized by students who are passionate about sustainability. Anyone who shares the same passion with them, was welcome to attend! The symposium ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Implementing Single Stream Recycling at Bryant University
- Bryant University (RI)
The problem is that students don’t understand what single stream recycling is, and as freshman students enter Bryant University they are taught to throw both their trash and recycling ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Ohio University's Professional Development Program for the Advancement of Sustainability
- Ohio University (OH)
Ohio University's Office of Sustainability designed a Professional Development Program to advance the university's sustainability profile, particularly with its built environment. On a monthly basis staff from Architecture ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Duke Water Reclamation Pond
- Duke University (NC)
After a severe drought in 2007, Duke spearheaded water reclamation projects across campus. The 5.5 acre reclamation pond collects storm water from 22% of Duke's main campus, over ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Integrated educational food garden and composting
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
Striving towards zero waste and with a close-the-loop philosophy, CSUN students are diverting over 35,000 pounds of pre-consumer waste/year and turning it back into food via an on ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Plant-Powered Dining @ Cornell University
- Cornell University (NY)
Student Sustainability coordinators sought to do something in line with these initiatives at Cornell. Many universities have adopted versions of a “Meatless Monday” program, or have an all-vegetarian dining hall ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Composting for a Greener Campus: the Texas State University Bobcat Blend program
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
Bobcat Blend is a faculty managed, student-run and grant-supported research and teaching-oriented waste management campus composting program at Texas State University. The goals of the organization are to teach students ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Zero Waste Game Day at Duke University
- Duke University (NC)
Leading up to the 2014 Duke Football season, a formal partnership was created between Duke Athletics, Duke Recycling, Duke Stores, and the Duke Sustainability Office in order to successfully achieve ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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UW–Madison Receipt Reduction Project
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Over a span of two years, teams of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin–Madison eliminated mandatory receipt printing at campus dining centers, restaurants, markets, and cafes ...
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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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.