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.
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Campus and Community Involvement in Move-Out Programs
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
- Wilfrid Laurier University (ON)
- AASHE (MA)
Classes end and our students vacate the rooms in their residence halls, cleaning up so that other students may become the new occupants. In the process, students discard lots of …
- Posted Sept. 22, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar – Generating and Maintaining Hope and Agency through Sustainability Education
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
Indigenous educator Gregory Cajete articulates the motivations and questions that drive the presenter’s research. For Cajete, effective education entails ‘finding heart,’ an active process within and beyond the person evident …
- Posted Sept. 14, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Preparing for Campus Sustainability Month 2017
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Chemeketa Community College (OR)
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (NE)
- AASHE (MA)
October is Campus Sustainability Month! Watch this webinar to gain ideas and inspiration for how you can leverage CSM to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders …
- Posted Aug. 31, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Paper Reduction at the University of Washington
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
- University of Washington, Bothell (WA)
- University of Washington, Tacoma (WA)
The University of Washington is committed to reducing paper consumption at the university and using paper made from recycled content when necessary. Learn more about why that's important with this …
- Posted Aug. 17, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Fix It Friday promotional flyer
- Illinois State University (IL)
- Posted Aug. 15, 2017
- Photographs
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Greening the Heart of Postsecondary Education
- Royal Roads University (BC)
- AASHE (MA)
What does “greening the heart of education” look like at the postsecondary level? What are the big questions we must pose — and answer — if colleges and universities are …
- Posted Aug. 3, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainable Business Courseware
- Point B (WA)
AASHE has partnered with Sustainable Business Consulting to provide plug-and-play online sustainable business courseware to help members accelerate the integration of sustainability into their curriculum. The content is consistent with …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2017
- Course Materials
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Not Business as Usual: Fostering Civic Engagement on Climate Change
- AASHE (MA)
- U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
- Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) (PA)
- Citizens' Climate Lobby (CA)
Scientists are in consensus that the world needs to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and this cannot be accomplished by …
- Posted July 13, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Green Awakenings Report 2011: Identifying the assets and barriers to creation care on Christian campuses
- Abilene Christian University (TX)
- Baylor University (TX)
- Calvin University (MI)
- Eastern University (PA)
- Gordon College (MA)
- Messiah University (PA)
- Renewal: Students Caring for Creation (MI)
Renewal’s 2011 Green Awakenings: Digging Deeper explores the conditions that lead to the success or failure of creation care initiatives on Christian campuses. As Renewal has witnessed more engagement with …
- Posted June 26, 2017
- Publications
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Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: The Effectiveness of Community-Based Social Marketing on Energy Conservation for Sustainable University Campuses
- Emory University (GA)
- Kansas State University (KS)
The paper presents a community-based social marketing (CBSM) study that was conducted at Kansas State University (KSU) to determine potential strategies to decrease energy consumption on college campuses. The study …
- Posted June 22, 2017
- Publications
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Spreading the Eco-Message: Using Proactive Coping to Aid Eco-Rep Behavior Change Programming
- George Mason University (VA)
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Making pro-environmental behavior changes can be difficult, particularly when these changes challenge daily routines and comfortable lifestyles. We designed and implemented an eco-representative intervention program to help students reduce their …
- Posted June 20, 2017
- Publications
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Energy conservation attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors in science laboratories
- Michigan State University (MI)
Energy use per square foot from science research labs is disproportionately higher than that of other rooms in buildings on campuses across the nation. This is partly due to labs’ …
- Posted June 19, 2017
- Publications
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Analyzing Barriers to Energy Conservation in Residences and Offices: The Rewire Program at the University of Toronto
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Yale University (CT)
- University of Toronto (ON)
Conducting a barriers analysis is an important first step when designing proenvironmental behavior change interventions. Yet, detailed information on common barriers to energy conservation campaigns remains unavailable. Using a pair …
- Posted June 8, 2017
- Publications
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Put a Price on It: Bringing Higher Education into the Carbon Pricing Dialog
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- AASHE (MA)
This webinar explores the role of institutions of higher education in the emerging national carbon pricing dialog. Institutions of higher education have an immense capacity to educate a broad audience …
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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UCI celebrates Bike Month
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Photographs
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GVSU Bike Safety Course for National Bike Month
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
- League of American Bicyclists (DC)
This lunch and learn serves as a 45 minute introduction to safe and knowledgeable bicycling. The discussion is led by instructors certified by the League of American Bicyclists (LCIs) and …
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Photographs
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Full Service Organics
- St. John's University, New York (NY)
In the Full Service Organics documentary video, St. john's University, New York (SJU) has documented its efforts of student engagement in fighting hunger and waste, and making compost from food …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Swarthmore Carbon Charge Program
- Swarthmore College (PA)
Swarthmore’s Carbon Charge seeks to systematically incorporate the unfelt global impacts of our emissions into our decision-making, both individually and as a college.
The scope of the work necessary to …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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University of California, Irvine's Pump2Plug Electric Vehicle Adoption Program
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
The UCI Pump2Plug Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption Program is widely recognized as the first university incentive programs for EV adoption through the replacement of gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles. With …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Designated as the 40th Fair Trade University in the U.S.
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, part of a national initiative by Fair Trade Campaigns to engage college/university students in issues of global poverty, officially received designation as a …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Natural Herbicides Project
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Engineers for a Sustainable World (CO)
The Natural Herbicides Project focuses on addressing the issue of the usage of chemical herbicides with detrimental health and environmental impacts on- and off-campus. Our team developed an effective natural …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Penstemon 2.0
- Santa Clara University (CA)
From the outset, our goal has been to foster a culture of sustainability at the University by focusing on our curriculum as an interdisciplinary community of scholars. SCU has used …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Art as the Catalyst for Critical Sustainability Conversations
- University at Albany (NY)
The University at Albany is proud to submit an application that illustrates our use of art as the catalyst for critical sustainability conversations. This was accomplished via two main projects …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Students Contribute Record-Breaking $6 Million to Student Green Energy Fund
- University of South Florida (Tampa) (FL)
The purpose of the Student Green Energy Fund is to provide an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to present formal proposals to a governing Fund Council with the goal …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Report of the Smith College Study Group on Climate Change
- Smith College (MA)
In this report, the Study Group on Climate Change (SGCC) presents its recommendations for climate action by Smith College. By implementing these recommendations, the college will coherently integrate climate action …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Sustainability Weekend Conference, Carnegie Mellon University
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
‘Sustainability Weekend’ is a student-initiative held on Carnegie Mellon’s campus in Pittsburgh, PA, with the goal to promote inter-disciplinary conversations to raise awareness about the many sustainability issues surrounding our …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Cascadia Campus Climate Conversation (C4)
- Cascadia College (WA)
-On October 25th, 2016, the senior cohort of the Bachelors of Applied Science in Sustainable Practices (BASSP) program at Cascadia College, Bothell, WA, held the first campus dialogue to discuss …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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How Middlebury College Achieved Carbon Neutrality
- Middlebury College (VT)
This past winter, Middlebury College achieved an ambitious goal of carbon neutrality that had been officially set in 2007. When it became clear that the College’s initial of goal recommended …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Students Spark Solar
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
A group of ten students focused in various areas of study from across the University of Minnesota Duluth campus came together to form the Solar University Network Delegation and advance …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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COAST – a groundbreaking alternative transportation program at the University of Houston
- University of Houston (TX)
COAST- Coogs on Alternative Sustainable Transportation, a new alternative transportation incentive program developed by the University of Houston’s Parking and Transportation Services department, is revolutionizing the way people commute. Launched …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Sustainable Biodiversity on the Georgia Southern Campus
- Georgia Southern University (GA)
Our project recorded the biodiversity of vertebrates on the 700 acre rural campus of Georgia Southern University. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students were involved in collecting the data. Students …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Transforming Campus Food Service with Anytime Dining
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
The Department of Dining Services at University of Maryland (UMD) set a goal to change the student culture and experience on campus through the Anytime Dining residential dining program. The …
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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The New Eco-Rep Model: Unifying Campus Audiences in Co-Curricular Sustainability Programming
- Dickinson College (PA)
Dickinson College has innovatively reformed its Eco-Rep model into a combined student and employee peer-to-peer sustainability education program that creates co-curricular learning experiences aimed at unifying campus stakeholders while increasing …
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Cowbell Cleanup
- Mississippi State University (MS)
Cowbell Cleanup is an initiative that was started by the Office of Sustainability on Mississippi State University's campus. The University faces a large influx of guests during home football games, …
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Community Engaged Scholarship and Learning in Urban Forestry helps UTRGV earn Tree Campus USA Designation
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)
In 2014, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (through its legacy institution UTPA), one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions in the country, proposed and offered three iterations of …
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Reduce the Juice – Saving Energy in Halls of Residence
- AASHE (MA)
- University of London
At the University of London, in England, we have launched a behaviour change programme aimed at students living on campus in the University’s halls of residence. The aim of the …
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Johnson County Community College Student Sustainability Committee
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
As a broadly effective, innovative, engaging, and replicable project, Johnson County Community College’s Student Sustainability Committee [the SSC, the Committee] is a compelling and powerful tool for developing student leadership …
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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Watershed UGA: A living laboratory transforming campus and community through teaching, research and service
- University of Georgia (GA)
Watershed UGA created a vision and framework for using the campus as a living laboratory to advance sustainability through teaching, research, public service and outreach, and university operations. We are …
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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The University of Virginia as a Living Lab for Solar Energy
- University of Virginia (VA)
Over the next five years, The University of Virginia hopes to install 1-2 megawatts of solar PV on grounds. To help prioritize projects, UVA turned to the School of Engineering …
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Publications
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The Ohio State University Sustainability Goals Development Project
- The Ohio State University (OH)
In November 2015, The Ohio State University announced the establishment of sustainability goals to guide the university as it develops durable solutions to the challenges of sustainability and in evolving …
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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Fix It Friday
- Illinois State University (IL)
Fix It Friday is a program in which fashion students set up sewing machines in various places within the Illinois State University campus and the surrounding Bloomington-Normal community and offer …
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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UTA CARES: Open Education and Open Pedagogy for Sustainable Future and Resource Conservation
- University of Texas at Arlington (TX)
Reducing the cost of a college education is a frequent topic in higher education circles. Some colleges and universities such as UT Arlington have been trying to find other ways …
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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GreenApps Eco-Reps Sustainability Leadership and Engagement Course
- Appalachian State University (NC)
The GreenApps: Eco-Reps Program was developed in order to recruit on-campus students to join the Office of Sustainability team to assist with education and promotion of campus sustainability through a …
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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A comparative study of the efficacy of intervention strategies on student electricity use in campus residence halls
- Radford University (VA)
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether, and how, electricity consumption by students in university residence halls were impacted through three intervention strategies.
Design/methodology/approach: The …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Publications
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Zero Waste Guide and the Good Food Festival Case Study
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Throughout the semester, Joe Iosbaker, UIC's Recycling Coordinator and Office of Sustainability (OS) staff member, and Ula Renetskis, Office of Sustainability Intern and author, have been working with Bright Beat …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Case Studies
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Linking Sustainability with Study Abroad
- Delta College (MI)
This project describes the planning, development, and implementation of integrating sustainability into study abroad in existing travel and through establishing new destinations. It also constructs a model that includes a …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Case Studies
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Campus Sustainability: A Lightbulb Moment | Caitlin Marsh | TED x Alma College
- Alma College (MI)
As a sustainability expert, and Alma College alum, Caitlin opens up the conversation about what sustainability looks like on a college campus. And brings forward fresh implementation ideas.
After pursuing …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Questions of Waste
- University of Georgia (GA)
A unique and creative video documenting the waste habits of one student for a week. The video documents a friend of the videographer as she collects her waste for one …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Integrating Sustainability with Education and Community Engagement at USF
- University of South Florida (Tampa) (FL)
The University of South Florida's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has created several community and international programs for students to engage in sustainability projects. Three projects explored in the …
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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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.