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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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Purdue University Chapter members and Lafayette City Chapter members lobbying Representative Jim Baird's Legislative Director, Cory Harris.

Establishing and sustaining Indiana’s first higher education chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby at Purdue University

  • Purdue University (IN)
  • Citizens' Climate Lobby (CA)

In an effort to learn how to meaningfully engage with my community on the issue of climate change, I joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization which advances …

Engineering students’ agency beliefs and career goals to engage in sustainable development: differences between first-year students and seniors

  • Virginia Tech (VA)
  • Purdue University (IN)

This paper aims to explore the differences in first-year and senior engineering students’ engineering agency beliefs and career goals related to sustainable development. The authors also sought to understand how …

The relationship between the incorporation of sustainability in higher education and the student’s behavior: self-reported sustainable behavior scale

  • Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul (SP)

This study aims to describe the development and validation of a scale that measures the self-reported sustainable behavior of students in higher education institutions (HEIs) regarding their knowledge on incorporating …

Meaning-making in higher education for sustainable development: undergraduates’ long-term processes of experiencing and learning

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Despite the increase in teaching approaches designed to integrate sustainability into higher education, the connection between students’ learning experiences and their learning outcomes remains incompletely understood. The present multi-case study …

GIS and Sustainability Engagement in Higher Education

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County (MD)

Does the use of an interactive GIS web map significantly influence the level of sustainability stakeholder engagement at institutions of higher education? With over 1,000 institutions of higher education across …

The Development of Sustainability Education at ASU - A Case Study

  • Arizona State University (AZ)

This video highlights the development of the School of Sustainability and the future of sustainability at Arizona State University. Dr. Boone describes the program's objectives, competencies, and initiatives including how …

  • Posted May 20, 2022
  • Videos & Webinars
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An Exploration of the Relationship between Sustainability-Related Involvement and Learning in Higher Education

  • Tufts University (MA)
  • University of Michigan (MI)

Higher education institutions are charged with developing civically engaged leaders to address the pressing issues facing the country and the world. While existing literature suggests institutional practices, such as promoting …

Graduate Student, Jack Leff, presents the Climate Action Commitment Roadshow materials to the Undergraduate Student Senate

Climate Action Commitment Roadshow Series

  • Virginia Tech (VA)

Virginia Tech recently approved a revised version of the Climate Action Commitment. To educate the campus community about it, our Climate Action, Sustainability, and Energy (CASE) Office went on a …

A Student-led Approach to Campus Sustainability: Environmental Sustainability Report

  • University of Delaware (DE)

The Environmental Sustainability Report (Fall 2021) was established using a bottom-up approach led by students and involved collaboration between multiple stakeholders, on- and off-campus. This Report was driven by a …

Our Clothing Swap table and the Florida International Sustainability Fair

Campus Clothing Swap

  • Florida International University (FL)

This project was produced by my club Society for Sustainable Souls at Florida International Universities (FIU) campus. It was created to encourage sustainability as well as community on FIU's campus. …

The Potential for Electricity-use Reduction in Grinnell College Residence Halls through Behavioral Manipulation

  • Grinnell College (IA)

I studied the potential for electricity-use reduction through behavioral change in on-campus residence halls. I used social comparisons to induce behavioral change in the residents. The results did not show …

Washington and Lee Quick Hits: Sustainability Leadership Trip Explores Local Food

  • Washington and Lee University (VA)

Washington and Lee University takes student leaders in sustainability on a trip to explore local foods and dining waste. It features the students visiting the campus's local garden that composts …

  • Posted May 19, 2022
  • Videos & Webinars
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Hornet Reuse App Item Request

Hornet Reuse App

  • California State University, Sacramento (CA)

As a way of reducing waste, creating a circular economy and creating a sense of community between students, faculty and staff at Sacramento State, Hornet Reuse was born. Hornet Reuse …

Nursing students' attitudes towards climate change and sustainability: A cross-sectional multisite study

  • University of Plymouth (Devon)
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Jaén
  • Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart/University of Applied Sciences (HFT) (Stuttgart)
  • Dalarna University
  • Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

This study aimed to: i) investigate nursing students' attitudes towards and awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and its inclusion in nurse education, ii) explore differences across a range …

Measuring the Transformation of University Students’ Self-Construal for Greater Environmental Sustainability

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • Kyoto University
  • National Taiwan University

University campus sustainability projects frequently aim to promote ecological behavior of their community members. However, these projects rarely consider the level of students’ self-construal, the view of self held by …

Social Learning of Sustainability in a Pandemic—Changes to Sustainability Understandings, Attitudes, and Behaviors during the Global Pandemic in a Higher Education Setting

  • University of Queensland (QLD)
  • University of Klagenfurt

When people learn from each other and change their behavior accordingly, this is called social learning. COVID-19 not only taught us new habits to limit contagion, imposed restrictions also limited …

Global Social Responsibility and the Internationalisation of Higher Education for Society

  • Boston College (MA)
  • La Trobe University (Victoria)
  • Leeds Beckett University
  • Rovira i Virgili University

In this article, we argue that there is an urgent need to align internationalisation and university social responsibility agendas through the construct of Internationalisation of Higher Education for Society. The …

Higher Education Institution–Community Partnerships: Measuring the Performance of Sustainability Science Initiatives

  • Brock University (ON)

The enterprise of sustainability science extends beyond the academy to address pressing environmental issues through collaboration. It coincides with trends in higher education institutions (HEIs) towards an expanded mission for …

The Culture and Personal Disposal Practices of University Students: A Qualitative Study in Brazil and Germany

  • Universidade Federal do Ceará

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cultural components and municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal individual practices in the context of Brazilian and German university students. To achieve this …

Stimulating student’s pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions: an ability–motivation–opportunity perspective

  • University of Science and Technology of China
  • Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
  • Women University Swabi
  • Hefei University of Technology

The slow and inadequate environmental performance of higher education institutions is attracting the consideration of researchers toward a behavioral change of teachers and students rather than just concentrating on learning …

Using the theory of planned behavior to understand the students’ pro-environmental behavior: a case-study in a Portuguese HEI

  • Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra (Coimbra)

Through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to explore the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior.

Discourses on sustainability in a network of Argentine universities: exploring representations, cultural roots and transformative processes

  • Sapienza Università di Roma

Purpose: The paper aims to reflect on the function(s) served by the network of Argentine universities for environmental management and social inclusion (UAGAIS), including sharing information, empowering its members and …

What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students

  • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
  • Universidad de Murcia (Murcia)

This study aims at creating and validating an instrument to assess the level of mastery in sustainability competencies of freshmen students in business-related studies. To reach this goal, a questionnaire …

Education for Sustainable Development in Spanish University Education Degrees

  • Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
  • University of Cadiz
  • Universidad Pablo de Olavide

This work presents an analysis of student perception of Spanish university education degrees regarding their training in sustainable development. A sample of 942 students was used. The methodology consists of …

Determinants of recycling behavior in higher education institution

  • Universiti Putra Malaysia
  • Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

This study aims to investigate the impact of theory of planned behavior (namely, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control) on recycling intention, as well as the relationship between recycling …

Developing leadership qualities in environmental sustainability through university co-curricular activities

  • University of Calgary (AB)

This study aims to provide insight into the question of whether graduate students who deliver environmental education workshops/residencies to elementary school children will develop environmental sustainability leadership qualities in themselves: …

Intention to adopt pro-environmental behaviors among university students of hard and soft sciences: the case of drinking by reusable bottles

  • Università degli Studi di Torino
  • Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

The market of bottled water is one of the largest in the world. Paradoxically, the consumption of water in plastic bottles is highest in countries rich in the potable tap …

Promoting sustainable consumption in Higher Education Institutions through integrative co-creative processes involving relevant stakeholders

  • University of Zaragoza
  • Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez

The United Nations proposes to ensure a sustainable future for all through the Sustainable Development Goals, assigning a new role to each individual in all sectors of society. Higher Education …

Nursing students' perception of climate change and sustainability actions – A mismatched discourse: A qualitative, descriptive exploratory study

  • Dalarna University

Climate change is described as the biggest global challenge for human health in the upcoming decade. Nurses play a central role in mitigating the effect of climate change on the …

Exploring personal definitions of sustainability and their impact on perceptions of sustainability culture

  • James Madison University (VA)
  • Inflexion

The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory analysis of campus community member (i.e. students, faculty, staff) definitions of sustainability, their perceptions of select elements of sustainability culture …

Mapping social structures for sustainability transformation at McGill University, Canada

  • McGill University (QC)

For a university to be a prime mover for sustainability transformation, all units of the university should contribute. However, organizational change in educational institutions is often studied by examining specific …

Can student managed investment funds (SMIFs) narrow the environmental, social and governance (ESG) skills gap?

  • Queen's University
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland (NL)

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it endeavors to document the current state of environmental, social and governance (ESG) pedagogy within undergraduate finance courses of business schools, and …

Environmental Attitudes Among Undergraduate Students at a South African University

  • North-West University (North West)

Understanding environmental attitudes (EAs) has been viewed as prerequisite to changing environmental behaviour and is a particularly salient topic in the context of higher educational institutions which play an important …

Universitas: how do students perceive university social responsibility in three European higher education institutions?

  • Universidade do Porto

The social dimension of Higher Education has gained relevance on the political and strategic discourses that urge Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to put University Social Responsibility (USR) into action and …

Enabling students to face the environmental crisis and climate change with resilience: inclusive environmental and sustainability education approaches and strategies for coping with eco-anxiety

  • University of Winnipeg (MB)
  • Université de Saint-Boniface (MB)

As university educators, we should educate students to be able to address the challenges presented by the environmental crisis and climate change by being responsible eco-citizens, and creative, solution-oriented thinkers. …

Higher education students' perceptions of sustainable development in Portugal

  • Polytechnic Institute of Leiria
  • Polytechnic Institute of Santarém
  • University of Aveiro

Higher education institutions play an increasingly important role in advancing sustainable development. Various studies have demonstrated the key contribution made by teachers to achieving sustainable development. However, few works have …

Exploring the usage of social media in extant campus sustainability assessment frameworks for sustainable campus development

  • University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

As one of the buzzwords in the present age with considerable impacts in tertiary institutions, social media use in online teaching, learning and information dissemination have been extensively discussed in …

Perspectives of the academic employees on university social responsibility: a survey study

  • University of Lodz

This study aims to investigate differences and similarities in the approach to understanding university social responsibility (USR) among the academic and university administrative staff.

Characterization of travel behavior at a university campus: A case study of Sharjah University City, UAE

  • University of Sharjah (Sharjah)

Travelers to university campuses tend to follow particular travel patterns; hence, assessing these patterns offers a unique opportunity to recognize this important population group. This study investigates the differences among …

Cultivating a Collaborative Culture for Ensuring Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education: An Integrative Case Study

  • Mount Mercy University (IA)
  • Wingate University (NC)

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are not insulated from the challenges facing the planet and have been tasked as key stakeholders in sustainable development (SD). The preliminary data presented in this …

Synergizing education, research, campus operations, and community engagements towards sustainability in higher education: a literature review

  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

The UN proclamation of 2005–2014 as the decade of education for sustainable development has been instrumental in creating awareness and driving higher education institutions (HEIs) in integrating sustainability into their …

Don’t be a waster! Student perceptions of recycling strategies at an English University’s halls of residence

  • Bournemouth University (Dorset)

This paper aims to explore student perceptions of recycling and explore whether one university’s strategy helped or hindered student recycling in their university's halls of residence. There is near-universal acknowledgement …

Towards more sustainable future: assessment of sustainability literacy among the future managers in India

  • FORE School of Management

The present study attempts to assess the literacy levels of future managers of India in social, economic, and environment sustainability issues both at national and global levels among the students …

Exploring environmental sustainability of academia as a working space

  • Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
  • Robert Gordon University

This study aims to examine the organizational citizenship behaviors toward the environment among US-based faculty members, in social sciences, natural sciences, the humanities and engineering. Potential barriers that may stop …

A self-assessment tool for social responsibility in higher education. Reporting on a national policy development process in Portugal

  • Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra (Coimbra)

Providing higher education institutions (HEIs) with a tool for self-assessing their social responsibility (SR) that generates the information and knowledge necessary to a strategic approach to adopting the Green Paper …

Sustainability behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge: comparing university students and the general public

  • Michigan State University (MI)

Sustainability science integrates many academic fields, requiring a broad understanding of diverse scientific concepts. Additionally, its focus on real-world issues means that researchers must also understand sustainability behaviors and attitudes. …

Empowering undergraduate students to take action: an empathetic mindset toward education for sustainable development

  • National Sun Yat-sen University

This study aims to investigate the potential of an empathetic mindset aimed at empowering undergraduate students to work toward sustainable development (SD), addressing both theoretical and practical dimensions.

Speaking Their Language: Does Environmental Signage Align to Personal Dimensions of Environmentally Responsible Behavior in Undergraduate Residence Halls?

  • Texas Tech University (TX)

Everyday environmental behaviors within the residential sphere contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. Understanding the factors underlying these behaviors is key to changing behavior. This paper examines undergraduate behavior in …

Exploring the utilisation of theoretical basis in existing campus sustainability appraisal tools

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A theoretical perspective is a key in the categorisation, structuring, interpretation of methodological research findings, and explanation of campus sustainability studies. A comprehensive review of existing campus sustainability appraisal tools …

A Holistic Approach to Education for Sustainability: Ecofeminism as a Tool to Enhance Sustainability Attitudes in Pre-service Teachers

  • Universitat de València

To achieve an effective Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), teachers should possess appropriate sustainability attitudes to transmit those values to their future students.In this article, a holistic educational intervention around …

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

EN 2: Student Orientation

EN 3: Student Life

EN 4: Student Life

EN 5: Student Life

EN 6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

EN 7: Employee Educators Program

EN 8: Employee Orientation

EN 9: Staff Professional Development & Training

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

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