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
Creating Sustainability Director Position for Student Body Government (poster)
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
In the spring of 2017, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) student Dave Herrera proposed to UMD Student Association (UMDSA) to create a Student Director Of Sustainability. After much discussion and ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Fostering Sustainability Culture on an Irish Campus, Lessons Learned from UCC's Green Campus Journey
- University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)
This session will tell the story of University College Cork's experience in embedding sustainability on campus over the last decade. This journey has taken UCC from a student-led campaign ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Facilitation for Organizational Change
- GreenerU (MA)
One of the most important, yet often under-appreciated, skill sets of any profession is the ability to be a strong group meeting facilitator. Whether it is a small staff meeting ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Partnering With Purpose: Curating Sustainability Leadership With Staff, Students, and Faculty
- Gonzaga University (WA)
During the 2017 academic year, the Office of Sustainability at our university partnered with two AmeriCorps volunteers to create the Student Sustainability Leadership Program and the Employee Sustainability Ambassadors Program ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Acts of Art for the Environment
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
In Sustainable Earth, there are two different project groups, one focusing on the intersection of environmentalism and technology, the other on environmental art. My poster will focus on how art ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Wrestling With the Invisibility Cloak: Catalyzing Student Action and Creating Office Recognition
- Amherst College (MA)
- Boston University (MA)
- Smith College (MA)
- University of Southern Maine (ME)
- Villanova University (PA)
As sustainability officer's we often lead from behind, supporting students as a silent or invisible partner. This enables them to bring awareness to issues and take ownership over the ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Green in a Red State: Working Towards Sustainable Development Goals in a Conservative Environment
- University of Central Oklahoma (OK)
The era of Trump may have officially begun on in 2017, but Trump era ideas on issues of sustainability, inclusion & equity have existed in parts of the country for ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus Controversies: How Should Sustainability Offices Respond?
- Dartmouth College (NH)
Election results, sexual misconduct allegations, racist graffiti, controversial op-eds, poorly worded emails are resulting in cycles of anger, backlash, emotional release, exhaustion and division on many of our campuses. At ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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#stopsucking: Leveraging Coalitions to Turn #strawlesssummer into an Endless Summer
- College of Charleston (SC)
Approximately 630000 straws are used daily in Charleston, South Carolina. This single-use plastic often finds its way to the environment. Local branches of national organizations such as Surfrider, Lonely Whale ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Surveys for Program Enhancement
- Indiana State University (IN)
- College of Charleston (SC)
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
- Lehigh University (PA)
- California State University, San Bernardino (CA)
- Colorado State University (CO)
For this session, panelists from Indiana State University (ISU), The College of Charleston (CofC), Ramapo College of New Jersey, California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB), Colorado State University (CSU), Lehigh ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Undergrads as Consultants: Sharing Strategies and Experiences From a Student Intern Program
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
The UW-Madison Office of Sustainability (OS) employs student interns year-round to work on campus sustainability projects. The model for their efforts is one of consultation; the students serve as a ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Learning From the Past to Inform the Future: Leveraging Campus-Community Partnerships With Dialogue
- Slippery Rock University (PA)
Achieving complex sustainable development goals that integrate human and natural systems, including health and wellbeing as well as sustainable cities and communities, requires open and transparent collaboration with stakeholders. At ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Week: A Case Study in Diversity of Programing to Maximize Outreach Across Barriers
- College of Charleston (SC)
The College of Charleston's Office of Sustainability has had several flagship programs and series over the years, but none near the scale and dynamism of the annual Sustainability Week ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Graphic Design Strategies for Sustainability
- Western Michigan University (MI)
Graphic designers can create positive change by integrating sustainability into their work. Graphic design is often not a sustainable practice, even so, sustainable design guidelines can reduce its impact. Energy ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Visual Storytelling for Sustainability: Raising Your Game in Photo and Video
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Do you struggle to take photos that look 'professional' rather than run-of-the-mill? Is the idea of making a video, or even the occasional Boomerang clip, intimidating? In short, are quality ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Instilling Professional Development Into Eco-Reps Programs
- University of Southern Maine (ME)
This presentation will present key areas where you can grow professional development within your Eco-reps program, drawing on experience at four institutions of higher education. We will cover why it ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Environmental Justice Grant Funding: Piloting Equity Efforts in Campus Green Funds
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) at UC Berkeley has a 10-year history of funding environmental sustainability projects for its campus community; however, the program has not specifically prioritized environmental justice ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Incorporating Environmental Justice Into Peer Mentor Programs
- Western Washington University (WA)
Many of us have been grappling with the question of how to intentionally incorporate environmental justice into higher education sustainability work. This session will identify key areas where a holistic ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Intersections: Integrating the UN SDGs to On-Campus Living Environments
- Texas A&M University (TX)
The goal of this presentation is to discuss how on-campus housing programs, in conjunction with academic partnerships & campus sustainability staff, can weave the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Transformative Change, the SDGs, and the Future of Sustainability in Higher Education
- Middlebury College (VT)
- Western Washington University (WA)
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Mary Ann Liebert Publishing (NY)
This session uses a panel discussion format to explore transformative change, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the future of sustainability in higher education by drawing on the wisdom ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Implementing a Sustainable Living Program on Campus: Encouraging Students to Walk the Talk
- Lehigh University (PA)
The Lehigh University Eco-Rep Leadership Program has successfully designed and implemented a Sustainable Living Program where Eco-Reps work with their peers in residential halls and Greek houses to make their ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Green Office Programs and Certifications
- Lehigh University (PA)
- Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
Green Office Programs can be an effective strategy to engage the campus community by identifying and training allies that may otherwise be out of reach. Engaging sustainability champions can become ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Beyond the Ball: Sustainability Success in Nontraditional Athletics
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) (IN)
- The Ohio State University (OH)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette (LA)
By leveraging sports like synchronized swimming (The Ohio State University), diving (IUPUI), or engaging K-12 students through on-campus sports sustainability games (University of Colorado/University of Louisiana), campuses are able ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Selling Sustainability: 5 Principles of Persuasion
- Kirksey Architecture (TX)
In today's political and social climate, an understanding of the science of persuasion is the most important tool for any environmentalist. Led by two Texas-based sustainability consultants and green ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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How Knowledge Can Create a Culture of Sustainability
- Gonzaga University (WA)
- Atrius (CA)
In the United States, buildings account for nearly 70 percent of electricity consumption. According to the EPA, up to 30 percent of electricity is inefficiently or unnecessarily used. In light ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability in Corl Street Elementary School
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Corl Street Elementary is undergoing a renovation to meet the gold standard LEED Certification. The certification is more likely to be awarded if the school building serves as a teaching ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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If I Can Market Manure, You Can Market Anything
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Practical problem solving with marketing involves more than just visualization or applying the latest techniqual skills. Intuition, domain knowledge, and reasonable approximations can mean the difference between a successful model ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Breaking Down 'Drawdown' - Explaining Global Sustainability Solutions at the Community Level
- University of Virginia (VA)
There's a new framework for climate action in town - Project Drawdown is self-described as a comprehensive efforts to 'identify, research, and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement and Student Activism at Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF
- The Ohio State University (OH)
On April 1, 2015, Syracuse University announced that it would divest its $1.18 billion endowment from fossil fuels. Shortly thereafter, its partner institution, SUNY-ESF, made the same commitment. These ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Biophilic Design Principles and Green Infrastructure: Forging New Possibilities for Nature, Harmony and Resiliency in Urban Environments
- Urban Horticulture Consulting, LLC (GA)
- GreenStructure, Ltd (IL)
Green Infrastructure practices are being mandated and implemented in urban communities for multiple beneficial outcomes. Often referred to as grey infrastructure alternatives, these practices include the design, installation, and maintenance ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Hampshire College's R.W. Kern Center- A Living & Learning Building
- Hampshire College (MA)
Located at the heart of Hampshire College campus, the R.W. Kern Center is a certified Living Building: generating its own energy, capturing and treating its own water, and processing ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Trials and Tribulations of Building a Living-Learning Sustainable Campus
- Chatham University (PA)
What does it truly mean to be a living-learning sustainable campus? Eden Hall, just outside Pittsburgh, is a new 388 campus site, encompassing farmland, forests and two head-water catchments. Acquired ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Rising to the Challenge of Creating and Maintaining Living Buildings and a Living Campus Community
- International Living Future Institute (WA)
Campuses have been early adopters of livability, equity, and climate commitments. This session takes a deep look at how campuses can and are taking action to achieve these commitments and ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Evolving Pennsylvania State University's Sustainability Policy Within a Regenerative Paradigm
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Penn State University (PSU) is a public research university serving Pennsylvania and the global community with a vision to integrate sustainability throughout its campuses and to prepare students to be ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creating an Ecologically Restorative, Socially Just, and Culturally Rich Campus
- International Living Future Institute (WA)
The higher education campus, what better place to implement the most innovative & forward-thinking design frameworks? As HEIs support the next generation's transition into the workforce, it's time ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creative Approaches for Engaging People in Climate Action
- Care About Climate, Inc (AZ)
During this workshop participants will discuss innovative ways to engage both their campus population and general public in climate action initiatives. These approaches may include incentivizing people to take responsible ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Boston University's Climate Action Plan and The Public Process
- Boston University (MA)
Boston University's Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap to address energy use and sourcing, resiliency and climate preparedness, transportation, supply chain, and waste. Moreover it recommends the creation of ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Assessing Campus and Community Resilience in Rural America
- Central Community College (NE)
- Green Mountain College (VT)
- Second Nature (MA)
Rural colleges and universities face unique considerations when assessing campus and community climate resilience. While there are common elements to resilience at any institution, the political and economic landscape for ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Putting A Price On Carbon: Fighting for Strong Climate Policy on the Campus, State and Federal Level
- Our Climate (OR)
We already face the disastrous impacts of climate change: unprecedented droughts and heatwaves, stronger hurricanes, ocean acidification, sea level rise, the spread of infectious disease. The cost of these changes ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Role of Campuses in Driving Climate Resilience Planning
- Dickinson College (PA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
- Second Nature (MA)
As impacts from climate change intensify, a growing number of initiatives are emerging to increase resilience locally and globally. Campuses across the US are stepping up to prepare for climate ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Advancing Carbon Pricing at Your Institution
- Smith College (MA)
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- Yale University (CT)
Carbon pricing is a fair, feasible, and powerful solution to accelerate a transition to a clean energy economy. With a growing number of carbon pricing policies around the world and ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Position your Student Sustainability Committee as a Leadership Training Opportunity
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
- AASHE (MA)
Johnson County Community College’s Student Sustainability Committee is our campuswide student sustainability leadership group. The Committee, formed in 2011 as part of a student-led initiative for a dollar-per-credit hour ...
- Posted Oct. 25, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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2018 AASHE Conference & Expo Closing Keynote Address
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- AASHE (MA)
Dr. Paul Shrivastava, Chief Sustainability Officer at Penn State University and the Director of the Sustainability Institute and Professor of Organizations at the Smeal School of Business, was the closing ...
- Posted Oct. 24, 2018
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2018 AASHE Conference & Expo Opening Keynote Address
- AASHE (MA)
- United Nations Environment Programme
Ms. Akpezi Ogbuigwe, former Head of Environmental Education and Training at the United Nations Environmental Program, was the opening keynote speaker for the 2018 AASHE Conference & Expo.
NOTE: Ms ...
- Posted Oct. 24, 2018
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Enhancing student engagement in business sustainability through games
- University of Worcester
This paper aims to explore the value students place on the sustainable strategies game (SSG) which seeks to improve student engagement in business sustainability through enhanced game-based learning. This game ...
- Posted Oct. 23, 2018
- Publications
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AASHE 2018 Sustainability Award Winners Announced
- AASHE (MA)
The 2018 AASHE Sustainability Award Winners, selected from more than 300 submissions, were recently announced.
- Posted Oct. 10, 2018
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Greening the Lab (and Beyond!) A Guide to Applying Green Chemistry to Practical Settings and Creating Displays to Spread the Word
- Cornell University (NY)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (WI)
- University of British Columbia (BC)
Not all chemistry laboratories are created equal. Broken fume hoods, confusing waste beakers, and distillations that have been running (as far as anyone can tell) since the lab bench was ...
- Posted Oct. 10, 2018
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In planting campus gardens, university students root themselves in the larger world
- George Washington University (DC)
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (IL)
- AASHE (MA)
- The Washington Post (DC)
Campus gardens allow students an opportunity to tackle food deserts and take action on climate concerns they may have.
- Posted Sept. 7, 2018
- Publications
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Election Imperatives: Ten Recommendations to Increase College Student Voting and Improve Political Learning and Engagement in Democracy
- Tufts University (MA)
Drawing from our research on college student voting and the campus climates of highly politically engaged institutions, this report offers ten recommendations to increase student voting and to improve campus ...
- Posted Aug. 29, 2018
- Publications
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Engagement Experiments for the CMC Sustainability Action Plan
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
The Colorado Mountain College's Spring Valley campus conducted a couple experiments in the "Fostering Sustainable Behavior" class of Fall 2017. This included an action team, survey team, and an ...
- Posted Aug. 29, 2018
- Publications
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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.