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
Student Led Green Chemistry Initiatives
- University of Toronto (ON)
- Beyond Benign (MA)
Green Chemistry Education Webinar Series: A new webinar series for chemistry faculty and students highlighting relevant topics in green chemistry education.
Presented by: Anna Ivanova Communications Director Network of Early-Career ...
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Modernizing the Organic Chemistry Laboratory with Green Chemistry
- Beyond Benign (MA)
Green Chemistry Education Webinar Series: A new webinar series for chemistry faculty and students highlighting relevant topics in green chemistry education.
Presented by: Dr. Jane Wissinger Associate Professor, Department of ...
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Disrupting neoliberal discourse in critical sustainability education: a qualitative analysis of intentional language framing
- Davidson College (NC)
- University of Utah (UT)
While education for sustainability is a critical task that is gaining ground in a plethora of educational contexts, it is frequently rendered ineffective in the face of neoliberal practice and ...
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
- Publications
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Student Interest for Environment/Sustainability Undergraduate Programmes: Recent Australian Experience
- RMIT University
Increasingly, employers are seeing the need to have employees who have capabilities in sustainability. The hope is that there will be a sufficient number of appropriately educated people to enter ...
- Posted Jan. 27, 2017
- Publications
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Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Students' Perspectives on an Innovative Approach to Educational Change
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Problem statement: With Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD) being an innovative approach to educational change, its principal objective is students’ development of transformation competencies. However, HESD evaluations hardly consider ...
- Posted Jan. 23, 2017
- Publications
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Sustainable imaginaries: a case study of a large suburban Canadian university
- York University
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the concept of sustainability imaginaries – unifying core assumptions on what sustainability entails held by stakeholders – set within a large suburban Canadian university. The study ...
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
- Publications
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Energy challenges: isolating results due to behavior change
- Allegheny College (PA)
Purpose
Approximately 700 colleges and universities have committed to climate neutrality, which will require significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of an Annual Energy ...
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
- Publications
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Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operations
- Australian National University
Institutions of higher education are poised to play a significant role in the search for a more sustainable future. Most universities are tackling sustainability issues in a compartmentalised manner, sustainability ...
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
- Publications
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Sustainable Behavior: Study Engagement and Happiness among University Students in South Korea
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships among sustainable behavior, study engagement, and happiness. The participants were 202 undergraduate students. The present study used structural equation ...
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
- Publications
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Civic Labors: Scholarly Activism and Working-Class Studies
Labor studies scholars and working-class historians have long worked at the crossroads of academia and activism. The essays in this collection examine the challenges and opportunities for engaged scholarship in ...
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- Publications
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We're For Sustainability
- Indiana State University (IN)
Indiana State University is focused on advancing sustainability and the quality of life.
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Video Library: Sustainability in Action
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
Check out our growing library of films on Facilities Management sustainability.
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability at Colorado State University Housing & Dining Services
- Colorado State University (CO)
For more information about CSU Housing & Dining Services' sustainability initiatives, please visit the CSU Housing & Dining Services sustainability webpage.
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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The Future of Sustainability Leadership Rests with Higher Education
- AASHE (MA)
Higher education institutions are poised to be leaders on the sustainability front. Not only are they able to develop responsible environmental policies and procedures for their campuses, but they are ...
- Posted Jan. 3, 2017
- Publications
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Sustainability in Higher Education: How Does the Process of Campus Greening Trigger Adaptive Social Learning
- North Carolina State University (NC)
The purpose of this dissertation was to answer the research question: Does the presence of a balance of social, economic, and ecological dimensions during an implementation of campus greening trigger ...
- Posted Dec. 21, 2016
- Publications
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Applied Sustainability Education with a Systems Science Emphasis at a STEM University
- Florida Institute of Technology (FL)
In the southeastern U.S., the Sustainability Studies bachelors program at F.I.T. is one of the first of its type among STEM universities. A preliminary case study is ...
- Posted Dec. 21, 2016
- Publications
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Inspiration and Hope for Campus Sustainability Change Agents
- Georgetown University (DC)
- Harvard University (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
You know those feelings you get after attending the AASHE annual conference and other sustainability conferences – inspiration, motivation, a sense of belonging, perhaps even giddy to return to campus to ...
- Posted Dec. 15, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Curricular Innovation for Sustainability: The Piedmont/ Ponderosa Model of Faculty Development
- Emory University (GA)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
Curricular innovation is at the center of the challenges many colleges and universities face as they seek to help students address more successfully than previous generations the complex, multi-faceted, systemic ...
- Posted Dec. 12, 2016
- Publications
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The Green Eating Project: web-based intervention to promote environmentally conscious eating behaviours in US university students
- University of Rhode Island (RI)
To investigate the effectiveness of an online, interactive intervention, referred to as the Green Eating (GE) Project, to motivate university students to adopt GE behaviours.
The study was quasi-experimental and ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2016
- Publications
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Written Messages Improve Edible Food Waste Behaviors in a University Dining Facility
- Kansas State University (KS)
Background
Sustainability and going green have become popular trends among foodservice organizations. Despite this interest, foodservice operations still produce large amounts of edible food waste and contribute significantly to waste ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2016
- Publications
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Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Volume 2
- RMIT University
This Handbook offers an overview of what universities around the world are doing to implement sustainable development (e.g., via curriculum innovation, research, activities, or practical projects) and how their ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2016
- Publications
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HEASC Best Practices in First Year Experiences in Sustainability
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Clemson University (SC)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- Western Colorado University (CO)
- Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) (PA)
Want to learn about best practices in First Year Experience (FYE) programs in sustainability? Need resources and ideas to develop an FYE program in sustainability? Interested in finding out what ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Campus Sustainability Month at Tufts University
- Tufts University (MA)
To celebrate Campus Sustainability Month, Tufts University students and staff focused on increasing access to sustainable transportation, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable food choices.
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Photographs
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Lessons Learned from Two Longstanding Green Funds
- Portland Community College (OR)
- Utah State University (UT)
Let's take a look at how one community college and one university are playing a vital role in reducing green house gas emissions and working towards achieving carbon neutrality ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Green Funds: How Students Use Their Money to Build a Better Campus and Community
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Utah (UT)
This session covers 2 case studies: A green fund at UC Berkeley and a student-driven Revolving Loan Fund at the University of Utah 1. The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) is ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Campus Gardens & Farms: Engaging the whole community
- Portland Community College (OR)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Campus farms and gardens often serve as an attractive pathway for engagement, welcoming new partners and collaborations for interdisciplinary learning. During this moderated networking session we will facilitate the sharing ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Campus Connections: Sustainability and Wellness
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Wellness is an important aspect of any sustainability movement. A focus at colleges and universities on social aspects of sustainability, such as wellness, leads to collaboration and partnerships that are ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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The Earth Without Art is Just 'Eh'
- State University of New York at Oswego (NY)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
This presentation will think about the many ways art can be used in environmental initiatives and programming. Specifically, the two presentations will discuss engaging art in two different ways - design-thinking ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Communication strategies: Leveraging digital media effectively & efficiently for greater engagement, relationship building, & earned news media
- Boston University (MA)
- New York University (NY)
- University of Utah (UT)
Communication about institutionalizing sustainability is a key component to our efforts to inform and change behavior. Digital media, such as social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), blogging, and other online tools ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Leveraging Green Office Certification for Outreach, Engagement, Employee Education and STARS
- Boston University (MA)
- University of Florida (FL)
- University of Utah (UT)
Universities and colleges across the country are working on a variety of Green Office Certification programs as ways to engage faculty, staff and students and to meet campus goals. Boston ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Greeks Think Green
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- University of Florida (FL)
The Office of Sustainability at the University of Florida and the University of Arizona have joined teams to discuss how they've empowered their school's Greek communities to recognize ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Beyond Operational Sustainability: Facilities Staff as Leaders, Teachers, and Guinea Pigs
- Portland Community College (OR)
- University of Virginia (VA)
At Portland Community College, 'we're all in this together' to promote a sustainable college experience. PCC Facilities Management Services extends beyond traditional roles to encourage educational opportunities related to ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Measuring Sustainability Culture and Attitudes Among the Student Body: Why you Should Care
- Central College (IA)
- College of Saint Benedict (MN)
- Michigan State University (MI)
Quite often institutional decisions are data driven. Given that people's sustainability behaviors are influenced by their attitudes, having valid and reliable information about students' and employees' sustainability attitudes will ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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The University of Thriftsburgh: We Work With More Than Just Ugly Sweaters
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Thriftsburgh, a non-profit, student-run thrift store, opened on the University of Pittsburgh's campus on March 18, 2015. The store was the result of year and a ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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From the United Nations to Your University: Coordinating the Efforts of Local Students in Global Climate Action
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Two of the most common hurdles student activist groups face are a) a lack of funding, resources and time to complete projects and b) gaining and maintaining student involvement beyond ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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TailGator: Game Day Recycling at the University of Florida
- University of Florida (FL)
For the last ten seasons the TailGator Game Day Recycling Program, the longest running program of the University of Florida's Office of Sustainability, has educated fans on properly sorting ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Institutional Change through Student-Led Initiatives: The Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative
- Appalachian State University (NC)
The ASUREI is a student-led, student-funded organization that reduces the environmental impact of Appalachian State University by implementing renewable energy technologies, investing in sustainable energy practices, and promoting campus engagement ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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The Real Food Calculator: Students leading food chain transparency and campus accountability across the nation!
- Real Food Challenge (MA)
Sustainable.' 'Green.' 'Local.' -- How can you REALLY know what type of food system your campus is supporting amidst all this 'green noise'?!? The Real Food Calculator is a student-developed research ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Making Student Events Greener, One Pizza Box at a Time
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
From pizza boxes to plastic cups, a lot can go to waste during student events. What if there was a way to keep that waste out of the landfill while ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Experiences and Strategies of a Student-Run Massive Monarch Restoration on Off-campus Sites
- University of Kentucky (KY)
The White House recently released the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. One of its primary goals is a national effort to increase the ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Engaging the Campus, Community, and Future: A Student's Guide to Organization Development
- University of Kentucky (KY)
Developing an organization, especially one that deals with a sustainability issue, may seem to be a daunting task. By examining the case-study of Lexington Environmental Youth Outreach (LEYO), a sustainability ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Enhancing Community Networks through Sustainable Events: Case Study
- Iowa State University (IA)
At colleges and universities across the world, students are engaging their campus and community in sustainability through creative event programming. As local organizations and on-campus organizations collaborate on meaningful projects ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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To Serve or Not to Serve?: The Role of Gender Socialization in Community Engagement and Connections to Toxic Masculinities
- Oregon State University (OR)
Across various measures of civic and community engagement, whether across the country or here at Oregon State University, men tend to be less active in these activities, which can be ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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What Professional Diplomacy can do for You: Putting the Ability in 'Sustainability'
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Diplomacy and negotiations permeate all aspects of life. It can either serve as a stepping stone for students advocating sustainability, or a stumbling block for those who lack diplomatic knowledge ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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The Revolution May Be Composted: The UA Compost Cats as a Model for Transformational Pedagogy and Student Empowerment
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The Compost Cats program provides a model for how institutions of higher education can equip student environmental leaders for the great social and environmental challenges we face, engage deeply with ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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The Campus Kitchens Project: Using Food as a Tool for a More Sustainable Campus and Community.
- The Campus Kitchens Project (DC)
Attendees will get an in depth look at The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) and will be empowered to bring the program to their school. CKP students on 50 campuses are ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainability Marketing and the Arts
- Virginia Tech (VA)
Briefly covers general popular advertising avenues on campus and ways to uncover new marketing platforms through faculty and staff engagement. Focus is placed on an interaction with the arts and ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Student-led Technical Design Projects: From Conception to Implementation
- Engineers for a Sustainable World (CO)
Engineering students are often interested in contributing directly to sustainability in their communities by conducting local technical projects. In this interactive workshop, Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), a non-profit ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Strategic Power: Public Leadership & Change Maker Skills
- Elected Officials to Protect America (SC)
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win' - Gandhi This dynamic, interactive workshop will hone your public leadership skills to create massive ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Engaging your community to design tomorrow's campus: resiliency, vulnerability, and adaptation
- Boston University (MA)
- Cornell University (NY)
- Smith College (MA)
Scholars and practitioners have been arguing in favor of more holistic approaches to campus sustainability that would incorporate complex aspects of climate change. In order to address those multifaceted problems ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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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.