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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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Vincent Medina - Co-Founder of mak-'amham

Students of Color Environmental Conference

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The first ever Students of Color Environmental Conference (SCECon) was intended to bring together students of color from across California to connect and build with local environmental justice activists. This ...

Food waste in biodigester

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Food Waste Recycling Project

  • Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
  • Maricopa County Community College District Office (AZ)

The CGCC Food Waste Recycling Project is a grant-funded campus-wide ongoing collaborative project that offers deep, cross-disciplinary, experiential student learning via an innovative solution for CGCC’s food and green ...

Creating a focused Departmental Sustainability Plan for Residence Life

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

In 2018, the Department of Residence Life at Texas A&M University sought a new avenue to promote sustainability within the institution and, more specifically, their individual department. Working with Ayers-Saint ...

Eating Green Student Engagement

Eating Green

  • Harvard University (MA)

I created a guide to plant-based eating for students on Harvard's campus. Unfolding over the course of several months, this pamphlet translated into 2,000 hard copies and a ...

Impact to UCI Microgrid

UC Irvine’s Transition from a Bio-Diesel to Electric Transit Fleet

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is the first college campus in the nation to transition to a fully-electric bus fleet. The student-funded and student-operated Anteater Express campus shuttle service ...

Climate Change Escape Room

  • Harvard University (MA)

In April 2019, the Resource Efficiency Program (REP) constructed and staffed a climate change themed escape room. Each minute in the room equated to four years of climate change impacting ...

Garden Initiatives

STARS Report as a Framework for Campus Sustainability.

  • The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)

The Eco Rep program at the University of Texas at Dallas expanded campus sustainability efforts by using AASHE STARS reporting as a framework for new student run initiatives and projects ...

ACU Energy Use Index Reduction

Creating a Culture of Sustainability Through Energy Conservation at Abilene Christian University

  • Abilene Christian University (TX)

Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a diverse, welcoming, academically rigorous community redefining what it means to be a Christian university in the 21st century. Our faith-based education goes beyond academics ...

Reaching Beyond the Green Population

  • AASHE (PA)
  • Citizens' Climate Lobby (CA)

The world of sustainability offers something for everyone. Sadly many people on campus assume sustainability is just for environmentalists. Sustainability students, faculty, and staff would love to reach a broader ...

  • Posted May 16, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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OS students touring Gundersen biodigester facility

Addressing Compost Contamination Through Systems Thinking

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Discover UW-Madison’s compost collection journey! The UW-Madison (UW) began composting its food scraps at its agricultural research station just off campus in 2009. Since then, the UW has overcome ...

Reducing Energy Waste via Occupant Behavior: The Role of the Individual in Climate Change Solutions

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

This study aims to achieve energy waste reductions via the rewiring of human habits as opposed to using technology. In public spaces like university campuses, individuals often remove themselves from ...

Putting Japanese Youth into Practice: Japanese Student Campus Practices and Sustainability

  • University of Sheffield

Practice theory has been increasingly employed to deepen understanding of how everyday life is conducted, including the question of how our daily activities might evolve in more sustainable directions (Shove ...

British Columbia (BC) Cool Campus Challenge

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)
  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • Selkirk College (BC)
  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)
  • Simon Fraser University (BC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)

The BC Cool Campus Challenge (the Challenge) was launched in 2019 as a province-wide energy conservation challenge led by five post-secondary institutions in British Columbia, Canada. This was the first ...

Healthy Beverage Initiative: UBC Drinks Tap Water

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)

Bottled beverages are packaged in single-use plastic & often loaded with sugar. They're harmful to both our environment and our health.

UBC launched a Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI) to ...

Solartube Solution before and after

San Bernardino Community College’s Journey to sustainability and achieving Zero Net Energy

  • Arup (NY)
  • San Bernardino Community College District (CA)

In San Bernardino Community College District (SBCC) pursuit to lead the journey in sustainability, SBCC committed itself back in 2010 to a “Sustainability Plan”. This commitment started at its Crafton ...

University of Pittsburgh Student Office of Sustainability

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)

The student office of sustainability was created in 2015, before the university of Pittsbugh had a campus wide sustainability office, which opened in 2018. Not only was the student office ...

UMCycle storage structure created through the design build process

UMCycle Bike Kiosk and Cycle Plaza

  • University of Manitoba (MB)

The UMCycle Bike Kiosk offers a four-season community bike shop where University students, faculty, staff and surrounding community can come together to get their bikes serviced; connect with other cycle ...

Sustainability awareness, attitudes and actions: A survey of pre-service teachers

  • Memorial University of Newfoundland (NL)
  • King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi

The purpose of this study was to survey the awareness, attitudes and actions of Thai, pre-service, industrial-education teachers (N=390) regarding economic, social and environmental sustainability. Survey items were derived ...

How freshmen perceive Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

  • University of Bayreuth

Concepts of 464 university freshmen towards Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) were analyzed. Responses were classified into seven main categories: ‘ecological aspects’, ‘ecological problems’, ‘economical aspects ...

Campus Clean Up

Suffolk County Community College's Earth Day Events

  • Suffolk County Community College (NY)

Suffolk County Community College, hosted a week long earth day celebration. Activities ranged from a beach clean up at our local state park, to an earth day yoga class, to ...

The CSUN Zero Waste initiative was officially launched! This gives students the opportunity to take a zero waste pledge and learn more about campus sustainability initiatives, such as the Zero Waste Plan. The campaign mascot is Sunny the Squirrel who can be seen around campus doing his part to keep CSUN clean. CSUN’s Zero Waste Plan is one of the school’s key environmental focuses and consists of reducing waste to 80% by 2020, and to 95% by 2025 (compared to 2006)

CSUN Celebrates Earth Month!

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)

To celebrate Earth Day, many campus departments partnered to provide hands-on and immersive events and workshops to students, creating long-lasting impressions about the effects of climate change. Campus-wide initiatives to ...

Assessment of knowledge and awareness of “sustainability” initiatives among college students

  • Lamar University (TX)

Campus sustainability is essential for any university. Campus sustainability denotes the potential of the university to develop new ideas regarding sustainability through research, teaching, and practices. It necessitates improved academic ...

‘Student Switch Off!’: how do university students respond to a corporate-sponsored pro-environmental social marketing campaign?

  • University of York
  • University of Birmingham
  • Queen Mary University of London

Sponsorship in pro-environmental social marketing campaigns has received limited academic attention within a higher education (HEI) context. This study examines how multi-level variables, i.e. individual (general environmental attitudes), organisational ...

College Campus as a Living Laboratory: Scrubbing Scales, Saving Trees, Engaging Students

  • University of Kentucky (KY)

Opportunities for meaningful engagement of college students in their campus communities rarely focus on tree health, and even less frequently address insect pests. Tree Campus USA certification typically involves service-learning ...

Student Engagement in Sustainability at Northern Illinois University

  • Northern Illinois University (IL)

The Environmental Studies department and student community at Northern Illinois University have been engaged in a variety of sustainability initiatives. However, even with this focus on sustainability NIU does not ...

Personal waste management in higher education: A case study illustrating the importance of a fourth bottom line

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)

Purpose This paper aims to propose a quadruple bottom line approach for higher education leaders who must decide whether to accept sustainability initiatives that do have not have a business ...

Survey Study on Attitudes to Multi-Dimensional Sustainable Development with U.K. MSc Students

  • Swinburne University of Technology

As reflected in the sustainable development goals (SDGs), sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept integrating political, ethical, economic, and other factors. Reports from the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education ...

Formation and Function of a Collegiate Athletics Sustainability Committee

  • Georgia State University (GA)
  • Seattle University (WA)
  • University of Florida (FL)

Institutions of higher learning may be considered dual-identity organizations because of the perceived distinctiveness between universities’ academic and athletic missions. One way in which these barriers can be weakened is ...

Aim2Flourish: Introducing Chicago to the Circular Economy

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)
  • Rheaply, Inc (IL)
  • United Nations Foundation (NY)

This article highlights how Rheaply is introducing the circular economy, resource sharing, and waste diversion into business models. In this article, Aim2Flourish, the world’s first higher-education, student-run curriculum aimed ...

Solar farm tour in Grand Island

Central Community College Earth Month 2019

  • Central Community College (NE)

Central Community College hosted Earth Month events across 4 of its college locations throughout the month of April. Events included expos with local organizations and student projects, a highway cleanup ...

UVM Eco-Reps tabling during Earth Week. They quizzed students on Jeopardy questions and gave out reusable sandwich bags.

University of Vermont Earth Week

  • University of Vermont (VT)

University of Vermont Eco-Reps hosted their annual Earth Week from April 22-26. The theme of the week was POI: Points of Intervention. PLAN: Post Landfill Action Network came to UVM ...

Up-Cycled Art Exhibit by the University of Vermont Eco-Reps. This particular art piece titled "Trash Talks" was made out of cigarette butts found on campus.

Up-Cycled Art

  • University of Vermont (VT)

University of Vermont Eco-Reps held an Up-Cycled Art Exhibit as part of our Earth Week. Students were tasked with creating art out of up-cycled objects. The opening reception ended off ...

The sustainNU team shares how they conserve energy at the ENERGY STAR® photo booth at Northwestern University's inaugural Earth Day Fair.

Earth Day Fair at Northwestern University

  • Northwestern University (IL)

At the inaugural Earth Day Fair, the sustainNU team celebrated their ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award and shared how they conserve energy. Over 200 people attended the fair ...

Low Carbon Footprint Dinner - Univ. of Oregon

  • University of Oregon (OR)

During Earth Week the University of Oregon hosted a "Low Carbon Footprint" dinner, featuring foods that have lower carbon emissions from production through to waste. Low Carbon Footprint options were ...

Recycolution Fashion Show

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

An Earth Week fashion show in partnership with Pioneers for H.O.P.E, raising awareness on the impacts of fast fashion, conscious consumerism, and resources for clothing needs. All ...

DIY Succulent Planters

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

Students plant their own water friendly succulent to take home and watch grow. Encouraging sustainable landscaping and awareness about water conservation efforts.

Sul Ross students confer over research posters

Sul Ross State University Undergraduate and Graduate Research Symposium - Earth Day 2019

  • Sul Ross State University (TX)

Sul Ross State University's second annual undergraduate and graduate research symposium was held on Earth Day, April 22, 2019, with special recognition awarded to those presenting on sustainability-related topics ...

Campus food

Cal Poly Earth Week Festival

  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)

Cal Poly Earth Week, hosted by Cal Poly Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability Department in collaboration with Green Campus and many other campus and community entities! See discussion section and schedule ...

The campus' beautiful nature trail was a focus of student and staff attention.

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) South Campus Earth Day Celebration

  • Community College of Allegheny County (PA)

Students at CCAC's South Campus took an active part in Earth Day celebrations.

Activities extended to the exterior of the building.

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) North Campus Earth Day Celebration

  • Community College of Allegheny County (PA)

CCAC North Campus Green Team and Creative Arts Club worked together to make artwork driving home the importance of reducing and recycling waste.

Enhancing Campus Curricula and Sustainability Through UN SDGs

  • Lehigh University (PA)
  • AASHE (PA)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are serving as a benchmark for not only development of much of the world, but also for redevelopment of the industrialized world, which faces a ...

  • Posted May 2, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Developing the Student Anchor Engagement Framework

  • Drexel University (PA)

Modern urban and metropolitan universities are increasingly obliged to recognize their role as anchor institutions. These same institutions of higher education (IHEs) also have a responsibility to educate students to ...

  • Posted April 30, 2019
  • Publications
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Building sustainable university-based community gardens: Volunteer perceptions of enablers and barriers to engagement and benefits received from volunteering in the Moving Feast

  • University of the Sunshine Coast
  • University of Portsmouth

Community gardens are receiving increasing attention as a source of locally available and sustainable food, and aim to increase food security. Engagement and commitment from the volunteer workforce in community ...

  • Posted April 30, 2019
  • Publications
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Leadership of Heart and Mind: Examining the Mind and Skill Sets of Student Sustainability Leadership

  • University of New England (ME)
  • University of Southern Maine (ME)

The purpose of this comparative case study was to deepen the understanding of post-secondary student sustainability leaders’ motivations and identify the skills they have employed in order to inform the ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Examining the Relationships between Factors Influencing Environmental Behaviour among University Students

  • University of Eastern Finland

Education for sustainability may be seen as consisting of four dimensions: sensitivity and attitudes toward the environment, awareness and knowledge of the environment, environmentally friendly actions and participation. A questionnaire ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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On how business students’ personal values and sustainability conceptions impact their sustainability management orientation: Evidence from Germany, Indonesia and the USA

  • University of St. Gallen
  • National University of Singapore
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • University of Sussex (Sussex)

This paper aims to develop and empirically test a framework on how personal values and sustainability conceptions affect students’ sustainability management orientation (SMO). An understanding of this connection gives insight ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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The 5E Model of Environmental Engagement: Bringing Sustainability Change to Higher Education through Positive Psychology

  • Tel Aviv University
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel

What is the role of universities in advancing sustainability? This paper delineates a unique program for promoting sustainability that was applied in Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB). The unique characteristics of ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Sustainability assessment of the service operations at seven higher education institutions in Brazil

  • Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná
  • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná

The objective of this paper is to test a procedure for assessing the adoption of sustainable practices in higher education technological institutions services, known as institutes of technology and polytechnic ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Piloting Sustainability in UVA Research Labs

  • University of Virginia (VA)

A one-year, comprehensive study in three campus research labs illustrates the benefits of small-scale infrastructural improvements paired with occupant engagement techniques . Lighting upgrades, equipment timers, and freezer set-points were targeted ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Boston University employees enjoy Boston University's Earth Day Festival

Boston University Earth Week

  • Boston University (MA)

In 2019 Boston University hosted its Ninth Annual Earth Week. Partnering with numerous area organizations, businesses, University departments, and student clubs, sustainability@BU put on several events to celebrate Earth ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Photographs
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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. Additional content and advanced benchmarking tools will be added to this tab over time.

Programs and Initiatives

The following links connect to specific Content Displays on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).

Scores

The following link connects to the Score Display on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).

Campus Engagement Partners

ACPA - College Student Educators International

Washington, DC

Association of College and University Housing Officers - International

Columbus, OH

Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association

Bloomington, IN

Coalesce

Boston, MA
Business Affiliate
Coalesce designs solutions to meet campus specific needs, equipping the community with core competencies will empower stakeholders to adopt sustainability as an organizing principle.

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

Washington, DC

Dot Cup

Evanston, IL
Business Affiliate
Dot Cup manufactures and sells the patented Dot Menstrual Cup and is passionate about making the best, most sustainable products accessible to all people with periods.

Fair Labor Association

Washington, DC
Business Affiliate
Improving Workers' Lives Worldwide

Fairware Promotional Products Ltd

Vancouver, BC
Business Affiliate
Fairware is the leading provider of sustainable and ethically sourced promotional products and event merchandise.

Fit for Green Inc.

Mission Viejo, CA
Business Affiliate
Fit for Green actively engages people across all 3 pillars of sustainability during exercise. They are a provider of specialized commercial gym equipment.

GreenerU

Watertown, MA
Business Affiliate

Korean Association for Green Campus Initiative

Seoul, Seoul
Business Affiliate

MIST

Chicago, IL
Business Affiliate
MIST is a small consultancy helping colleges and universities understand and improve 1) sustainability governance, 2) buildings and campus, 3) engaging students, faculty and staff.

National Wildlife Federation

Reston, VA
Business Affiliate

NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation

Corvallis, OR

NOLS

Lander, WY
Business Affiliate
At NOLS we believe positive, ethical leaders change the world. Based on this belief, NOLS has become the leader in wilderness education. Our students explore remote wilderness and learn technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics.

Northwest Earth Institute

Portland, OR
Business Affiliate

Post-Landfill Action Network

Dover, NH
Business Affiliate
The Post-Landfill Action Network cultivates, educates, and inspires the student-led zero waste movement. We inform students about the waste crisis and equip them with the necessary skills and resources to implement solutions to waste on their campus.

Rivanna Natural Designs

Richmond, VA
Business Affiliate
Planet-friendly awards and plaques. FSC-Certified wood, recycled glass

RRS

Ann Arbor, MI
Business Affiliate
RRS is a sustainability and recycling consulting firm that possess core strengths in recovery, organics and collaborative action development serving both public and private sectors.

Strategic Energy Innovations

San Rafael, CA
Business Affiliate
Helping communities embrace sustainability.

Sunbolt

Willow Grove, PA
Business Affiliate
Sunbolt creates solar-powered charging workstations. Featuring an unmatched solar array, these outdoor workstations are fully equipped to charge smart phones, laptops and other electronic devices.

Textbooks for Change

Toronto, ON
Business Affiliate
Textbooks for Change sustainably provides educational material to those both locally and abroad.

The Campus Kitchens Project

Washington, DC
Business Affiliate
Empowering students to create innovative and sustainable solutions to food waste and hunger.

The GREEN Program

Philadelphia, PA
Business Affiliate
Founded in 2009, The GREEN Program creates short-term, experiential education programs focused on sustainable development. TGP's accredited model has attracted university students representing over 470 universities and 70 countries globally.

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