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
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
Award Webinar: Building a Culture of Sustainability Through Campus Engagement – Lessons from IE University’s 10-Year Challenge
- AASHE (MA)
Launched in 2020 by the IE University Sustainability Office, the 10-Year Challenge is a transformative, campus-wide initiative that tackles a different sustainability theme each year. By involving every department and …
- Posted June 30, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Award Webinar: Supporting Resilient Climate Leaders: How (and why) Tufts Redesigned the Eco Rep Program
- Tufts University (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
For years, sustainability staff have worked to close the gap between our aspirations and operational realities. There have been good days, but we have been asking if there might be …
- Posted June 18, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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University of Tasmania community gardens designed for accessibility
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
The new University of Tasmania campus at Inveresk in Launceston, Tasmania hosts the largest publicly accessible community garden in Australia, which encompasses over 650 square meters of growing space. The …
- Posted June 6, 2025
- Photographs
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SDG Steps at the University of Tasmania
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
Students at the newest (2025) University of Tasmania building using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Steps. This building achieved over 35% reduction in embodied carbon compared to an industry …
- Posted June 6, 2025
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Renewable Energy coursework at the University of Tasmania's School of Climate Safe Engineering
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
Students undertaking coursework within the School of Climate Safe Engineering focused on renewable energy installations on the roof of the University of Tasmania's Engineering building. The University is pivoting the …
- Posted June 6, 2025
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University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Posted June 6, 2025
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University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Posted June 6, 2025
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UAlbany Earth Day celebration
- University at Albany (NY)
UAlbany held a campus wide Earth Day celebration at our science library. The librarians gave out potted plants and had a display of environmentally themed books. The Office of Sustainability …
- Posted June 6, 2025
- Photographs
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Eco-Fair 2025
- University of Virginia (VA)
University of Virginia's Eco-Fair is an annual event inviting student and community members to host an activity that facilitates action or dialogue for the health of the planet. So from …
- Posted June 6, 2025
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Recycling plastic bottle initiative at the University of Sharjah, College of Medicine
- University of Sharjah (Sharjah)
The aim of this project was to raise awareness about recycling plastic bottles due to the increased use of plastic bottles - and subsequently, the amount of discarded plastic bottles …
- Posted June 6, 2025
- Case Studies
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Transformative Education: Changing How We Teach Energy Efficiency by Leveraging the Creative Arts
- Pratt Institute (NY)
- AASHE (MA)
In a world besieged by environmental and social crises caused by the overconsumption of fossil-fuel based energy usage, the need for swift and effective action on energy efficiency has never …
- Posted May 12, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Earth Day Festival- Plant Potting!
- Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)
Hosted by the Sustainability, Activism, Volunteering,Engineering Club (SAVE), the annual Earth Day Festival at Stevens Institute of Technology was a hit! Students were able to pot and take home free …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Free Thrift Store
- Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)
The Student Government Association (SGA) teamed up with the Office of Sustainability to host a FREE Thrift Store on campus. THis was a pop-up event, lasting for two days. Students …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Penn Vet Semi-Annual BioBlitz
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
The University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) celebrated our Earth by exploring the biodiversity around our campus with its semiannual "BioBlitz." Community members from the university, the …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Shut the Stash Sticker
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
Chemical fume hoods used in research laboratories use up to 3.5 times the amount of energy as a single family house each day. Since Penn has over 1,000 fume hoods …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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PSU @ The Portland Farmers Market
- Portland State University (OR)
The Planning & Sustainability Office at PSU was invited to the Portland Farmers Market on April 19th, 2025 to share information about our programs and play some Earth Week Trivia …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Celebrating Earth Week 2025 with Action and Purpose Uniting education, engagement, and environmental action across campus
- Virginia Wesleyan University (VA)
Virginia Wesleyan University is marking Earth Week 2025 with a powerful blend of education, engagement, and environmental action—bringing its Environmental Guiding Principles to life. Throughout the week, students, faculty, and …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Implementing Recycling-Friendly Infrastructure in Residence Halls
- University of Dayton (OH)
This project was developed as part of the University of Dayton’s Hanley Sustainability Institute Summer Undergraduate Fellowship program and Student Leaders program. HSI was established in 2014 by a gift …
- Posted April 28, 2025
- Case Studies
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University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute: Energy Assessment Bootcamp
- University of Dayton (OH)
Energy may oftentimes be an intimidating topic for those who are not directly immersed in the field. In reality, energy is not always as complex as it seems, and when …
- Posted April 28, 2025
- Case Studies
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Earth Day Solar Field Dedication and Campus Clean-up at Gustavus Adolphus College, MN
- Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)
ST. PETER, Minn. (April 22, 2025) — Gustavus Adolphus held a ribbon cutting Earth Day, Tuesday 4.22, to celebrate the launch of the Gustavus Solar Field, a new on-campus 1.1 …
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Michigan State Students Volunteer at Pollinator Gardens
- Michigan State University (MI)
Michigan State University students demonstrated their commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement this Earth Month during the annual Spring Spartan Day of Service. Working along the picturesque Red Cedar …
- Posted April 28, 2025
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UMD Office of Sustainability Intern Teaches Solar Energy
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
Office of Sustainability Outreach and Events Intern, Michelle, teaches UMD students about solar power at EarthFest 2025.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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UMD EarthFest 2025 Celebration
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
University of Maryland, College Park students celebrate EarthFest, an annual outdoor festival to celebrate Earth Month.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Spartans Celebrate at the Go Green Go Earth Event
- Michigan State University (MI)
Spartans celebrated Earth Month by attending our annual event celebrating the environment and sustainability. The Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) in collaboration with the MSU Office hosted sustainability …
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Earth Day Festival Smoothie Bike
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Student rides the smoothie bike at the UT Earth Day festival to learn about clean energy.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Students and Community Volunteer to Clean Up Local Creek
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Celebrated Earth Week hosting a community litter pick up at a local creek.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Students Table at Earth Day Festival
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Student workers tabling at the earth day festival for the Free Store, a community-based resource for our students, staff, and faculty. It is dedicated to helping students meet their basic …
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Campus Bloom Day
- Instituto de Empresa SL
Campus Bloom Day is a community-driven event where students, faculty, and staff come together to plant pollinator-friendly flowers and greenery across campus! We created vibrant habitats for bees, butterflies, and …
- Posted April 24, 2025
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Earth Day 2025 at Stellenbosch University
- Stellenbosch University (Western Cape)
Stellenbosch University’s students and staff took to the streets on campus to celebrate Earth Day 2025 with a walk and clean-up on 22 April 2025, committing to this year’s theme …
- Posted April 24, 2025
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UNC Charlotte Party for the Planet
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
An annual event celebrating Earth Day at UNC Charlotte with student organizations and campus groups tabling and hosting interactive activities
- Posted April 23, 2025
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CCNY and Columbia University Environmental Justice Summit
- Columbia University (NY)
- The City College of New York (NY)
City College of New York, PSC-CUNY CCNY Environmental Justice Committee, Environmental and Climate Justice at Columbia Project, Center for Science and Society, Incite Institute, and WEACT present a three-part event …
- Posted April 23, 2025
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De La Salle Lipa Environmental Awareness Talk for Parents
- De La Salle Lipa (BATANGAS)
Spearheaded by the De La Salle Lipa Sustainability Office, the Environmental Awareness Sustainability talk aimed to instill environmental awareness and promote sustainable practices among parents. Through this, parents and students …
- Posted April 23, 2025
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Zero Waste Summit
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)
The Office of Sustainability at West Chester University held the Zero Waste Summit today. Many students came out to learn how to reduce their waste output and learn more sustainable …
- Posted April 23, 2025
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Earth Day at Cuyahoga Community College
- Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
Campus events have been pretty slow-going since COVID, but we had a fantastic turnout today. Students received free books and aluminum water bottles after answering climate-related trivia questions. They learned …
- Posted April 22, 2025
- Photographs
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Northwestern University Earth Month Fair
- Northwestern University (IL)
sustainNU, Northwestern University's Campus Sustainability Program, hosts an annual Earth Month Fair to share sustainability work happening on campus and what people can do to reduce their environmental impact. The …
- Posted April 22, 2025
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UNC Charlotte Student Garden Day
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
An annual event hosted by the Office of Sustainability, UNC Charlotte Jamil Niner Student Pantry, and the Pollinator Club at UNC Charlotte that organizes volunteers to beautify the four garden …
- Posted April 22, 2025
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UNC Charlotte Campus Beautification Day
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
The Office of Sustainability and Grounds Department hosted the semi-annual Campus Beautification Day on April 16th. Volunteers planted trees around our Greek Village housing area, and cleaned up litter around …
- Posted April 22, 2025
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Deree Science Day 2025
- The American College of Greece (Aghia Paraskevi)
Deree Science Day 2025 brought together students, faculty, and science enthusiasts for a dynamic day of discovery, innovation, and hands-on learning. Featuring engaging workshops, interactive experiments, and expert-led discussions, the …
- Posted April 17, 2025
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Clean up & Climbing Event - Earth Month at IE University
- Instituto de Empresa SL
Earth Day Cleanup & Climbing Event On April 5th, from 10:00 to 12:00, students, staff, and community members came together for a cleanup initiative followed by a climbing activity. The …
- Posted April 17, 2025
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From STARS Points to Impactful Teaching: The Role of TASK
- AASHE (MA)
- HEC Montréal (QC)
- KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux)
- University of Sussex (Sussex)
- Sulitest
Integrating sustainability into education is both essential and challenging. Institutions must balance transdisciplinarity with the need for specialized expertise, engage faculty and staff who may have varying levels of familiarity …
- Posted April 10, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA)’s Green Fee Board evaluates student sustainability awareness and engagement through their Campus Sustainability Survey
- University of Alaska Anchorage (AK)
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA)’s Green Fee Board evaluates student sustainability awareness and engagement through their Campus Sustainability Survey
Sustainability awareness and engagement are imperative for creating a greener campus. …
- Posted April 8, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Waste Management, Recycling, and Responsible Consumption
- Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Waste Management, Recycling, and Responsible Consumption
- Posted April 3, 2025
- Photographs
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Washington Students Taking Action All Earth Month Long!
- Cascadia College (WA)
- University of Washington, Bothell (WA)
- University of Washington, Tacoma (WA)
- GetGreen (WA)
Starting today and throughout Earth Month, students from the University of Washington and Cascadia College are taking part in a campus-wide sustainability challenge.
Using the GetGreen app, teams earn 'leaves' …
- Posted April 3, 2025
- Photographs
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Making the Most out of an Interdisciplinary Introduction to Sustainability
- AASHE (MA)
- MacEwan University (AB)
In the session we will be looking through the resources. Attendees will be able to try out some of the activities in the open resource and explore teaching opportunities with …
- Posted March 27, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Inflation Reduction Act Lessons Learned
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- AASHE (MA)
- Deloitte Consulting LLP (TX)
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers higher education institutions an unprecedented opportunity to receive cash refunds ranging from 6% to 70% of qualified clean energy investments. In this webinar, Deloitte …
- Posted March 26, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability Data Activism and Experiential Learning through USC’s Sustainability Data Hub
- University of Southern California (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
In this webinar, we highlight the University of Southern California’s (USC’s) Sustainability Data Hub as a tool for sustainability data activism and experiential learning. USC’s Sustainability Data Hub was built …
- Posted March 14, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Getting to "I Do"- Exploring Engagement with a Distributed Student, Staff and Faculty Population
- Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
While every campus is unique in developing engagement programs geared to their culture and population, common challenges and strategies exist. Hearing new perspectives can spur your own creativity and help …
- Posted March 3, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Conflict Management and Leadership Engagement
- AASHE (MA)
This proposal outlines an engaging online course series designed to equip sustainability professionals in higher education with essential skills in conflict management and leadership engagement. Participants will explore conflict dynamics, …
- Posted March 3, 2025
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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.