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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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Meeting the food waste challenge in higher education

  • Montana State University (MT)

Purpose: Food waste represents a major sustainability challenge with environmental, economic, social and health implications. Institutions of higher education contribute to generating food waste while serving as models in championing ...

  • Posted Aug. 10, 2018
  • Publications
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Campus bottled water bans, not always the solution

  • Allegheny College (PA)

The purpose of this study was to identify how to reduce bottled water use on our campus, given that the majority of students were bringing it onto campus from outside ...

Creating a water-saver self-identity reduces water use in residence halls

  • James Madison University (VA)
  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

Water scarcity is a pressing social problem. Attempts to increase conservation that focus on education or attitudes produce limited success. Installing efficient appliances reduces water use, but can be costly ...

Fair Trade Fair at Seattle University

Fair Trade Fair at Seattle University

  • Seattle University (WA)

In 2015, Seattle University was the first University in the Pacific Northwest to be designated as a Fair Trade University, building awareness about Fair Trade and getting Fair Trade products ...

Accelerating Change through the President’s Sustainability Research Program

  • Swarthmore College (PA)
  • AASHE (PA)

This webinar describes the President’s Sustainability Research Fellowship (PSRF) model, an innovative program at Swarthmore College that matches motivated students with staff and faculty mentors to research, develop, and ...

  • Posted Aug. 2, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Environmental JustICE Cream Social - part 2: In January, when students are starting to think about summer internships, this event brings in community organizations working on EJ issues to connect with students and promote their open positions.

Environmental JustICE Cream Social - part 1

  • Washington University in St. Louis (MO)

As the semester opens in early September, the Environmental Justice Initiative hosts an ice cream social that features a facilitated "speed networking" circle to connect students from across campus who ...

The US Department of Education supported Native American Student Success (NASS) program at Morris supports greater educational attainment for American Indian students by eliminating college achievement gaps.

UMN Morris Native American Student Success (NASS) program

  • University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)

University of Minnesota Morris is the only four-year Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution in the Upper Midwest. Twenty-one percent of Morris students are Native American with 65 federally recognized tribes represented ...

Building Solar Chargers with Physics Professor, Hans Pfister

Energy Research: Sustainability @ Dickinson

  • Dickinson College (PA)

Dickinson students and faculty conduct research that contributes to creating sustainable solutions to pressing problems of our times. Our research encompasses a wide range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, ranging ...

The Handlebar: Campus Bicycle Cooperative

Campus Engagement: The Handlebar- Dickinson's Bicycle Cooperative

  • Dickinson College (PA)

The [email protected] initiative promotes sustainable transportation, builds community and provides biking education to the campus. Students can borrow bikes from the college, including Green Bike, refurbished by students in ...

The Hive: Dickinson's Beekeeping Cooperative

Campus Engagement: Sustainability @ Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

  • Dickinson College (PA)

The Hive, Dickinson's beekeeping cooperative, is our newest living laboratory. The Hive engages students, staff, and faculty in learning about sustainability problems and solutions through the direct experience of ...

Emory students pose as a bee and tomato at the Emory Farmers Market to highlight the importance of pollinator protection

Emory University adopted a Pollinator Protection Policy in 2014

  • Emory University (GA)

Emory University adopted a comprehensive Pollinator Protection Policy in 2014, a first of its kind policy at U.S. colleges and universities that bans neonicotinoid application, plants pre-treated with neonicotinoids ...

Dickinson student-faculty research utilizes online sustainability dashboard

Dickinson's Online Sustainability Dashboard

  • Dickinson College (PA)

Dickinson is monitoring our sustainability performance over time and holding ourselves accountable for advancing sustainability practices. Our online sustainability dashboard allows users to explore up to date performance metrics for ...

Main entrance of Colorado College's net-zero energy / net-zero carbon Tutt Library.

Colorado College Net-Zero Library

  • Colorado College (CO)

Main entrance of Colorado College's net-zero energy/net-zero carbon Tutt Library. Sustainable features highlighted in the photo include a rain screen, open design and natural lighting, green roofs and ...

Colorado College Net Zero Tutt Library Balcony View

Colorado College Net-Zero Energy/Carbon Tutt Library

  • Colorado College (CO)

Balcony view of Colorado College's net-zero energy/net-zero carbon Tutt Library. Highlighting rainscreen, shading structures, black locust domestic hardwoods, green roofs and planters, photovoltaic shade structures, and open views.

The Energy GPA program provides students in University-owned, student neighborhood houses with a grade of their monthly energy use. Grades are determined by comparing a house's usage against past energy usage and weather data, so every residence is graded by a statistically valid method that isolates energy savings from behavior changes. Student and faculty research collects data on individual houses.

University of Dayton Energy GPA

  • University of Dayton (OH)

The Energy GPA program provides students in University-owned student neighborhood houses with a grade of their monthly energy use. Monthly "report cards" include electricity and gas usage and a monthly ...

CU Boulder PIPs Rewards App

CU Boulder PIPs Rewards App

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

University of Colorado Boulder introduced the PIPs Rewards App in 2017-2018. The app tracks and rewards the ‘good’ one does everyday, such as riding the bus, biking, recycling, refilling water ...

College of the Atlantic students working with the school's Community Energy Center (CEC) use a Solar Pathfinder to determine potential solar availability on campus. Many COA students working with the Thoreau Environmental Leaders Initiative study renewable energy with the CEC and through coursework to gain an experiential understanding of some of the issues involved.

College of the Atlantic SCI 2018 1

  • College of the Atlantic (ME)

The College of the Atlantic Thoreau Environmental Leaders Initiative aims to cultivate effective advocates for renewable energy and climate change issues. Through speakers, workshops and events, the initiative provides a ...

Students look for books at the Connecticut College Lending Library.

Connecticut College Lending Library

  • Connecticut College (CT)

The Lending Library at Connecticut College allows students to rent a textbook at no cost for the duration of a course, and is an attempt to address the issue of ...

UC San Diego Sustainability Alumni Network members get a tour of Birch Aquarium on campus during alumni weekend in June 2018

UC San Diego Sustainability Alumni Network members get a tour of Birch Aquarium on campus during alumni weekend in June 2018.

  • University of California, San Diego (CA)

The Sustainability Alumni Network (SAN) at the University of California, San Diego was founded by the Sustainability Programs Office in May 2017 to bring together alumni who are working in ...

Student Sustainability Educators demonstrate how to load a bike onto a bus

Student Sustainability Educators at American University, 2017-2018

  • American University (DC)

Student Sustainability Educators at American University engage the campus community in sustainability throughout the 2017-2018 academic year.

American University student signs chalkboard commitment wall to fight climate change.

Climate Change Commitment Wall

  • American University (DC)

American University student signs chalkboard commitment wall to fight climate change.

BYO[Bag] on rack at the University Store on Fifth

University of Pittsburgh BYO[Bag] Program

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)

The University of Pittsburgh BYO[Bag] (Bring Your Own Bag) program launched through Pitt Housing & Dining in 2014 after more than five years of student initiatives to reduce plastic ...

Penn Urban Forest

Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania

  • University of Pennsylvania (PA)

Penn's main, academic campus was accredited as a Level I ArbNet-certified Arboretum as of April 2017, and Level II in November 20107. The Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania ...

HSI is partnering with facilities management on the campus energy team. The energy team works to identify and implement large-scale clean energy solutions to reduce campus scope 1 and 2 emissions by 26-28% by 2025. This campus energy team, made up of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and facilities management staff, is determined to demonstrate that clean energy solutions are not only possible, but also cost-effective.

University of Dayton Energy Team

  • University of Dayton (OH)

Since its founding in 2016, the green revolving fund has funded over 30 projects. The completed projects have reduced emissions by 980 metric tonnes of CO2 (MTCO2) equivalent, or 1 ...

Student Leaders in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute partner with campus Master Carpenter to build two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food.

University of Dayton Composting Bins

  • University of Dayton (OH)

Students in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute built two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food.

Student leaders in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute work with campus Master Carpenter to build two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food waste.

Food Waste Composting Bin Construction

  • University of Dayton (OH)

Student leaders in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute work with campus Master Carpenter to build two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food waste.

Students in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute are building two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food waste.

Food Waste Composting Bin Construction

  • University of Dayton (OH)

Student leaders in the University of Dayton Hanley Sustainability Institute are building two 4’x6’ bins to compost campus food waste.

Students install a sensor network to capture temperature data from vegetated and unvegetated sections of the Kennedy Union green roof.

University of Dayton Green Roof Installation

  • University of Dayton (OH)

Kennedy Union Green roof

In September 2017, HSI, in collaboration with facilities management and Enterprise Roofing, led the installation of UD's first green roof on the Kennedy Union patio ...

Edible Campus UNC Foragers

Edible Campus UNC Student Volunteers

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)

Edible Campus UNC at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a program of the North Carolina Botanical Garden that incorporates edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants into existing landscapes ...

Edible Campus UNC Volunteers

Edible Campus UNC Student Volunteers

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)

Edible Campus UNC at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a program of the North Carolina Botanical Garden that incorporates edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants into existing landscapes ...

Main Edible Campus UNC Garden

Edible Campus Garden at UNC Chapel Hill

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)

Edible Campus UNC at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a program of the North Carolina Botanical Garden that incorporates edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants into existing landscapes ...

UMass Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign

UMass Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

UMass Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign

Student enjoys a plate filled with plant-based proteins at Rice University

Student enjoys a plate filled with plant-based proteins at Rice University

  • Rice University (TX)

Rice University's Housing and Dining department created an initiative called #ourplantbasedjourney to serve delicious plant-based proteins marketed to all students, not just those who self-identify as vegans or vegetarians ...

Rice University chef buys locally-sourced ingredients from campus farmers market

From Farm to Fork at Rice University

  • Rice University (TX)

Rice University chef Martin De Santiago shops for locally-sourced ingredients at the Rice University Farmers Market to use in a Farm-to-Fork dinner. The dinner was organized by the student club ...

Grilled Ciabatta and Muhammara, part of the Spring 2018 Farm to Fork Dinner at Rice University

Farm to Fork Dinner, Spring 2018

  • Rice University (TX)

Rice University student group Real Food Revolution teams with Rice's Housing and Dining department once a semester to host a Farm-to-Fork dinner, featuring a full menu of locally-sourced food ...

UC Irvine Pump2Plug participants have access to over 150 EV chargers on campus.

UC Irvine Pump2Plug Program

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

University of California, Irvine’s Pump2Plug program facilitates the adoption of zero emission vehicles in Southern California by encouraging faculty and staff commuters to convert from fossil fuel vehicles to ...

UC Irvine staff visit the Pump2Plug EV Showcase.

UC Irvine Pump2Plug Program

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

University of California, Irvine’s Pump2Plug program facilitates the adoption of zero emission vehicles in Southern California by encouraging faculty and staff commuters to convert from fossil fuel vehicles to ...

Local residents decorate pumpkins at Binghamton University's Fall Festival, held at Walnut Street Park. This event is part of the Neighborhood Heritage and Sustainability project supported by Binghamton University's Sustainable Communities Transdisciplinary Area of Excellence and the Division of Student Affairs.

Binghamton University's Neighborhood Heritage and Sustainability Project

  • Binghamton University (NY)

Local residents decorate pumpkins at Binghamton University's Fall Festival, held at Walnut Street Park. This event is part of the Neighborhood Heritage and Sustainability project supported by Binghamton University ...

The University of Dayton places composting and recycling bins outside dining facilities on campus to encourage composting and recycling and diverting “trash” from landfills.

University of Dayton Composting and Recycling Bins

  • University of Dayton (OH)

The University of Dayton places composting and recycling bins outside dining facilities on campus to encourage composting and recycling and diverting “trash” from landfills.

The University of Dayton owns more than 400 residences in its student neighborhood. Launched in fall 2017, the Energy GPA program provides students in University-owned neighborhood housing with a grade for their monthly energy use. Monthly "report cards" include electricity and gas usage and energy saving tips.

University of Dayton Student Neighborhood

  • University of Dayton (OH)

The University of Dayton owns more than 400 residences in its student neighborhood. Launched in fall 2017, the Energy GPA program provides students in University-owned neighborhood housing with a grade ...

Cascadia students and faculty inspire love for native soils on Wetlands Day!

Cascadia students and faculty inspire love for native soils on Wetlands Day!

  • Cascadia College (WA)

Wetland's Day at Cascadia College Using our mobile classroom to teach interested passerby about our complex native soils

Motivating and Quantifying the Impacts of Behavior Change

  • Stanford University (CA)
  • AASHE (PA)

In today’s increasingly technological and individualized world, how do sustainability professionals provide opportunities to engage their audience in a way that is relevant to them, but still quantifies the ...

  • Posted July 19, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Competency Assessment for Responsible Leadership (CARL)

  • AACSB International (FL)

The Competency Assessment for Responsible Leadership (CARL) is a simple, free on-line assessment which builds a profile around 5 competency dimensions (Stakeholder relations; Ethics and values; Self-awareness; Systems thinking; and ...

Electricity and Water Conservation on College and University Campuses in Response to National Competitions among Dormitories: Quantifying Relationships between Behavior, Conservation Strategies and Psychological Metrics

  • New York University (NY)
  • Oberlin College (OH)

“Campus Conservation Nationals” (CCN) is a recurring, nation-wide electricity and water-use reduction competition among dormitories on college campuses. We conducted a two year empirical study of the competition’s effects ...

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
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Sustainability leadership programs in higher education: alumni outcomes and impacts

  • University of Michigan (MI)
  • National Wildlife Federation (VA)
  • North Cascades Institute (WA)

The diverse set of college and university sustainability leadership programs, which represent a growing trend in higher education, share a common goal: building skills and knowledge for aspiring environmental and ...

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
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Smoothie Bike Event

University of Vermont Eco-Reps Greenride Bikeshare Campaign Case Study

  • University of Vermont (VT)

In early April of 2018, Burlington, Vermont, and the University of Vermont campus welcomed Greenride, a pilot regional bikeshare. Though long in the works, there was little student awareness of ...

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Case Studies
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Evaluating Changes in Sustainability Culture: A Model for Universities and Other Organizations

  • University of Michigan (MI)

Approaches to evaluating built environments are adaptable to environmentally-related programs. This chapter presents an overview of a multi-year project designed to monitor programs aimed at moving toward a culture of ...

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
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Promoting Participation in a Culture of Sustainability Web Survey

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program (SCIP) at the University of Michigan is designed to measure and track the university’s progress (Callewaert and Marans 2017) in moving the campus community ...

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
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Inclusive Sustainability: Environmental Justice in Higher Education

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate why and how efforts at UC Santa Cruz have begun to shift from sustainability as a technical, expert-oriented activity focused on aspects ...

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
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Making Your Campus A Bee Campus USA Affiliate

  • University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
  • University of Connecticut (CT)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • Portland Community College, Rock Creek Campus (OR)
  • Bee City USA (NC)

While pollinators are imperative for the reproduction of 90% of the world’s wild plant species and three-quarters of crops, announcements of their national and global staggering declines seem relentless ...

  • Posted June 21, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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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

American College Personnel Association (ACPA)

Washington, DC

Association of College and University Housing Officers - International

Columbus, OH

Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association

Bloomington, IN

Carrier Class Green Infrastructure

Willow Grove, PA
Business Affiliate
The ConnecTable is a line of the most powerful solar charging stations on the market. Reimaginge your campuses space, reinforce your sustainability goals and reconnect students and faculty with the ConnecTable.

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

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.

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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