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
Promoting Sustainability Through Partnerships - A Collection of Case Studies
- Colorado State University (CO)
Colorado State University has achieved some remarkable successes through a variety of partnerships across campus. These range in scale from a single researcher purchasing a piece of efficient lab equipment ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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The High Touch Approach: Making Inclusivity and Social Sustainability Core to Mission
- Dartmouth College (NH)
A pressing issue facing university campuses is concern about social community. Dartmouth College and its peers is being held accountable for high-risk behavior and a lack of inclusivity. How can ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Oscar is grouchy for a reason! Campus recycling behavior research and action
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
Presents findings from phase one of a multi-phase study on recycling behavior at Colorado Mountain College. Findings are based on surveys of trash and recycling bin contents completed in spring ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Engaging Students in Sustainability through High-Impact Teaching Practices: Two Case Studies
- Saint Joseph's College - ME (ME)
- University of North Carolina, Pembroke (NC)
This session (1) describes activities at diverse institutions to involve and instruct students in sustainability and (2) engages audience members in sharing experiences, identifying barriers to success, brainstorming solutions, and ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Elevating Your Campus Sustainability Month
- Saint Louis University (MO)
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
This combined session will be split into two parts. The first half of the session will be conducted by Toren Elste of University of Washington. Both the UW sustainability office ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Effects on Associate Faculty Engagement through Initiating PLCs
- Ashford University (IA)
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are created when groups of teaching professionals meet to achieve together what they cannot achieve individually. However, in our ever changing educational environment, we must consider ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Gompei's Gears: Implementing and Sustaining a Free Campus Bike-sharing Program
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
Even with hilly terrain and long winters, bicycling is popular in Worcester, Massachusetts, and in particular among the many college students. At WPI in 2014 a student group researched transportation ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Re-generation: Regenerate, Renew, and Refresh - Preparing Our Students to Lead
- Montana State University (MT)
Our graduates, coined the Re-Generation, has the responsibility to lead the world to a economical and ecological balance. To do this, they will draw on their campus experience to help ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Welcome to College! Focusing on Identity + Justice + Sustainability in a First-Year Orientation Program
- Williams College (MA)
Root is a first-year orientation program that welcomes students to the Williams College campus and explores the intersection of justice, identity, and sustainability. The program is a collaboration between the ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Art, Science, Ways of Knowing and Agency in Place: Backyard Phenology as a Tool
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
We are inspired by a successful art-science collaboration featuring an adorable silver camper (the 'Climate Chaser') serving as a tiny natural history museum and recording studio to capture stories of ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Lead your school to carbon neutrality and 100% renewable energy.
- Second Nature (MA)
- Environment America (MA)
The Climate Leadership Network comprises more than 600 colleges and universities in every state and the District of Columbia who have committed to take action on climate and prepare students ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Best Practices for Minimizing Waste on College and University Campuses
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
- Staples Business Advantage (MA)
With institutions scoring an average score of 1 point in waste reduction and diversion, there is tremendous room for improvement and institutions across the country are looking for ways to ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Transforming Sustainability at Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- Ayers Saint Gross (MD)
Prior to the master plan update, Texas A&M had a series of district plans to direct campus development. These plans supported various campus districts, but where the plan boundaries met ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Promoting Sustainability & Sustainable Behaviors: Real-World Challenges
- Florida State University (FL)
- University of Denver (CO)
Sustainability professionals are usually tasked with creating pro-environmental behavior change, but come to this work with a variety of backgrounds and knowledge on how to make that happen on our ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Galvanizing Student Power for Intersectional Sustainability Efforts
- Post Landfill Action Network (NH)
A diversity of perspectives leads to more effective problem-solving. So when we talk about Zero Waste on college campuses, how do we bring different perspectives to the decision-making table? It ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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A Zero Waste Campus is Possible
- Post Landfill Action Network (NH)
We begin by asking students to envision a zero waste campus through innovative problem solving and logistics management. In small groups, they map out how to prevent specific forms of ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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St. Louis Higher Education Sustainability Consortium (and regional friends!) Meeting
- University of Missouri-St. Louis (MO)
- Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
- Missouri Botanical Garden (MO)
The Saint Louis Higher Education Sustainability Consortium would like to invite members and regional friends to this informal meet-up time to compare notes, discuss ideas, and share inspirations from the ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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AASHE STARS as a Framework for Sustainability Master Planning: Purdue University
- Heapy Engineering (OH)
- Purdue University (IN)
Alignment and integration are two of the key concepts driving Purdue University Office of Campus Master Planning and Sustainability's effort to develop a five year Sustainability Plan for Purdue ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Cultivating Student Sustainability Leadership
- University of South Carolina (SC)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
How does one lead in a way that is inclusive, equitable and ecologically conscious? Can we become leaders who seek to empower change agents and inspire a value shift through ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Leveraging ENERGY STAR to Increase Campus Efficiency: A Northwestern University Case Study
- Northwestern University (IL)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
Attendees will learn how to implement best practices in energy efficiency and engage the campus community in behavior change. ENERGY STAR® guidelines and assessment tools provided the foundation for Northwestern ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Free, Open Source Energy Dashboard: A Platform for Collaboration Between Students, Faculty, and Facilities Management
- Beloit College (WI)
- Central College (IA)
- Macalester College (MN)
Beloit College is spearheading an effort to create a free, open source energy dashboard that will be usable and customizable across a range of institutions. Features include: acquiring, archiving and ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Towards Inclusive Sustainability: Fostering Solidarity in Environmental Work On and Off Campus
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
On the University of Arizona campus, the social justice (SoJo) committee of the student government-sponsored program Students for Sustainability works on projects that raise awareness for environmental justice issues; promote ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Taking Sustainability to the Basement: Indoor Campus Growing Solutions for any Room, any Size and any Budget
- Missouri State University (MO)
- Compass Group (NC)
A student driven initiative to create a year-round, hyper-local, on-campus food source that is run by students and funded by the campus dining partner. This model can be adapted to ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Development of a Sustainability Culture Assessment to Inform Planning
- James Madison University (VA)
Higher education institutions commonly refer to 'a culture of sustainability'; however, until very recently, few institutions have assessed the sustainability culture of the campus community. Instrument development work is nascent ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Refillable water bottles, reusable bags, and bicycle lights: Is sustainability swag sustainable?
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
When students arrive on your campus, perhaps they find a refillable water bottle in their residence hall room. Or at new student orientation, perhaps they receive a reusable bag with ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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EcoExchangeEdu: Promoting Inter-Campus Collaboration to Strengthen the Culture of Sustainability in South Texas
- Trinity University (TX)
- University of Texas at San Antonio (TX)
- University of the Incarnate Word (TX)
EcoExchangeEdu (EEE) is a group of students, staff, faculty, and administrators from South Texas colleges and universities united by a shared commitment to sustainability. Established in 2014, EEE has been ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Carbon Pricing in Higher Education: Panel with 3 Models for Internal Carbon Pricing and Engaging in National Leadership
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- Yale University (CT)
Learn about what models other colleges are using to inform your own carbon pricing design and implementation strategy! At our panel discussion, we will discuss the systems that Vassar, Swarthmore ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Engaging Students and Community: Creating Safe Spaces through Community Sensitivity Training Programs
- Furman University (SC)
Furman University and the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability work to create a student experience that promotes real world student learning experiences and meets community needs. In order to ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Creating a Space for Collaboration and Cohort Building through Community Based Student Work Experiences
- Furman University (SC)
Furman University has a very strong Student Sustainability Fellowship Program through the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability. This program provides students with project-focused, sustainability related work experiences at a ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustainability and the Capstone Experience: Lessons from 5 Years of Applied Sustainability at Southwestern University
- Southwestern University (TX)
For the past five years, the Southwestern environmental studies capstone experience has allowed students to engage with salient social, economic, and environmental sustainability issues on their campus. Each year, environmental ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustaining Ourselves - A Collaborative Mini-Retreat for Sustainability Professionals
- Carleton College (MN)
- Macalester College (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Join sustainability professionals across Minnesota in discovering how a model of stepping away from our various institutions, discovering common challenges and building cross-institution relationships helps us sustain ourselves. The planning ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustaining Food and Housing Insecure Students on College Campuses
- Portland Community College (OR)
Food insecurity or the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food is common at colleges and universities across the country, undermining the educational success of thousands ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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RecycleMania's Race to Zero Waste
- Brigham Young University (UT)
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
- Aquinas College (MI)
A review of participation and analysis of data from the first full year of RecycleMania's Race to Zero Waste. In it's first year as a formal competition category ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Flow State Organizations: Organizational Design for Sustainability
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Hawaii System Office (HI)
Our existing organization model has proven to be incapable of the pace, depth and breadth of change that the sustainability agenda requires. We need to co-create flow state organizations that ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Gamification and Socialization of Sustainable Habits at Boston University Using the JouleBug Mobile App
- Boston University (MA)
- Joulebug (NC)
This session will be an overview of the JouleBug sustainability platform, as well as a discussion of Boston University's specific experience with the platform, from both a student and ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Finding the Sustainability Sweet Spot: Where Operations and Education Converge
- Portland Community College (OR)
- University of Calgary (AB)
Education for sustainable development requires an interdisciplinary approach. Yet, few organizations are ready to embrace the dynamism that breeds collaborative academic success. Like academic disciplines, college operations are too frequently ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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A Relay-Race, not a Sprint: Advancing Campus as Lab in Solidarity
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Calgary (AB)
Campus as a Living Laboratory' is a rapidly evolving strategy for deploying innovative and utilitarian sustainability strategies. Presenters from diverse geographic locations and institution types examine the differences and similarities ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Student-led community food access initiative
- Johnson C. Smith University (NC)
A student-led garden was started on the campus grounds at Johnson C. Smith University in the fall of 2012. This initiative was put into place to address food security issues ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Throwing in the Towel: Lessons Learned from Launching a Paper Towel Compost Program
- Austin Community College (TX)
Waste diversion is a common thread woven throughout Austin Community College District's sustainability goals. With 11 current campus locations and new facilities added continuously, the footprint of the district ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Learning for Sustainability Core Competencies Through an Evidence Based Internship Program
- Western Michigan University (MI)
The Wesustain Internship Program is a semester-long, paid, discovery-driven opportunity for ambitious students seeking to gain leadership experience while exploring both on and off campus sustainability projects. This program provides ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Bees on Campus: Student Engagement in Sustainable Practices
- Trinity University (TX)
- Portland Community College, Rock Creek Campus (OR)
Our presentation will discuss the benefits and implications of using beekeeping to engage university students, faculty and staff in sustainable practices. Our goal is to stress the importance of pollinators ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustainability Solidarity on Multi-Campus Community Colleges
- Central Community College (NE)
- Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
Community colleges with a single sustainability office but multiple campuses in different cities and locations face challenges to create a sustainability solidarity that extends to all sites. One main campus ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Translating sustainability education and community action into solidarity by engaging underrepresented students in living labs
- Colorado State University (CO)
- Dickinson College (PA)
Living laboratories are increasingly becoming an important part of sustainability education at all levels. Many living laboratories enable participants to show 'internal' solidarity with classroom learning and 'external' solidarity with ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Longitudinal Sustainability Literacy and Culture Assessment for Students, Faculty, and Staff - Lessons Learned and Results
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Michigan State University (MI)
- University of Michigan (MI)
As more institutions increase their focus on sustainability both academically and operationally, the need for measurement increases. Currently, there is no common tool for measuring sustainability literacy, the culture of ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Breaking Boundaries in Sustainability Education
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
What brings together faculty in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Sports Management and Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies? A new cohort-based fellowship program, hosted by the University of Minnesota's Institute ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Learning the Language of Executive Leadership to Increase Sustainability's Value
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
- Purdue University (IN)
With higher education facing a new political landscape, ongoing budget cuts and an affordability crisis, among other challenges, sustainability professionals must be able to define and communicate sustainability's value ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Greeks Go Green: Engaging the Collegiate Greek Community in Sustainable Practices
- Davidson College (NC)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Greek and other social organizations are a potent force on many college campuses, yet there has been little discussion about best practices for engaging these organizations in sustainability initiatives. Case ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustainability Summer Camps on Campus
- Central College (IA)
- Macalester College (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
This workshop highlights examples from two schools utilizing the resources of campus during the summer months through sustainability-focused day camps for kids. At the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Sarita Wetland ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Communicating Sustainability Through Social Media
- Colgate University (NY)
- Lehigh University (PA)
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
In order to reap the full benefits of engaging your campus community and the public in sustainability through social media, it is important to think about strategies to better leverage ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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Sustainability and the Arts
- Colgate University (NY)
- State University of New York at Geneseo (NY)
- University of Georgia (GA)
A major challenge for sustainability in higher education is effectively engaging the campus and surrounding community. The arts allow us to visualize and vocalize the hidden and complex into narratives ...
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
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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).
- Central campus sustainability websites
- Co-curricular programs and initiatives
- Active student groups focused on sustainability
- Gardens, farms and co-curricular programs where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems
- Student-run enterprises that include sustainability
- Sustainable investment funds and initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills
- Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience
- Wilderness or outdoors programs for sudents that follow Leave No Trace principles
- Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences
- Programs through which students learn sustainable life skills
- Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities
- Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions
- Student orientation activities that feature sustainability
- Employee orientation activities that feature sustainability
- Sustainability trainings and professional development opportunities available to staff
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, DCCampus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association
Bloomington, INCarrier Class Green Infrastructure
Willow Grove, PABusiness Affiliate
Coalesce
Boston, MABusiness Affiliate
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Washington, DCFairware Promotional Products Ltd
Vancouver, BCBusiness Affiliate
Fit for Green Inc.
Mission Viejo, CABusiness Affiliate
GreenerU
Watertown, MABusiness Affiliate
Korean Association for Green Campus Initiative
Seoul, SeoulBusiness Affiliate
MIST
Chicago, ILBusiness Affiliate
National Wildlife Federation
Reston, VABusiness Affiliate
NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation
Corvallis, ORNOLS
Lander, WYBusiness Affiliate
Northwest Earth Institute
Portland, ORBusiness Affiliate
Post Landfill Action Network
Dover, NHBusiness Affiliate
Rivanna Natural Designs
Richmond, VABusiness Affiliate
RRS
Ann Arbor, MIBusiness Affiliate
Strategic Energy Innovations
San Rafael, CABusiness Affiliate
Textbooks for Change
Toronto, ONBusiness Affiliate
The Campus Kitchens Project
Washington, DCBusiness Affiliate
The GREEN Program
Philadelphia, PABusiness Affiliate