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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Trex Plastic Film Challenge
- Texas A&M University (TX)
In November 2018, the Department of Residence Life at Texas A&M University began the Trex Plastic Film Challenge in partnership with a Virginia-based company, Trex. Trex is a national company …
- Posted May 8, 2020
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Sustainable Development at Higher Education in China: A Comparative Study of Students’ Perception in Public and Private Universities
- University of Hradec Kralove (Královéhradecký kraj)
- Guangzhou College of South China University of Technology
This research is implemented in the backdrop of the increasing number of private universities established in China over the last decade, and a growing public concern of sustainable development. The …
- Posted May 4, 2020
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Utilizing Freezers for Compost Collection at Holy Cross’ Student Apartments
- College of the Holy Cross (MA)
The College of the Holy Cross added compost collection for student food waste in two college-owned apartments, William Hall and Figge Hall. Instead of traditional indoor collection bins, small freezers …
- Posted May 4, 2020
- Case Studies
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On-site Energy Manager Program
- SUNY Jefferson Community College (NY)
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (NY)
In February of 2019 Jefferson Community College began a one-year commitment to provide a one-half time FTE On-site Energy Manager position in partnership with NYSERDA under project code OsEM17-C, (PON …
- Posted May 4, 2020
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“Box to Farm to Compost”: A Paradigm Shift from an Extractive Culture to Regenerative Culture
- Iowa State University (IA)
As a land grant university with a student population of over 30,000 students and about 6000 faculty and staff, there are enormous packaging items that make its way to campus …
- Posted May 1, 2020
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” Transportation Campaign Case Study
- University of Vermont (VT)
For UVM Eco-Reps’ first campaign of the 2019-20 academic year, we tackled issues related to how we move around. Whether it’s getting to class, work, or a friend’s house, how …
- Posted May 1, 2020
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Community Engagement in the Transition to Carbon Neutrality
- University of Victoria (BC)
- AASHE (MA)
Universities are increasingly interested in transitioning towards carbon neutrality. Through our discussions with peer AASHE members, a significant challenge is meaningfully engaging students, staff, and faculty in the process. During …
- Posted April 30, 2020
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Student perceptions and trust of sustainability information
- James Cook University (Queensland)
- University of Canberra
The purpose of this paper is to report student attitudes and beliefs towards climate change adaptation and sustainability-related behaviours.
- Posted April 17, 2020
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How green is accounting? Brazilian students’ perception
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
This paper aims to evaluate the undergraduate and graduate accounting students’ perceptions of sustainable (or green) information technology (IT) and information system (IS) practices and their contribution to its implementation.
- Posted April 17, 2020
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Using sustainability education to enhance a sense of belonging and community among first-year college students
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)
On campuses across the world, faculty, staff, and administrators continue to wrestle with how best to foster a stronger sense of belonging and community among first-year college students. Research in …
- Posted April 17, 2020
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Students’ attitudes towards campus sustainability: A comparison among Jönköping University, Chalmers University of Technology, and University of Gothenburg
- Jönköping University
The role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in promoting and supporting sustainability has outstretched over the past decades as a result of various declarations and commitments related to the need …
- Posted April 17, 2020
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Weaving Change
- OCAD University (ON)
The purpose of undertaking this research project was to evaluate the likelihood of success of a Coalition of Graduate Programs in tackling issues of Sustainability. 63 Graduate Programs in Canada …
- Posted April 17, 2020
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Reuse in Action: Repair Fairs
- Carleton College (MN)
- AASHE (MA)
A Repair Fair is a match-making event that pairs items needing fixed with volunteer repairers or “fixers” to attempt to repair anything from bikes to clothing, to electronics. The Carleton …
- Posted April 16, 2020
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Creating a Sustainable and Engaging Food Waste Recycling Program
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
- AASHE (MA)
This presentation will focus on The CGCC Food Waste Recycling Project, an ongoing campus-wide collaborative project that offers deep, cross-disciplinary, experiential student learning via an innovative solution for CGCC’s food …
- Posted April 9, 2020
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Equipping Students to Launch Green Teams at Work
- Florida International University (FL)
- AASHE (MA)
Through an online course on sustainability team management, working adult students recruited and launched green teams at their places of work. Despite having little authority and few resources, students in …
- Posted April 2, 2020
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The Real Food Database
- AASHE (MA)
- Real Food Challenge (MA)
What food products are Real? Which vendors are verified as fair, ecological, and/or humane? Now, institutions of higher education can find out through the Real Food Database! Compiled from years …
- Posted March 25, 2020
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Digging In: Specific Examples of Diversity in Sustainability Work
- Bemidji State University (MN)
- Central College (IA)
- AASHE (MA)
We all have to make sure the sustainability movement is not a white, elitist movement. Join two Sustainability Directors as they share their successes, challenges, and lessons learned through integrating …
- Posted March 11, 2020
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Student Sustainability Leadership Development at Portland State University: Developing Holistic Sustainability Leaders
- Portland State University (OR)
In order to address the myriad of social, economic, and environmental challenges the world is facing, we need to be able to engage in leadership that fosters collective action towards …
- Posted March 6, 2020
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Social Responsibility Attitudes and Behaviors’ Influence on University Students’ Satisfaction
- Universidad de Extremadura
- Technological Institute of Sonora (SON)
This study focused on university social responsibility (USR). Corporate social responsibility is currently an extremely common strategy implemented by organizations. Higher education institutions are also introducing this strategy to enhance …
- Posted March 6, 2020
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College students’ understanding of social justice as sustainability
- Indiana State University (IN)
- Saint Louis University (MO)
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore college students’ understanding of sustainability and, specifically, the extent to which students see social justice as being integral to sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach …
- Posted March 5, 2020
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The role of gender, race, and ethnicity in environmental identity development in undergraduate student narratives
- Duke University (NC)
Recent work in environmental psychology and education emphasizes environmental identity as important in predicting a broad array of environmental behaviors. However, there are gaps in understanding how other social identities …
- Posted March 5, 2020
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Campus sustainability: An integrated model of college students’ recycling behavior on campus
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Proposing an integrated model based on multiple theoretical approaches, such as the theory of planned behavior, the model of goal-directed behavior and self-determination theory, the purpose of this paper is …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Analysis of the perception of engineering students regarding sustainability
- Université de Sherbrooke (QC)
- University of Campinas
- Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
- Universidade Federal Fluminense
- Universidad Libre (Valle del Cauca)
This research aims to evaluate the engineering students' perception regarding sustainability. For this, a survey was developed based on sustainability parameters from a detailed analysis of the Global Reporting Initiative …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Hacking down disciplinary walls: Advancing sustainability and interprofessional competencies through a hackathon model
- University of Calgary (AB)
The Calgary Interprofessional Challenge (CIC) engages university students across disciplines in a novel 44-hour hackathon based on faculty and peer-to-peer interprofessional education. CIC uses short introductory talks on problem-solving in …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Synergy of the (Campus) Commons: Integrating Campus-Based Team Projects in an Introductory Sustainability Course
- Duke University (NC)
Faculty and staff at Duke have collaborated to teach a one-semester, introductory, undergraduate course on sustainability ten times over 12 years, including both theoretical and applied project-based content. This article …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Reach out and touch: student training community projects for sustainability - a case study
- Wageningen University
As one of the five concrete actions recommended for implementing sustainable development at universities (internal operations, institutional framework, research, education and capacity building), capacity building has received the least research …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Intersectional sustainability and student activism: A framework for achieving social sustainability on university campuses
- Southwestern University (TX)
- University of Sydney (NSW)
In recent decades, universities have made significant progress toward environmental sustainability and have likewise tightened their budgets and restructured economic models in the name of financial sustainability. However, institutions of …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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Climate change and the fossil fuel divestment movement in Canadian higher education: The mobilities of actions, actors, and tactics
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
Situated within the broader climate justice movement, the fossil fuel divestment movement calls for both public and private divestment of financial holdings from fossil fuel companies. This paper examines the …
- Posted March 4, 2020
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UVM's Food Values Campaign
- University of Vermont (VT)
The UVM Eco-Reps program consists of 20 students that are divided up into five community teams, with each team assigned to a specified residential area on campus. Each semester, Eco-Reps …
- Posted Feb. 27, 2020
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On 4.7.20, Focus Your Campus on Ambitious Climate Solutions
- Bard College (NY)
- AASHE (MA)
Solve Climate By 2030 is mobilizing US educators to engage over 100,000 students in dialog about ambitious stabilizing the climate over the next decade. It culminates on the evening of …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2020
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Student perceptions of sustainability in higher education - An international survey
- National Union of Students
Since the academic year of 2010-2011, the National Union of Students (NUS) has carried out research with higher education students in the UK into their experiences of, and demand for, …
- Posted Feb. 11, 2020
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Sequestering Carbon: Using Campus Wood to Make Carbon-Capturing Furniture and Items
- Western Michigan University (MI)
The Living Woodshop, run by the Office for Sustainability at Western Michigan University, has been designed as a partnership with the Facilities Management department to reuse lumber on campus. Wood …
- Posted Feb. 7, 2020
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Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals: “Living labs” for sustainability
- Harvard University (MA)
Universities can do more to deliver against the sustainable development goals (SDGs), working with faculty, staff and students, as well as their wider stakeholder community and alumni body. They play …
- Posted Feb. 7, 2020
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Frederickson Court Trial Compost System
- Iowa State University (IA)
With a campus compost facility already in operation, Iowa State University’s Compost Team sought to utilize the facility in more places around campus. The team identified Frederickson (Freddy) Court, a …
- Posted Feb. 3, 2020
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Radicalize the Hive: What Bees Can Teach Us About Shaping Social Change
- Farm to Institution New England (VT)
Led by consultant and beekeeper Ang Roell this webinar focuses on building more effective collaborations. Taking inspiration from honey bees, a social super-organism, Ang leads participants through conversations and practices …
- Posted Feb. 3, 2020
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ESD for 2030: The Future Depends on Us!
- Portland Community College (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
- Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN) (OR)
The United Nations has established a new decade, beginning in 2020, focused on the power of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). “ESD for 2030” calls for educators to help advance …
- Posted Jan. 23, 2020
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Webinar: Innovation in Cleaning for Custodians and Students
- Stanford University (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
Stanford University’s Residential and Dining Enterprises has adopted a green cleaning standard that has reduced chemical usage in residences by over 90%. The system engineers water by infusing it with …
- Posted Dec. 12, 2019
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Bringing the Circular Economy to Research
- Rheaply, Inc (IL)
It is estimated that 2% of the world's global plastic waste is linked to laboratory waste- some 6 million tons of waste annually. Given the the existing tools available to …
- Posted Dec. 6, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Annual SDGs Report 2018
- National University of Sciences and Technology (Federal)
Realizing the importance of United Nations 17 SDGs, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) , Pakistan has adopted UN SDGs framework to monitor and improve the impact of contribution …
- Posted Dec. 6, 2019
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Webinar: Working with Advancement and Alumni Relations to Engage Alumni
- Lafayette College (PA)
- Lehigh University (PA)
- University of Virginia (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
Many sustainability practitioners seek to engage alumni in various ways – fundraising, expertise, guest speakers, jobs/internships and mentorship for students. Lehigh University and the University of Virginia’s Office for Sustainability …
- Posted Dec. 5, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Whole-Campus Behaviour Change: Lessons from a Decade of Green Impact
- National Union of Students
Sustainability professionals know they need to engage their campus communities in sustainability but behavior change continues to be a challenge. Green Impact is a staff engagement and student development program …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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The World Climate Simulation: A Tool to Motivate Science-Informed Climate Action on Your Campus
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
Are you looking for a tool to get students engaged, excited, and motivated to take science-informed action on your campus? This workshop will give you hands-on experience with the World …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Crafting Communications Campaigns with Impact
- Colgate University (NY)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Michigan (MI)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Communications are crucial for engaging campus communities around sustainability and for encouraging transformative action. Indeed, without compelling communication, it would not be possible to tell the story of higher education's …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Facilitation for Organizational Change
- GreenerU (MA)
One of the most important, yet often underappreciated, skills in any profession is the ability to be a strong group meeting facilitator. Whether it is a small staff meeting or …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Facilitation for Organizational Change: Part II
- GreenerU (MA)
Developed in response to feedback from previous facilitation workshops at AASHE, this hands-on, practice-based workshop will delve deeply into specific facilitation skills needed for challenging in-person decision making meetings. It …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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The Design Thinking Process: User-Centered Solutions to Complex and Confounding Problems
- University of Denver (CO)
After a great first year presenting this material at AASHE 2018, we found that a half-day just isn't long enough to give this topic justice! So we're back to discuss …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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What Links Climate Change, Biodiversity, Water, and Food Systems? Population
- Bellevue College (WA)
- Center for Biological Diversity (AZ)
Human population growth is a main driver of environmental degradation. According to Dr. Wynes (2017) in 'The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions' …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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What is Old is New Again: Establishing a Free Store in an Urban Environment
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
During the 2018-2019 academic year, VCU increased tuition by 6.4%. This increase in tuition was unavoidable and was the highest within the state of Virginia. Concurrent with this, VCU purchased …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Illuminating the Invisible: How Institutions Address and Afford Social Sustainability
- Saint Joseph's University (PA)
Rising income inequality, compounded by the eroding purchasing power of low and minimum-wage jobs, make social sustainability a subject of increasing urgency and importance to the most vulnerable members of …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Zero Waste Versus Energy Conservation: We Can Have Both
- The Ohio State University (OH)
A recent audit of Ohio State's waste stream found that 10% of our total waste was from used paper towels. In order to address that huge amount, Ohio State's Facilities …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
EN 1: Student Educators Program
- Percent of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the student educators program (1st program)
- Description of the student educators program (2nd program)
- Brief description of the student educators program (3rd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per students served
- Website URL - Student sustainability educators programs
EN 2: Student Orientation
- Percent of entering students that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new student orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in student orientation
EN 3: Student Life
- Description of the active student groups focused on sustainability
- Description of student gardens, farms, CSAs, fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects
- Description of the student-run enterprises
- Description of student sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives
- Description of sustainability-focused conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events for students
- Description of sustainability-focused cultural arts events, installations, or performances
- Description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles
- Description of sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences
- Description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills
- Description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution
- Description of graduation pledge(s)
- Description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives
EN 4: Student Life
- Website URL - Central sustainability website
- Description of sustainability newsletter or social media platform(s)
- Description of the signage that highlights campus sustainability features
- Description of the sustainability walking map or tour
- Description of the guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience
- Description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications
EN 5: Student Life
- Description of the first sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of the second sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns
EN 6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
- Description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (upload)
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (description)
- Website URL - Assessment of sustainability culture
EN 7: Employee Educators Program
- Percent of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the employee educators program (1st program)
- Description of the employee educators program (2nd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained employee sustainability educators per employees served
- Website URL - Employee sustainability educators programs
EN 8: Employee Orientation
- Percent of new employees that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new employee orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in employee orientation
EN 9: Staff Professional Development & Training
- Estimated percentage of regular, non-academic staff that participates annually in sustainability professional development and training
- Description of any internal sustainability professional development and training opportunities
- Description of any external professional development and training opportunities in sustainability that are supported by the institution
- Estimated percentage of staff for which sustainability is included in performance reviews
- Description of how sustainability is included in staff performance reviews
- Website URL - Information about staff professional development and training in sustainability
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.