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
New Resources
Role of Higher Education in the Transition to a Circular Economy
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The transition to a circular economy requires us to transform the way we create products, services and systems and this is necessarily dependent on how individuals, teams and organisations learn ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Building Sustainability Student Leaders with Campus Collaborations
- University of Oregon (OR)
Through a collaborative model, the University of Oregon nurtures environmental leadership in students. With scaffolded opportunities, students learn how to impact the culture, economy, and functioning of the 'mini city ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Moving Beyond 'You're the sustainability person' To A Culture of Sustainability Mindedness
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)
Sustainability professionals often hear the phrase 'you're the sustainability person'. This usually implies that the person making the statement does not care about sustainability as much. This particular mindset ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Medical Centers and Campus Sustainability: Best Practices and Developing a National Network
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
Many institutions of higher education are associated with medical centers and schools. However, engaging hospitals on sustainability has several challenges. Hospitals face different regulatory environments, have different financial circumstances and ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Addressing the Challenge of Faculty/Staff Participation in Living Lab Campus Projects
- Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Hong Kong)
Living lab projects rightly focus on student participation. However, campuses are places where everyone - from members of the cleaning staff to the most seasoned faculty member - can learn and participate ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Using Complexity Leadership Theory to Achieve Sustainability Goals
- Chapman University (CA)
This proposal explores how utilizing complexity leadership theory, which is a combination of adaptive, enabling, and administrative leadership, to further campus sustainability goals and initiatives. This presentation will focus on ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainable Institutions and Campus Success Metrics: Useful Narratives for Appealing to Stakeholders
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
The relationships between investment in campus sustainability and success metrics that are not typically associated with sustainability is poorly understood. We are interested in exploring the relationship between institutions with ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Students and Staff: The Mutual Benefits of Connecting Student Groups and Sustainability Offices
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Student groups often are the driving force behind changes for sustainability on campus. Energized and empowered students can gain the attention of administrators and advocate for change which can be ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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"Greening with Lean": Institutionalizing Sustainability Across Campus Through Lean Principles
- Miami University (OH)
Lean principles and techniques were designed to eliminate waste, discover avenues of improvement, and foster innovation. At Miami University, we have historically used Lean methods to increase revenue, improve productivity ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Advancing Sustainability in Conservative Climates: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches
- Sul Ross State University (TX)
- Wingate University (NC)
This panel will examine the approach to sustainability in higher education at two campuses, one public and one private, situated within challenging political and socio-economic contexts: Sul Ross State University ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Reinvigorating Your University's Sustainability Commitment
- Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
While some universities have established sustainability offices, others may have a structure in place, but greater support is needed from faculty, students, and administrators. This presentation will describe the efforts ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Power of Partnerships: Sharing Successes and Lessons Learned
- Duke University (NC)
- Elon University (NC)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
In order to effectively reach the campus community, sustainability offices often strive to partner with other offices/departments to engage a broader audience in sustainability efforts. This typically leads to ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Cutting Through the Noise: Developing a Comprehensive Communications Structure
- Medical University of South Carolina (SC)
- State University of New York at Geneseo (NY)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
Many sustainability offices or green funds at large educational institutions are 'buried' within the organizations. One quick look at where sustainability lies on an institutional website gives a glimpse into ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Cultivating Student Leaders
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Using Bruce Tuckman's theory of team development, sustainability professionals from UC Berkeley will share their successes and challenges in creating a robust student centered program. This session will dive ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Building a Culture of Sustainability Through New Student Orientation
- Lehigh University (PA)
- State University of New York at Oswego (NY)
This presentation will describe the process that we went through here at SUNY Oswego for First-Year Students. This process allowed us to educate new students on Sustainability and how it ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Creating A Sustainability Magazine: A Diverse, Digital Experience
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
Everyone wants to find creative ways to tell their campus sustainability story. With so many different options, it can be challenging to identify the best route to take. Further complicating ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Available for Download: Leveraging Generation Z's Impact on the Wellbeing Economy
- Texas A&M University (TX)
The goal of this presentation is to discuss the application of generational theory, specifically Generation Z, to principles of a wellbeing economy within a higher education setting. Generation Z students ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Mobilizing higher education to respond to the climate crisis - Part 1
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- University of Hawaii System Office (HI)
This special, experiential session is for faculty, staff, and students who are ready to call on higher education to face the realities of climate disruption and to prepare our communities ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Building From the Ground Up: Developing a Sustainable Campus From Scratch
- University of Central Oklahoma (OK)
This session focuses on providing tips and tools for students and faculty who wish to develop a sustainability group or initiative, or grow one that is already initiated, at an ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Creating and Maintaining Public Archives: Green Fund Website Redesign
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
With help from our Student Union Marketing Team, The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) at UC Berkeley has entirely rebuilt its website on a new platform, creating a public archive of ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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STARS as a Meaningful Student Learning Opportunity
- Weber State University (UT)
- Westminster University - Utah (UT)
- Williams College (MA)
Engaging students in the STARS process can provide valuable student learning and ease the data collection burden on sustainability staff. This interactive panel discussion offers examples and lessons learned from ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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Maximizing Campus Sustainability through Student/Staff-Driven Energy Efficiency and Engagement
- Colorado School of Mines (CO)
- McKinstry (WA)
Learn about driving behavioral/engagement strategies to increase campus sustainability from two universities leveraging energy-saving programs to accomplish this. These campuses are utilizing social science-based behavioral principles to break down ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Equity Drafting Table & Living Community Challenge: Tools for Engaging the Campus Community
- Williams College (MA)
- International Living Future Institute (WA)
Higher Education Campuses have been leaders in the creation of Living Buildings. Now they are becoming leaders in the creation of Living Campuses. By optimizing lessons learned from the Living ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Residence Hall Kitchens: A Behavioral Design Approach to Sustainable Learning
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
While programs such as LEED and WELL have provided clear architectural strategies for confronting issues of sustainability, this clarity has occluded the need for more comprehensive strategies that can address ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Going Carbon Neutral - Giving Everyone a Voice, With Students Leading the Charge
- University of Victoria (BC)
Dr. Simon Pek and Dr. Rick Cotton will take you on Gustavson School of Business' journey to carbon neutrality. In sharing the story of this success their aim is to ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Carbon and Nitrogen 'Footprinting' 101: Tools for Sustainability Education, Advocacy, and Planning
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
It's well-established that calculating the campus carbon and nitrogen footprint provides important quantitative information to assess, track, and improve campus sustainability, yet the majority of colleges and universities across ...
- Posted Dec. 4, 2019
- Conference Presentations
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2019 AASHE Conference & Expo Opening Ceremony
- Gonzaga University (WA)
- University of California, Davis (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Center for Economic Democracy (MA)
Shevanthi Daniel-Rabkin from The Democracy at Work Institute, Aaron Tanaka from the Center for Economic Democracy, and Marcus Renner from the University of California, Davis, were the opening keynote speakers ...
- Posted Nov. 26, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Carver and DeLaney Sustainability Endowment
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)
The Carver and DeLaney Family Environmental Studies Endowment seeks to encourage and support student sustainability projects on the campus of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and/or the local community ...
- Posted Nov. 26, 2019
- Green Funds
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Sustainable tea and tea bags
- Ohio University (OH)
Ohio University's Office of Sustainability partnered with Ohio University's Environmental Affairs Commission on student senate to host a sustainable tea and tea bag event. This event used loose ...
- Posted Nov. 7, 2019
- Photographs
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Sustainability Month at Stanislaus State
- California State University, Stanislaus (CA)
Sustainability Month activities during Warrior Wednesdays in the quad!
- Posted Nov. 7, 2019
- Photographs
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Towson University Campus Sustainability Week
- Towson University (MD)
Towson University Campus Sustianability Week contained fun and educational experiences for our students. We had tabling events for composting at home, being more sustainable with our water consumption, pollinator garden ...
- Posted Nov. 7, 2019
- Photographs
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Managing Behavior Change: Moving Past Barriers
- AASHE (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
Many of us set goals for ourselves. Some goals—such as losing weight, getting more exercise, or being more sustainable—are set with the best of intentions, but the reality ...
- Posted Oct. 10, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Montclair University's Green Team tackles Styrofoam Recycling
- Montclair State University (NJ)
- Foam Cycle LLC (NJ)
This summer, Foam Cycle and the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) were awarded a Green Team from Montclair State University (MSU) to study a foam packaging (aka Styrofoam) recycling ...
- Posted Sept. 30, 2019
- Tools
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps Points of Intervention Campaign Case Study
- University of Vermont (VT)
Every Spring semester, the UVM Eco-Reps carry out a campaign related to the main theme of Earth Week. This year, that theme was ‘Points of Intervention’ (POI). Points of Intervention ...
- Posted Sept. 24, 2019
- Case Studies
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps Food Campaign Case Study
- University of Vermont (VT)
The 2018-2019 professional development offering for the UVM Eco-Reps was a symposium centered around food concerns entitled Taking Root Student Symposium. Having been introduced to a wide variety of food-related ...
- Posted Sept. 24, 2019
- Case Studies
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Webinar: Sustainability Master Planning from All Perspectives
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- Ayers Saint Gross (MD)
- AASHE (MA)
Using Texas A&M University as a case study, staff will introduce integrated sustainability master planning from all perspectives: social, environmental, and economic. Both a campus level and department level plan ...
- Posted Sept. 20, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Celebrating Diversity is not Enough: Teaching Social Justice
- University of Michigan (MI)
- AASHE (MA)
Social justice and equity are a prominent dimensions of sustainability that can be overlooked or under-taught across the curriculum. Well-meaning instructors may focus on “celebrating diversity” or exception individuals rather ...
- Posted Sept. 5, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Webinar: Student Power to Fund Renewable Energy: A New Take on the Solar PPA
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
As campuses look to expand on site renewable energy generation, one of the greatest barriers to implementation is often initial project funding. Over the last year and a half, students ...
- Posted Aug. 29, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Campus Composting Best Practices
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Louisville (KY)
- College & University Recycling Coalition (DC)
Campus Composting Best Practices: Strategies for student engagement & food waste and compostable serveware diversion
Program originally took place May 9, 2019
Presenters:
Jen Maxwell, Sustainability Programs Manager Appalachian State ...
- Posted Aug. 22, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Preparing for Campus Sustainability Month 2019
- Kentucky Community and Technical College System Office (KY)
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
- AASHE (MA)
October is Campus Sustainability Month! Join this webinar to gain ideas and inspiration for how you can leverage #CampusSustainabilityMonth to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to ...
- Posted Aug. 22, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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STARS Incorporation into Capability-Based Gen Ed Curriculum
- Eureka College (IL)
- AASHE (MA)
This session will cover incorporating STARS data collection AND report segments into an introductory sustainability course that fulfills a capability-based general education requirement (Sustainable Practices and Environmental Conscience). We will ...
- Posted Aug. 8, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability Capstone PISA
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)
Through the Innovation and Sustainability Office, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador has developed a capstone course called Social and Environmental Project (PISA is the acronym in Spanish ...
- Posted Aug. 5, 2019
- Photographs
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Campus-based Climate Resiliency Field Study Program
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of Sustainability collaborated with academic and operational partners to create a field study program that focused on campus climate resiliency. The experiential learning program ...
- Posted Aug. 5, 2019
- Photographs
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People of Color Sustainability Collective
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
People of Color Sustainability Collective
- Posted Aug. 2, 2019
- Photographs
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Ohio State Energy Partners Hosts Smart Campus Challenge
- The Ohio State University (OH)
The first Smart Campus Challenge, presented by Ohio State Energy Partners ENGIE and Axium Infrastructure, concluded with all six finalists winning $144,000 dollars, combined, for their project proposals to ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2019
- Photographs
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Luther College CSA Reimbursement Program
- Luther College (IA)
Participants in Luther College's CSA Reimbursement Program enjoy a summer workshop about seasonal vegetables.
- Posted Aug. 1, 2019
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Climate Change Garden at Cornell University
- Cornell University (NY)
The Climate Change Garden at Cornell University, a permanent campus installation that demonstrates the impact of climate change on plant growth in New York state. Planning for the climate change ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2019
- Photographs
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Understanding Sustainability Through Transdisciplinary Narratives
- University of Michigan (MI)
- AASHE (MA)
The concepts of “more” and “better” drive social narratives about they kind of world we’re creating: a future of more stuff and strife, or one based on a better ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Research & Innovation to Improve Small Wind Turbines
- Clarkson University (NY)
Ducted Wind Turbine Research - A Clarkson University aeronautical engineering professor, Ken Visser, received assistance from students and the entire campus community to develop and commercialize a ducted wind turbine. The ...
- Posted July 30, 2019
- Photographs
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EPA Game Day Challenge
- Bowdoin College (ME)
Bowdoin's Green Athletics club provided education about waste reduction and composting during Bowdoin's EPA Game Day Challenge event.
- Posted July 30, 2019
- Photographs
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
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.