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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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Chemistry students utilize the on-site compost bins to conduct research on the makeup of the compost and the compostability of items

The Chemistry Behind Composting

  • Harper College (IL)

Harper College Facilities Management partnered with Harper’s Chemistry Department to begin a compost collection and research program on campus. Compost bins were built in-house on Harper’s grounds for ...

Carbon-less Concert at the community engagement event

Our Solar Potential

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)

Farm the Sun with Us is a term project led by students working on an assessment to determine the feasibility of implementing a campus solar farm. The project continues to ...

Tiger Sustainability Night - EcoRep with #LoveAMug Poster at mug giveaway

#LoveAMug: Reinvigorating a Reusable Mug Program

  • Princeton University (NJ)

In 2003, Princeton University Campus Dining (CD) introduced a 25 cent reusable mug discount in retail operations. Over the years, the program became stagnant and was applied to an average ...

Sampling Benthic Macroinvertebrates during a BioBlitz event

Mainstreaming Biodiversity on Campus - Niagara College's BioBlitz Program

  • Niagara College Canada (ON)

The Niagara College BioBlitz program is part of a continuous focus at Niagara College on experiential learning and providing the opportunity to students and the community to use the campus ...

Vincent Medina - Co-Founder of mak-'amham

Students of Color Environmental Conference

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The first ever Students of Color Environmental Conference (SCECon) was intended to bring together students of color from across California to connect and build with local environmental justice activists. This ...

Food waste in biodigester

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Food Waste Recycling Project

  • Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
  • Maricopa County Community College District Office (AZ)

The CGCC Food Waste Recycling Project is a grant-funded campus-wide ongoing collaborative project that offers deep, cross-disciplinary, experiential student learning via an innovative solution for CGCC’s food and green ...

Creating a focused Departmental Sustainability Plan for Residence Life

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

In 2018, the Department of Residence Life at Texas A&M University sought a new avenue to promote sustainability within the institution and, more specifically, their individual department. Working with Ayers-Saint ...

Eating Green Student Engagement

Eating Green

  • Harvard University (MA)

I created a guide to plant-based eating for students on Harvard's campus. Unfolding over the course of several months, this pamphlet translated into 2,000 hard copies and a ...

Fuel Efficiency - Figure 1

UC Irvine’s Transition from a Bio-Diesel to Electric Transit Fleet

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is the first college campus in the nation to transition to a fully-electric bus fleet. The student-funded and student-operated Anteater Express campus shuttle service ...

Climate Change Escape Room

  • Harvard University (MA)

In April 2019, the Resource Efficiency Program (REP) constructed and staffed a climate change themed escape room. Each minute in the room equated to four years of climate change impacting ...

Biodiversity

STARS Report as a Framework for Campus Sustainability.

  • The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)

The Eco Rep program at the University of Texas at Dallas expanded campus sustainability efforts by using AASHE STARS reporting as a framework for new student run initiatives and projects ...

ACU Student Kaitlyn Saucedo - Thesis "Environmental Audit of Abilene Christian University Dormitories - May 2019

Creating a Culture of Sustainability Through Energy Conservation at Abilene Christian University

  • Abilene Christian University (TX)

Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a diverse, welcoming, academically rigorous community redefining what it means to be a Christian university in the 21st century. Our faith-based education goes beyond academics ...

Reaching Beyond the Green Population

  • AASHE (MA)
  • Citizens' Climate Lobby (CA)

The world of sustainability offers something for everyone. Sadly many people on campus assume sustainability is just for environmentalists. Sustainability students, faculty, and staff would love to reach a broader ...

  • Posted May 16, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Campus food scraps

Addressing Compost Contamination Through Systems Thinking

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Discover UW-Madison’s compost collection journey! The UW-Madison (UW) began composting its food scraps at its agricultural research station just off campus in 2009. Since then, the UW has overcome ...

Reducing Energy Waste via Occupant Behavior: The Role of the Individual in Climate Change Solutions

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

This study aims to achieve energy waste reductions via the rewiring of human habits as opposed to using technology. In public spaces like university campuses, individuals often remove themselves from ...

Putting Japanese Youth into Practice: Japanese Student Campus Practices and Sustainability

  • University of Sheffield

Practice theory has been increasingly employed to deepen understanding of how everyday life is conducted, including the question of how our daily activities might evolve in more sustainable directions (Shove ...

British Columbia (BC) Cool Campus Challenge

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)
  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • Selkirk College (BC)
  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)
  • Simon Fraser University (BC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)

The BC Cool Campus Challenge (the Challenge) was launched in 2019 as a province-wide energy conservation challenge led by five post-secondary institutions in British Columbia, Canada. This was the first ...

Healthy Beverage Initiative: UBC Drinks Tap Water

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)

Bottled beverages are packaged in single-use plastic & often loaded with sugar. They're harmful to both our environment and our health.

UBC launched a Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI) to ...

ZNE Project Team

San Bernardino Community College’s Journey to sustainability and achieving Zero Net Energy

  • Arup (NY)
  • San Bernardino Community College District (CA)

In San Bernardino Community College District (SBCC) pursuit to lead the journey in sustainability, SBCC committed itself back in 2010 to a “Sustainability Plan”. This commitment started at its Crafton ...

University of Pittsburgh Student Office of Sustainability

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)

The student office of sustainability was created in 2015, before the university of Pittsbugh had a campus wide sustainability office, which opened in 2018. Not only was the student office ...

UMCycle Bike Kiosk at University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus

UMCycle Bike Kiosk and Cycle Plaza

  • University of Manitoba (MB)

The UMCycle Bike Kiosk offers a four-season community bike shop where University students, faculty, staff and surrounding community can come together to get their bikes serviced; connect with other cycle ...

Sustainability awareness, attitudes and actions: A survey of pre-service teachers

  • Memorial University of Newfoundland (NL)
  • King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi

The purpose of this study was to survey the awareness, attitudes and actions of Thai, pre-service, industrial-education teachers (N=390) regarding economic, social and environmental sustainability. Survey items were derived ...

How freshmen perceive Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

  • University of Bayreuth

Concepts of 464 university freshmen towards Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) were analyzed. Responses were classified into seven main categories: ‘ecological aspects’, ‘ecological problems’, ‘economical aspects ...

Earth Day Yoga

Suffolk County Community College's Earth Day Events

  • Suffolk County Community College (NY)

Suffolk County Community College, hosted a week long earth day celebration. Activities ranged from a beach clean up at our local state park, to an earth day yoga class, to ...

Earth Month wrapped up with a Spring orange pick on April 28. Close to 100 volunteers came out on a cloudy Sunday morning to fight hunger and food waste. Over 3,000 pounds of oranges were harvested and donated to SOVA Jewish Family Services and the CSUN Food Pantry

CSUN Celebrates Earth Month!

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)

To celebrate Earth Day, many campus departments partnered to provide hands-on and immersive events and workshops to students, creating long-lasting impressions about the effects of climate change. Campus-wide initiatives to ...

Assessment of knowledge and awareness of “sustainability” initiatives among college students

  • Lamar University (TX)

Campus sustainability is essential for any university. Campus sustainability denotes the potential of the university to develop new ideas regarding sustainability through research, teaching, and practices. It necessitates improved academic ...

‘Student Switch Off!’: how do university students respond to a corporate-sponsored pro-environmental social marketing campaign?

  • University of York
  • University of Birmingham
  • Queen Mary University of London

Sponsorship in pro-environmental social marketing campaigns has received limited academic attention within a higher education (HEI) context. This study examines how multi-level variables, i.e. individual (general environmental attitudes), organisational ...

College Campus as a Living Laboratory: Scrubbing Scales, Saving Trees, Engaging Students

  • University of Kentucky (KY)

Opportunities for meaningful engagement of college students in their campus communities rarely focus on tree health, and even less frequently address insect pests. Tree Campus USA certification typically involves service-learning ...

Student Engagement in Sustainability at Northern Illinois University

  • Northern Illinois University (IL)

The Environmental Studies department and student community at Northern Illinois University have been engaged in a variety of sustainability initiatives. However, even with this focus on sustainability NIU does not ...

Personal waste management in higher education: A case study illustrating the importance of a fourth bottom line

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)

Purpose This paper aims to propose a quadruple bottom line approach for higher education leaders who must decide whether to accept sustainability initiatives that do have not have a business ...

Survey Study on Attitudes to Multi-Dimensional Sustainable Development with U.K. MSc Students

  • Swinburne University of Technology

As reflected in the sustainable development goals (SDGs), sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept integrating political, ethical, economic, and other factors. Reports from the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education ...

Formation and Function of a Collegiate Athletics Sustainability Committee

  • Georgia State University (GA)
  • Seattle University (WA)
  • University of Florida (FL)

Institutions of higher learning may be considered dual-identity organizations because of the perceived distinctiveness between universities’ academic and athletic missions. One way in which these barriers can be weakened is ...

Aim2Flourish: Introducing Chicago to the Circular Economy

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)
  • Rheaply, Inc (IL)
  • United Nations Foundation (NY)

This article highlights how Rheaply is introducing the circular economy, resource sharing, and waste diversion into business models. In this article, Aim2Flourish, the world’s first higher-education, student-run curriculum aimed ...

Harris Hawk during live bird presentation

Central Community College Earth Month 2019

  • Central Community College (NE)

Central Community College hosted Earth Month events across 4 of its college locations throughout the month of April. Events included expos with local organizations and student projects, a highway cleanup ...

UVM Eco-Reps tabling during Earth Week. They quizzed students on Jeopardy questions and gave out reusable sandwich bags.

University of Vermont Earth Week

  • University of Vermont (VT)

University of Vermont Eco-Reps hosted their annual Earth Week from April 22-26. The theme of the week was POI: Points of Intervention. PLAN: Post Landfill Action Network came to UVM ...

Up-Cycled Art Exhibit by the University of Vermont Eco-Reps. This particular art piece titled "Trash Talks" was made out of cigarette butts found on campus.

Up-Cycled Art

  • University of Vermont (VT)

University of Vermont Eco-Reps held an Up-Cycled Art Exhibit as part of our Earth Week. Students were tasked with creating art out of up-cycled objects. The opening reception ended off ...

The sustainNU team shares how they conserve energy at the ENERGY STAR® photo booth at Northwestern University's inaugural Earth Day Fair.

Earth Day Fair at Northwestern University

  • Northwestern University (IL)

At the inaugural Earth Day Fair, the sustainNU team celebrated their ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award and shared how they conserve energy. Over 200 people attended the fair ...

Low Carbon Footprint Dinner - Univ. of Oregon

  • University of Oregon (OR)

During Earth Week the University of Oregon hosted a "Low Carbon Footprint" dinner, featuring foods that have lower carbon emissions from production through to waste. Low Carbon Footprint options were ...

Recycolution Fashion Show

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

An Earth Week fashion show in partnership with Pioneers for H.O.P.E, raising awareness on the impacts of fast fashion, conscious consumerism, and resources for clothing needs. All ...

DIY Succulent Planters

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

Students plant their own water friendly succulent to take home and watch grow. Encouraging sustainable landscaping and awareness about water conservation efforts.

Sul Ross students confer over research posters

Sul Ross State University Undergraduate and Graduate Research Symposium - Earth Day 2019

  • Sul Ross State University (TX)

Sul Ross State University's second annual undergraduate and graduate research symposium was held on Earth Day, April 22, 2019, with special recognition awarded to those presenting on sustainability-related topics ...

Campus food

Cal Poly Earth Week Festival

  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)

Cal Poly Earth Week, hosted by Cal Poly Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability Department in collaboration with Green Campus and many other campus and community entities! See discussion section and schedule ...

The campus' beautiful nature trail was a focus of student and staff attention.

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) South Campus Earth Day Celebration

  • Community College of Allegheny County (PA)

Students at CCAC's South Campus took an active part in Earth Day celebrations.

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) North Campus Earth Day Celebration

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) North Campus Earth Day Celebration

  • Community College of Allegheny County (PA)

CCAC North Campus Green Team and Creative Arts Club worked together to make artwork driving home the importance of reducing and recycling waste.

Enhancing Campus Curricula and Sustainability Through UN SDGs

  • Lehigh University (PA)
  • AASHE (MA)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are serving as a benchmark for not only development of much of the world, but also for redevelopment of the industrialized world, which faces a ...

  • Posted May 2, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Developing the Student Anchor Engagement Framework

  • Drexel University (PA)

Modern urban and metropolitan universities are increasingly obliged to recognize their role as anchor institutions. These same institutions of higher education (IHEs) also have a responsibility to educate students to ...

  • Posted April 30, 2019
  • Publications
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Building sustainable university-based community gardens: Volunteer perceptions of enablers and barriers to engagement and benefits received from volunteering in the Moving Feast

  • University of the Sunshine Coast
  • University of Portsmouth

Community gardens are receiving increasing attention as a source of locally available and sustainable food, and aim to increase food security. Engagement and commitment from the volunteer workforce in community ...

  • Posted April 30, 2019
  • Publications
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Leadership of Heart and Mind: Examining the Mind and Skill Sets of Student Sustainability Leadership

  • University of New England (ME)
  • University of Southern Maine (ME)

The purpose of this comparative case study was to deepen the understanding of post-secondary student sustainability leaders’ motivations and identify the skills they have employed in order to inform the ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Examining the Relationships between Factors Influencing Environmental Behaviour among University Students

  • University of Eastern Finland

Education for sustainability may be seen as consisting of four dimensions: sensitivity and attitudes toward the environment, awareness and knowledge of the environment, environmentally friendly actions and participation. A questionnaire ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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On how business students’ personal values and sustainability conceptions impact their sustainability management orientation: Evidence from Germany, Indonesia and the USA

  • University of St. Gallen
  • National University of Singapore
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • University of Sussex (Sussex)

This paper aims to develop and empirically test a framework on how personal values and sustainability conceptions affect students’ sustainability management orientation (SMO). An understanding of this connection gives insight ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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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

EN 2: Student Orientation

EN 3: Student Life

EN 4: Student Life

EN 5: Student Life

EN 6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

EN 7: Employee Educators Program

EN 8: Employee Orientation

EN 9: Staff Professional Development & Training

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Campus Engagement Partners

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