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
Finding Heart: Generating and Maintaining Hope and Agency through Sustainability Education
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
In his landmark book Native Science (2000), indigenous educator Gregory Cajete eloquently articulates the motivations and questions that drive this study. For Cajete, effective education of our time entails “finding ...
- Posted June 2, 2016
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The Real Food Challenge at Lehigh University
- Lehigh University (PA)
The Real Food Challenge (RFC) is a national student run campaign to encourage campuses to increase the ratio of food purchased from “conventional” to “real food”. At Lehigh, the Office ...
- Posted June 2, 2016
- Case Studies
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Building Sustainability: A holistic application of sustainable practices in UVA buildings
- University of Virginia (VA)
Building Sustainability is a comprehensive model to building optimization that utilizes various programs based on the needs of each building. Utilizing the strengths of the Office for Sustainability’s retro-commissioning ...
- Posted June 2, 2016
- Case Studies
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Engaging Stakeholders in Education for Sustainable Development at University Level
This book discusses the role of ESD stakeholders at university level, involving civil society and the private sector and public sectors (including local, national and intergovernmental bodies). In particular, it ...
- Posted June 2, 2016
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Renewable Energy at Harvey Mudd: The Design, Construction and Life Cycle Analysis of a Solar-Powered ParaSOL
- Harvey Mudd College (CA)
Colleges across the country are beginning to integrate renewable technologies on their campuses. Privately and publicly funded projects have brought large solar arrays to parking lots and rooftops, but have ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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Leading by Collaboration: Institutional composting on a non-residential campus
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
JCCC's composting initiatives have changed operational practices and enriched campus culture in many ways. Those directly involved in our composting work are passionate about reducing food waste, handling it ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Sustainable Bookstore: Giving New Life to Discarded University Library Books
- Appalachian State University (NC)
When the Appalachian State University library culled its stacks, close to 80,000 books were slated to be recycled. Many of these books, some dating back to the late 1800s ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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Student Sustainability Sculptures Contest
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
Beginning in 2011, Johnson County Community College art faculty member Mark Cowardin assigned his Sculpture II students a project requiring the design, proposal, planning, and installation of a public art ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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Report on the Study Group on Climate Change Participatory Workshop
- Smith College (MA)
New England’s climate is projected to experience signifiant changes in the near future, including warmer temperatures, varied precipitation and extended periods of drought, with more extreme rainfall and snowfall ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
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The Transition to Resilience: A Comparative Case Study of Two Communities
- Berea College (KY)
- Oberlin College (OH)
- University of Kentucky (KY)
This dissertation examines the question of how communities understand their risk related to global economic and environmental problems and how communities respond to those risks. Specifically, using comparative case study ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
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Gaucho Certified Farmers Market
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
In the Fall of 2014, myself and a group of 5 other faculty members founded the first ever successful farmers market on the UC Santa Barbara campus.
The project was ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
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USF “Share-A-Bull” Bicycle-Share Program
- University of South Florida (Tampa) (FL)
Deployed a smart bike-sharing program with 100 GPS enabled bikes, multiple bicycle parking stations, and a mobile phone app to facilitate locating, reserving and returning bikes. With this program, USF ...
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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SRU Earth Days 2016
- Slippery Rock University (PA)
“Earth Days 2016” was Slippery Rock University’s annual Earth Day celebration involving fun and educational events aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge regarding sustainability, climate change, and preserving resources ...
- Posted May 31, 2016
- Case Studies
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UIC Heritage Garden
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
The Heritage Garden at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is a hands-on learning project with an internship program where students work with faculty, staff, and community members to ...
- Posted May 31, 2016
- Case Studies
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Creating Tree Ambassadors: Fostering a campus culture of sustainbility through urban trees
- University of Kentucky (KY)
Urban trees contribute substantially to ecological, economic, and social sustainability, but are often overlooked both as a method to achieve greater sustainability and as a vehicle for engagement in sustainability ...
- Posted May 31, 2016
- Case Studies
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IT’S YOUR NATURE: The Art of Sustainability
- University of Dayton (OH)
IT'S YOUR NATURE: The Art of Sustainability was a year-long initiative using the arts to connect our campus with new ways of thinking about the environment and sustainability. Utilizing ...
- Posted May 26, 2016
- Case Studies
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UMass New2U Reuse Collection and Tag Sale
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
New2U is a student-led program that is in its 3rd year of operation. New2U collects unwanted items from across campus each spring during move-out and resells these collected item each ...
- Posted May 26, 2016
- Case Studies
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Community Garden 2.0 – transcending silos on campus and in the community
- Northern Kentucky University (KY)
Northern Kentucky University (NKU) has joined forces with local stakeholders to create a network of community gardens on campus and within the surrounding community. The network is comprised of fifty ...
- Posted May 26, 2016
- Case Studies
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Sustainability Champions: Role Models in Sustainability Graduate Education
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
Sustainability champions are iconic men and women who have shaped the scholarly understanding of sustainability by considering broad, alternative, and visionary solutions to sustainability problems. For instance, sustainability champions such ...
- Posted May 26, 2016
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Organizational Change and Organizational Learning for Promoting Higher Education for Sustainable Development
- Dalhousie University (NS)
The scholarship of higher education for sustainable development has been criticised for its reliance on case studies and lack of theoretical rigour. This chapter provides a brief overview of several ...
- Posted May 25, 2016
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Warriors Don’t Waste: Improving the Waste Stream at Eastern Connecticut State University.
- Eastern Connecticut State University (CT)
In early 2015 Eastern’s Green Campus Committee started to tackle the major initiative of improving the campus waste stream. In taking on this project the committee knew that there ...
- Posted May 24, 2016
- Case Studies
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Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities: Stories of Change
- United Nations Environment Programme
This document includes over 25 chapters on sustainability in African universities.
- Posted May 24, 2016
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Sustainability by Participation
- Central Connecticut State University (CT)
Central Connecticut State University wss an early signee to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. CCSU has been working to make the issue more visible to our campus ...
- Posted May 23, 2016
- Case Studies
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Tufts University Earth Fest Celebration
- Tufts University (MA)
The Tufts community came out to celebrate our planet on Earth Day with Tufts Sustainability Collective (TSC) and the Tufts Eco Reps! A clothing swap, food, prizes, music and a ...
- Posted May 19, 2016
- Photographs
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How We Came to Inhabit These Spaces: Reflections on the Role of Place in Our Individual and Collective Journeys as Emerging Sustainability Scholars
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the experience of four doctoral students engaged in a collective project of place exploration at a mid sized Canadian university. Under the methodological ...
- Posted May 17, 2016
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The methodology and results of using life cycle assessment to measure and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions footprint of Major Events at the University of Arizona
- Michigan Technological University (MI)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
In 2012 and 2013, the University of Arizona’s Office of Sustainability conducted environmental life cycle assessments of two Homecoming events that drew 60,000 attendees each. Based on reviews ...
- Posted May 17, 2016
- Publications
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Geothermal A-Maze!
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Part of your legacy at UIC could be #AMaze! Help us to design it!
There is a deep hole next to University Hall. As deep as University Hall is tall ...
- Posted May 13, 2016
- Photographs
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Earth Days 2016 at Johnson County Community College
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
Our Earth Days 2016 events included several activities in addition to those pictured here, but these were two of our most popular. Epicenter, a one-day, student-focused conference on careers in ...
- Posted May 11, 2016
- Photographs
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University of Toronto Community Connects With Nature
- University of Toronto (ON)
Many people think that to explore nature you need to get in a car and drive for an hour. For U of T staff and students, it was a 15-minute ...
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Photographs
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Lights Out Starter Kit
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
In April 2013, a student energy conservation organization, Longhorn Lights Out, began on the UT Austin campus. This organization, sponsored by UT's Energy and Water Conservation Program, encouraged students ...
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Case Studies
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Vassar College and Earth Month!
- Vassar College (NY)
The Environmental Cooperative was launched by Vassar College in 2015 to bring together regional environmental organizations, community groups, educators, the Vassar College community, and residents to increase our impact and ...
- Posted May 9, 2016
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MUSC Earth Day
- Medical University of South Carolina (SC)
Earth Day at the Medical University of South Carolina
- Posted May 9, 2016
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Hawaii Pacific University Earth Week,April 18-22, 2016
- Hawaii Pacific University (HI)
A week of festivities were scheduled to celebrate Earth Day! The week included an Earth Day Pledge, e-waste recycling, an Earth Day Fair and more. See www.hpu.edu/sustainability ...
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Photographs
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UC San Diego Earth Day: Annual Sustainability Fair & Tree Planting
- University of California, San Diego (CA)
UC San Diego celebrated Earth Day with student organizations, campus departments and vendors at their annual sustainability fair. Tablers included: AQUAholics, ASEJA, CALPIRG, Dr. Bronner, EcoGrounds, EcoNauts, EWS, Green Office ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
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UMass Amherst Celebrates Earth Day
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
Earth Day 2016 events at UMass Amherst include a compost worm bin workshop and pollinator garden plantings in UMass Permaculture Gardens.
- Posted May 6, 2016
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Earth Week at University at Buffalo 2016
- University at Buffalo (NY)
From lectures and luncheons to clean-ups and competitions, to art exhibits and SLICE awards, this year’s Earth Week line up had something for everyone. Thanks to everyone for all ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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We Are All In This Together: Arbor Day Tree Planting
- Roosevelt University (IL)
Arbor Day Observance in which kids from Bright Horizons Daycare (located on Roosevelt University's (RU) Schaumburg Campus), and RU tradesmen, staff, and students, and RU's arborist planted a ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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Developing key competencies for sustainable development in higher education
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Purpose
To date, little attention has been given to the circumstances in which the process of developing key competencies for sustainable development may take place. The purpose of this paper ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
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Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action
Education in America must prepare all students for informed participation in civic and democratic life—so that all Americans are ready to tackle the challenges confronting communities and the nation ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
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Colorado State Earth Day Festival
- Colorado State University (CO)
On April 22, 2016 Colorado State held an Earth Day Festival to engage the campus community in activites related to sustainability. It was a gorgeous day & we had lots ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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2016 Earth Week at UC Berkeley
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
The culmination of UC Berkeley student sustainability actions is most prominent during UC Berkeley’s annual Earth Week celebration. UC Berkeley students have designated Earth Week as the time to ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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Austin College GreenServe 2016
- Austin College (TX)
This year Austin College celebrates another successful GreenServe - a student organized and campus wide event that reaches to support and encourage environmental responsibility as well as sustainability. Volunteers contributed roughly ...
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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SustainableCI "What's On Your Plate" Challenge
- California State University, Channel Islands (CA)
GIven California's drought situation, it was important to have a water themed challenge for Earth Day 2016, and using http://graphics.latimes.com/food-water-footprint/ as a reference source, "What ...
- Posted May 5, 2016
- Photographs
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Earth Day at University of Maryland
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
Students at the University of Maryland hosted the annual Earth Day Festival at the Stamp Student Union on Friday, April 22. This year's theme for the event was social ...
- Posted May 5, 2016
- Photographs
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Pedal-powered smoothies to celebrate Earth Day at Case Western Reserve University!
- Case Western Reserve University (OH)
We borrowed a bike-powered blender (a Fender Blender) from our on-site gym and had a few of our Sustainability Ambassadors help students and visiting families make their own pedal-powered smoothies ...
- Posted May 5, 2016
- Photographs
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ENERGY STAR Photo Booth at Northwestern University
- Northwestern University (IL)
ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program that helps organizations and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Northwestern is an ENERGY STAR ...
- Posted May 4, 2016
- Photographs
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Lehigh University Earth Day 2016
- Lehigh University (PA)
Lehigh University celebrated Earth Day by hosting a couple of weeks of educational and engaging events. This year Earth Week at Lehigh was from April 12 to April 30. Faculty ...
- Posted May 4, 2016
- Photographs
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CNU Green Earthday Clean-up
- Christopher Newport University (VA)
Christopher Newport University's Office of Sustainability (CNU Green) hosted a volunteer event to clean up Lake Maury. Lake Maury is a lake in Newport News, VA which is part ...
- Posted May 4, 2016
- Photographs
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University of Virginia Earth Week
- University of Virginia (VA)
The University of Virginia Earth Week is a UVA tradition that celebrates the planet we all share. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to experience sustainability at any ...
- Posted May 4, 2016
- Photographs
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U Central Florida Earth Day 2016: "Message in a Bottle"
- University of Central Florida (FL)
Amongst other Earth Day 2016 celebrations around the University of Central Florida’s campus such as paddle boarding on Lake Claire and a sustainability resource fair in the Student Union ...
- Posted May 4, 2016
- 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.