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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Banning Bottled Water on Campus; Beyond Excuses
- Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
Over 100 colleges and universities across the US and Canada have enacted a policy of responsible water sales in their purchasing. Such a drastic change for an institution is made …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Spartan Treasure Hunt: Direct Engagement of Building Occupants in Energy Saving Opportunities
- Michigan State University (MI)
The Spartan Treasure Hunt is an early step in the building commissioning process. It engages building occupants to help identify opportunities for energy savings and system improvements during a building …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Internship Programs at the University of Illinois at Chicago: Diversity Strengthens Leadership On and Off Campus
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
This case study will describe two internship programs that operate at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The goal of the Heritage Garden and Office of Sustainability (OS) internship …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Impact Advocacy - Fair Trade in Your Life and on Campus
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
Fair Trade empowers farmers and workers and promotes economic development, social justice, and environmental stewardship. The world of Fair Trade includes a wide range of groups and interests; businesses, non-profits …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Students in Energy Reduction - on and off campus
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
At CU boulder, Residence Life and the Environmental Center are working together to provide all our students with what that they need to practice energy efficiency at home – whether …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Environmental Dashboard: Using real-time display of resource use & community voices to foster connections & empower stewardship
- Oberlin College (OH)
Many schools now use real-time 'dashboards' that provide feedback on electricity use in campus buildings to encourage conservation behavior. This presentation will engage audience members in an exploration of 'Environmental …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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PHOENIX lifestyle: Consumerism with Conscience
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
A student-led initiative at UMass Amherst that strives to bring awareness to the issue of consumerism in the apparel industry and give students, faculty, and others a unique opportunity to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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SOS – How Global Collaboration will Help you and your Campus
- National Union of Students
There are 17,000 universities and colleges in the world and students need to leave their education equipped to be part of the solution to sustainability issues, rather than part of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Peer Pressure for Good: Behavior Change in Campus Sustainable Action Campaigns
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Want to engage your campus more effectively in sustainability campaigns? Join Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) to learn how it leverages behavior change science to help Minnesotans take action on …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Partnering for an equitable, sustainable school: 3 approaches for building partnerships and programs that connect sustainability
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- University of Virginia (VA)
As diversity and sustainability become more embedded into a campus culture, the connections between diversity and sustainability become more apparent and critical to create a thriving campus. This panel discussion …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Step Away from the Car: Transforming Student Travel, One Haunted Bus and Hipster Bike Ride at a Time
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- Alta Planning + Design (MN)
Southern Oregon University has gone all-in to help its students break their driving habits. No excuse is safe! Want to drive home midday for an afternoon siesta? No need – …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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High Impact Leadership Trips: Student-Led Experiential Learning
- Concordia College (NY)
In 2012, Concordia College students organized an alternative spring break trip to Kentucky focused on how people are trying to stop mountaintop removal coal mining. This was so successful that …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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STARS and Pop Cans' - Using a Video Production to Spread Awareness of What it Means to be STARS Certified
- Nova Scotia Community College (NS)
The Nova Scotia Community College is a STARS certified institution with 13 campuses across the province. Over recent years sustainability has increasingly been embedded in all that we do, and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student sustainability grants for research, scholarship, projects and travel at Ohio State
- The Ohio State University (OH)
For the first time, Ohio State's sustainability offices are jointly managing a grants program for student projects in the areas of energy, environment and sustainability. The program helps to fund …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A World Café: Transforming University of Washington Sustainability Education
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Have you ever been inspired by new ideas while sharing a cup of coffee with a friend or colleague? The World Café methodology creates opportunities for the generation of inspirational, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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How an ESCO Brought a 'Just in Time' Sustainability Teaching Opportunity to NMSU's 'Conservation and Modernization' project
- New Mexico State University (NM)
- Ameresco, Inc. (MA)
The 'Conservation and Modernization' project at New Mexico State University is about sustainability education on all levels for campus occupants while doing the tough work of mechanical upgrades and lighting …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Activating Change Agents Across Campus
- Elon University (NC)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- Ohio University (OH)
- Santa Clara University (CA)
- Wake Forest University (NC)
Peer education has proven effective at amplifying messages of sustainability issues and practices across a larger breadth of audience than individual staff members can reach on their own. Such programs …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Horizontally and Vertically Integrated Campus Engagement Strategies
- Fanshawe College (ON)
- Fleming College (ON)
- Niagara College Canada (ON)
- Laurentian University (ON)
The panel discussion will provide an open dialogue and best practice sharing on how to engage any campus community to create a horizontally and vertically integrated culture of sustainability that …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bike sharing service at Kyoto University
- Kyoto University
Bicycles are a laudable and sustainable form of transportation for universities in Japan but they also create some problems. An estimated 16,500 bicycles are currently used on campus at Kyoto …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Launching a Student Sustainable Investing Advisory Committee: Successes and Challenges
- Ohio University (OH)
In 2014, Ohio University established a new student group, the Sustainable Investing Advisory Committee (SIAC), with the financial backing of The Ohio University Foundation. The mission of SIAC is 'to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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NYU's Bike Share Program: From Student Grant to Reality
- New York University (NY)
A case study on the implementation and operation of NYU's Bike Share program. How it became a University wide initiative from a Green Grant awarded to NYU students, which now …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Operation Sheep-Mow: Applying Real-World Project Management Skills to Student-led Sustainability Initiatives
- Carleton College (MN)
Students often lead well-intentioned campus sustainability initiatives that are rich with enthusiasm but lack key project management essentials. The result is often a failed project, disappointed (or resentful) stakeholders and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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UCLA Action Research Teams: student-staff-faculty collaborative research on campus sustainability
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
The UCLA Action Research Team (ART) program is part of the student-led Education for Sustainable Living Program offered for credit through the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. The …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Encouraging social norms when there are none: promoting unpopular sustainable behaviors
- Michigan State University (MI)
Research has shown the importance that social norms hold in influencing a person's behavior. Our own research has found this positive influence specifically in regards to undergraduate students and sustainable …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Your Campus Community in Sustainability Planning
- University of Alberta (AB)
The University of Alberta's first institution-wide sustainability plan is due to expire in January 2016. To prepare for a new plan, the Office of Sustainability coordinated and facilitated a process …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Best Practices for Collaborating with Student Affairs
- Boston University (MA)
- Colorado State University (CO)
NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, is 'the leading voice for the student affairs profession worldwide.' One critical way for NASPA members to get involved with various interest areas …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Boundaries in Oberlin, Ohio: College and Community Collaboration for Developing Sustainable and Resilient Energy Systems
- Oberlin College (OH)
What does it mean to be a leader and create transformational change in a community and beyond? This is the profound experiment happening in Oberlin, Ohio. Here, we are daring …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Integrating Sustainability into Social Media Opportunities
- Coastal Carolina University (SC)
Sustainability must maintain engagement among a diverse audience in order to successfully evolve. One method that will be explored in this presentation will be through social media. While social media …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Positive Sustainable Change: The Crossroads of Sustainability & Civic Engagement
- Florida State University (FL)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Many common elements exist between the realms of sustainability education and civic engagement. Both movements are meant to foster an ethic of responsibility and justice, leadership development, and address community …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing the LEED Lab Program on Your Campus: Exploring Different Contexts
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
This session will address planning, implementing, and executing a LEED Lab program on campus while engaging as many stakeholders as possible. LEED Lab is a multidisciplinary immersion course utilizing the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student Sustainability Centers and Offices' 3 R’s: Resources, Roles, and Revenue
- University of Missouri (MO)
This round table session seeks to share the successes, challenges, and lessons learned related to founding and managing student focused sustainability resource centers. Discussion topics will include: Topic 1: Revenue …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Coming to a Screen Near You: Creating Original Videos to Engage your Audience
- University of Michigan (MI)
(LED) lights, (solar-powered) camera, (sustainability) action! Film is a powerful medium for communicating your message, and in today's media landscape, no campaign is complete without it. In this session, participants …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Blueprint: A Residence Life Perspective on Sustainability Education
- Texas A&M University (TX)
The purpose of this presentation is to highlight practices and programs that residence life departments can introduce on their respective campuses to create a foundation for sustainability education. Utilizing several …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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HydroCats: Water Harvesting and Community Connections in Tucson
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Like an infant born from Tucson's sustainable communities, the University of Arizona's HydroCats project has developed in less than a year from the glimmer of an idea to a rapidly …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Outdoor Education Space Design Challenge: A Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Design on Campus
- Western Michigan University (MI)
In 2014, the Office for Sustainability at Western Michigan University conducted a multidisciplinary design competition for the design of an Outdoor Education Space at the Gibbs House. The Design Challenge …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Value of Flexibility: A Case Study of Stanford's Cardinal Green Office Program
- Stanford University (CA)
Stanford's Cardinal Green Office Program harnesses the actions of individual building occupants to achieve resource savings. Over the past five years, the program has become an effective communication, education and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing a Successful Student Sustainability Internship Program on a Liberal Arts Campus
- Colgate University (NY)
In this case study, we will walk attendees through the development process of Colgate's Sustainability Internship program that I have worked with from its creation through its current iteration. In …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Fostering Sustainability in Residence Life Programming: Creating Sustainable Campus Communities
- College of Charleston (SC)
The Office of Sustainability at the College of Charleston has worked on Residence Life Programming since 2012 and is now in its third phase of interns. In those years we …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Stories of Ivy Road: Roles for Public Art in Sustainability Planning & Community Engagement
- University of Virginia (VA)
As student enrollment increases and campuses expand, it is crucial to plan in a truly sustainable way within local communities. This case study examines a recent public art project that …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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EcoLeaders Community Supports Student Sustainability Efforts and Helps Build Career and Leadership Skills
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
National Wildlife Federation's EcoLeaders Initiative is a sustainability leadership certification program for college students and recent graduates. EcoLeaders features first web-based community to provide students with the virtual space to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Better Homes: University of Arizona’s Residential Sustainability Program
- University of Arizona (AZ)
This presentation is focused on residential education. Components of the University of Arizona's (UA) on-campus sustainability program will be briefly discussed. The presenters will specifically discuss replicable and successful UA …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening the Greeks: Lessons learned from working with Greek Village at the University of South Carolina
- University of South Carolina (SC)
Fraternity and sorority members have long been a challenging population for offices of sustainability to reach because they tend to be insular, have their own traditions and priorities, and often …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Go Greek, Go Green: Integrating Sustainability into Daily Life for Members of the Greek Community
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)
The Greek community at UNL, consisting of fraternities, sororities, multicultural, and professional groups, comprises nearly 20 percent of the student body, with nearly 30 housed chapters on campus. Greek organizations …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Community: University of Louisville Eco-Reps and Blackacre Nature Preserve
- University of Louisville (KY)
The University of Louisville's Eco-Reps is a sustainability training and networking group offering certifications, hosting monthly lunches, local speakers, and field trips, and organizing volunteer projects. Blackacre State Nature Preserve …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bottled Water Policy: The six-year journey
- Bemidji State University (MN)
- College of Saint Benedict (MN)
Years of thoughtful research, consideration, and communication with other universities went into the creation of the Bottled Water Policy created by the Bemidji State University Student Senate in 2015. The …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Eco-Representatives: Peer to Peer Education on Sustainable Living Practices
- Concordia College (NY)
Student outreach programs are an integral part of sustainability efforts in higher education. Eco-Rep programs use peer-to-peer education to promote student behavioral changes and increase awareness about sustainability initiatives and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Concordia College EcoHouse
- Concordia College (NY)
The Concordia College EcoHouse is a student-initiated project that was launched in 2012. The EcoHouse is a 1950s-era house that provides an ideal living-learning environment in which to explore sustainable …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating and maintaining a Student Managed Action Fund
- University of Northern Colorado (CO)
A growing way to create and build sustainability projects on campus is to create a student fund. These are often managed by students themselves, yet despite the enthusiasm and innovative …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The UAlbany Heritage Garden: An Educational Tool for the Whole Campus
- University at Albany (NY)
In fall 2013, a task force of students, staff and faculty began developing a plan to institute a campus heritage garden. With the understanding that many student garden projects fall …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Organizing an E-Waste Festival on Campus
- Indiana University South Bend (IN)
E-Waste can be a serious problem for businesses and residents in a community. At Indiana University South Bend, we hold an annual E-Waste Festival that has collected over 1.25 million …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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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.