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
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Pulp Up the Volume: Maximizing Waste Diversion and Student Empowerment
- College of Charleston (SC)
In the fall of 2012, the College of Charleston began composting with the use a pulper in the dining hall City Bistro. (This machine utilizes a recycled stream of water …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Comprehensive Framework for Driving Sustainability Collaboration Through Athletics
- Davidson College (NC)
Many athletic departments and teams have sustainability initiatives. However, few have comprehensive programs using sustainability in athletics to drive adaptation of practices and awareness building throughout campus, alumni and surrounding …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Educational Opportunities In Kennesaw State University’s Farm-To-Campus Initiatives
- Kennesaw State University (GA)
The multi-faceted farm-to-campus program at Kennesaw State University (KSU) includes 40+ acres of off-campus organic farmland and small on-campus plots, including an herbal garden, a student-run permaculture garden, and indoor …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Participatory Planning Processes for Sustainability
- McGill University (QC)
Sustainability is the process of a community working together towards a shared vision for a better future. Strategic planning should be participatory – for and from the community. At McGill, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Energy-Saving In Student Accommodation In The UK - The Student Switch Off
- National Union of Students
This session will provide a case study of the leading student energy-saving campaign in the UK, the Student Switch Off, run by the National Union of Students. The presentation will …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing the Sustainability Movement On Campus: How To Build Effective Student Groups and Learn Key Leadership Skills That Will Be Useful During and After College
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
This workshop will provide hands-on tools and models for creating effective student groups on campus. The presenters will take students through essential building blocks of forming a new or redesigning …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating Awareness: A Student's Quest For Reducing Energy Consumption
- Paul Smith's College of Arts & Sciences (NY)
Our College has been dedicated to reducing and eventually eliminating its carbon emissions. In doing so, we hope to become a carbon neutral campus by 2029. Since the majority of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Telling a Comprehensive Sustainability Story
- Portland State University (OR)
We all know that sustainability is more than just a campus-wide recycling plan. It’s imbued across departments and disciplines, leaks out of classrooms and into communities, it manifests in social …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Teaching Student Resiliency Requires Faculty Adaptability: Two Case Study Comparisons
- Portland State University (OR)
This paper discusses the process and outcomes of two different approaches to incorporating community-based learning into undergraduate courses. Both courses are part of a year-long, interdisciplinary Freshman seminar, one course …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Institutionalizing Sustainability in University Residence Life
- Santa Clara University (CA)
This presentation will provide a model for how to institutionalize and build resilience for sustainability in residence life at your university by adapting to and utilizing existing structures and positions …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Butterfly Effect: Rethinking How We Build Partnerships for Sustainable Programs
- Seneca Polytechnic (ON)
What can the monarch butterfly teach us about the evolution of partnerships? How does being adaptive and resilient in a changing economic climate protect post-secondary programs and their delivery of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Inclusion, Coalitions, Fun, and Parties: Adapting Approaches to Encourage Student Involvement and Awareness of Sustainability.
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (IL)
Student’s participation in community outreach and educational activities outside of those required by classes is decreasing. Sustainability has become an increasingly popular subject among university students in online blogs, petitions, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Using Life Cycle Analysis to Assess and Reduce the Footprint of "Mega-Events" at the University of Arizona
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Many universities have invested significant resources to reduce environmental impacts associated with their larger events, including “zero waste” strategies and offsets. This presentation presents methods, results, and discussion of our …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Accelerating the Journey From Ideas to Action, Facilitation Skills for Sustainability Planning and Engagement.
- University of Calgary (AB)
This session is aimed at sustainability practitioners seeking to hone their facilitation skills in sustainability planning, enhance internal stakeholder engagement and leadership capacities, and accelerate the process of moving from …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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How Low Can You Go? UF Sorority Water Challenge
- University of Florida (FL)
This spring, 13 sororities at the University of Florida competed to reduce water use in their houses. The competition aimed to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation for …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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PARK(ing) Day!
- University of Louisville (KY)
PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists, and activists collaborate to transform metered parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places for a day. The project …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Innovation in Metering & Dashboards: A Key to Cracking the Behavioral Nut
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)
The urgency for resilience and adaptation grow stronger by the day. Obviously, central to achieving such are the behavioral changes necessary in human consumption that maximize and sustain reduction of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Core Competencies in Learning for Sustainability: A Key to Building Campus Cultures of Sustainability
- Western Michigan University (MI)
As a gathering, the AASHE Conference has tremendous potential to foster rich campus cultures of sustainability. The goal of our session is to help realize this potential by engendering meaningful …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Emergent Beauty: A Tapestry of Student Engagement and Climate Change Interwoven Through Community Art
- Appalachian State University (NC)
What happens when a community of students, faculty, and local citizens weave their voices together through the arts? Grounded in the diversity of each individual’s gift, a vibrant, living organism …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Getting Involved on Your College Campus: The Power of Students and Sustainability Tools
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)
The college campus is a living lab where students can learn about sustainability through projects, internships, and work study positions. There are many “sustainability tools” available to reveal how colleges …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Connecting People to Products and Services: Creating Active Citizenry Through Knowledge Systems
- College of Charleston (SC)
In 2005, The College of Charleston joined the Fair Labor Association in response to pressure from students, faculty, and staff, to be more cognizant of the impacts of their corporate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Igniting Innovation through Sustainable Collaboration
- Denison University (OH)
Denison University, like many liberal arts institutions, seeks to educate students holistically so that they may become discerning moral agents and active citizens in a democratic society. To that end, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Networking for Leadership: Building an Undergraduate Sustainable Food Coalition
- Emory University (GA)
In the spring of 2013, a group of undergraduates at our university formed a pilot program designed to impart to students leadership and organizational skills; to network student activists with …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Energy Dashboards: Cross-Discplinary Opportunities for Coursework & Research
- Illinois State University (IL)
Illinois State University utilized an ESCO project to install a custom programmed energy monitoring system with the dual purpose of serving as a public classroom and research repository. Cross-collaborating with …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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You've Made Your Bed & You'll Have to Lie In It: Strategies to Embed Sustainability into the Residential College Experience
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
Being sustainable is something that must be taught in order to create individuals who possess competencies in order to maintain "healthy ecosystems and environments that provide vital goods and services …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Sustainable Spring Break
- Indiana University South Bend (IN)
For a typical college student, Spring Break is a week to get away and participate in activities that will help them get their minds off of the business that they …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Social Sustainability: Creating Virtual and Community Connections
- Indiana University South Bend (IN)
Public institutions of higher education serve the student body and the community. Finding ways to engage both communities in emerging fields such as sustainability can be challenging, especially given the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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What Does Library And Technology Services (LTS) Have To Do With Sustainability? How LTS Is Adapting To The Campus Sustainability Plan.
- Lehigh University (PA)
In Fall 2012, Lehigh University adopted its first comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan. In response to the plan, the Library and Technology Services stem created the LTS Green Team. The LTS …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sprouting (Literally!) Engagement in Sustainability in the Undergraduate Curriculum: the “Heritage Garden Project” in Beginning German at Luther College
- Luther College (IA)
The students know that Diane is coming to tell a special story on cold February morning. To their surprise, as she appears, however, she opens a little package and empties …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Internships as a Tool for Sustainability Education and Outreach
- Luther College (IA)
Using Luther College’s successful sustainability internship program as a case study, this presentation will cover all aspects of developing and implementing a sustainability focused student internship program for undergraduates. Like …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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People, Planet, Participation: An Approach to Holistically Embedding Sustainability in Curriculum
- Macquarie University (NSW)
Embedding sustainability across a broad curriculum is a difficult and daunting task. An holistic approach cannot simply focus on adding content into existing units, nor can it depend upon specifically …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Making It Stick: Using Online Pledges to Sustain Behavior Change
- Metropolitan Community College (NE)
Pledges can be one of simplest and most cost-effective approaches to sustaining pro-environmental behavior change. However, to reap the full benefit of this strategy, it is crucial to integrate certain …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Elephant Not in the Room: Redefining the Student- Administration Relationship
- Missouri State University (MO)
Student- Administration relationships have been an ever evolving dynamic on campuses around the country. Today, there are varying opinions on where this relationship currently stands. Too often there is a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Case of the Pesky Light Bulb: Using Social Marketing to Solve Sustainability Mysteries
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
This interactive workshop tells the story of Audrey, a university employee puzzled by her coworkers unwillingness to shut off the lights. Using communication and behavior change strategies derived from community-based …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Invisibility of Sustainability: Student Projects that Render Visible Previously Hidden Environmental Impacts
- Rice University (TX)
As humans, we are inherently biased towards what we can see. Sustainability officers will often observe with frustration that others perceive sustainability as being all about recycling bins and solar …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Leaders for the Environment, Art, and Design (LEAD): Educating Students About Impacts and Issues of Fashion, Art, and Design
- Santa Clara University (CA)
For the past three years, students at Santa Clara University have hosted an Eco-Fashion Show and a “Swap for Good” clothing exchange, engaging students about the social, economic, and environmental …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainabillity by Collaboration: Partnering Facilities with Instruction
- Sierra College (CA)
Sierra College utilizes a unique partnership between the facilities and instructional divisions to provide high-level workforce development training for students while expanding the college's renewable energy portfolio. The Energy Technology …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Diverse Stakeholders - Multi-Stakeholder Approach
- Sierra Youth Coalition (QC)
The building of a multi-stakeholder process often distinguishes a successful initiative from a failure. Meaningful communication with all stakeholders ensures the most effective results. Using role playing, this workshop will …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Case Study of the Green Council: Students Building a Movement through Collaboration
- Temple University (PA)
This session will provide a case study of how a university can maximize student engagement in sustainability issues through the creation of an eco-friendly coalition of student organizations. The university’s …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Postcards, Post-Sandy: Community Resiliency, Social Media and Service Learning
- The New School (NY)
POSTCARDS, POST-SANDY is a digital memory website created by undergraduate and graduate students from The New School for Public Engagement, Eugene Lang College and Parsons School of Design, New York …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Alaska Jones Searches the UAF Utilidors for the Source of Power
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)
Alaska Jones searches the University of Alaska Fairbanks utilidors to find the source of heat and power at University of Alaska Fairbanks. In 2012, UAF students entered the International District …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greeks Think Green
- University of Arizona (AZ)
In August 2012, the University of Arizona’s (UA) Students for Sustainability (SfS) developed an initiative to educate UA Greek Life in becoming more sustainable. Greek Life is the largest organization …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening the Game: Football and Beyond
- University of Arizona (AZ)
In 2011, University of Arizona’s (UA) Students for Sustainability (SFS) saw an opportunity to bring together an entire community to embrace sustainability. Tens of thousands of fans populate the UA …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Engagement at UC Boulder: IT Strategies for Behavior Change
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
The University of Colorado Boulder has been a leader in sustainability focused research, education and engagement for more than half a century. The campus is home to nationally recognized and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Pushing The Boundaries Of Student Sustainability Competitions With The Kukui Cup
- University of Hawaii at Manoa (HI)
In order to meet the sustainability challenges we face in higher education and the world, we need to understand the impact of our behavior, and what we can do to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Love Food Hate Waste: A Case Study on Engaging Students and equiping them with life long learning skills
- Western Sydney University (NSW)
The global food system is under pressure from exploding population growth and food waste is a major issue throughout the world. We throw away millions of tonnes of food and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Using History to Build the Sustainable Campus of the Future: Three Case Studies on the Waterways of Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Creating a campus-wide commitment to sustainability begins with cultivating a sense of place. As campus communities learn to value their places, their landscapes, and neighborhoods, they build dedication to preservation, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Mobile Technology in Higher Education - An Evolving Component of Sustainability
- Walters State Community College (TN)
As mobile technology becomes more a part of everyday life, it brings with it the opportunity to change our educational processes in order to enhance learning, reduce costs, and improve …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Continuous Improvement: Restructuring Western Michigan University’s Office for Sustainability Internships to Facilitate Greater Comprehensive Success
- Western Michigan University (MI)
In an effort to be more relevant and more resilient, the WMU Office for Sustainability is adapting their internship program protocol and process to ensure greater success for the students, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Operations: Collaborating Across Campus to Change Food Culture
- Williams College (MA)
Effect culture change on campus with sustainable food programming. Learn how the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program introduces diverse student organizations, campus offices, and academic departments to sustainable …
- 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.