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
Sustainability and Facilities, Friends Not Foes: A Case Study of the Babson Approach to Collaboration
- Babson College (MA)
This presentation is a case study of the working relationship between facilities and the sustainability office at Babson College.
For many sustainability directors, the Facilities department is a foe rather ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Moving Millennials: Engaging youth with food and agriculture policy
- Bard College (NY)
The sweeping environmental policies instituted in America during the 1970s were due in large part to the activism of students and youth. The Millennial generation, born between 1982 and 2000 ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Learning from the Students: Aligning Sustainable Campus Design and Curriculum Development
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
As a broad concern, sustainable campus design refers to universities' (1) curriculum and research programs tailored to address sustainability; (2) sensitive use of energy and water, innovative waste management, efficiency ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Faculty Development for Sustainability Across the Curriculum
- Calvin University (MI)
The five panelists, faculty at a MidWest comprehensive liberal arts college, were participants in a cross-disciplinary workshop enacting the idea of sustainability across the curriculum. The workshop, which grew out ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Impacting individual and institutional change through a living-learning community on campus
- Calvin University (MI)
In a college dormitory setting where many choices are predetermined for residents, working towards a more sustainable lifestyle can become difficult and frustrating for concerned students. A Creation Care living-learning ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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An integrated Sustainability Model for Online Campuses: Communication, Outreach, and Mapping
- CHA (NY)
Campus sustainability is a newly emerging theme. While there are plethora of activities, programs and projects planned and implemented at site in different campuses, the concept, role and technique of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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College Dining Services uses Intern Program to Achieve Sustainability Goals
- College of William & Mary (VA)
The College has made great strides in sustainability in a very short amount of time. Just three years ago, the College had no formal recycling program and sustainability was a ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability as a design challenge: Learning by doing at the Columbus College of Art & Design
- Columbus College of Art & Design (OH)
Sustainability programs are rapidly growing in America's colleges of art and design. Because artists and designers are the people who choose the materials used to make almost everything, sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Energizing Sustainability on Campus Through Student Action
- Concordia College (NY)
How can students energize sustainability efforts when their institution's administration shows only lukewarm support for sustainability? As co-chairs of our college's Student Environmental Alliance, we have worked over ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Eat Local, Live Local, Teach Local: Curriculum for Sustainability
- Frostburg State University (MD)
Developing curriculum for sustainability presents a new challenge for modern instructors: getting students to think more locally in order to appreciate the global consequences of their actions. For many faculty ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaged Learning and Furman University's Student Sustainability Fellows Program
- Furman University (SC)
Engaged and place-based learning are innovative ways to educate students about sustainability. At the same time, a significant challenge for university sustainability programs is the limited amount of staff time ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Gannon University's Campus Greening "Curriculum Auction Catalog"
- Gannon University (PA)
The Campus Greening "Curriculum Auction Catalog"" is an annual publication, which is aimed at faculty across a wide variety of academic disciplines. It contains descriptions of approximately 30 campus greening ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Inter-Institutional and Interdisciplinary Collaborations for Developing Sustainability Curriculum- a Unique Role for a Technical College.
- Georgia State University (GA)
The metro region of Atlanta, GA is home to a wide range of institutions of higher education. Inter-institutional collaborations can an important mechanism towards enhancing sustainability literacy. A 2-year vocational ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening Your Spring Festival
- Green Mountain College (VT)
For many colleges and universities, outdoor festivals are planned each spring with the hopes of a warm and sunny weekend where students, staff and community members can gather on the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student Involvement & Institutional Food Systems
- Green Mountain College (VT)
A closer look at how students get involved on campus to implement change within their institutionalized food system. Students interested in providing their campus community with more "good food""- local ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Monitoring Energy Use to Educate Students and Reduce Energy Consumption
- Guilford College (NC)
The Energy Allowance Program allows residents living in the North Apartment suites and the Theme Houses a monthly energy allowance. This program raises awareness about personal energy use, which helps ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability, Science, and Civic Engagement: The SENCER Approach
- Hartwick College (NY)
Sustainability offers academic institutions a wonderful opportunity to embrace a "big idea" that transcends disciplinary boundaries, integrates curricular and co-curricular activities with campus operations, and promotes real-world problem solving through ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Carpet Awards Sustainability Celebration and Recognition Event
- Harvard University (MA)
Successful sustainability programs are the result of the work of many people who do not have sustainability as part of their primary job functions. A reward and recognition program is ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating, Implementing and Sustaining a Themed Semester in Sustainability
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
"Themester" is an initiative to engage the collective knowledge and creativity of the faculty and to involve undergraduate students in the exploration of ideas across the disciplines. The Themester topic ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Next Steps in Sustainability Internship Program Development: Recruitment, Support, Mentorship, Increased Efficiency and Program Evaluation
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
In 2007, the Task Force on Sustainability established the Internship Program in Sustainability. Utilizing campus as a living laboratory, the program enlists undergraduate and graduate students in research and implementation ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Designing An Edible Campus: Using the Charrette Framework to Create a Campus-Wide Initiative
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
During the spring of 2011, a three part design series entitled, "Designing An Edible Campus" was conducted using the framework outlined by the National Charrette Institute. Most commonly, a charrette ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementation of Student Driven Sustainability Initiatives: Ithaca Dining Services
- Ithaca College (NY)
How to put into practice initiatives that conserve natural resources, are economically friendly, that mirror a college's commitment to sustainability. Beginning in 2008, we have established numerous sustainability proposals ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Designing An Energy Management Strategy for Campus Residence Halls: The View from the Trenches
- James Madison University (VA)
Residence halls can account for significant proportions of campus energy use. Strategically managing this building portfolio is a challenge, and encompasses behavioral, operational, and technical management. This paper reports on ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Understanding the Limits of Student Conservation Efforts on Campus Energy Consumption
- James Madison University (VA)
Many campus sustainability initiatives focus heavily on student energy conservation in residence halls. However, outside of energy competitions using such feedback tools as dashboards and kiosks, there is little evidence ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Mission-Driven Sustainability Studies for the Small College
- La Roche College (PA)
La Roche College, a small, private, Catholic institution in the north hills of Pittsburgh, has recently undertaken steps to enhance the sustainability of its physical operations: the newly created "La ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bringing Education to Life: Ecovillages as Campuses for Sustainability Education
- Living Routes, Inc. (MA)
Ecovillages are communities striving to live well and lightly together. From appropriate technologies to holistic health; from sustainable agriculture to group facilitation, ecovillages are integrating solutions within human-scale communities and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Local: Food Purchasing Criteria, Student Farm Audits and the Veg Yourself Pledge
- Luther College (IA)
Food purchasers have ever more considerations to keep in mind when making buying decisions. Which criteria are the most important? At some point it becomes important to define our goals ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Veggies in Central Campus: Edible Landscaping at Luther College
- Luther College (IA)
Discover how a campus with high aesthetic standards can incorporate vegetable production into the landscape of central campus. Edible landscaping can take many forms including raised beds near residence halls ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Student Worker Network
- Macalester College (MN)
The initiative for sustainability at Macalester College took an unusual institutional turn in 2008, with the formation of the Sustainability Student Worker Network. The Network is a working group composed ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Campus Enterprise
- Michigan Technological University (MI)
Michigan Technological University provides students with many unique opportunities for involvement, a popular option being the Enterprise Program. Enterprise teams are student-led and work with corporate partners to solve a ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability in International Development: Student-Driven Organizations as a Sector Necessity
- Montana State University (MT)
The international development sector is one that carries with it the perception that complex academic specializations are prerequisite for involvement. In many cases, "expertise" becomes confounded with academic and field ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Just Tap It: Reducing Bottled Water Consumption through Curricular / Co-Curricular Partnerships
- Muhlenberg College (PA)
We present a case study of a student-driven initiative to promote sustainability on a small liberal arts campus by reducing bottled water sales. In Spring 2008, students in "Environmental Communication ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Biophilia: Connecting campus and community places to nature
- NAC Architecture (WA)
Originally crafted by German social psychologist Erich Fromm around 1965, the term Biophilia means "love of life or living systems."" The philosophy of Biophilia pairs well with the current flurry ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Participating in a Learning Community for Solutions to Climate Change
- Global Council Science and the Environment (DC)
Participating in a Learning Community for Solutions to Climate Change
CAMEL
Climate, Adaptation, Mitigation, E-Learning
Goals:
CAMEL is a FREE, COMPREHENSIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY, ONLINE RESOURCE for educators to enable them to ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus, Curriculum and Community - An international perspective: How students are delivering sustainability in UK higher education
- National Union of Students
The National Union of Students (NUS) runs a successful programme of environmental initiatives that are proactively tackling sustainability issues at university campuses throughout the UK.
Inspired by our member students ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Using Social Media Effectively to Drive Campus Sustainability
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
As green jobs advocate Van Jones has said - reach into your pocket and pull out your smart phone - you have more advanced technology in your hand than the first astronauts ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Why Your Campus Needs a Distributed Network of Sustainability Advocates
- New York University (NY)
Improving the environmental performance of higher education institutions is not only a question of infrastructural development through decisions made in the upper echelons of university administration; it is also intimately ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Messaging the Medium: Video Marketing and the Sustainable Campus
- New York University (NY)
Sustainability outreach and engagement is crucial not only for cleaner air and healthier lifestyles, but also for the image of the university as a leader in the green economy. Communication ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Fracking with Higher Education: Student Activism and Mobilization in the National and Local Context
- New York University (NY)
What does the modern student movement look like on today's college campuses? How do they mobilize, communicate, and orchestrate their action? What are their tactics? Sit-ins? Boycotts? Petitions? Facebook ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustaining Student Energy: The transition to tomorrow's student leaders
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
Most have seen the motivated student(s) come through and accomplish more than may have been thought possible. The energy they bring is enormous but it seems as though they ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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No Impact Jack: A "Green Room"" Certification Process"
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
This new residence life program will be launched in the fall of 2011, and it will be a twist on the idea of encouraging students to complete an online Sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Busting at the seams: Northern Arizona University's 2011 Earth Week
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
There is one day on the calendar that begs for Environmental and Sustainability messaging and outreach, Earth Day. The Student Environmental Caucus at Northern Arizona University has taken on the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student-Powered Sustainability, Successes and Challenges of Our First Year
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
Student members of The Green Fund reflect upon the issues and challenges that arose during their first year as a committee and present details of their plans for the future ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Conservation Nationals: Lessons Learned by Competing to Reduce Dormitory Water and Electricity Use
- Oberlin College (OH)
During fall of 2010, 120,000 students at 39 colleges and universities participated in the "Campus Conservation Nationals" (CCN), a three week competition to reduce electricity and water use in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Starting a Sustainability committee for a national professional organization: Lessons learned from NACA.
- Old Dominion University (VA)
In 2006, the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) joined the Higher Education Association Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) in an effort to address sustainability issues in higher education. After two years ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Banning Bottled Water on Your Campus is Not Impossible
- Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
This panel would consist of three representatives from very different universities across the US and Canada, all of whom have banned the sale of bottled water at their institution. This ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable State: A Platform for Academic Transformation
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Sustainable State is a new educational model designed to provide both an online and face-to-face platform for interdisciplinary exchange and academic collaboration, centered around transformational sustainability education. The mechanics of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Changing Behaviors on Campus through Green Team and Office Certification Programs
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Universities and corporations across the United States are establishing "green teams" in order to engage their employees in weaving sustainability into operations and services. These teams are groups of employees ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Getting 'em right out of the chute: Incorporating sustainability into the first-year seminar
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Many colleges and universities require some kind of first-year seminar of all incoming students. Some mandate that a particular syllabus be followed in all such courses, while others may offer ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Plant to Plate: A model for student-run urban gardens
- Plant To Plate
Plant to Plate was born during the Fall of 2009, when two undergraduate students recognized a need for a hands-on means to educate students on local food systems and sustainability ...
- 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.