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
Communicate To Persuade
- National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)
Most students, faculty and administrators wrestle daily with the need to persuade bosses, peers and subordinates to adopt their viewpoint on an immediate issue while simultaneously improving the long-term relationships ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Conservation Nationals 2012: Building a collaborative strategy for expanding conservation events in residential housing
- Atrius (CA)
For a growing number of schools, resource use reduction competitions within and between campuses have proven to be useful mechanisms to engage, educate, motivate and empower individual and community stewardship ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Habits of Mind for Resilient Communities
- Northland College (WI)
If habits of mind are the characteristics of what intelligent people do when faced with problems whose solutions are not immediately apparent, then what are the habits of mind of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing Clean and Green Campus Action
- Cramer-Krasselt (IL)
The higher education sector has always taken the lead on social change. And just as campuses and students are often society's most outspoken critics, fighting for campus settings that ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Infusing the Study of Sustainable Design Methodology and Epistemology into the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum
- Maryville College (TN)
Abstract: Arguably one of the most challenging places to infuse sustainable design methodology and epistemology, yet one of the most logical, is among the 225 liberal arts colleges and universities ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student Sustainability Stewards: Low-Cost Change Agents with Value-Added Professional Experience
- Daemen University (NY)
As academic institutions focus on meeting sustainability goals, they face challenges in funding for programs and staffing to address them. Creating a student internship program can meet some of the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond reduce, reuse, recycle: A competency framework for sustainability
- Kent State University (OH)
This paper reports findings from a study of students' thinking about sustainability. More specifically, 500 undergraduate students residing on campus were administered a survey about sustainability initiatives in the residence ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Pushing Sustainable Development to the Outer Limits
- College of Menominee Nation (WI)
Sustainable development is predominantly thought of in terms of alternative energy, recycling, food security, biodiversity, waste reduction and green building products. For the past 7 years I have taught an ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Short-term intervention, long-term change: two case studies from the University of Toronto
- University of Toronto (ON)
The duration of campus sustainability campaigns is often limited by available staff, student, volunteer hours and/or funding. As a result, many programs can only run for short periods of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Organizing Campuses to Think Outside the Bottle
- American University (DC)
- Edison Energy (CA)
At a time when the global water crisis is looming large, leaving over a billion people without access to enough safe drinking water to meet their basic needs, students are ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Recreation: Bold Partners in Sustainability
- Washington State University, Pullman (WA)
- NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation (OR)
Join a panel of NIRSA (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) leaders to hear examples of best practices in the field of campus recreation and understand the significant influence these units can ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating Sustainable Social Change: Student Engagement on Environmental Justice at Campuses
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
A series of panelists sharing the ways in which Environmental Justice is addressed on campuses as an opportunity for education, engagement and sustainable change in both the campus community and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Designing Spaces That Support Cultural Change
- AASHE (MA)
Intelligent, connected, and wireless. Our culture is changing rapidly and Generation Y is in the driver's seat. The fast-paced, interactive discussion Designing Spaces That Support Cultural Change explores the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Wide Energy Challenge: Success through Unique Strategies and Diverse Collaborations
- Allegheny College (PA)
After committing to a Climate Action Plan and undertaking multiple energy efficiency retrofits, Allegheny College tackled the development of an effective yet feasible Energy Challenge. It was conceived as a ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student-led dining efficiency projects yield sizzling savings
- Alliance to Save Energy (CA)
University student groups collaborated with dining services to achieve substantial savings through a multi-faceted project approach. Students launched a "de-lighted dining" campaign to have eating areas lit only by daylight ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Cutting Campus Commuter Carbon & Building Social Capital - Strategies & Tactics for Effective Change
- Antioch University, New England (NH)
Transportation emissions from student, faculty, staff and administrator commuting are a challenge for many colleges and universities, and especially for commuter campuses outside the sphere of public transport systems. Encouraging ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative: Education for the Future
- Appalachian State University (NC)
The Renewable Energy Initiative, ASUREI, is a student-led organization funded by student fees. We seek to reduce the environmental impact of our university in Boone, NC by funding, designing and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building a Broad-Based Campus Sustainability Council
- Appalachian State University (NC)
To institutionalize sustainability, these efforts need to empower the entire institution. One way to achieve this is to create a series of leaders who drive sustainability policy, goals, and progress ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Staff Sustainability Literacy - Developing the Training Module
- Arizona State University (AZ)
An informed staff is a key component for the successful implementation of a comprehensive sustainability practices vision. In today's work environment, a university often requires fire safety training, defensive ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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An Education in Sustainable Living: Building a Green College Residential Community at SUNY Oswego
- State University of New York at Oswego (NY)
In 2010 the State University of New York College at Oswego completed construction of The Village, a 350 bed upper class townhouse complex. The unique mission statement of the community ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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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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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.