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
UC San Diego vs. Preuss Ecology Club - Top Down vs Bottom Up
- University of California, San Diego (CA)
For a university like UC San Diego (UCSD), it appears that they are at the forefront of most innovative environmental projects and objectives. However, as they continue to receive national ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge 2009 Analysis and Recommendations
- Macalester College (MN)
This report is an analysis of the Minnesota 2009 Campus Energy Challenge (MCEC) from the point of view of the principal state organizer, Arielle Miwa Oseki Robbins, the principal Macalester ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Sustainability at Universities - Opportunities, Challenges and Trends
This book provides a concrete contribution towards the goal of fostering sustainability at universities, by especially focusing on opportunities, challenges and trends. It contains a wide range of papers written ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Green Study for Greeks: The Determination of Environmental Sustainability within the Greek Community of WPI
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
Commissioned by the Greek Alumni Council (GAC) of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the purpose of this project was to raise awareness within the Greek community of sustainability issues and ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Survey of Environmental Behaviors in UVM Residence Halls: Report on Findings
- University of Vermont (VT)
In the spring of 2007, an electronic survey was sent out to residents of four residential complexes at the University of Vermont (UVM). The goals of this survey were to ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Raise the Funds: Campus Action Toolkit
- AASHE (MA)
This is a guide to funding mechanisms for campus sustainability projects and initiatives for students, staff and administrators. It was released in November 2008.
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Creating a Green Community: Understanding Student Environmental Behaviors for Increased Campus Participation at Northwestern University
- Northwestern University (IL)
Today, the world is facing a crisis the likes of which has not been seen before. The onset of global warming in recent times has initiated the growth of environmental ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Organizing Residence Hall Conservation Competitions: A Guide for Students
- Furman University (SC)
Since as early as 1990, colleges and universities have been holding competitions to encourage energy and water conservation and waste reduction in college residences. These competitions reward on-campus residents for ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Designing a Social Online Network: Decreasing Fragmentation in the UBC Student Led Sustainability Movement
- University of British Columbia (BC)
The University of British Columbia has recognized sustainability as being a prominent issue over the past decade, and has become a leader in advocating sustainable practices. Although the University has ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Environmental Ethics and the Culture of Sustainability at Santa Clara University
- Santa Clara University (CA)
Though Santa Clara University has made a strong commitment to sustainability—one that impacts University spending, building, and planning—little information exists on to what extent and in what forms ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Green Campus Success in 30 Minutes or Less!
Ways to teach your students about every area of sustainability in which they can make a difference on campus. Use email/text message tips as way to get to students ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Social Marketing as a Means to Influence Student Behavior Towards Energy Conservation
- University of Mary Washington (VA)
Social marketing is one of many approaches to changing behavioral patterns. In this paper, the specific behavior is electricity conservation and the social marketing is provided by NORESCO, one of ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Earth Day as a Catalyst for Campus Environmental Leadership
- Antioch University, New England (NH)
This paper explores the impact of Earth Day on the development of campus environmental leadership. Personal narratives on the significance of Earth Day are presented in a series of interviews ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
From principle to product: Exploring process through the Solar Decathlon
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
The premise of this thesis is to examine the process and development of the evolution of words into built form. The abstract principle followed through the design process is the ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
A community-based social marketing campaign to green the offices at Pacific University: Recycling, paper reduction and environmentally preferable purchasing
- Antioch University (OH)
This study describes a community-based social marketing (CBSM) research project to bring awareness and behavior change around paper reduction, recycling, and purchasing of environmentally preferred products (EPP) at a small ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Student Activities Climate Change Resource Guide: How Student Affairs Professionals Can Contribute to Campus Climate Neutrality
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
Campus presidents and chancellors across the country are committing their institutions to a climate neutral future. As of this writing, more than 550 campus leaders have signed the American College ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Environmental sustainability 'inreach' : How the campus community informs itself about environmental issues
- North Carolina State University (NC)
As many higher education institutions join in the sustainability challenge, several studies recently have emerged that examine the experiences of these institutions in greening their campuses. These studies have identified ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Big News on Campus
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- Clemson University (SC)
- Yale University (CT)
Provides information on the environmental practices of several colleges in the U.S. Benefits of the Yale Sustainable Food Project for local farmers; Condition of living at the dormitories in ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Creating a Culture of Sustainability: How Campuses Are Taking the Lead
- Herman Miller (CO)
Colleges and universities throughout the U.S. are taking a leadership role, as it did in the space race and the war on cancer, in preparing students and providing the ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Community organization staff perceptions about the importance of selected practices in building effective community-university service and learning partnerships
- Louisiana State University (LA)
The purpose of this study was to explore community organization staff perceptions about the importance of selected practices in building effective community-university service and learning partnerships. The target population was ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
An Analysis of the Correlation Between the Attitude, Behavior, and Knowledge Components of Environmental Literacy in Undergraduate Unversity Students
- University of Florida (FL)
The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationships between the major components of environmental literacy—attitudes, behaviors and knowledge—in undergraduate university students; and to examine differences in ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Sustainability and University Life
Prepared in cooperation with the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF), this book presents a number of case studies and experiences which illustrate how higher education institutions ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Ecodemia: Campus Environmental Stewardship at the Turn of the 21st Century
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
At campuses around the country, staff, administrators, faculty, and students are redesigning the basic principles on which their institutions operate from day to day. The winners in this transformation are ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
Making a large-scale campus rummage sale happen in 17 days!
- University of Missouri (MO)
Since 2007, MU has been perfecting a process for reducing residence hall waste at the end of the school year move out. Items collected are organized for a rummage sale ...
- Posted June 23, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Green Action Fund
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (CO)
The Green Action Fund is a student-initiated, student-funded, student-led committee that aims to reduce the ecological footprint of UCCS. They promote sustainable environmental, social and economic values through student-sponsored projects ...
- Posted June 19, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
A Century of Sustainability
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
This project was created to demonstrate that sustainability efforts have been part of or campus culture for more than a century. From the establishment of the first University of Washington ...
- Posted June 19, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
University of Kentucky Sustainability Challenge Grant Program
- University of Kentucky (KY)
The University of Kentucky Sustainability Challenge Grant program was designed to engage multidisciplinary teams from the University community in the creation and implementation of initiatives that will promote sustainability by ...
- Posted June 19, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
FreeFest!
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
Since Spring 2011, California State University East Bay (CSUEB) Student Housing has been coordinating a move-out program for on-campus residents. This program is similar to move-out programs at other campuses ...
- Posted June 19, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
RIT FoodShare
- Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
RIT FoodShare is an initiative designed to reduce food waste on campus while reducing food insecurity among RIT students. It consists of two components - a facebook group and a FoodShare ...
- Posted June 12, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Building the Capacity of Change Agents
- University of Alberta (AB)
Building a movement to advance sustainability culture requires both institutional changes and changes to personal behaviour. Nestled in this movement of creating a sustainable culture is the important role of ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
The University of Maryland's Small Footprint Pledge
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
The University of Maryland's Small Footprint Pledge is a way for students, faculty, and staff to make a commitment to minimize their environmental impact by adopting new green behaviors ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Building a Culture of Sustainability
- Western Michigan University (MI)
Western Michigan University and its Office for Sustainability apply social learning to leverage behavior change and bridge the "gap" between people's stated aspirations for a sustainable world and their ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Sustainability Program at the University of British Columbia
- University of British Columbia (BC)
Over the past 15 years, the SEEDS (Social Ecological Economic Development Studies) Sustainability Program has created partnerships between students, faculty and staff to enable hundreds of innovative and impactful sustainability ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Sustainable Carolina: A Case Study in Student Sustainability Leadership
- University of South Carolina (SC)
The Sustainable Carolina Leadership Program, a sustainability-focused, professional development student engagement program housed at the University of South Carolina, was conceived and developed over the course of six years to ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Green Captain Program
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Aramark (PA)
The Green Captain Program allows UCI Hospitality & Dining student employees who are passionate about sustainability to design and implement practices to reduce environmental impacts (e.g. carbon footprint, water ...
- Posted June 11, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Campus Salvage Move-Out Collection and Donation Program
- Coastal Carolina University (SC)
Campus Salvage is Coastal Carolina University's collection and donation program designed to divert unwanted items from the landfill when students move-out at the end of the year. The project ...
- Posted June 10, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Rad Dish Food Co-op: Food for Thought Leadership
- Temple University (PA)
The Rad Dish Cooperative Cafe is the first and only student-run food co-op in the Philadelphia region. Located on Temple University's campus, Rad Dish provides local, fair trade, organic ...
- Posted June 8, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Learning by Living: The Berea College Deep Green Student Residence
- Berea College (KY)
- Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects (MO)
The Berea College Deep Green Student Residence was envisioned from the very beginning to be a special building yet in keeping with the college's commitment to "Simple Living" meant ...
- Posted June 8, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Building Green Communities: The UA Undergraduate Off-Campus Housing Sustainability Coordinator
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The Undergraduate Off-Campus Housing Sustainability Coordinator (OCHSC) position was created at the University of Arizona (UA) two years ago. The OCHSC serves as a sustainability consultant to 28 apartment complexes ...
- Posted June 4, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Tribe Truck Farm
- College of William & Mary (VA)
Tribe Truck Farm is a micro-farm in the bed of a pickup truck. The main goal of this project is to initiate a dialogue within the William and Mary community ...
- Posted June 4, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Translating Perceptions into Action: Advancing Zero Waste in ASU Housing
- Arizona State University (AZ)
Report examines current solid waste management operational practices, infrastructure, stakeholder perceptions, and behavior pertaining to student housing on Arizona State University's (ASU) Tempe academic campus in order to inform ...
- Posted March 3, 2015
- Case Studies
- View more
Green Living Certification: Rewarding Residents for Environmentally Friendly Lifestyles
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
The Green Living Certification certifies and rewards residents living in on-campus residential buildings for making day-to-day choices that reduce their environmental footprint. Residents fill out an online survey that calculates ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Earn-A-Bike Program
- University of Louisville (KY)
Changing commuting habits has been one of the thorniest sustainability issues for the University of Louisville, but we have finally begun to crack that nut through a popular, innovative program ...
- Posted April 11, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
The 4th Annual Student Sustainability Survey and Town Hall Meeting
- Western Michigan University (MI)
We designed the 4th Annual Student Sustainability Survey for Western Michigan University this semester. We implemented the online survey and got a total of 1356 respondents over a 3 week ...
- Posted April 11, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Collaborative thermal heating conservation project at the College of the Holy Cross
- College of the Holy Cross (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
The College of the Holy Cross's Student Government Association (SGA), Environmental Liaison program, and Physical Plant department developed a comprehensive program to reduce the common practice of opening windows ...
- Posted April 11, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Change Your State: Sustainability Awareness Campaign
- North Carolina State University (NC)
Change Your State is NC State University's sustainability awareness campaign. Initiated and coordinated by the University Sustainability Office, the campaign involves over a dozen campus partners, including departments and ...
- Posted April 11, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Building a Campus Culture of Sustainability
- Western Michigan University (MI)
Western Michigan University and its Office for Sustainability apply social learning to leverage behavior change and bridge the "gap" between people's stated aspirations for a sustainable world and their ...
- Posted April 10, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Green Book: Creative Sustainable Action
- Delta College (MI)
Green Book: Creative Sustainable Action is a joint venture of the Sustainability Office and Humanities Department. Focusing on the triple bottom line—people, planet, profit—the publication is a collection ...
- Posted March 31, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
The University of Texas at Austin's Building Energy Audit
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
The Building Energy Audit is a complete joining of both technical and behavioral energy conservation commitments designed to actively engage all aspects of the campus community to conserve energy and ...
- Posted March 28, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
Turning the Desert Green: Residence Life's Coordinator of Sustainability Education
- University of Arizona (AZ)
In 2007, the University of Arizona's (UA) Residence Life department created the Coordinator of Sustainability Education (CoSE) position to manage an expanding environmental program. One of the first of ...
- Posted March 28, 2014
- Case Studies
- View more
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.