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
NMSU Earth Day volunteers from the College of Business
- New Mexico State University (NM)
Business Council students volunteered to help out at our Southern New Mexico Earth Day Festival and we couldn't have done it without them. Thank you NMSU students!
- Posted April 24, 2018
- Photographs
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EarthFest at Cleveland State University
- Cleveland State University (OH)
EarthFest is an annual event on the CSU campus designed to raise awareness about campus and community sustainability initiatives and organizations. EarthFest is hosted by the CSU Office of Sustainability ...
- Posted April 24, 2018
- Photographs
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UT Dallas Earth Week
- The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)
Each year, the UT Dallas community comes together to celebrate sustainability and environmental practices through interactive and educational events and programs during Earth Week.
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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Earth Day Garden Preperation
- St. John's University, New York (NY)
Earth Day celebration incorporates Academic Service Learning for students to work in the Student Community Garden on the Queens Campus. During the growing season, student workers maintain, harvest and transport ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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Creighton University Leads Pledge to End Plastic Pollution
- Creighton University (NE)
During its Earth Week celebrations, Creighton University's Office of Sustainability Programs led a pledge to end plastic pollution campaign. Earth Day Network's global theme for Earth Day 2018 ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps "Curb Your Consumerism" Campaign
- University of Vermont (VT)
While the consumption of goods and services is a crucial component of modern economic systems, the culture of consumerism contributes to waste, resource depletion, pollution, and social and economic inequities ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Case Studies
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Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles' Earth Day
- Florida Gulf Coast University (FL)
"At Florida Gulf Coast University, celebrating environmentalism and sustainability are too important to be limited to just one day.
So, while the rest of the world marks Earth Day later ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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Water Cage at Northeastern University
- Northeastern University (MA)
Water cage demonstration created on campus quad. Filled large cage with water bottles and attached facts and data about plastic bottle usage around the outside of the cage. Very effective ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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Pass Up Plastic Challenge
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire coordinated a Pass up Plastic Challenge. Students, faculty, and staff collected single-use plastics ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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UConn Earth Day Spring Fling
- University of Connecticut (CT)
Earth Day Spring Fling is UConn’s largest annual environmental awareness event and celebration. This year’s event took place on April 18th from 11am-2pm on Fairfield Way, the heart ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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2018 Earth Week at Lehigh University
- Lehigh University (PA)
Lehigh University celebrated Earth Week by hosting a week of educational and engaging events. Earth Week is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our planet, while also ...
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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UC Merced Engineers for a Sustainable World
- University of California, Merced (CA)
UC Merced's Engineer's for a Sustainable World talk to students, staff and faculty about current projects including aquaponics.
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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Reducing Electricity Use in Campus Residence Halls
- Radford University (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
Our quasi-experimental design exposed first-year students in four matched residence halls to three different interventions designed to encourage energy conservation, specifically electricity conservation. We employed active and passive programming and ...
- Posted April 20, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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2018 Earth Week at Wake Forest
- Wake Forest University (NC)
Students, faculty, staff, and friends from the community worked together to remove leaf litter and tree limbs from the Wake Forest cross-country trails on Friday, March 23, as part of ...
- Posted April 19, 2018
- Photographs
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The personal context of student learning for sustainability: Results of a multi-university research study
- Victoria University (Victoria)
The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005–2014) was an important framework and catalyst for increasing Sustainable Development (SD) efforts within academic institutions, worldwide. Tertiary institutions began ...
- Posted April 18, 2018
- Publications
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The FIU Nature Preserve: Achieving Biological Conservation Through Diversification of Stakeholders
- Florida International University (FL)
Many institutions of higher education have sustainability initiatives; however, not all consider the importance of proximity to nature in the psychological well-being of their associated human community. Florida International University ...
- Posted April 18, 2018
- Publications
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MUSC Earth Day and Local Food Fest 2018
- Medical University of South Carolina (SC)
On Wednesday April 11th, thousands of people attended MUSC Earth Day & Local Food Festival. Almost a dozen food vendors and trucks served up fresh and local produce from nearby ...
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Photographs
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Testing Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes toward the Sustainable Development (EAATSD) Scale with Bachelor Students
- Leiden University
- The Hague University of Applied Science
The Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes toward the Sustainable Development (EAATSD) scale is adapted from other scales measuring environmental concern with the aim of specifically targeting the subject of sustainable development ...
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Publications
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Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
The need for sustainable development and societal transformation is gaining more and more relevance. Social learning processes will be needed to contribute to real change which is why the 2030 ...
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Publications
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Sustainability-oriented higher education networks: Characteristics and achievements in the context of the UN DESD
- University of Zurich
- Charles University
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are, as a sector, an important actor in society and their role in sustainability transition has been acknowledged. However, their commitments to sustainability expressed through the ...
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Publications
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The Role of University Campuses in Reconnecting Humans to the Biosphere
- Stockholm University
In this paper, we explore the potential for integrating university campuses in a global sustainability agenda for a closer reconnection of urban residents to the biosphere. This calls for a ...
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Publications
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Enhancing Education for Sustainable Development in Environmental University Programmes: A Co-Creation Approach
- Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia)
- National Polytechnic University
The purpose of this study is to analyse co-creation approach as a strategy at HE as a prerequisite for a successful implementation of sustainable development (HESD), while considering student collaboration ...
- Posted April 16, 2018
- Publications
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Training in Environmental Policy Advocacy During Challenging Times
- DePauw University (IN)
- AASHE (MA)
Many positive environmental policy gains are under threat across the country. Students who are motivated to take action are more important than ever. Over the last decade, DePauw University has ...
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Planning for Campus-Community Resilience to Climate Change in Champaign-Urbana
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
This literature study involves a two-prong analysis. The first part (Chapter 2) will involve review of literature, reports, websites of organizations who are involved in sustainability and resilience planning. The ...
- Posted April 11, 2018
- Publications
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Creating Spaces for Sustainability Transformation at Universities: Conditions and practices at a transdisciplinary, student-driven center for sustainability in Uppsala, Sweden
- Uppsala University
Universities have struggled to implement sustainable development in innovative ways (Lozano, 2006). Not much is known about how this implementation happens, can happen and should happen in the higher education ...
- Posted April 6, 2018
- Publications
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Developing Campus Sustainability Plans in a Capstone Course
- Furman University (SC)
- AASHE (MA)
Sustainability education high impact practices emphasize the importance of project-based, applied learning experiences as well as collaborative learning. Higher education professionals also emphasize the importance of capstone signature experiences. Students ...
- Posted April 5, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program
- University of Michigan (MI)
The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program (SCIP) is a multi-year effort designed to measure and track the culture of sustainability at the University of Michigan (U-M). It is intended to inform ...
- Posted April 3, 2018
- Case Studies
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Strategic alignment between sustainability and information systems: A case analysis in Malaysian public Higher Education Institutions
- National University of Malaysia
- Islamic Azad University
- Brno University of Technology
Higher Education Institutions have embedded sustainability initiatives into their core activities of curriculum, research, community, and operational to respond the global transformation towards a sustainable future. Numerous studies have been ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Shaping Students’ Attitudes towards Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Education Versus Personal Perspectives
- University of Perugia
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility education is typically considered one of the main determinants of executive attention to ethical decision making, commitment to stakeholder issues and corporate citizenship awareness ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Restorative, heterotopic spacing for campus sustainability
- Oberlin College (OH)
- Bournemouth University (Dorset)
This article proposes an alternative spatial form for a university campus, which embeds itself within the region, in which it is located. The proposed campus spacing is inspired by recent ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Recapturing the learning opportunities of university sustainability indicators
- Tulane University (LA)
Reconfiguring student involvement in university sustainability assessments and reporting can create important learning opportunities. In the 1990s, students conducted campus environmental audits and assessments, which were often the first step ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Personal values and approach of undergraduates towards corporate social responsibility
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul
The purpose of this paper is to broaden the knowledge to identify which factors influence the relationship between business undergraduates and corporate social responsibility (CSR).The results identified that undergraduate ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Overcoming Barriers: Organizational Effectiveness of College Sustainability Offices
This study assesses the organizational effectiveness of six small colleges that have demonstrated a commitment to campus sustainability practices. Given the complex structures and competing demands within a small college ...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Engaging Across Boundaries: The Power of Civic Engagement in Sustainability
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- Portland Community College (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
- Campus Compact (MA)
Speakers will offer an introduction to the broader concept of civic engagement and will share experiences, best practices, models and frameworks:
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in setting up a a multiple semester student engagement ...
- Posted March 27, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Organizational life cycle assessment: suitability for higher education institutions with environmental management systems
- Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia)
The purpose of this study is to analyze the suitability of organizational life cycle assessments (O-LCAs) for higher education institutions (HEIs) with special attention to the benefits and particularities of ...
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Are Beliefs in the Importance of Pro-Environmental Behaviors Correlated with Pro-Environmental Behaviors at a College Campus?
- Elon University (NC)
One method sustainability professionals at institutions of higher education utilize to address institutional sustainability goals is implementing outreach programs aimed at facilitating the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) by the ...
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Impact of a Participatory Analysis of a Campus Sustainability Social Network: A Case Study of Emory University
- Emory University (GA)
Social network analysis makes visible the invisible connections and flows that underlie complex social relationships. Applied organizational researchers have used social network analysis to assess and improve organizational and leadership ...
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Campus Sustainability Month 2015 - Opportunities to Engage
- AASHE (MA)
- Yale University (CT)
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
- University of Alberta (AB)
- EcoChallenge.org (OR)
- Boston University (MA)
October is Campus Sustainability Month! Join this webinar to learn more about this event which will provide unparalleled opportunities to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to ...
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Educating for Sustainability Webinar Series - The Why and How of Transformative Learning
- AASHE (MA)
- EcoChallenge.org (OR)
This webinar will provide the context around why transformative learning and deeper engagement in sustainability issues are important. The ways we learn and engage are critical to fostering the skills ...
- Posted March 20, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Putting “Reduce” to Work: Getting Rid of Plastic Bags on Michigan State University’s Campus
- Michigan State University (MI)
In order to mitigate the effects of plastic bags on the environment and to fulfill Michigan State University's commitment to sustainability, we pioneered a two part initiative to reduce ...
- Posted March 19, 2018
- Case Studies
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Towards Green Campus Operations: Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development Initiatives at Universities
Matters related to sustainable development, albeit global in nature, are best handled at the local level. This line of thinking is particularly true to the higher education context, where the ...
- Posted March 13, 2018
- Publications
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AASHE Award Winner Series - Composting, Recycling and Turning Trash Into Cash
- Austin Community College (TX)
- University of San Diego (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
Andy Kim, Director, Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability and Darien Clary, Sustainability Coordinator, Austin Community College District (Winner of AASHE 2014 Best Case Study from an Associate College with 5,000 ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar Series: The Form and Function of the Sustainability Agenda in Higher Education Institutions - Hawaii Approach to Sustainable Living On and Off-campus
- University at Albany (NY)
- University of Hawaii Kauai Community College (HI)
- AASHE (MA)
Colleges adapt to new circumstances based on differing motivations: some are seeking new growth strategies while others are trying to avoid decline. Sustainability initiatives provide an opportunity to analyze how ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Inquiry into sustainability issues by preservice teachers: A pedagogy to enhance sustainability consciousness
- Lahore College for Women University
Education for sustainable development (ESD) is transformative education aiming at developing participants’ understanding of sustainability issues and transforming their attitudes and behaviours regarding environment, society and economy. Sustainability consciousness, an ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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If Living Labs are the Answer – What's the Question? A Review of the Literature
- Curtin University
The world's economy is becoming increasingly knowledge intensive. This will drive further technological, societal and organisational change. A knowledge intensive economy gives the producers of knowledge – universities – a potentially ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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Key Performance Indicators to optimize the environmental performance of Higher Education Institutions with environmental management system – A case study of Universitat Politècnica de València
- Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia)
Key Performance Indicators are typically a component of economic and financial decision-making. Defining Key Performance Indicators for relevant environmental aspects of an institution can be seen as a step toward ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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Higher Education Institutions in the United States: Commitment and coherency to sustainability vis-à-vis dimensions of the institutional environment
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
This work proposes a cohesive approach to assess the degree of commitment and institutional coherence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the United States to address the challenges posed by ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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Higher education in the sustainable development goals framework
- UNESCO
Agenda 2030 for sustainable development focuses attention on lifelong learning opportunities for all. The new targets expand on their predecessors, the Millennial Development Goals, by both widening and deepening the ...
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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Universities and Conflict The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding and Resistance
This book uses a series of case studies to examine the roles played by universities during situations of conflict, peacebuilding and resistance.
While a body of work dealing with the ...
- Posted March 9, 2018
- Publications
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Hidden curriculum in student organizations: Learning, practice, socialization and responsible management in a business school
- University of São Paulo
For many students, education does not simply mean obtaining a university degree and, consequently, a good job; rather, there is also a need to attain personal satisfaction and a sense ...
- Posted March 5, 2018
- Publications
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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.