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
EcoRep Program Advisors Meet Up
- University of South Carolina (SC)
This will be a chance for the advisors of EcoReps or similar peer-leadership programs to meet and discuss the challenges, successes, and structure of their programs.
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Events: Engaging Students in Sustainability via Event Planning
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
Planning and attending events is a key facet of undergraduate student life. Planning these events allows student leaders to develop important life skills including: teamwork, logistics, prioritization, outreach and time ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Fostering Sustainability Through Place-based Ecological Design
- University of Vermont (VT)
This presentation will feature the activities and philosophy of the Ecological Design Collaboratory recently established at UVM’s GreenHouse Residential Learning Community. The Collaboratory has become the hub of design-build ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability & Wellness Month: A replicable outreach campaign to encourage healthy, sustainable behaviors on campus.
- University of Virginia (VA)
The University of Virginia’s Hoo’s Well wellness team partnered with the Office for Sustainability to develop an outreach campaign to encourage behavior changes that benefit people and the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Libraries as Partners In Creating and Supporting Campus Green Teams
- University of Utah (UT)
Getting green teams started on campus can seem an impossible challenge. Campus libraries by their very nature are set up to interact and connect with colleges, departments, centers, divisions and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Forging Alliances: Adaptive Methodologies for Engaging Students
- California State University, Long Beach (CA)
Initiatives on campus require lasting and adaptive student engagement to remain sustainable themselves. This case study analyses the successes and challenges of student engagement methodologies employed via two related sustainability-based ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Shared Story, Shared Learning, Shared Action: Curricular and Co-Curricular Tools for Engaging the Social Dimensions of Change
- EcoChallenge.org (OR)
Although it is widely agreed that sustainability education should encompass much more than mere knowledge acquisition, educators and sustainability officers often lack the time, energy, and expertise needed to more ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sharing your Sustainability Story: the Role of Communications
- Middlebury College (VT)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- Northwestern University (IL)
- Oberlin College (OH)
- Tufts University (MA)
Understanding the importance of generating environmental awareness on campus, many sustainability offices have begun creating positions with an emphasis on communications, marketing, and outreach. After all, it is vital to ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Scrap It and Start Over: Reshaping Your Eco-Reps Program from the Ground Up
- Northwestern University (IL)
- University of South Carolina (SC)
Many sustainability staff members have experienced a moment when they had to decide whether they wanted to continue an existing sustainability program in the same way it had been run ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Furman University's Sustainability Living Learning Communities
- Furman University (SC)
Furman University has had a long standing commitment to promoting engaged learning through the development of academic learning experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. As part of Furman’s ongoing ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Crafting a Comprehensive Student Internship Program
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Our Office would like to share strategies used, successes and challenges faced, and lessons learned during our efforts to build and stabilize a Sustainability Student Intern Program. Established in the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Cultivating Sustainability Scholars
- George Mason University (VA)
George Mason University committed to greatly expanding opportunities for undergraduate scholarship through a Quality Enhancement Program associated with the university’s re-accreditation in 2009. Core faculty from Mason’s Environmental ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student to Student: Best Practices and Lessons Learned with Student Engagement
- Alliance to Save Energy (CA)
This session will provide an overview of a student internship program that empowers college students to be tomorrow’s energy efficiency leaders. Currently on 23 universities and colleges and employing ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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SELFsustain
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- University of Minnesota System Office (MN)
This panel will provide a glimpse into multiple approaches universities can apply to nurture resilient communities. Large public land grant institutions are especially rich with opportunity to apply interdisciplinary perspectives ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Campus Constituents: Using Partnerships to Increase Behavior Modification Awareness & Action
- University of Southern Mississippi (MS)
The Office of Sustainability and University Libraries formed a partnership on the main campus of The University of Southern Mississippi dedicated to increasing awareness of sustainable practices through a phased ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Wholly Frijoles! Teaching Sustainability Through Interactive Systems Thinking Education
- University of Arizona (AZ)
This presentation will be highly interactive and begin with participants playing and discussing “Wholly Frijoles” for about 40 minutes. The “Wholly Frijoles” simulation focuses on the use (and abuse) of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Designing an Energy-Saving Campaign
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Our myPower campaign envisions a future where all campus stakeholders take action to save energy. The initiative combines campus commitment, coordination with a larger energy effort, communications strategies based on ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Officer and Faculty Members Collaborations on Advancing Sustainability Across the Curriculum
- Empire State College (NY)
“Sustainability officer” is a fairly recent position at campuses across the nation. Although this position has a variety of titles and is housed in different departments at different campuses, it ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Theoretical Underpinning For Campus Sustainability Initiatives
- University of Vermont (VT)
Behavior and environment applies insights of behavioral sciences to problems at the interface between people and environment. Many sustainability initiatives on college campuses do not seem to be grounded in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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What is Old is New Again: Readapt Strategies to Engage Students in Leadership, Social Justice, and Sustainability
- Clemson University (SC)
In our work with students, it is important to be able to articulate what we value on a daily basis. Within University Housing and Dining Services at Clemson University, Residential ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Adapting Eco-Rep Training to Optimize Student Experience
- Elon University (NC)
- University of South Carolina (SC)
Eco-Rep training materials and training sessions are vital to laying the ground work for a fun and beneficial student experience, establishing accountability and ultimately contributing to Eco-Rep retention. With time ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Excuses: Banning Bottled Water on Your Campus (2013)
- Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
This paper examines case studies of over 40 universities across the US and Canada, all of whom have enacted a policy of responsible water management in their purchasing. They have ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing Resilient Communities through Community-University Partnerships
- Luther College (IA)
One of the key strategies for dealing with global climate change is campus–community collaboration (M’Gonigle & Starke) to develop resilient, sustainable communities (Ausubel); as demonstrated at two small ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing and Fostering Community Specific Sustainability Campaigns
- Cornell University (NY)
Cornell University is tackling the behavior change issue with a new approach. Instead of creating a campus-wide behavior change campaign for a very de-centralized university, the Energy and Sustainability department ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Frozen Faithful: Understanding and Responding to Evangelical Climate Denial
- Houghton College (NY)
Climate change represents a contentious issue within religious circles today, with advocates and antagonists pleading their cases before the believing masses. Nowhere is this more evident than within evangelical circles ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Give and Go: Best Practice Lessons for Move Out Collections
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
This presentation will brief conference attendees on the results of the “Give and Go: Move Out 2013” collection program taking place on five college campuses in May 2013. Produced through ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Book: A Written and Visual Arts Publication Celebrating Sustainability Through Creative Action
- Delta College (MI)
Utilizing the campus and the community environment can create an engaging experience for teaching and learning and can serve as an invitation for partnership and participation. A unique, grant-funded venture ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Captains - Student Leadership in Dining Services
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Aramark (PA)
The Green Captain Program promotes student education and development and food waste reduction in Higher Education dining locations. The program empowers student employees and managers from each of the campus ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening the Athletic Enterprise: A Journey
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Intercollegiate athletics are a large part of many institutions’ physical footprints, a core part of institutional identity, and among the most prominent interactions higher education institutions have with the general ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Lessons Learned from an Interdisciplinary Programming Model with a Sustainability Focus
- James Madison University (VA)
This case study features lessons learned from JMuse Café (http://sites.jmu.edu/jmuse/), an interdisciplinary programming series developed by the University Libraries, with the Office of Environmental Stewardship and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Not Just Another Student Project
- Babson College (MA)
Sustainability project management is never easy, especially as a student Eco Rep coordinator. As a student coordinator, you quickly discover that you cannot be successful if you try to operate ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Knowing the Full Story: Creating a Blueprint for Effective Program Evaluation
- Brown University (RI)
- GreenerU (MA)
There is so much talk about the value of sustainability outreach programs, yet there is little data which proves their value. In order to make sure the hard work many ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Environmental Literacy: A Lifelong Learning Approach
- University of Cincinnati (OH)
As higher education institutions endeavor to prepare students for the future, environmental literacy is increasingly important. In addition to educating students, universities play a significant role in engaging the broader ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Residential Energy Competitions: Adapting for Success
- Elon University (NC)
Residential energy competitions are a common student engagement strategy to educate, motivate and empower students to conserve energy and become more environmentally aware. They also provide unique professional development opportunities ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student and Community Outreach on Rental Energy
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (WI)
The $CORE (Student and Community Outreach on Rental Efficiency) Program was created by the Energy Program at the University of Colorado- Boulder Environmental Center and was adapted by the Student ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Blackout (A Night Out With the Lights Out): University Sustainability as a Social, Carbon-Saving Activity for Students and Staff
- University of Southampton
On one evening in April 2012, 255 students and staff at the University of Southampton completed the first campus-wide equipment energy audit and switch-off event. The aims were to deliver ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability by the Numbers
- Babson College (MA)
Sustainability professionals are consistently challenged to prove the success and impact of sustainability programs – especially ones that target behavior change. This is not always easy, as many of the benefits ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Establishing and Managing Successful Sustainability Internship Programs
- Connecticut College (CT)
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
Sustainability Internship Programs (SIPs) foster unique opportunities to integrate rigorous academic experiences in campus operations, engage operational staff in the academic mission, enhance the capacity of campus sustainability staff, and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Communications: Tools for Your Outreach Toolbox
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- University of Georgia (GA)
You have the content knowledge…do you know how to make that knowledge accessible to your audiences? What is your brand and how do you manage it? Communication strategies are ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Social Life of Smartphones
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Our institution has taken a unique approach to education and outreach initiatives by deliberately highlighting the social aspects of sustainability, fostering the power of storytelling to elicit emotional responses in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Transparency and Efficiency in Sustainability Implementation
- Ohio University (OH)
Since your institution has adopted a sustainability and/or climate action plan, have you felt you spend more time on data collection and reporting than on actual implementation and outreach ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Designing for Sustainability: Project-based Seminar Series
- Daemen University (NY)
As we encourage students to address sustainability-related issues, we need to have an effective strategy for empowering them to be creative and successful. We have structured our curriculum to include ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Create Leadership for Sustainability In Student Affairs
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- Florida State University (FL)
- Portland State University (OR)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- Willamette University (OR)
Student Affairs divisions can play a critical role in the higher education sustainability movement through their efforts to recruit students, cultivate significant learning experiences outside the classroom, shape campus culture ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Playing Like A Team: Advancing Campus Sustainability By Greening Sports
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- Green Sports Alliance (OR)
- Natural Resources Defense Council (DC)
With help from organizations such as AASHE and the U.S. EPA, colleges and universities across the nation are implementing campus-wide sustainability programs to enhance their environmental performance. Many of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Divestment: Successful Case Studies
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
- Responsible Endowments Coalition (PA)
With active campaigns on over 250 college campuses, divestment from fossil fuels has shifted the sustainability conversation significantly over the past year, pushing the “operational boundary” for campus sustainability, and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Living Buildings that Engage Students (and their Institution) in Sustainability
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects (MO)
There is a growing trend in education and architecture to create green ‘buildings that teach’, facilities that further occupant’s understanding and engagement in sustainability. Currently, the most progressive green ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Practicing Behavior Interventions: Understanding and Implementing Sustainable Behavior Change on Your Campus
- Stanford University (CA)
- GreenerU (MA)
Behavior change is a buzzword in sustainability work – mostly because our job on campuses, among many other responsibilities, is to change people’s behaviors to ones that are more sustainable ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building an Inclusive Climate Justice Movement on Campus across Race, Class, and Gender Lines
- Second Nature (MA)
- United Negro College Fund (GA)
The climate isn’t just for the 1%. How can students ensure their climate planning and action are gender, race, and economically inclusive? The American College & University Presidents’ Climate ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Adopting Real Collegiate Zero Waste Principles: Change Management's Finest Hour
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of Florida (FL)
Zero waste represents a new means of elevating sustainability operations and student leadership at colleges and universities.
However, the term "zero waste" is often misunderstood and increasingly used without clear ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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All Projects are Personal: Making Change by Building Relationships
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
- CoFED (NM)
Those of us inspired by campus sustainability have ideas for how to make change but often lack the knack for moving an initiative forward with others. People respond to ideas ...
- 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.