Public Engagement
Introduction
Engagement in community problem-solving is fundamental to sustainability. By engaging with community members and organizations in the governmental, non-profit and for-profit sectors, institutions can help solve sustainability challenges. Community engagement can help students develop leadership skills while deepening their understandings of practical, real-world problems and the process of creating solutions.
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An Introduction to Sustainability Service-Learning Course for the Creation of Sustainable Citizens to Engage Wicked Problems
The current era of American discourse and dialogue is increasingly characterized as becoming less civilized. This lack of civility, whether real or perceived, negatively impacts our ability as a society ...
- Posted June 8, 2017
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Put a Price on It: Bringing Higher Education into the Carbon Pricing Dialog
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- AASHE (PA)
This webinar explores the role of institutions of higher education in the emerging national carbon pricing dialog. Institutions of higher education have an immense capacity to educate a broad audience ...
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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University of California Climate Lab, Video Series Episode Six: Scientists really aren't the best champions of climate science
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
This is the sixth episode of Climate Lab, a six-part series produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox. Hosted by Emmy-nominated conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan, the ...
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Santa Fe College Party for the Planet 2017
- Santa Fe College (FL)
The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo celebrated Earth Day 2017 by hosting the annual Party for the Planet on April 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m ...
- Posted May 25, 2017
- Photographs
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Natural Herbicides Project
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Engineers for a Sustainable World (CO)
The Natural Herbicides Project focuses on addressing the issue of the usage of chemical herbicides with detrimental health and environmental impacts on- and off-campus. Our team developed an effective natural ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Art as the Catalyst for Critical Sustainability Conversations
- University at Albany (NY)
The University at Albany is proud to submit an application that illustrates our use of art as the catalyst for critical sustainability conversations. This was accomplished via two main projects ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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McGill University’s Fairtrade Campus Commitment: Roddick Roast Coffee
- McGill University (QC)
- Fairtrade Canada (ON)
- The Canadian Fair Trade Network (BC)
In June 2013, McGill University was given the designation of Fair Trade Campus by the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN). This means that 100% of coffee sold on campus is ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Sustainability Weekend Conference, Carnegie Mellon University
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
‘Sustainability Weekend’ is a student-initiative held on Carnegie Mellon’s campus in Pittsburgh, PA, with the goal to promote inter-disciplinary conversations to raise awareness about the many sustainability issues surrounding ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Black Hills Food Hub: rural food hubs serving a wider demographic
- Black Hills State University (SD)
Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Spearfish community partners are seeking to create a culture that supports and values local food in order to expand the reach and depth of ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Making Local, Healthy, Sustainable Delicious: The How-To Guide for Foodservice Operators
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
The How-To Guide for Foodservice Operators is a manual for restoring real food and regional food systems to the right place in our society. The guide documents UMass Dining’s ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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SFU’s 20-Year Sustainability Vision and Goals Case Study Submission
- Simon Fraser University (BC)
On the 50th Anniversary of the institution, SFU launched an ambitious engagement process to map out and envision what a “sustainable SFU” would look like in 20 years. The yearlong ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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Revisiting Service Learning Through Food Equity, One Outcome from the Chemeketa - Marion Polk Food Share Youth Partnership
- Chemeketa Community College (OR)
Chemeketa Student Retention and College Life (SRCL) periodically offers free leadership courses to students. Chemeketa’s dreams of a student farm for the Agricultural Sciences program are still a few ...
- Posted May 22, 2017
- Case Studies
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The New Eco-Rep Model: Unifying Campus Audiences in Co-Curricular Sustainability Programming
- Dickinson College (PA)
Dickinson College has innovatively reformed its Eco-Rep model into a combined student and employee peer-to-peer sustainability education program that creates co-curricular learning experiences aimed at unifying campus stakeholders while increasing ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Implementing Sustainability Co-Creation between Universities and Society: A Typology-Based Understanding
- Clark University (MA)
- University of Tokyo
- University College London (London)
- United Nations University
Universities are under mounting pressure to partner with societal stakeholders and organizations to collaboratively create and implement sustainability-advancing knowledge, tools, and societal transformations. Simultaneously, an increasing number of societal organizations ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
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Enhancing climate change adaptation: strategies for community engagement and university-community partnerships
- Antioch University, New England (NH)
This paper discusses current opportunities for universities to partner with local governments and NGOs to support local level adaptation to climate change and a proposed ten-stage model which delineates the ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
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Relocating Education for Sustainability: From the campus to the community
- Kent State University (OH)
For 25 years, higher education has been challenged to provide a path toward sustainability. This challenge is both lofty and necessary. During this time, higher education has yet to make ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
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Solar Garden Partnership: A Renewable Energy Innovation
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
- Consumers Energy
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) began a renewable energy project in partnership with its local utility, Consumers Energy, after the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a Solar Garden program. This ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Cowbell Cleanup
- Mississippi State University (MS)
Cowbell Cleanup is an initiative that was started by the Office of Sustainability on Mississippi State University's campus. The University faces a large influx of guests during home football ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Does Social Justice Knowledge Matter in Sustainable Business Education?
- Appalachian State University (NC)
There is a growing social justice movement in the United States in response to perceptions of increasing inequality, as illustrated by recent minimum wage protests and the Occupy Wall Street ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
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Fix It Friday
- Illinois State University (IL)
Fix It Friday is a program in which fashion students set up sewing machines in various places within the Illinois State University campus and the surrounding Bloomington-Normal community and offer ...
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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GreenApps Eco-Reps Sustainability Leadership and Engagement Course
- Appalachian State University (NC)
The GreenApps: Eco-Reps Program was developed in order to recruit on-campus students to join the Office of Sustainability team to assist with education and promotion of campus sustainability through a ...
- Posted May 16, 2017
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Applying a transportation rating system to advance sustainability evaluation, planning and partnership
- James Madison University (VA)
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a pilot application of the Sustainable Transportation Analysis & Rating System (STARS), and highlight how a sustainability rating system can be ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Publications
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Campus Sustainability: A Lightbulb Moment | Caitlin Marsh | TED x Alma College
- Alma College (MI)
As a sustainability expert, and Alma College alum, Caitlin opens up the conversation about what sustainability looks like on a college campus. And brings forward fresh implementation ideas.
After pursuing ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Questions of Waste
- University of Georgia (GA)
A unique and creative video documenting the waste habits of one student for a week. The video documents a friend of the videographer as she collects her waste for one ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Integrating Sustainability with Education and Community Engagement at USF
- University of South Florida (FL)
The University of South Florida's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has created several community and international programs for students to engage in sustainability projects. Three projects explored in ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Leveraging college sports to advance campus sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and community inclusion
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (PA)
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation (OR)
By launching from collegiate sports’ high profile platform, sustainability efforts have the reach to more broadly engage stakeholders on and off campus and enhance sustainable behaviors among fans such as ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability Showcase at Family Earth Day Celebration
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
The CSUN Institute for Sustainability hosted a "sustainability fair" as part of a grant we receive from LADWP. The event was designed to honor students who participated in a program ...
- Posted May 11, 2017
- Photographs
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CING, CSMM and the Municipality of Saint Dometios joined forces with Let’s Do it Cyprus to clean two local parks!
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine
The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING) and its postgraduate school, the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine (CSMM) together with the local Municipal Council of Saint Dometios in Nicosia ...
- Posted May 9, 2017
- Photographs
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The Urban Agriculture Community-based Research Experience (U-ACRE) Project
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
- Fullerton College (CA)
- Santa Ana College (CA)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
In Orange County, 36% of low-income households experience hunger at least once a day and well over 1/3 are children. Engaging students in experiential learning that addresses sustainability in ...
- Posted May 9, 2017
- Case Studies
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Promoting Sustainable Transportation with Campus Car Policies and Public Outreach
- California State University, Monterey Bay (CA)
In fall of 2016 at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), the Environmental Studies undergraduate program began offering its first group-based capstone course that was based on its first Projects ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
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Helping Others, Helping Myself: Collegiate Experiences and Graduates’ Altruistic and Wealth Aspirations
- Niagara University (NY)
- Georgia Gwinnett College (GA)
National statistics disclose that college graduates are more prone to volunteerism than nongraduates. These statistics motivate the question of exactly what college experiences are most likely to change a student ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
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Arts and humanities inquiry in the Long-Term Ecological Research Network: empathy, relationships, and interdisciplinary collaborations
- Michigan State University (MI)
- Oregon State University (OR)
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)
The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is a collection of 25 National Science Foundation-funded sites committed to long-term, place-based investigation of the natural world. While activities primarily focus on ecological ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
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Surveying employment listings to inform curricula of environmental science degree programs
- Brigham Young University (UT)
Environmental Science has emerged as a common bachelor’s of science (B.S.) degree at colleges and universities throughout the USA, with growing enrollment and more than 1100 degrees offered ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
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Schaumburg’s Sustainable Future: student research, social media, and suburban sustainability
- Roosevelt University (IL)
The Schaumburg’s Sustainable Future (SSF) online social media project is a student-faculty collaboration at Roosevelt University that addresses sustainability issues, challenges, and solutions in the northwest suburbs of Chicago ...
- Posted May 5, 2017
- Publications
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Is Going Green Worth It? Assessing Fan Engagement and Perceptions of Athletic Department Environmental Efforts
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- Ohio University (OH)
- Seattle University (WA)
The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which environmentally themed activities within an intercollegiate sport context impact fan engagement. A total of 557 fans responded to ...
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Publications
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San Jose State University Earth Day
- San Jose State University (CA)
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Photographs
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University at Buffalo-Sustainability Month 2017
- University at Buffalo (NY)
At UB, Earth Day is celebrated all month, with dozens of sustainability events highlighting our commitment to critical issues like climate neutrality and publicly funded science.
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Photographs
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Earth Day 2017 - Chemeketa Community College
- Chemeketa Community College (OR)
Students at Chemeketa Community College made paper cranes to represent their vision for a sustainable future and their love for Mother Earth. The paper cranes are going to be on ...
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Photographs
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University at Buffalo-Sustainability Month 2017
- University at Buffalo (NY)
At UB, Earth Day is celebrated all month, with dozens of sustainability events highlighting our commitment to critical issues like climate neutrality and publicly funded science.
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Photographs
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Cal Poly SLO Earth Week
- California Polytechnic State University (CA)
Cal Poly hosted a variety of events for Earth Week.
- Posted May 3, 2017
- Photographs
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Sustainability Week @ KU Medical Center
- University of Kansas Medical Center (KS)
KU Medical Center Sustainability Week was held to celebrate Earth Day and the one-year anniversary of the revamped recycling program. This included an Earth Day Celebration to share ways to ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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UAlbany's Annual Family Earth Day
- University at Albany (NY)
The University’s 5th Annual UAlbany Family Earth Day, organized by the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (DAES), Atmospheric Science Research Center, Office of Sustainability and UAlbany Students for ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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University at Buffalo-Sustainability Month 2017
- University at Buffalo (NY)
At UB, Earth Day is celebrated all month, with dozens of sustainability events highlighting our commitment to critical issues like climate neutrality and publicly funded science.
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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State University of New York at Cortland Habitat for Humanity Sustainable Living Workshop
- State University of New York at Cortland (NY)
The SUNY Cortland Habitat for Humanity Club hosted a sustainable living workshop where participants learned about and made items they can use in the own homes to promote a more ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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SUNY Cortland The Big Event - Alpha Phi Omega
- State University of New York at Cortland (NY)
The State University of New York at Cortland hosts "The Big Event" where over 500 students and staff volunteer in the community picking up trash, sprucing up yards, and making ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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Succulents at the Earth Day Expo
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Close-up shot of succulents that were made available for students to plant at the Earth Day Expo at the University of Minnesota. The Office of Sustainability challenged students and staff ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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University of Virginia Earth Week 2017
- University of Virginia (VA)
Earth Week is a UVA tradition that celebrates the planet we all share. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to take part in a thought provoking, action packed ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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Vanderbilt University FutureVU Expo
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
More than 800 students, staff, faculty and others stopped by the Wond’ry April 19 to learn about FutureVU, Vanderbilt’s campus land use planning initiative, and how the university ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
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Student club Sustainable Enterprise Association-Net Impact Chapter-tables at Springfest
- Cornell University (NY)
Student club Sustainable Enterprise Association-Net Impact Chapter-tables at Springfest. Springfest is a celebration of Earth Day, and an event recognizing the myriad environmental programs, clubs, and collaborations across campus. Featuring ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
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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. Additional content and advanced benchmarking tools will be added to this tab over time.
Programs and Initiatives
The following links connect to specific Content Displays on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
- Transformative sustainability partnerships with the local community
- Inventories of continuing education courses that address sustainability
- Total number of annual student community service hours
Scores
The following link connects to the Score Display on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
Public Engagement Partners
American Association of Community Colleges
Washington, DCAmerican Association of State Colleges and Universities
Washington, DCEnvironmental Association for Universities & Colleges (EAUC)
Cheltenham, GloucestershireBusiness Affiliate
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
Washington, DCRivanna Natural Designs
Richmond, VABusiness Affiliate