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Case Studies

Introduction

AASHE’s case study library contains hundreds of detailed case studies on a wide variety of higher education sustainability initiatives from faculty development programs to whole campus energy retrofits to community partnerships. All case studies are entered in the annual AASHE Awards Program.

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At a Glance

885
Total Resources
474
Organizations
21
Countries
48
U.S. States & Territories
7
Canadian Provinces

Bars in graphs can be clicked to view resources that align with a particular category. Because a resource may be listed under multiple topics and disciplines, graph data may include higher total counts than what is indicated in total resources above.

New Resources

885 resources
Carbon Neutrality Celebration with Office Staff

American University Achieved Carbon Neutrality Two Years Ahead of 2020 Target

  • American University (DC)

In 2018, American University became the first university, first research university, and first urban higher education campus to achieve carbon neutrality. This major goal was reached two years ahead of …

Making Climate Commitments into Climate Action

  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)

The Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP) is the sustainability action plan for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The UIC Climate Commitments, announced in April 2016, form the basis …

Searle Center for Sustainability Innovations Student Intern

Loyola University Chicago Biodiesel Program

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

The Biodiesel Program, part of the Searle Center for Sustainability Innovations in Loyola’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability, saw its humble beginnings grow from an ingenious student idea to one that …

Paperbark editorial staff photo outside of the Earth Day Celebration and Preview Party.

Paperbark Literary Magazine

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

Paperbark Literary Magazine is an interdisciplinary journal of creativity and sustainability publishing art, writing, photography, poetry, science journalism, interviews, and other creative content both in print and online at paperbarkmag.org. …

PSU Urban Center with Max Train Running Between Two Halves of the Building

Portland State University: Driving Rigorous Sustainability through Top-Level Policies

  • Portland State University (OR)

Portland State University (PSU), situated in the University District of downtown Portland, Oregon, is the only public urban university in the state located in a major metropolitan city. A recognized …

Departmental Sustainability Mission & Vision Statement -University of Washington Housing & Food Services

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)

In the academic year 2017-18, Housing & Food Services unveiled its Sustainability Mission & Vision statement. This articulation of the department’s greater commitment to sustainability was the culmination of a …

Transfer student leaves sustainability legacy at UCLA

Introduction to Sustainable Living

  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)

My proposal for the 2018 Student Sustainability Leadership Award is for a course that I was able to develop at UCLA designed to help students learn knowledge and skills that …

The first delivery of Campus Farm produce to MDining

University of Michigan Campus Farm and MDining Lead Sustainable Food Movement

  • University of Michigan (MI)

With the first delivery of Campus Farm fresh produce to Mosher Jordan dining hall in the summer of 2017, the University of Michigan’s MDining’s sustainability goal of using more local …

Ariel Photo of Construction

University of California Merced 2020 Project

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

In 2012, UC Merced launched the “2020 Project”, an initiative to add a significant amount of new teaching, research, housing, recreation and support facilities to the campus that would accommodate …

Lead Waste Auditor, Martha MacGowan conducting a waste audit

The Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) Waste Management Improvement Project

  • Nova Scotia Community College (NS)

The project began with waste audits to establish a baseline of NSCC’s waste management practices and to try and improve them. From there it progressed into education efforts at each …

Stanford R&DE Student Interns

Stanford R&DE's Student Living Laboratory

  • Stanford University (CA)

Stanford University’s Residential & Dining Enterprises in partnership with students and academic departments have transformed its facilities in to a living laboratory by performing cutting edge research on student behavior …

Stanford Students Use Green Cleaners

Stanford R&DE Student Housing Innovation in Cleaning

  • Stanford University (CA)

Stanford’s R&DE Student Housing Operations (SHO) adopted a green cleaning standard that has reduced chemical usage in residences by over 90%. The system engineer's water by infusing it with ozone …

Humber College N Building Retrofit 3

Deep Energy Retrofits at Humber College's Building N

  • Humber College (ON)

In 2015, the College developed an Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP) with impressive goals to greatly reduce energy and water use by 2034. Specifically, Humber’s IEMP sets the following targets: …

The WaterHub at Emory University – Engaging Campus & Community in Water Reclamation

  • Emory University (GA)

The WaterHub at Emory University is an on-site water recycling system, utilizing biomimicry, or engineered processes that emulate natural ecological systems, to reclaim wastewater for heating and cooling buildings and …

Food waste collected at Gallery dining hall; 2 hours, 160 pounds

Clean Plates at State: Michigan State University

  • Michigan State University (MI)

Michigan State University is continually striving to build a sustainable culture on campus and in the Spartan community. Clean Plates at State helps students and members of our community understand …

Heavy-duty maintenance lift.

UCI Bus Love: UC Irvine’s Transition from a Bio-Diesel to Electric Transit Fleet

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is the first college campus in the nation to transition over to a fully-electric bus fleet. The student-funded-and-operated Anteater Express campus shuttle service has …

Every student receives a sticker at the end of each session to remind them of the pledge they made to live a more sustainable life.

Sustainability Activation Program at the University of Dayton

  • University of Dayton (OH)

The Sustainability Activation Program (SAP) is an innovative, large scale, and peer-to-peer education program that began in October of 2016 with the intent to better educate our student body about …

Exterior bin stations now only have a blue recycle and green compost bin

Campus-wide Zero Landfill Waste Policy Implementation & Outreach Program - Emory University

  • Emory University (GA)

In January 2018, Emory University implemented a completely redesigned waste policy as a leap toward the goal of zero landfill waste (defined nationally as diverting 95% of waste from municipal …

Chesapeake College - "A Living Lab."

  • Chesapeake College (MD)

Chesapeake College, founded in 1965 as Maryland’s first regional community college, serves five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 20 percent of the state’s land, 3 percent of its population, and …

Students building garden

Mississippi State Community Garden

  • Mississippi State University (MS)

In the spring of 2017, the Student Association at Mississippi State University secured funding to further sustainability on campus. This funding was used in part to hold a proposal competition. …

A Behavior Based Energy Conservation Program at Suffolk County Community College

  • Suffolk County Community College (NY)

Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) is the largest community college in New York State, with over 26,000 students enrolled across three campuses and two extension sites. As a large institution …

RU Sustainable themed sticker design

RU Sustainable event series

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)

RU Sustainable events are designed with the purpose of bringing together faculty, students, and staff to engage with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). As described on the …

Partnership Development of Sustainable Learning

  • Triton College (IL)

From a partnership of labor and industry and a community college grew an educational program geared toward meeting industry needs while highlighting facility sustainability and environmental awareness.

Presentation during Yale Sustainability Action Planning workshop

Sustainability Action Planning Program

  • Yale University (CT)

In 2017, the Yale Office of Sustainability launched a cohort-based sustainability action planning program that offered students, faculty, and staff members from 10 Professional Schools and three Officer Units the …

Using Technology to Motivate and Quantify Behavior Change: My Cardinal Green

  • Stanford University (CA)

In today’s increasingly technological and personalized world, sustainability professionals must provide opportunities to engage their community in a way that is relevant for them, while also quantifying the impacts of …

SOU Dish Loan Program Inventory Storage

Southern Oregon University Dish Loan Program

  • Southern Oregon University (OR)

Southern Oregon University's Ecology and Sustainability Resource Center launched a Dish Loan Program in fall 2017. The Dish Loan Program is a free alternative for campus clubs, organizations, and departments …

Integral inclusion of sustainability to the curriculum

  • The Universidad Tecnologica Metropolitana (Metropolitana Region)

It shows how the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana de Chile integrated sustainability throughout the curriculum for all its programs

compost sign

Improving office recycling

  • Raritan Valley Community College (NJ)

Every semester, the Environmental Science and Sustainability (ENVI201) class studies recycling on campus and comes up with ideas for improvements. Student Deidre Supple had the idea of improving recycling in …

Cultivating the Globally Sustainable Self Summit Series - Advancing Education for Sustainable Development Through Research and Practice

  • James Madison University (VA)

The Cultivating the Globally Sustainable Self Summit Series is a multi-year, multi-institution initiative that promotes transformative teaching, training, and learning in research and practice (www.jmu.edu/summitseries). The innovative Summit Series addresses …

Undergraduate Team Wells Presents During the 1st Presentation Round

The U-Challenge at Texas A&M

  • Texas A&M University (TX)
  • Johnson Controls, Inc (WI)
  • Siemens Industry, Inc. (IL)

The U-Challenge is a semester-long research competition for students that has evolved over the past two years to encompass both graduate and undergraduate teams from all majors. Student teams of …

Food Lab Compost Project

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)

This project aims to reduce food waste produced by the West Chester University Food Lab. First, food scraps from the the Food Lab are collected in a sealed bin. Then, …

Working on Biodiesel in the Lab

Renewable Energy for Campus Facilites Services

  • Black Hills State University (SD)

Demonstrating the effectiveness of the use of renewable energy at low costs in campus facilities services vehicles will help Black Hills State University reach its carbon and waste reduction goals. …

The Most Popular, Annual Sustainable Event at UC Merced - EARTH DAY!

UC Merced's 1st Annual Earth Month Celebration

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

Earth Month was an opportunity for UC Merced organizations and departments as well as Merced Community members to come together in an effort to increase student engagement with our campus …

Dismantling a local School to Prison Pipeline with Education for Sustainable Development

  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)

UTRGV’s collaboration with an alternative school and its subsequent integration of education for sustainable development has been transformative for the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized youth.

Armed guards stand at …

Northwestern University receives the 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award

Northwestern University Comprehensive Building Energy Data Audit

  • Northwestern University (IL)

Northwestern University is committed to fostering environmental and ethical stewardship. The University’s Strategic Sustainability Plan establishes a vision for reducing environmental impacts. In terms of the University’s built environment, the …

The ripple effect: Hydo-Aeorponics growing on campus

  • Missouri Southern State University (MO)
  • Chartwells Higher Education (NY)

In August of 2016 Missouri State University brought 2 zip grow towers( a Hydo-Aeorponics vertical grow tower system) to campus in partnership to display a hyper-local growing option for produce. …

Implementation of a Green Labs Program in Campus Laboratories

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham (AL)

UAB Green Labs Program is an institution-wide, voluntary program designed to reduce the university’s carbon output while simultaneously reducing operation costs of research buildings. The program accomplishes its goals by …

First Application of UN-Toolkit to a Collegiate Climate Action Plan

  • San Diego State University (CA)

The United Nations Guiding Principles for Climate Action Planning Toolkit: City-Level Reviews was re-engineered to allow for the applicability and utilization towards university-level climate action plans. Through tailoring the eight …

Solarizing UC Santa Barbara

  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)

In 2017 UCSB increased its onsite renewable energy generating capacity tenfold through a multi-site Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). UCSB now has over 5.3 megawatts (MW) of on-site solar capacity which …

Michigan Tech Sustainability Demonstration House

  • Michigan Technological University (MI)

The goal of Sustainability Demonstration House (SDH) project is to retrofit the former University President’s residence, built in 1953, titled the Kettle-Gundlach Building into a sustainability demonstration house. The SDH …

U of A Students Working to Ensure Food isn't Wasted During Walmart Week

The Razorback Food Recovery

  • University of Arkansas (AR)

Food recovery – the practice of preventing surplus foodstuffs from being dumped in the trash – takes numerous forms and provides a variety of social, economic, and environmental benefits. According …

Student Team Members at HBN's Ribbon Cutting ceremony in August 2017.

Enable by House by Northwestern - a 2017 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon Team

  • Northwestern University (IL)

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon showcases innovative solar powered houses that are designed, built, and operated by collegiate teams. It is a collegiate competition of 10 contests that …

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Upgrade Project

  • Northwestern University (IL)

Northwestern University is committed to fostering environmental and ethical stewardship. The University’s Strategic Sustainability Plan establishes a vision for reducing the University’s environmental impacts. In the area of transportation, the …

Adding Recycling into Individual Offices

  • South Dakota State University (SD)

2017-2018 has been the year of recycling for South Dakota State University. We looked at recycling levels and determined there was room for improvement. It was determined that availability of …

HVAC

Fashion Institute of Technology Energy Master Plan

  • Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)
  • NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability (NY)

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a leading art and design school in New York City, has made impressive strides to reduce its energy and carbon footprints. By implementing an …

Emory Pollinator Protection Program

  • Emory University (GA)

Concerned about the plight of bees and other pollinators, which are essential for two-thirds of the food crops we eat every day, Emory University developed a comprehensive Pollinator Protection Commitment …

Bobcat Blend crew processing food waste

Composting for a Greener Campus: the Texas State University Bobcat Blend program

  • Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)

Bobcat Blend is a faculty managed, student-run and grant-supported research and teaching-oriented waste management campus composting program at Texas State University. The goals of the organization are to teach students, …

JGC Permaculture Garden and class lecture

Permaculture and Community at WCSU

  • Western Connecticut State University (CT)

The Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies is a unique partnership between Western Connecticut State University and The Jane Goodall Institute, a private non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife …

Green reminder screen saver on staff computers

Progress toward 90% waste diversion goal

  • Olds College (AB)
  • Bow Valley College (AB)

Bow Valley College has come a long way in terms of waste management in the past four years. In 2014, our waste diversion rate was 19%. In 2018, our diversion …

  • Posted April 25, 2018
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Sweater Swap 101

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
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