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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

959
Total Resources
504
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

959 resources

On-site Energy Manager Program

  • SUNY Jefferson Community College (NY)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (NY)

In February of 2019 Jefferson Community College began a one-year commitment to provide a one-half time FTE On-site Energy Manager position in partnership with NYSERDA under project code OsEM17-C, (PON …

Animals on Shredded Cardboard Bedding

“Box to Farm to Compost”: A Paradigm Shift from an Extractive Culture to Regenerative Culture

  • Iowa State University (IA)

As a land grant university with a student population of over 30,000 students and about 6000 faculty and staff, there are enormous packaging items that make its way to campus …

University of Vermont Eco-Reps “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” Transportation Campaign Case Study

  • University of Vermont (VT)

For UVM Eco-Reps’ first campaign of the 2019-20 academic year, we tackled issues related to how we move around. Whether it’s getting to class, work, or a friend’s house, how …

Pay As You Throw: Testing a New Waste Reduction Strategy at Yale University

  • Yale University (CT)

In the spring of 2019, Yale launched a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) pilot program, the first of its kind among American institutions of higher education. From inception to development …

  • Posted April 17, 2020
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Students Tabling at Agricultural Literacy Week Celebration

UVM's Food Values Campaign

  • University of Vermont (VT)

The UVM Eco-Reps program consists of 20 students that are divided up into five community teams, with each team assigned to a specified residential area on campus. Each semester, Eco-Reps …

  • Posted Feb. 27, 2020
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Bike Friendly University

  • University of Cincinnati (OH)

The Bicycle Friendly University program recognizes institutions of higher education for promoting and providing a more bikeable campus for students, staff and visitors. The Bicycle Friendly University program evaluates university's …

  • Posted Feb. 27, 2020
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Group of students participating in a spoon making event in Spring 2019.

Sequestering Carbon: Using Campus Wood to Make Carbon-Capturing Furniture and Items

  • Western Michigan University (MI)

The Living Woodshop, run by the Office for Sustainability at Western Michigan University, has been designed as a partnership with the Facilities Management department to reuse lumber on campus. Wood …

Freddy Court Map (communal bin was placed on SE corner)

Frederickson Court Trial Compost System

  • Iowa State University (IA)

With a campus compost facility already in operation, Iowa State University’s Compost Team sought to utilize the facility in more places around campus. The team identified Frederickson (Freddy) Court, a …

University of Vermont Eco-Reps Points of Intervention Campaign Case Study

  • University of Vermont (VT)

Every Spring semester, the UVM Eco-Reps carry out a campaign related to the main theme of Earth Week. This year, that theme was ‘Points of Intervention’ (POI). Points of Intervention …

  • Posted Sept. 24, 2019
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University of Vermont Eco-Reps Food Campaign Case Study

  • University of Vermont (VT)

The 2018-2019 professional development offering for the UVM Eco-Reps was a symposium centered around food concerns entitled Taking Root Student Symposium. Having been introduced to a wide variety of food-related …

  • Posted Sept. 24, 2019
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From the Classroom to the COP: Equipping Emory Students to Become Climate Policy Leaders

  • Emory University (GA)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took effect in 1994, and its main objective is to lessen the impact of human interference that threatens the Earth’s climate …

Student Sustainability Leadership Award

  • California State University Maritime Academy (CA)

California State University Maritime Academy in its continued effort to becoming most sustainable campus, engaging staff, faculty, and students, explored and identified water saving opportunities for the campus. The project …

Campus Sustainability Achievement

  • California State University Maritime Academy (CA)

California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) participated in the Arbor Day Foundation program, managed by a non-profit conservation and education organization founded in 1972, and applied for the Tree …

Environmental Justice

Hope and Empowerment: Navigating Grief, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice Through Train-the-Trainer Workshops

  • Portland Community College (OR)
  • Portland State University (OR)
  • Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN) (OR)

In these times of accelerating change, environmental crises, and social injustices, we are bombarded with negative news that can numb and overwhelm the spirit. How can we build hope and …

Connecting Artists and Sustainability with the Arts of the Earth Festival at Bemidji State University

  • Bemidji State University (MN)

The Arts of the Earth Festival is a fun event to "Celebrate Art, Honor Mother Earth, and Inspire Community". This year's festival was held on Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, …

teach in

The Pyramid of Action: A Multifaceted Approach For Deeper Engagement

  • California State University, Chico (CA)

With many environmental issues overwhelming students today, it can be paralyzing. So, AS Sustainability utilized the “Pyramid of Action” strategy in semester-long campaigns, leading students from awareness, behavior change, education …

Aggie Green Fund Official Logo

Aggie Green Fund

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

Aggie Green Fund (AGF) is a funds granting program under the Office of Sustainability that invites sustainability ideas from all members of the University community (students, faculty, and staff) to …

CU Boulder Animal Bedding Compost

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

Animal vivariums on college campuses generate a significant amount of animal bedding waste every day. CU Boulder houses only small animal vivariums (mice, rats, etc.). The animal bedding generated at …

Additional QA/QC testing by student interns

The Searle Biodiesel Lab - Loyola University Chicago's Student-Run Biodiesel Program

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

The Biodiesel Lab is a student-run biodiesel production facility within Loyola University’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability. Starting from a single student’s idea over a decade ago, nearly 100 students have …

Workshop attendees at the SDG Summit 2018

Leveraging student leadership to build campus capacity for Sustainable Development Goals implementation: a case study on the University of Calgary’s Sustainable Development Goals Alliance.

  • University of Calgary (AB)

The Sustainable Development Goals Alliance (SDGA) is a student-led organization at the University of Calgary which seeks to improve campus and community collaboration towards the implementation of the seventeen Sustainable …

Central College Tree Campus

  • Central College (IA)
  • Arbor Day Foundation (NE)

Central College is a leader in sustainability education, both in Iowa and the Midwest. For more than a century, Central students and staff have helped plant and care for trees …

Central College Bee Campus

  • Central College (IA)
  • The Xerces Society (OR)

Central College is a leader in sustainability education, both in Iowa and the Midwest. For more than a century, Central students and staff have prioritized sustainability at the college. After …

WU January Hall Renovation: Journey from no certification to designed to achieve LEED v4 Platinum and beyond

  • Washington University in St. Louis (MO)

Constructed in 1922, Grace Valle January Hall housed the School of Law from the mid-1920s until the completion of the Seeley Mudd Law Building in the early 1970s. January Hall …

Coalition building to create university-wide change

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

Two years ago, we formed the Rutgers Sustainability Coalition, a student-led group of representatives from about 20 student organizations working together to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We …

Students for Sustainability

  • University of Central Oklahoma (OK)

Students for Sustainability was established in 2016 as the University of Central Oklahoma's first and only sustainability oriented organization. The group was founded not only as an outlet for students …

Case Study Results Graphic

Composting at Northwestern University Norris Center

  • Northwestern University (IL)
  • Real Food Challenge (AZ)
  • Compass Group (NC)

The project consists of the successful implementation of a front-of-the-house composting program in Northwestern University's Norris Center food court dining area and the coordination of a series of experiments to …

UC Sustainable Procurement Program and Policy Overhaul

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

Purchasing departments, such as those of the University of California campuses, have embraced the responsibility and opportunity to leverage their purchasing power as a force for good. But assessing and …

Showing off one of the TRU Ebikes

Thompson Rivers University Bikeshare and Employee E-bike Purchase Program

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University began a simple bike share program with five bikes that was designed for students, staff and faculty to have access to bicycles for up to a week …

UW Mailing Services delivery drivers and the electric-assist cargo bikes.

Delivering difference: using e-bikes to deliver mail at the University of Washington

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)

With over 80,000 students, faculty, and staff on campus, it's difficult to comprehend the sheer number of packages, textbooks, course packets and dorm mail UW Mailing Services delivers on a …

One of the innovative design features was incorporating wood into many of the interior and exterior architectural features

Heritage building re-envisioned, modernized and integrated with a 21st-century addition to become an energy-efficient and sustainable living laboratory

  • Royal Roads University (BC)

The $24.3M Sherman Jen Building (SJB), which opened to students in September 2018, was a renovation and re-visioning project that repurposed an underutilized, energy inefficient, 3,120 square metre heritage building …

Fighting Irish, Fighting Food Waste: Converting Food Waste into Energy at Notre Dame

  • University of Notre Dame (IN)

At Notre Dame food and hospitality are integral aspects of campus culture. Over the last three years, two student-centered projects aimed at fighting food waste will allow Notre Dame to …

University of California’s Cool Campus Challenge

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

In 2019 the University of California launched the Cool Campus Challenge, an online competition between all ten campuses to engage students, faculty, and staff in the UC Carbon Neutrality initiative. …

President's Cart Solar Roof

The Impact of Solar-assistance on Electric Golf Carts

  • Georgia College & State University (GA)

In the Condensed Matter Research Lab at Georgia College, we conducted a real-world experiment to quantify the impact of vehicle-mounted solar panels. Our campus golf cart fleet consists of both …

TRUE Zero Waste Platinum Certification, Chou Hall

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

Connie and Kevin Chou Hall is the newest building addition to the UC Berkeley Haas Business School. It is the first academic building in the world to achieve US Green …

Combine biomass DES and Low Carbon Electrification approaches to eliminate 100% GHG emissions from natural gas

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has met or exceeded Global, National and Provincial GHG reduction targets over past 10 years. Since 2010 TRU has reduced GHG emissions by more than 35 …

Student Leaders Supporting Student Success

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

The Bobcat Pantry serves as a sustainable service addressing food insecurity while combating student huger and malnourishments. The space encourages students to implement health-conscious lifestyles to further their academic success. …

Green Roof Article

Do, Learn, Do: Expanding Green Roof Infrastructure at Notre Dame

  • University of Notre Dame (IN)

*See this story for more information: https://news.nd.edu/news/largest-roof-greenscape-in-indiana-lives-atop-notre-dames-joyce-center/ *

Athletics are key to campus life at the University of Notre Dame, as are the facilities that make them possible. Over the …

Cross-Campus and Community Collaborative Bikeshare

  • Champlain College (VT)
  • University of Vermont (VT)

Champlain College and UVM played an integral role in advancing the timeline of bringing bikeshare to Chittenden County. With almost 75% of active Greenride members being affiliates of UVM and …

Direct hauling from parking lot

A New Zero Waste Goal for Division 1 Football Games

  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

Lauren Lichterman, the Operations and Sustainability Coordinator for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Texas at Austin, is not one to stop and rest on her laurels. She used a …

The Good Store - Product Images

The Good Store

  • University of Northern British Columbia (BC)
  • Prince George Public Interest Research Group (BC)

The Good Store is a low waste shop established on the UNBC campus to provide all members of the community with access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food options. The …

Low Carbon Electrification results in campus wide GHG reductions while adding a new building

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has met or exceeded Global, National and Provincial GHG reduction targets over past 10 years. Since 2010 TRU has reduced GHG emissions by more than 35 …

official poster version 2018

University Student Sustainability Conference

  • Universidad de Chile (Region Metropolitana)

The CEUS Congress (for its acronym in Spanish) is a space for convergence of young leaders from all over the country, where discussions are held on the different topics of …

BU Campus Map, Straw Usage

Fostering a Straw-Conscious University

  • Boston University (MA)

Our initiative worked to make Boston University a straw-conscious environment.
Since most recycling facilities are not equipped with the proper machinery to recycle plastic straws, we focused our campaign on …

One of our waste stations

McHenry County College Composts! (Finally!)

  • McHenry County College (IL)

Composting has been a goal of the MCC Board of Trustees approved Sustainability Strategic Plan since 2012 and 2015. Based on a waste audit done several years ago, MCC’s waste …

Sustainable Events Consultant Volunteer Team

The McGill Staff Engagement Ladder

  • McGill University (QC)

Between 2016 and 2019, the McGill Office of Sustainability developed four separate engagement programs to increase collective sustainability actions for staff, students, and faculty. The programs were strategically developed to …

Coffee Sticker

Dollar Coffee Club

  • University of Montana- Missoula (MT)

The intent of the Dollar Coffee Club (DCC) is to leverage the powerful appeal of one dollar coffee to incentivize customers to participate in sustainability efforts through a quid pro …

One of four bioswales and urban prairies built on campus since 2016.

The Ripple Effect: Community Cultivated, Regionally Replicated

  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette (LA)

Last fall, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released “Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States” from the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4). It emphasizes that the …

NSCC Waste Diversion Initiative

  • Nova Scotia Community College (NS)

After establishing a baseline for the College’s waste diversion rates at our thirteen Campuses across the Province of Nova Scotia, NSCC’s sustainability office coordinated a waste diversion campaign to address …

Chemistry students utilize the on-site compost bins to conduct research on the makeup of the compost and the compostability of items

The Chemistry Behind Composting

  • Harper College (IL)

Harper College Facilities Management partnered with Harper’s Chemistry Department to begin a compost collection and research program on campus. Compost bins were built in-house on Harper’s grounds for campus users …

Carbon-less Concert at the community engagement event

Our Solar Potential

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)

Farm the Sun with Us is a term project led by students working on an assessment to determine the feasibility of implementing a campus solar farm. The project continues to …

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