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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

880
Total Resources
472
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

140 resources

Kaié:ri Nikawerà:ke Indigenous Bridging Program

  • Concordia University (QC)

We are proud to offer the Kaié:ri Nikawerà:ke Indigenous Bridging Program as a pathway for eligible First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples who don’t meet Concordia’s ...

Graphical abstract from the P.L.A.N.T.S. Collective capstone project (2023).

Sustainability into Action: Undergraduate Certificate Catalyzes Sustainability Progress

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)

A generation of students faced with a sustainability crisis have the appetite to learn how to "do sustainability" and put their learning into action. We developed an innovative interdisciplinary program ...

Duke Climate Commitment

Duke University Climate Commitment

  • Duke University (NC)

As Duke University enters its second century, President Vincent Price has directed the University to marshal its collective resources and capabilities to address the climate crisis. Stemming from President Price ...

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Brandeis University’s Year of Climate Action

  • Brandeis University (MA)

In 2019, a task force set out to write a new climate action plan for the university. Among its recommendations was to dedicate an entire year to catalyzing and deepening ...

Addressing Climate Anxiety through Resilience and Community Building

  • Portland Community College (OR)

Sustainability and climate work require resilience to fend off burnout and avoidance. While our college does good work promoting sustainability through our Climate Action Plan and curricular and co-curricular environmental ...

Addressing the Social Pillar of Sustainability by Enhancing Racial Equity of Minorities in STEM Higher Education through the CREaTE Pathway

  • El Paso Community College (TX)
  • University of Texas at El Paso (TX)

The Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education (CREaTE) is a national center for research in engineering, science, and technology education at The University of Texas at El Paso ...

Unanue Scholars Program: Improving College Access for Local Latina Students

  • Catawba College (NC)

The Unanue Scholars Program serves junior Latina students from public high schools in Rowan County, North Carolina. Recipients of the scholarship are provided with a cost-free course at Catawba College ...

Building an Embedded Sustainability Approach

  • TAFE Queensland Robina Campus (QLD)

The TAFE Queensland Robina Campus has been purpose-built to lead the way as a sustainable vocational education and training (VET) provider across Australia. The campus was designed from the ground ...

WMGIC: Expanding Student Involvement in Sustainable Development

  • College of William & Mary (VA)

The Global Innovation Challenge at William and Mary (WMGIC) encourages and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and applied learning opportunities among students, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers by bringing innovative and sustainable perspectives ...

Cal Poly faculty learn about the student garden and food pantry on campus outside of the FLC sessions so they can provide students with information about equitable resources on campus.

CSU Faculty Learning Community in Teaching Climate Change and Resilience

  • California State University, Chico (CA)
  • California State University, San Marcos (CA)
  • California State University, Monterey Bay (CA)
  • Cal Poly Humboldt (CA)
  • California State University, Stanislaus (CA)
  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)
  • Strategic Energy Innovations (CA)

In the Spring of 2022, 62 faculty from six different California State University campuses representing over 30 disciplines participated in the CSU Faculty Learning Community in Teaching Climate Change and ...

Students working on campus farm as part of Physical Well Being Class

Saving the Campus Farm: One Approach to Leveraging Institutional Support for a Campus Farm Space

  • Butler University (IN)

Although there has been a dramatic increase in the number of campus farms in the past thirty year, most farms serve as co-curricular resources or have limited use in formal ...

  • Posted Jan. 13, 2022
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The Inclusive Sustainability Initiative at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)

  • California State University, San Marcos (CA)

The Inclusive Sustainability Initiative (ISI) at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) is an example of innovation and investment connecting inclusive excellence and sustainability. The term inclusive sustainability whether applied ...

California State University System-wide Climate Justice and Intersectional Sustainability Speaker Series

  • San Diego State University (CA)
  • California State University, San Marcos (CA)
  • California State University, Channel Islands (CA)
  • California State University, East Bay (CA)
  • California State University, Chancellor's Office (CA)
  • California State University, Chico (CA)
  • California State University, Fullerton (CA)
  • California State University, Long Beach (CA)
  • California State University, Northridge (CA)
  • California State University, Sacramento (CA)
  • Cal Poly Humboldt (CA)
  • California State University, Los Angeles (CA)
  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)
  • California State University, Stanislaus (CA)

During the 2020-21 academic year, Sustainability Officers from across the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system, the largest public university system in the U.S., joined forces to coordinate a ...

Integrating racial equity, social justice, and sustainability through general education learning outcome assessment

  • University of Utah (UT)

In 2014, the University of Utah administration received a poignant letter from a group of passionate students suggesting that granting an undergraduate degree to any student without ensuring that they ...

President's Sustainability Research Fellowship Cohort

Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Name: Colin Donahue Project Mentors: Carr Everbach Project board Members: Carr Everbach, Aurora Winslade, Joy Charlton, Betsy Bolton, James Padilioni, Jason Martin

The climate crisis represents one of the greatest ...

Energy Treasure Hunt Timeline

Virtual Energy Treasure Hunt Event

  • Suffolk County Community College (NY)

In April 2021, Suffolk County Community College hosted our first US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Treasure Hunt Event. The DOE describes the Treasure Hunt as “One of the best ...

President's Sustainability Research Fellowship 20-21: ChesterSemesters

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

The 2020-2021 President's Sustainability Research Fellowship ChesterSemester project was conducted by Ananya Bhattacharya '21 over the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The purpose of the project was to support the the ...

A view of the Food Forest sign and growing space

Cascadia Cornucopia Food Forest as a prototype for food permaculture areas on campuses

  • Cascadia College (WA)

The Cascadia Food Forest is an example of an integrated learning project at Cascadia College. It was designed to facilitate learning opportunities outside the classroom. The food forest is a ...

Climate Action Plan Sustainability Ambassador Course

  • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)

The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) ambassador course was piloted in the spring 2021 semester as an opportunity for students to have a direct role in assessing and recommending building-level ...

Planting the Pond Aquaponics System

Planting the Pond

  • Western Dakota Technical College (SD)

For this project, Western Dakota Tech formed an interdisciplinary team comprised of Environmental Engineering, Controlled Environment Agriculture, Electrical Trades, Computer-Aided Design, and Farm and Ranch Management students to design and ...

Collection of produce, eggs that was part of the subscription box

UCCS Food Next Door | Farm Subscription Program

  • University of Colorado Colorado Springs (CO)

The Food Next Door Farm Subscription Program strives to help fight hunger, promote food access, boost food literacy, and support regional farmers and ranchers in our community.

  • Posted April 21, 2021
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Flyer for the DIY fair

Fall 2020 Virtual DIY Fair

  • San Diego State University (CA)

With students being stuck at home due to COVID, I thought that a smart idea to keep students engaged in sustainability would be to have a week-long virtual DIY fair ...

Planting in the CVC Butterfly and Edible Garden

Student's Club Revolutionized the Meaning of Green at a Community College!

  • Dallas College (TX)

There was a mayor change at Cedar Valley College’s (CVC) Sustainability Office this academic year. All the Sustainability Awareness events were developed and delivered by the Student’s Green ...

Office of Sustainability Living Lab Case Study

  • Gonzaga University (WA)

The Gonzaga University Office of Sustainability is the living lab for testing renewable energy technologies on Gonzaga’s campus. The purpose of this student initiative is to push for renewable ...

Creating a Digital Environmental Justice Toolkit

  • University of Connecticut (CT)

With the help of University of Connecticut (UConn) students, staff and faculty members, and local and national rights-based organizations, I created an environmental justice toolkit. This novel toolkit addresses what ...

Green Café Pop-up buffet event

St. Lawrence University Green Café Farm To Table Course

  • St. Lawrence University (NY)

St. Lawrence University's student-run Green café class is a collaborative and multi-stakeholder venture with Dining Services, Seed to Table (student food justice club), undergraduates from across disciplines, and three ...

Expanding Sustainability: University of California, Santa Cruz’s Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program featuring the “Intersections Between Diversity & Environment” course

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)

The UC Santa Cruz Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program (DICP) educates staff, faculty, and graduate students to undertake in-depth examinations of how we, through recognizing and understanding of our differences ...

Leopold Lectures Colage

Engaging campus and beyond: The Aldo Leopold Distinguished Lecture Series

  • University of Northern Iowa (IA)

The Aldo Leopold Distinguished Lecture Series (ALDLS) was established in 2018 with the goal of engaging the University of Northern Iowa community, providing opportunities throughout the academic year to interact ...

STARS: A Student Reports for Duty

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Project Name: STARS Name: Jasmine Xie Project Mentors: Carr Everbach, Brenna Leary Project Board Members, Faculty Advisor, and Sustainability Sage: Jason Martin, Andy Feick, Pattie Kim-Keefer, Sibelan Forrester, Heather Hassel-Finnegan ...

Serve-Learn-Sustain's Affiliated Courses Program at Georgia Tech

  • Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)

The Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) Affiliated Courses Program is the centerpiece of sustainability education at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The program launched in Spring 2016 along with the opening of the ...

Head of lettuce from the CropKing NFT system

Pitt Hydroponics

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)

Pitt Hydroponics is a student group that is dedicated to the education of Pitt students in hydroponic practices, the outreach to local communities, and the research and creation of small-scale ...

The James Madison University Student Assessment Initiative

  • James Madison University (VA)

Between 2009 and 2020, JMU implemented a comprehensive collection of student assessments and used the results to significantly advance sustainability efforts. Three question sets were, and continue to be, administered ...

EchoWorks Logo

EchoWorks: An Electronics Recycling Community Partnership

  • Western Dakota Technical College (SD)

EchoWorks is a social enterprise that recycles electronic waste and employs people with disabilities. Located on the campus of Western Dakota Tech, a community college in Rapid City, South Dakota ...

This is the tote that current interns retrofitted to be used for our acid esterification reaction, which reduces free fatty acid content in the waste cooking oil and increases efficiency.

Loyola University Chicago's Student-run Biodiesel Lab

  • Loyola University Chicago (IL)

The Searle Biodiesel Lab is a student-run initiative within Loyola University Chicago’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES). Since 2007, the lab has produced biodiesel and BioSoap(Loyola’s all-natural ...

Sustainability Activation Program at the University of Dayton

  • University of Dayton (OH)

The Sustainability Activation Program (SAP) is a peer-to-peer education program which takes a holistic and human rights oriented approach to sustainability education on campus and in the community. It began ...

The Council On The Uncertain Human Future

PSRF Final Project Report: Climate Community

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Mission

The Climate Community President’s Sustainability Research Fellowship (PSRF) project is dedicated to generating an engaged and purposeful climate community at Swarthmore College. This means breaking the mold of ...

Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum at Swarthmore College

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Note that the full final report for this project is attached as a file at the end of this report. Please view for full in depth explanation of the project ...

Wood waste to energy system photo, with chipper enclosure frame erected by ironworker students

BCIT Wood-Waste-to-Energy Project

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)

In pursuit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, showcasing environmentally-sustainable projects for widespread use, and incorporating sustainability more broadly in curriculum, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has created a closed-loop ...

Kent State University

Kent State University Textile Reuse and Recycling Programs Divert 441,610 pounds (221 tons) From Landfill to Benefit Community and Campus Over Past 5 Years

  • Kent State University (OH)

Kent State University has reduced the amount of materials sent to landfills while providing benefits to the local community, campus, and our students. For the past 5 academic years, 2014-2015 ...

Weather Wizard

From Weather Wizard to Cloud Man: Sustainability Education & Outreach with a Fun Approach

  • Cornell University (NY)
  • American Meteorological Society (DC)

The goal of this project is to educate young students about sustainability and create a passion for the environment. Frequently, schools wait until middle school to introduce environmental topics. My ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

This Way to Climate Action at Chico State

  • California State University, Chico (CA)

Students at CSU, Chico used the Cal-Adapt climate tools to forecast the future climate for the City of Chico, Butte County, and CSU, Chico, and project the climate impacts to ...

Tarrant County College Southeast Campus Aquaponics Cultivation Center and Wildlife Development

  • Tarrant County College Southeast (TX)

This is a massive, on-going project that we have been developing as a committee over the past 2 years. Right now, I am in the process of developing 2 miles ...

  • Posted April 29, 2019
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UT Arlington

Regional Centers of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development

  • University of Texas at Arlington (TX)
  • University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (TX)
  • The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)
  • Dallas College (TX)

Why UT Arlington Deserves the Excellence in Sustainability Award

Under the leadership of Office of Sustainability at the University of Texas at Arlington, North Texas was recognized on Feb 7 ...

  • Posted March 1, 2019
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Walking the Talk: Applying Fair Trade Learning Principles to Alternative Breaks

  • Oregon State University (OR)

Alternative Breaks at Oregon State University: We integrate sustainability education and leadership via fair trade learning into our community-engaged learning/service-learning program.

Break away from apathy. Break away from the ...

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