Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.83
Liaison Hannah Spirrison
Submission Date March 29, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Antioch College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Kim Landsbergen
Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science
Sciences Division
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Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
Student sustainability workers researched best practices with regards to Greenhouse Gas Inventories and began preliminary data collection of Greenhouse Gas emissions on campus.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Student monitored peak energy usage and baseline energy usage in buildings and designed an intervention as part of an Independent Study.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
As an independent study, students developed and tested a wind generator prototype using repurposed materials. Students in ANTH 110: Culture Conflict traveled to Kayford Mountain, WV to talk with anti-mountaintop removal activists, see the devastation caused by mountaintop removal, and tour a site that had been through the reclamation process. Coming back to campus after the field trip, students launched some awareness campaigns about energy use and mountaintop removal. They produced videos, organized a speaker event, and hung notices about energy use in the classrooms and other buildings on campus.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
Student Farm Assistants learn and practice ecological farming methods including annual crop production, animal care, hoop house growing, perennial plant and food forest care, and compost management.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
Students in an independent study course on green infrastructure and landscape design used campus landscape for projects. An Environmental Science faculty member co-installed pollinator habitat native plants next to the Arts & Science Building for use in Botany and EcoAg projects Students in Environmental Science 230 tested campus and Farm soils for lead (Pb) content and soil carbon A student completed a senior project that compared native and invasive leaf litter decomposition rates in the College's Glen Helen Nature Preserve.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
Two students worked in conjunction with faculty and staff to inventory and establish systems for monitoring purchasing of janitorial supplies, office supplies and gasoline

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
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Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Students in a one week residency in closing the human nutrient cycle built a urine-diverting compost toilet which now sits on the Antioch Farm. An Arts faculty member worked with local residents in putting together a free repair café on the Antioch Campus that made services available to the community that allowed for the repair of many different types of machinery and electronics instead of landfilling them.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Chemistry students regularly measure phosphate content of water and monitor sewage outfall as part of CHEM 160 and General Chemistry 2.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Students in an applied transdisciplinary class on planning and renovation worked in conjunction with a faculty member and an Alumni volunteer to make the second floor of Weston Hall available for use by students, to provide office space for community council and student organizations, and to create a new space for the campus free store -- a space for sharing items that may have otherwise been thrown away. The work in the building was authorized by the campus Space Committee, and students worked in conjunction with that committee and the class instructors to plan and implement the class projects.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Students in the Kingian Nonviolence course completed nonviolence direct action projects that used Kingian nonviolence to address issues on campus.

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
Students in Global Seminar: Food (Spring 2016) conducted a Yellow Springs survey about community willingness and support for municipal composting.

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Students enrolled in the Yoga Teacher Training course lead Yoga and wellness activities on campus as part of their training.

Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
Students in 'social marketing for sustainability' learned the basics of conservation psychology and how to apply these principles to encourage behavior change in others by developing, implementing, and evaluating an intervention on campus.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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