Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
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Overall Score | 60.78 |
Liaison | Jessica Bowen |
Submission Date | March 4, 2019 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Aquinas College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
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3.60 / 4.00 |
Jessica
Eimer Bowen Director of Sustainability Center for Sustainability |
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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 interns in the sustainability office take a lead role in compiling Climate Leadership Network reports (carbon footprint and progress reports), with supervision from the campus sustainability director.
Buildings
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 Buildings:
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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:
Student interns in the sustainability office take a lead role in compiling Climate Leadership Network reports (carbon footprint and progress reports), with supervision from the campus sustainability director. Student interns partner with the Director of the Green Revolving Fund (GRF) on campus to assess potential GRF projects, track savings from projects and predict future savings. They also are leading the effort to update our real-time energy displays, located in the lobbies of 10 campus buildings.
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:
Numerous staff, student, and faculty volunteers (alongside student sustainability office interns) play an active role in the campus community garden. A couple students also serve on the Infrastructure Sustainability Committee, the group who oversees the community garden.
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:
Mary Clinthorne, Geography professor, worked with her Fall 2017 GIS class and her Spring 2018 capstone class to develop the first draft of our AQ story map of the trees on the Aquinas College campus.
Purchasing
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 Purchasing:
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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
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:
Student Sustainability Advocates champion the zero waste initiative in their respective areas. Several classes also give credit for students to assist with the education effort in the zero waste initiative. Multiple classes uses the campus zero waste initiative in class projects, such as our capstone Geography/Environmental Studies class with research projects.
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:
- The Senior Geography seminar is a venue for this type of research to occur. An example is a current Senior Thesis is a water salinity monitoring project that assesses salinity increases in the ponds/creeks on the Aquinas Campus in the aftermath of snow events and salt applications.
- Rebecca Humphrey, Biology professor, worked with her research student to plan and plant a riparian buffer on Coldbrook Creek behind the Brookby mansion on campus.
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:
Each of the 3 sustainability committees (Infrastructure, Community, and Learning) have at least 2 student members.
Diversity & Affordability
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 Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance
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 Investment & Finance:
Student interns partner with the Director of the Green Revolving Fund (GRF) on campus to assess potential GRF projects, track savings from projects and predict future savings.
Public Engagement
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 Public Engagement:
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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:
Aquinas hired a wellness intern in spring 2018 to assess the state of wellness on campus and make recommendations for the future.
Other Impact Areas
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 other areas:
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Optional Fields
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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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