| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 33.04 |
| Liaison | Olivia Herron |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2022 |
Austin Peay State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.40 / 4.00 |
Olivia
Herron Sustainability Coordinator Physical Plant |
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Living-learning courses and other honors programs utilize the APSU Food Pantry and associated SOS Victory Gardens to teach students about food insecurity, social justice, and urban agriculture.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
The Outdoor Education Center and Preds Children's Garden are outdoor facilities meant to engage the larger community with sustainability education. The Govs Summer camp brings local children for weekly garden lessons at the children's garden. Local civic groups including the city sustainability board utilize the OEC for meetings and educational programming.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
The SOS victory garden program composts all campus coffee grounds, and before covid19 collected all pre-consumer food scraps from the main campus dining facility. The composing process has been featured in several classes including BIO 2400.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
Austin Peay maintains a certified arboretum for student education on diverse tree species. There are also two extremely diverse native meadows on campus, one of which boasts several endangered and rare species. These areas are also utilized for plant ID, research purposes, and material collection for art courses. One unique example includes a natural dying class that harvests materials on campus. The Center for Service Learning maintains bee hives on campus which has resulted in a campus-wide education campaign explaining our bee-friendly insecticide practices and who to contact in case of swarms. The center for excellence in field biology nets and bands birds on the sustainability-supported greenway to assess local species' health.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
The Campus Sustainability Office employed the first Waste and Recycling intern during the spring '21 semester. This student collected data for the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, assisted with a community-wide recycling event, and increased the recycling of unusual items through TerraCycle.
The Center for Service Learning operated two Earth Tub composting vessels to engage their student volunteers in composting to fertilize their adopt-a-bed plots and the food pantry gardens. Several courses have assignments related to this initiative.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
Dr. Dunkle was awarded SCFC funding for a solar-powered water pump at the APSU farm to conduct groundwater testing. A biology student has identified over 55,000 insects in local streams to create a new stream water quality rating system for this area.
https://www.apsu.edu/news/april-2022-bats-insects-0425.php
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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