California State University, Dominguez Hills
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Communications (COMMS) and Marketing (MKT) professors often use their coursework to support the Office of Sustainability's campus engagement efforts.

As an example during the 2021-22 AY, a student applied their COMM 496 academic internship to work with the Office of Sustainability (Spring 2022), using their marketing skills to design flyers and collateral to engage the campus community in understanding green initiatives on campus.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Multiple professors support student research on the local community in terms of accessibility to sustainable food, services, resources, etc.

As an example during the 2020-21 academic year, a student applied their EAR 496 academic internship to creating a localized food resources GIS map to demonstrate public access to fresh produce in the immediate region (including campus).

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Professors in Earth Science and Interdisciplinary Studies collaborate often to engage students in air quality studies of the campus and the region, using two PurpleAir sensors located on campus as a baseline for this research.

This resulted in at least six student research projects on this topic at the 2022 CSUDH Student Research Day conference (https://www.csudh.edu/gsr/research/student-research-day/)

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

In the 2021-22 academic year, there were two student research projects related to buildings:

One was a student research project to conduct indoor air quality studies using a prototype filter (sponsored by the Toro Green Initiative Fund).

One was a student project as part of an academic internship for EAR 496 to conduct lighting assessments of campus buildings for energy efficiency opportunities/retrofits.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Chemistry 102 and Sports Management integrate an energy efficiency 101 lesson taught by the campus energy manager at least once a semester, and also include a tour of the campus Central Plant which supplies 90% of the HVAC on campus. Students learn about energy in the context of use on campus, and are assigned homework and activities based on this experience.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Interdisciplinary Studies professor Jenney Hall supports student research in addressing food insecurity issues among students on campus. This includes projects related to supporting the on-campus farm, food distribution, and food surveys evaluating access and preferences amongst the student population. (This regularly engages students in IDS 101 and IDS 201 on these topics).

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Professors regularly support student research projects in the Dominguez Hills Wetland Area on campus as well as the Heritage Creek bioswale at the end of Parking Lot 7 and the Campus Urban Farm.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, the 2022 CSUDH Student Research Day conference presented three such projects:

• Urban Coyote Project at CSUDH: Using urban Ecological Research to Guide Wildlife Management
• Analyzing wildlife patterns after the COVID 19 pandemic and how to mange pedestrian safety on returning back to campus.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program
• The Effects Native Plants and Fertilizers have on Nutrient Levels and Soil Infiltration Rates within two Different Sites on the CSUDH Campus
• Comparing how plant and grow mediums affect drainage and runoff at CSUDH.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program
• Visualizing the Spatial Pattern of Sprinklers System for Better Irrigation Practices at CSUDH
• Employing spatial methods to demonstrate irrigation patterns, in order to plan for net zero water usage.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

As part of a volunteer internship, a student in the 2020-21 academic year conducted a purchasing analysis and green cleaning inventory of custodial cleaning products (used towards OP-13 in this STARS submittal).

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

As part of the ENV 596 academic internship, a student mapped the bicycle rack placement on campus to analyze alternative transportation support for bicycling and inform placement for the bicycle rack installed as part of the 2021-22 Toro Green Initiative Fund.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

The campus zero waste program is often the topic of student research and course project engagement.

For the 2022 CSUDH Student Research Day, at least two of these projects were presented:
• Spatial Analysis of the Waste Management Program at CSUDH
• Utilizing GIS to determine if zero waste stations are in the most optimal geographic location for correct sorting of waste.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program
• Composting Comparative Analysis
• Utilizing different growing mediums and soil for plants in CSUDH Campus Urban Farm.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

The 2022 Student Research Day featured at least one student project studying irrigation on campus grounds:

Visualizing the Spatial Pattern of Sprinklers System for Better Irrigation Practices at CSUDH
• Employing spatial methods to demonstrate irrigation patterns, in order to plan for net zero water usage.
• Source: SRD 2022 Program

In addition, an academic intern through ENV 596 conducted a campus-wide indoor water fixture audit to determine the efficiency of indoor water fixtures on campus in fall 2022.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Volunteer for-credit interns are invited to, and expected to attend and participate in the formal Sustainability Committee meetings that occur once per semester. They receive formal learning pre/post tests and objectives as a part of their volunteer internship.

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

Multiple student research projects focus on Diversity & Affordability from multiple hosting departments.

The 2022 Student Research Day highlighted at least two of these projects:
• India Sanders, Undergraduate Student Covid-19 and Mental Health Faculty Mentor: Ashley Membere, Psychology- impact on minority CSUDH students
• https://www.csudh.edu/Assets/csudh-sites/gsr/docs/Student-Research-Day/SRD%202022/Roundtable%20-%20Thursday_Final.pdf
• Alexander Camarillo, Undergraduate Student Supporting First-Year Student Success through a Combination of High Impact Educational Practices Faculty Mentor: Phillip A. Vieira, Psychology
• https://www.csudh.edu/Assets/csudh-sites/gsr/docs/Student-Research-Day/SRD%202022/Thursday%20Poster%20Abstracts_Final.pdf

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

The Entrepreneurial Institute and CSUDH Enactus Team offers students start-up and small business development support, and encourages them to pursue a variety of projects. Many have a focus on sustainable development and social solutions, and their programs have supported over 400 past and present student members with hundreds of student designed social entrepreneurship projects (https://enactus.org/). The CSUDH Innovation Incubator provides similar services (https://incubator.csudh.edu/).

California State University (CSU) policies support overarching success, access, and basic needs by system wide initiatives and programs that empower students with an inclusive, affordable, high quality education. As part of the 2014 CSU Sustainability Policy, the CSU focused on integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum without compromising core values and goals. As a result of these efforts, the Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program was set as an initiative towards faculty and facilities operations to create or redesign courses that incorporate specific sustainability or environmental challenges while supporting the CSU commitment to higher education and workforce development.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.

There are many student research projects related to health and psychology which use the campus as a living laboratory. Some recent examples included analyses of the effectiveness of on-campus programs and their services.

Some recent examples from the 2022 Student Research Day:
• Exploring Culture Misconception and Fear of Retribution as Barriers to Reporting Elder Abuse Among Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Students Faculty Mentor: Sally Mahmoud, Nursing (2022 SRD)

• “My Therapist Is the Trees”: A Phenomenological Study of Experiences of Spirituality in Nature
• Better Environmental planning could lead to better health outcomes with outdoor therapy.
• The Lived Experiences of Identity Reconstruction in Individuals with an SCI who Participate in Outdoor Recreation
• The results demonstrated that outdoor and activity meaning are inseparable and outdoor recreation supported their identity, social participation, and quality of life.

The CALL initiative set an ambitious goal of addressing sustainability goals while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to solve a real-world campus problem. Faculty present or redesign a course to incorporate student learning and activities that respond to that particular campus’s challenge. At the same time, the CSU wants to keep closing the achievement gap for students through academics that better prepare them for their careers by having or creating unique experiences that translate into the world through active and experiential learning. The CALL initiative has resulted in substantial work (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) by students and/or faculty utilizing infrastructure and operations for multi disciplinary learning and/or applied research that has contributed to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in various areas.