California State University, East Bay
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

ENSC 3999: Advanced Topics in Environmental Science This course is being offered as part of a new effort to restore oak woodlands on Cal State East Bay’s Concord campus. The restoration will be used to offset greenhouse gas emissions from Cal State East Bay as part of President Morishita’s Carbon Commitment. Students will learn spatial mapping techniques, restoration planning, as well as field measurement skills for monitoring greenhouse gas exchange and biogeochemical modeling. Students will also learn about carbon market economies and gain in-depth understanding of how these markets function.

CMGT 430/630 - Environmental Issues and Green Building: Environmental laws and regulations pertaining to construction. Issues such as construction waste disposal and treatment, and green building concepts, LEED permits, scoring and submittal processes for projects. Class will look specifically at Recreation & Wellness Building on campus as an evaluation site.

Physics 3999: Sustainable Energy Systems In this course, you will develop the skills to measure and analyze data, ultimately providing recommendations for load reduction and integration of clean energy technologies. You will survey energy end-use technologies in use on the campus (e.g. lights, electronic equipment, HVAC systems) and any associated controls technologies. These studies will help you to identify efficiency opportunities by measuring plug loads, conducting energy audits, and using monitored and available data and software to compare appliance and equipment efficiency and building performance to ENERGY STAR standards. The class will coordinate with appropriate facilities management staff regarding all equipment monitoring and explore options for retro-fitting and further integration of clean energy technologies.

"Feasibility of Beneficial Re-use of Green Waste and Food Waste to Restore Undeveloped Campus Land The Project: • Create an interdisciplinary course for undergraduates in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Biology, Recreation, etc. • Assess the feasibility of ecological restoration on the Cal State East Bay Hayward Campus using green/food waste-derived compost and other on-campus resources. The Details: • Students will assess potential end-uses of restored land, including curriculum and passive recreation. • The creation of an outdoor, on-campus resource for interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary field learning would be of potential benefit to many academic programs. • Restoration of historical, drought-tolerant native oak woodlands would have multiple benefits for Facilities Operations and the local environment, including: decreasing waste management costs by using organic wastes on-campus, decreasing waste transportation, sequestering carbon dioxide, decreasing erosion, and improving air quality. The first step of this long-term vision is a feasibility study, performed by students, with faculty guidance. Initially, the project will focus on four areas: 1. Identifying and quantifying waste sources, treatment, and re-use (as compost); 2. Quantifying waste re-use impacts (e.g., decreased carbon footprint); 3. Conducting an ecological restoration needs assessment (current needs); 4. Examining maintenance, expansion, and end-use needs (future needs, end-use potential)." https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/sustainability/Campus%20as%20a%20Living%20Lab%20Library/EB-Massey.pdf

ENSC 3999: Issues in Environmental Science In this course, we will examine the beneficial re-use of composted green waste (e.g., grass clippings) and food waste (e.g., from the Dining Commons), and will design a student-driven on-campus reuse program. The staff have some ideas, but would like students to be creative in designing solutions (so we’re leaving it open for your ideas). The course is primarily focused on project-based learning in teams; while there will be some direct instruction, there will also be a significant amount of individual and group work (both in-class and outside of class). So what’s in it for you, you might be asking? Well, hopefully, an interesting, fun, and educational class, and a chance to make lasting, positive improvements to the Cal State East Bay Hayward campus!