Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.57
Liaison Juliana Goodlaw-Morris
Submission Date Dec. 18, 2020

STARS v2.2

California State University, San Marcos
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Juliana Goodlaw-Morris
Sustainability Manager
Safety, Risk and Sustainability
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Campus Engagement

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Students in our Arts Data Visualization class created a project that took sustainability data (energy, water, waste, transportation, etc.) and created visual art pieces to engage the campus in a unique and different way. This project, now called the Data Stacks, has an on-going art exhibit in our library and student art pieces about sustainability data will change each time the class is taught.

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
Modeled after the Sustainable City Year Project, CSUSM’s Democracy in Action is in partnership with the City of San Marcos. In 2017, ECON 421 The Public Economy course assisted the city with it’s Stormwater Pollution Program

https://www.csusm.edu/civiclearning/documents/diastormwaterforwebsite.pdf

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Our Business and Sustainability class created a variety of projects in Fall, 2019 and one of the groups focused on a No Idle Policy. Their main reason for creating this project was to address poor air quality and address climate concerns.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
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Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
A business course is exploring a microgrid for the campus. And a senior business experience group is starting to conduct a feasibility study. This is necessary research at this time given the California Public Safety Power Shutdowns that allow the utilities to turn off power in the event of potential safety concerns.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
A variety of student projects have focused on food and dining on campus. The majority of them have focused on how to bring more healthy, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free foods to campus. Most recently, in Environmental Studies 100 class, students conducted surveys to learn more about student needs for food on campus.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
We have had two recent projects related to grounds. The first was a service learning project within the Sustainability program that focused on having CSUSM become a Tree Campus USA university. The second looked at how to incorporate more native plants on campus, since although we have moved heavily to include drought tolerant plants, we need to still incorporate more native plants in our grounds operations.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
A recent class, (Fall 2019) Business and Sustainability Management 474 course conducted a project focused on the purchasing of paper in our College of Business Administration (CoBA). They looked at how much money CoBA spent on paper and outlined a variety of ways they could reduce their purchasing of paper, thus spending less money and reducing our paper usage.

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
Student projects have looked at a variety of ways to improve our alternative transportation efforts. Specifically, this past semester, a group project looked at how to improve our carpooling program. Students have also looked at ways to incentivize students, staff and faculty to take our above ground rail system, the Sprinter and how to encourage more students to bike and walk to and from campus.

Also, two environmental transportation justice interns developed projects focused on accessibility for students to take public transportation to and from campus this Fall, 2019.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
A variety of students have explored how to help the campus get to Zero Waste by 2025. Most recently, two students did a service learning project (Fall 2019), that observed waste habits of students across campus. Another group looked how to encourage students to use reusable items, instead of single use silverware. Also a student conducted the first waste audit in housing (Fall 2019) as a service learning student within the Sustainability program.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
In Fall 2018, a student group in the Business and Sustainability course (MGMT 474) created a video that focused on water reduction in the dorms. This video was to educate students living in housing to use less water.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
A Fall 2019 student project focused on developing an online sustainability training program for all new incoming students and new staff and faculty.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Four students in Fall 2019, within Environmental Justice 390, were environmental justice interns. They developed programs focused on general environmental justice, transportation justice and food justice. They specifically looked at how diversity, equity and inclusion can be better incorporated in the sustainability movement through the different lens mentioned above.

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
In a Business Sustainability class, student projects focused on how to reduce our financial costs as a university- with the main overarching theme around sustainability. This was shared with our Procurement department.

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
In Summer and Fall, 2017, a Masters of Public Health student created a holistic health and well-being strategic plan that connected to the sustainability master plan and our campus level strategic priorities.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program 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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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.