| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 51.17 |
| Liaison | Tom Hartzell |
| Submission Date | Feb. 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Calvin University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.60 / 4.00 |
Becky
Haney Associate Professor Economics |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | --- |
| Diversity & Affordability | --- |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | --- |
| Investment | --- |
| Public Engagement | --- |
| Other | --- |
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Introduction: The Calvin Environmental Assessment Program (CEAP) started in 1997 and has been an ongoing initiative where science, engineering, and economics courses assess different aspects of sustainability for the College as class projects.
Each of the areas checked above have had a project in at least one of these classes provide information to improve some aspect of sustainability. The positive outcome for each area is provided, but the information on CEAP will not be repeated. A fuller description of CEAP is found below in this box, and on the link provided at the end of the credit.
Positive Outcome for Air & Climate: Energy reduction through the CERF program has reduced GHG emissions by switching out major lighting systems across campus.
A fuller description of CEAP follows: The CEAP initiative began in 1997 and has been ongoing ever since. It is a collaborative effort of faculty across Calvin’s campus, but mainly in the sciences, whose focus is the understanding of the campus and local ecosystem. The goal is to impact the college and local municipalities as well as individual behavior. In this innovative program, faculty dedicate a regular lab session or project to collecting data that contributes to an overall assessment of the environment of the campus and surrounding area. Classes form working teams related to particular environmental issues. The data forms the basis for recommended changes in campus policies, for programs that target individual behavioral changes, and for identifying issues that involve and impact the adjacent neighborhoods. The program is dramatically increasing natural science faculty and students’ involvement in service-learning. CEAP is developing a model that can be used by other colleges and universities to move faculty to greater engagement with the local community.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Engineering students research projects have provided proposals for using green roofs for new building projects.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Calvin Dining Services purchases some of its vegetables from the Calvin community Garden which is itself a lab for ongoing biology student research projects.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The CERF engineering student projects have implements, measured, and assessed energy reduction mechanisms such as motion sensors to reduce energy consumption from lighting. Over $100,000 and 1,000,000 kWh have been saved to date through these student projects which began in 2009 and have continued to be implemented through the present semester,
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students research projects have resulted in some installations of rain gardens and bioswales on campus.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Student research projects provided cost-benefit analysis for installation of double-sided printing in common areas. Those printers were purchased and installed in 2014.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A class project led to implementation of a bike-share program on campus in 2013.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A class project led to the introduction of composting in the dining prep areas.
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The CERF projects installed low-flow shower heads in the dorms and in student apartments in 2013-2015. These have saved water and reduced energy use. The savings from these installations are reported on the Calvin Sustainability Score Card. https://analytics.calvin.edu/views/SustainabilityScorecard2013/Dashboard1?:embed=y&:display_count=no#2
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
---
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---
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.