Cleveland State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

In 2019, a graduate student in the Levin College of Urban Affairs completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Education and Research. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to curriculum, learning outcomes and research related to sustainability.

Office of Civic Engagement - Voter Engagement Initiatives

CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), housed in the Levin College, is launching two unique initiatives in partnership with the League of Women Voters (LWV) and CSU’s First Year Experience (FYE) Introduction to University Life courses in order to inform, educate, and institutionalize civic engagement among CSU students.

For the first initiative, OCE has established a student chapter of the LWV, in partnership with the Greater Cleveland chapter. LWV is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages citizens to be civically active and informed in order to hold government bodies accountable through observation, education, and participation. The student chapter established by the OCE is the first and only LWV student chapter in the nation.

OCE has also developed a “Vikes Vote” curriculum, which was piloted last year and will be formally implemented in CSU’s Introduction to University Life (ASC 101) courses this fall. The initiative is designed to educate CSU students on the importance of voting, how to vote, and how to be a civically engaged citizen. Upon completion of the curriculum, all ASC 101 students will be given the opportunity to register to vote or update their registration.

“Introduction to University Life is a part of the University’s General Education curriculum and a component of our efforts to empower students to act as responsible members of our society,” said FYE Manager Sarah Pankratz. “This partnership is a great opportunity for our first-year students to learn what it means to be a civically engaged citizen, understand the importance of that role, and how they can be engaged now while in college.”

In 2019, a graduate student in the Levin College of Urban Affairs completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Transportation. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to transportation, commuting and associated scope three emissions.

In 2019, another group of graduate students enrolled in UST553 - Environmental & Sustainability Planning undertook a project to examine modes of transportation and distances traveled by CSU students and employees to and from campus. They developed and delivered a survey that informed the transportation and commuting segments of the CSU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for FY20.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Energy and Emissions. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2019, two graduate students in the Levin College of Urban Affairs completed projects analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the sections relating to New Construction and Building Renovation. Both projects reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segments of the Plan relating to buildings and their design, construction, operation, and renovation.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Cleaning. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to green cleaning policies and practices.

Engineering students have been involved in a variety of educational opportunities relating to the design and construction of the new Washkewicz College of Engineering Building which received LEED Gold certification.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Energy and Emissions. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Dining and Food. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to food and dining with a focus on sustainable food procurement and strategies relating to waste, composting and recycling.

Students work with the Grounds Department on a variety of projects ranging from ecological processes and urban ecology to GIS projects. Students mapped and collected data on utilities, green space, impervious surfaces, signage, campus furniture and accessories, planting beds, parking, sidewalks, garbage cans, recycling bins, bus routes and bus stops, bike racks, and art.

Over the course of several years, GIS students have been involved in the development of a campus tree map in partnership with Grounds department.
http://lcuacsu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=9b8f6a7f8f5b40cf8f7205f20141316f

The interactive tree map developed by the CSU Grounds department was used as the basis of a lab activity for the BIO 301 Plant Biology lab.

In 2018, a group of graduate students in the Levin College of Urban Planning completed a research project entitled "Innovative Urban Stormwater Treatment: Bioswales" in partnership with the CSU Office of Sustainability, Grounds Department and Facilities Management. The project recommended additional green infrastructure features on campus including bioswales.

In 2019, a graduate student in the Levin College of Urban Affairs completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Landscape Management. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to the care and maintenance of campus grounds and landscapes.

An Environmental Science student wrote a thesis entitled "Functional Ecology and Ecosystem Services of Urban Trees." The research focused on ecosystem services generated by trees in urban landscapes, assessing how different tree species vary in their growth rates and canopy characteristics, which in turn generate ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and stormwater mitigation.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Procurement. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to university purchasing and procurement.

A PhD student completed a dissertation in Operations & Supply Chain Management entitled "Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Antecedents, Practices, and Performance."

In 2019, a graduate student in the Levin College of Urban Affairs completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Transportation. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to transportation, commuting and associated scope three emissions.

In 2019, another group of graduate students enrolled in UST553 - Environmental & Sustainability Planning undertook a project to examine modes of transportation and distances traveled by CSU students and employees to and from campus. They developed and delivered a survey that informed the transportation and commuting segments of the CSU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for FY20.

The spring 2020 session of ART 346 - Human Centered Graphic Design - undertook a research project to address problems that relate to recycling on campus. Students were asked to formulate a research plan, construct guiding research questions, identify user segments, observe and record user behavior, conduct interviews and surveys, pursue secondary research, process primary research findings, and summarize these findings into a formal report that makes recommendations for design interventions. The students developed personas, signage and posters to educate users about recycling on campus.

As part of CSU's Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program, a group of three students undertook a research project seeking to better understand CSU's recycling rates and how they could be improved. Their research aimed to uncover whether there was any significant difference in recycling habits based on buildings and associated student majors and programs of study.

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Water. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to water consumption in buildings and landscapes.

Three graduate students in the Levin College of Urban Affairs undertook research projects to analyze and critique the entire draft version of the CSU Sustainability Plan including coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring, reviewing and reporting.

The projects titles are listed below:
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN 2019-2024 DRAFT ANALYSIS
Sustainable Campus: Policy Analysis of CSU Sustainability Plan (2019-2024)
A review of CSU’s Sustainability Plan: 2019-2024

In 2019, a graduate student enrolled in UST553 Environmental & Sustainability Planning completed a project analyzing the draft CSU Sustainability Plan for the section relating to Diversity and Inclusion. The project reviewed the background information, proposed targets and implementation priorities of the segment of the Plan relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.

A group of four Executive MBA students completed a capstone project for the College of Business that evaluated the feasibility of a revolving green loan fund for CSU.

The analysis looked at the development of a Sustaining Green Initiative Fund for the Sustainability Department at Cleveland State University. This fund would be derived from a combination of optional student fees, endowments, donations, and naming-right deals for green initiative programs. The fund would be allocated to projects that are approved throughout a rigorous criterion that offer cost savings, return on investment, payback to the fund and fit into the strategy of the University and its green initiatives.