Colorado College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Sense of Place programming is designed to help educate students about various aspects of sustainability on campus including water, food, energy, buildings, landscape, etc. They also help engage students in the local community. Sense of Place trips are also carried out throughout the year to strengthen student and faculty relationships with their surrounding environment. Faculty are encouraged to implement Sense of Place principles into courses as well. This is decided.

The Office of Sustainability fosters communication, collaboration and coordination between stakeholders in the CC community. The Office of Sustainability consists of Colorado College's Sustainability Director, a Sustainability Coordinator, and teams of student interns paired with dedicated student volunteers who work on independent projects and often are embedded in different offices in the Colorado College administration. The Office of Sustainability hires approximately 16-18 interns every year who engage with the campus and outside community through Intern team led projects.

Intern Positions:

- Greenhouse Gas Inventory Intern:
Leads the collection, organization, and calculation of CC's annual greenhouse gas emissions with the guidance of the Sustainability Director. In addition, the greenhouse gas interns have a focus on transportation emissions and collect an annual transportation survey for all students, staff, and faculty. They have also collaborated with Pike Ride, an electric bike program, to provide free bike memberships to students. This position works to track CC's progress in lowering our overall emissions utilizing SIMAP, which is an online calculator to assist in converting emission sources into equivalent metric tons of carbon dioxide.

- Waste Interns
The waste interns lead ongoing Office of Sustainability programming and support for other waste-focused efforts across the campus. They strengthen waste programs and efforts on campus by connecting and working in partnership with other offices and units, such as Facilities Services, Sodexo, ITS, Residential Life, and more.

- Communications Intern:
The Communications Interns works closely with the Office of Sustainability staff and interns to effectively communicate the latest sustainability-related efforts, programs, and projects to the CC community. They also work closely with CC’s Communications Office to coordinate any larger messaging to the broader community through various channels. Responsibilities include: graphic design, website content, written materials, social media, and intern campaigns.

- STARS Intern:
The STARS Intern is intimately involved in STARS data collection and reporting. After submitting this information through the STARS system, the information is used to produce the annual State of Sustainability report.

-Food Pantry and CC Exchange Manager and Employees
The Food Pantry and CC Exchange Manager and Student Employees serve the student population to meet basic needs (food, hygiene, and cleaning items) while working to reduce unnecessary consumption by giving items a second life within the CC community.

The Office of Sustainability interns have used the campus as a living laboratory for public engagement while collecting data for STARS.

Furthermore, student organizations in the CCE are working on programs to improve engagement in the broader community by working on projects to address youth organizing, k-12 education, incarceration, health, racial equity, environment/ecology, immigration, poverty & resource inequities, political engagement, and gender & sexuality.

Finally, students in the environmental education TREE semester develop and implement curricula for fifth grade classes in local elementary schools in which they conduct projects related to environmental science at the Catamount Center near Woodland Park, Colorado.

The Office of Sustainability interns have used the campus as a living laboratory for air & climate while collecting data for STARS. Furthermore, the Office of Sustainability employs a student intern to work on the college's annual greenhouse gas inventory. The intern looks at all aspects of campus to collect data related to greenhouse gas emissions and has implemented more efficient recording systems.

In addition, the Atmospheric Dynamics class includes a student-designed research component which investigates how climate change impacts aspects of atmospheric circulation on different scales such as large-scale global circulation and small-scale regional hydro-climates.

Office of Sustainability interns have used campus as a living laboratory for buildings while collecting data for STARS and in other projects. Through communication with CC's Campus Planner and engineer, interns have learned about building operation and maintenance, design and construction, and indoor air quality.

The Office of Sustainability offers paid and voluntary positions to engage in energy discussions, data, and analysis to advance the sustainability of energy on campus through the Emissions Team. This team meets with the College's Campus Energy Manager to collect the college emissions data, learning about the ins and outs of energy on campus. Then this team works closely with the Sustainability Director to review and evaluate the strengths and shortcomings - culminating in the Greenhouse Gas Technical Inventory Report.

The Environment and Society course includes an in-depth discussion about food production in the community and how that is impacted by a changing climate.

In CC’s Food for Thought and Food Fight classes, taught by Dr. Tyler Cornelius, students learn about food systems in the nation. Food for Thought follows the history of food systems throughout the US and the current-day ecological problems associated with industrial farming. In addition, the class focuses on social justice and sustainability through US food history up to the present day. Food Fight also follows the history of food and how it plays a role in social, political, and environmental change.

In maintaining the Tree Campus USA program, CC has a Tree Advisory Committee which includes student representatives. This committee works to maintain the campus tree database, hosts campus tree tours to help the campus community better understand our urban canopy and the important roles it plays on our campus, and organizes Arbor Day for the community for Earth Week.

Additionally, student internships are offered through the Ground Team in Facilities Services for students to gain a better understanding of maintaining CC's grounds through a sustainable lens.

Students through the Office of Sustainability tackle projects related to sustainable purchasing on campus. Specifically, the Waste Team works closely with Bon Appetit (our Food Service Contractor) to evaluate purchasing habits within their operations. Areas of evaluation include food vendor sources and single-use disposable products - looking at alternatives that align with the values of sustainability on campus.

The Office of Sustainability interns have used the campus as a living laboratory for transportation while collecting data for STARS. By communicating with representatives of the Transportation Department, interns have gathered insight on the campus's use of sustainable transportation and have been able to determine areas in which the campus can improve. Students have been exposed to biking at Colorado College through the PikeRide bike share program along with CC's certification as a Bicycle Friendly University. The introduction of the bike share has allowed students to bike and learn about the feasibility of biking at CC. All students have free access to the bike share system.

The Bike & Ski Co-op aims to empower members of the Colorado College (CC) community to maintain and repair their bicycles and skis by offering instruction and workspace complete with a full inventory of repair stands, tools, and spare parts. Services offered at The Co-op range from flat tire repair, full bicycle rebuilds, and ski tuning. All share the common thread of experiential learning. Student mechanics both help repair bikes, skis, and snowboards while working alongside and teaching students, faculty and staff. The active teaching and participation by the community helps foster a more sustainable bicycle and ski culture on the CC Campus.
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/outdooreducation/facilities/bike-ski-co-op/index.html

Colorado College annually audits the fleet vehicle emissions every year through the Office of Sustainability Emissions Team.

Colorado College also provides CC students with no-cost bus passes to Mountain Metro Transit and free PikeRide (local bike share) memberships, funded through student fees and CCSGA. The Emissions Team works to understand the local transportation alternatives in Colorado Springs and hosts events to the community to advance awareness and access to these alternatives.

The Office of Sustainability has a specific team of student employees who work directly to address sustainability issues related to waste across campus. The Waste Interns lead ongoing Office of Sustainability programming and support other waste-focused efforts across the campus. This position heavily focuses on strengthening waste programs/efforts on campus (E-waste, composting, waste infrastructure, etc.) by connecting and working in partnership with other offices/units, such as Facilities Services, ITS, Residential Experience, etc. In addition, the Waste Interns work collaboratively to develop a strategic plan to decrease the amount of waste generated on campus and increase our current rates of waste diversion through various education campaigns. Some of these projects include smaller educational campaigns in targeted areas to support waste diversion – experimenting with different tactics that engage the student population and impact the streams.

The Office of Sustainability also receives monthly waste data through Republic Services, our waste hauler, to have current data to inform campus waste focuses and initiatives. This weekly audit started in 2022 and thus we have a year's worth of data points to inform our waste initiatives.

The Office of Sustainability leads an annual 3-day water tour of the water sources and infrastructure, reservoirs, diversions, treatment plants, and end users to better acquaint students, faculty, and staff with laws and systems that bring this scarce and critical resource to our campus and city. The Sustainability Director also leads an annual workshop that provides an overview of these systems in a classroom setting for those who cannot attend a multi-day tour.

The Fountain Valley Water Project (FVWP) is a non-profit, non-partisan research group started by Professors Eli Fahrenkrug and Tyler Cornelius at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO in 2017. Organized as a citizen-science initiative in response to a local water pollution problem, the FVWP assists local residents in understanding and responding to decades-long exposure to per and poly-fluorinated chemicals (commonly referred to as PFAS). While the local water districts in the Fountain Valley eventually stopped the PFAS exposure in public water systems, those with private wells remain in danger of additional exposure. PFAS, often called “the forever chemicals,” do not break down in nature, and so they remain a significant concern for the affected community. The FVWP project broadly recognizes the need for ongoing scientific knowledge gathering in the affected area, and it pairs that scientific research with careful and intentional communication of those results to key stakeholders and public audiences. Students work with professors on this project through thesis projects and supervised summer internships.

Another project related to water is led by Professor Paramond around research of water rights in New Mexico. Eric's recent publications focus on New Mexican stories of the water rights adjudication process in New Mexico, its effects on local, regional, and state water governance, and what that state's experience has to offer other states in the American West. This effort is now summarized in his brand new book "Unsettled Waters: Rights, Law, and Identity in the American West" (2019, University of California Press). CC students have the opportunity to work on this project through various CC senior theses and supervised summer internships.

In FY 23, the Campus Sustainability Council worked to develop the Sustainability Action Plan to address broad planning and governance goals around sustainability. This council included student engagement and input throughout the process.

The President's Council is a representative body of students that serve in an advisory role to the President of the college and includes sustainability as a lens of the college. Members of the President's Council have the unique opportunity to make valuable connections with fellow students, faculty, staff, administrators, and distinguished visitors at Colorado College. The Council meets with the President and/or various college and community leaders at least once per block.

The Stroud Scholar Program focuses on making Colorado College accessible for students from diverse financial and ethnic backgrounds. Stroud Scholars prepares students for selective college environments by working directly with high-promise youth to provide academic preparation, mentorship, and guidance in navigating admissions and financial aid processes to CC and beyond. Students completing the three-year college preparatory program will earn admission to Colorado College and receive a financial aid package that will enable them to attend. The program supports participants holistically to thrive in college by helping them build a strong foundation of hard and soft skills, broaden their aspirations and confidence, and connect them to a supportive community of peers and mentors. Knowledge and skills gained during the summer experience will also be supported and furthered through a series of academic year programs.

Colorado College has a goal of becoming an anti-racist institution. As part of the plan, Goal #3 directly supports applied learning for students in relationship to sustainability and ADEI efforts. The goal is to invest in student antiracism resources and efforts.

Updates on this goal and other goals related to our ADEI commitment can be found on the link below: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/antiracism-commitment/goals/goal_3.html

The Colorado College Investment Club (CCIC) seeks to provide students across the entire campus with the opportunity to learn more about investing. The purpose of the club is to allow its members to practice and use the tools gained from CC courses and professors. This real-world application serves to strengthen and ingrain students' knowledge of economics, markets, and finance. CCIC also seeks to educate its members as well.

Portfolio groups meet intermittently throughout each block. Currently, a Green Portfolio is currently being managed by the club and they are examining alternative investments and ESG funds and are investigating proxy voting.

The Office of Sustainability focuses on wellbeing within our work to maintain our own sustainability and ability to continue our work. All of our interns and volunteers work to incorporate these facets into their work and regularly engage with activities across campus that support this effort while educating and communicating with their peers about the importance of and ways to achieve this balance.

The Teaching & Research in Environmental Education (TREE) semester at the Catamount Center includes a component of reflection relating to health and wellness and students' personal relationship to their environment.

The Wellness Resource Center serves as the hub for prevention and health promotion work on campus and plays a key role in assessing and identifying health trends and priorities, developing strategies to reduce harm and capitalize on individual protective factors and campus strengths, and providing leadership, coordination and integration of campus health and wellness initiatives. The WRC focuses on mental health, sexual assault response and prevention, and substance use education.