Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 48.20
Liaison Lauren Poole
Submission Date Dec. 10, 2021

STARS v2.2

Colorado School of Mines
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Lauren Poole
Sustainability Coordinator
EHS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:

A student conducted a renewable energy assessment of the campus and wrote a thesis paper on the results. Another student conducts energy efficiency assessments and research on campus buildings on provides on-going updates to facilities management and the sustainability office. A classroom of students conducted a waste audit of campus and provided a life-cycle analysis of food waste that included a presentation to the Sustainability Committee and final reports.

During the pandemic of 2020, students did an Electric Vehicle Charging Plan for the campus as well as a solar feasibility study for one of our apartment complexes with some 200 apartment units as part of their capstone projects.


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:

Our Payne Institute of Public Policy comprises experts from around the world who are leaders in a variety of earth resources, energy, and environment issues. During the performance year, the institute hosted Amory Lovins to speak about climate change and opened the event to the public. The Institute routinely hosts speakers on sustainability related issues that are attended by the public. Our students also conduct research using the campus infrastructure and operations for public engagement on sustainability. Examples include conducting a food waste audit of a large cafeteria on campus and exhibiting results at an Earth Day Fair table poster session that was open to the public.


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:

A student published a thesis on energy sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for the Colorado School of Mines based on his research analysis of the buildings on campus. See https://mountainscholar.org/handle/11124/173043


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

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

A student is conducting an energy analysis of the buildings on campus and modeling ways to optimize energy performance for thesis. A student published a thesis on energy sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for the Colorado School of Mines based on his research analysis of the buildings on campus. See https://mountainscholar.org/handle/11124/173043


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 student is conducting an energy efficiency analysis of the buildings on campus and modeling ways to optimize energy performance for thesis: "Campus buildings’ energy operation optimization: a case study at Colorado School of Mines." Authors: Mohammad Hassan Fathollahzadeh, Paulo Cesar Tabares-Velasco
Publication date: 2019/4: Conference: Research and Discovery Symposium, Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of Mines.

A student published a thesis on energy sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for the Colorado School of Mines based on his research analysis of the buildings on campus: "Energy sustainability for the Colorado School of Mines : an optimal solar plus storage system design." See https://mountainscholar.org/handle/11124/173043


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:

Students conducted a food waste audit of Mines Market, the in=house dining hall on campus, to determine amount of food waste. The students presented their findings and made recommendations to reduce food waste to the campus Sustainability Committee. They also did a life-cycle analysis of to show the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from food waste on campus.


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:

In 2020, students developed a composting strategy for our large apartment village that included partnering with campus grounds to contribute brown yard waste to the compost bins to keep the chemistry balanced as well as using the soil from compost on existing landscaping in the village to provide some soil nutrients.


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:

Yes, if you include STARS data collection on campus purchasing practices for sustainability.


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:

Yes, one of our sustainability courses looks at transportation and parking on campus as part of its projects. Examples include looking at carbon emissions of student commuters, doing a life-cycle analysis of a parking garage on campus, and looking at the feasibility of car-pooling on campus through student surveys. Students also researched and wrote a report on an electric vehicle charging station plan for the campus.


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:

Students conducted a waste audit of several campus buildings for a class and presented their findings to the class. Students also conducted a waste audit of our large dining facility and presented recommendations for reducing food waste and compost implementation for a class.


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:

Mines students involved in sustainable waste water treatment research use waste water from the campus apartment complex as part of their on-going research. See http://aqwatec.mines.edu/research/SBMBR/


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:

Students gathered and analyzed data for a section of the AASHE STARS report.

Some classes are using the building dashboard from our powerED program to see how buildings on campus consume energy and amounts of greenhouse gas emissions produced from energy production.


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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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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.