Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.69
Liaison Stephanie MacPhee
Submission Date April 6, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Dalhousie University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Tarah Wright
Professor
Environmental Science
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
Examples of student projects: Assessing Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations Across Dalhousie University's Studley Campus; Assessing the Understanding, Awareness and Concern for Climate across Undergraduate Faculties at Dalhousie University. Example of student thesis: Investigating the Carbon Sequestration and Storage Capacity of Trees in a University Campus Environment. Student research in Office of Sustainability: GHG Inventory and Planning for the University, solar analysis.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Example student projects: Green Roof Carbon Sequestration Potential of Dalhousie's halifax Campuses; LEED Certification and Student Perception; The Price of Gold: An Analysis of the Financial Costs of LEED Certification and the Role of LEED in Meeting Dalhousie's Sustainability Objectives; Building Energy Audit of Studley Campus, Dalhousie University; The Greening of Stormwater Management: Mitigating the Risks of Stormwater on Studley campus Through the Installation of Green Roofs; Investigating Indoor Green Space at Dalhousie University

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
Examples of student projects: Accessibility Door Usage and Associated Cost on Studley Campus; Enabling Divestment from Fossil Fuels; Suitability Map of Dalhousie's Studley Campus Renewable Energy Potential; Building Energy Audit of Studley Campus, Dalhousie University (also listed under Buildings)

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
Examples of student projects include: Biting Off More Than You Can Chew: An Assessment of Students' Understanding of Dalhousie's Food System; Food Waste Attitudes and Behaviours Among Residence Meal Hall Users; Food Security Among Dalhousie Students; A Mug-share Program at Dalhousie University

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
Example of student projects: Let This Soak In: An Investigation into the Viability of Permeable Pavement on Dalhousie University's Studley Campus; A Salty Situation: An Environmental and Economic Analysis of Ice Management on Dalhousie University, Halifax Campuses; Bees on Dalhousie Campus Example of student thesis: Urban Surface Water Runoff on Dalhousie University's Studley Campus.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
Example of student projects includes Transporting Dalhousie: An Analysis of Factors Influencing Students' Transportation Choices to and from Dalhousie's Studley Campus; Getting into Gear: The Prospect of a Campus Bike Sharing System at Dalhousie University; The Socio-Economic Factors of Transportation; Prioritizing Design Elements for a Sexton Campus Bike Space.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Examples of student projects: Dalhousie University Students' Recycling and Composting Habits, Knowledge and Barriers Study; Food Waste Attitudes and Behaviours Among Residence Meal Hall Users (also listed under Food and Dining); Furniture Recycling at Dalhousie University – An Analysis of the Halifax Dump and Run; A Mug-share Program at Dalhousie University (also listed under Food and Dining) Student research in Office of Sustainability: University Waste Management in Nova Scotia (focus groups on campus Universal Waste), battery recycling on campus

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Example student project: Green, Clean, Laundry Machines: A Study of Laundry Operations at the Dalplex; The Greening of Stormwater Management: Mitigating the Risks of Stormwater on Studley campus Through the Installation of Green Roofs (also listed under Buildings)

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Example student project: Are Dalhousie's Conferences "Green"? – A Sustainability Review of Dalhousie's Halifax Campuses Conferencing Procedures; The Extent of Sustainable Education in the Engineering Faculty at Dalhousie University; Assessing Sustainability Within Dalhousie Recruitment Materials

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Addressed in the student project: The Socio-Economic Factors of Transportation (also listed in Transportation section). This student project addressed fiscal and social barriers and incentives to utilizing sustainable and/or active transportation methods (e.g. the cost and convenience of transit routes); Food Security of Dalhousie Students (also listed under Food and Dining)

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Student Health and Wellness is doing a pilot project called Inquiring Minds in conjunction with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. This project is aimed at building resilience in students to reduce stress and improve mental health. There is a continued focus on reducing the stigma around mental health through this research.

Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
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A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/environmental-science-program/research/envs-3502---past-projects.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Campus as a Living Laboratory is a hands-on course offered in the Environmental Science program and cross-listed with the College of Sustainability. This course requires students to carry out various projects using Dalhousie as a template. Some of the results of these projects are used to inform decision making around key areas of campus operations. Projects from Winter 2015, 2016 and 2017 were included in this survey.

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.