Eastern Michigan University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Students in ENVI 305W designed a "restoration plan" for a stand of trees near a planned new dormitory building to enhance biodiversity on campus (through native plantings and providing habitat for insects etc), campus community appreciation of biodiversity and native species (through signage and involvement of student groups and other orgs on campus), and campus community use of the space (through installation of an 'outdoor classroom' intended for use by courses in any discipline).

In NURS 450 Community Health Nursing students completed virtual reality simulation experiences at Halle Library. The virtual reality experiences addressed social determinants of health with a focus on the Asian American community, and providing culturally competent care. The students have also been involved in flu vaccine clinics through the EMU Center for Health Disparities, Innovations, and Studies.

In ANTH 337 students choose research based on their own interest in a particular domain of applied anthropology, they investigate a specific issue relevant to contemporary human problems. For example, a student researched faculty-student mentorship in the case of EMU’s Anthropology program: this student did interviews and surveys with anthropology students and faculty as well as an academic advisor at the Francine Parker Advising Center.

In MGMT 202 Business Communications, student groups provide supporting evidence from credible business articles, demographics, statistics, website review, personal interviews with the employees/members/customers of the chosen company (including local companies), e-mail communications from a company to warrant the company to receive the Green America’s “Green Business Certification”. (Company cannot already be certified.)

For both ESSC 101 and 311 we use the campus weather station for measuring various weather parameters and performing calculations. This includes calculating relative humidity and vertical temperature lapse rates.

The campus and its built and natural environments, as well as the whole built and natural environments beyond are the biggest laboratories for our sustainability teaching in sustainable construction and Construction Management Programs.

For GEOG 150 Thinking Sustainably students often do projects using the campus as a living laboratory. Example includes Energy production on campus (co-gen plant) and potential for alternative energy on campus.

In PHIL 224 Ethics & Food, the students are required to keep track of all of the food waste they see on campus over a period of one week. They then meet in small groups to discuss their observations and suggest ways that EMU might reduce food waste.

Students in ENVI 305W designed a "restoration plan" for a stand of trees near a planned new dormitory building to enhance biodiversity on campus (through native plantings and providing habitat for insects etc), campus community appreciation of biodiversity and native species (through signage and involvement of student groups and other orgs on campus), and campus community use of the space (through installation of an 'outdoor classroom' intended for use by courses in any discipline).

For GEOG 150 Thinking Sustainably students often do projects using the campus as a living laboratory. Examples include, Analysis of the state of recycling on campus (metals, paper, batteries, etc) and a dorm Trash audit.

In ESSC 448 Hydrogeology, students take a field trip to Fish Lake to learn how to measure groundwater levels in wells and perform slug tests to determine aquifer hydraulic conductivity.

For GEOG 150 Thinking Sustainably students often do projects using the campus as a living laboratory. Example includes a comparison of the university sustainability commission and student-led sustainability organizations.

In NURS 450 Community Health Nursing students completed virtual reality simulation experiences at Halle Library. The virtual reality experiences addressed social determinants of health with a focus on the Asian American community, and providing culturally competent care. The students have also been involved in flu vaccine clinics through the EMU Center for Health Disparities, Innovations, and Studies.

In ANTH 337 students choose research based on their own interest in a particular domain of applied anthropology, they investigate a specific issue relevant to contemporary human problems. For example, a student researched LGBTQ+ mental health issues, which were worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic on the EMU campus: this student conducted interviews with LGBTQ+ students with mental health problems at EMU and evaluated the relevant services provided by EMU’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

In NURS 450 Community Health Nursing students completed virtual reality simulation experiences at Halle Library. The virtual reality experiences addressed social determinants of health with a focus on the Asian American community, and providing culturally competent care. The students have also been involved in flu vaccine clinics through the EMU Center for Health Disparities, Innovations, and Studies.

In ANTH 337 students choose research based on their own interest in a particular domain of applied anthropology, they investigate a specific issue relevant to contemporary human problems. For example, a student researched LGBTQ+ mental health issues, which were worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic on the EMU campus: this student conducted interviews with LGBTQ+ students with mental health problems at EMU and evaluated the relevant services provided by EMU’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

Information received from individual faculty from our sustainability courses survey completed in Winter 2022.