Endicott College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

In addition to hosting collaborative events with other campus departments and offices, the Office of Sustainability has four annual programming pushes designed to raise awareness for issues pertinent to environmental sustainability and justice. These programs include Sustainability Week, Campus Race to Zero Waste, Earth Week, and Move Out College Cleanse. Each of these programs centers education around using Endicott as a living laboratory, further preparing students apply sustainability concepts in their lives after their time at Endicott.

Endicott College also possesses ownership of and maintains three miles of nature trails and three beaches. These natural resources are used by Environmental Science faculty for class projects and academic research regarding coastal resiliency and forest and wetland ecology, as well as used by student organizations for events including beach and trail clean-ups, nature walks and hikes, and other forms of recreation.

The Office of Sustainability partners with local and community organizations to further develop collective understanding in environmental sustainability, as well as promote collaboration between campus and community stakeholders regarding environmental sustainability.

Events and projects that involve the community at large include:
- An annual Sustainability Career Fair to connect students with over 25 local and regional sustainability-focused organizations as they look to complete their internship requirement and secure a career in their discipline that supports sustainability initiatives.
- Collaborative events with local sustainability groups including, but not limited to, Green Beverly, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, other higher ed institutions, and local businesses and charitable organizations.
- Annual collaborative events with local K-12 schools as they complete coursework related to environmental science and sustainability, including sustainability-centered tours of Endicott College's campus.

Students have conducted climate impact and vulnerability assessments, and other environmental impact reviews for course projects and theses. Students and staff recently supported the City of Beverly's coastal resiliency plan and provided educational information to summer school program for local 8th graders on campus.

Environmental Science utilizes the campus beaches, marshes and vernal pools for field work.

The Office of Sustainability routinely speaks in a variety of classes and provides campus sustainability tours upon request and for events. One of the Office of Sustainability student Fellows also worked on a project during the 2022-2023 academic year to develop a calculator to assess campus members' impact on air quality.

Hospitality Management students through their Sustainable Tourism class developed their own audit systems and audit portfolios of buildings on campus for sustainable operations.

Students in Energy and Environment (ENV 338), Environmental Issues (ENV 150), and Environmental Science (ENV 220) measure energy use of equipment.

Students in BUS115 and BUS249 utilize campus waste and energy data for data projects, acting as outside consultants and providing professional recommendations for continued sustainable retrofits of buildings and waste infrastructure expansions to improve energy efficiency and increase waste diversion.

Student completed a solar feasibility study for buildings on campus for thesis.

Students in the undergraduate Interior Architecture program take coursework to familiarize themselves with LEED, WELL, and other third-party green building design principles. They also worked on developing designs for a proposed new campus greenhouse.

A student wrote his thesis using LEED for Existing Buildings to evaluate the Arts Center for compliance with this standard.

Students conducted a showerhead audit and evaluated water data.

Students in Energy and Environment (ENV 338), Environmental Issues (ENV 150), and Environmental Science (ENV 220) measure energy use of equipment.

Students in BUS115 and BUS249 utilize campus waste and energy data for data projects, acting as outside consultants and providing professional recommendations for continued sustainable retrofits of buildings and waste infrastructure expansions to improve energy efficiency and increase waste diversion.

Students collected data and analyzing energy use intensity of buildings.

Students involved in energy conservation measures being implemented.

Hospitality Management students through their Sustainable Tourism class developed their own audit systems and audits portfolios of buildings on campus for sustainable operations.

Students in Environmental Science (ENV 220) conducted an audit of Dining.

Students help manage campus vegetable garden, which supplies vegetables to culinary programs and Sodexo dining services.

Hospitality Program manages seasonal restaurant at College property - La Chanterelle - which focuses on farm-to-table dinners. Food used in this program is sourced locally or grown on-campus. La Chanterelle internally composts all back-of-house food waste to be used for campus gardening operations.

Students are exposed to educational outreach through our dining services provider, Sodexo, with a focus on mindful eating, food waste, and locally sourced food.

A student mapped all the trees in an area of campus for a GIS class and developed a plan for Endicott College to become a certified Tree Campus.

The trail system on campus is used by a variety of programs and has educational signage throughout. The entire Endicott community is participating in plant species identification using iNaturalist.

Environmental Science utilizes the campus beaches, marches and vernal pools for field work.

Students have studied various purchasing initiatives including a project that resulted in a change in toilet tissue to a recycled content product.

The Student Government Association (SGA) is working with Office of Procurement and higher administration to implement a plastic bottle ban policy, which would forbid the College from purchasing plastic water bottles for sale at on-campus eateries, flagship events, or athletic events.

The Office of Sustainability hires several student Sustainability Fellows, one of which works closely with the Office of Procurement to review products on campus and helped develop our Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines.

Student groups utilize resources from PLAN: Post-Landfill Action Network to plan low or zero-waste events and guide their purchasing decisions for swag and giveaway items.

Students have looked at bike sharing, electric vehicle charging stations (6 installed on campus), and shared vehicles. We have a shared vehicle program and are working on implementing a bike sharing pilot.

The Office of Sustainability hires several student Sustainability Fellows. Multiple students serve as Recycling Processors, whose duties include maintaining the College's several specialty recycling streams, including plastic film, disposable masks, and electronic waste recycling. Another student serves as a Zero Waste Fellow, whose goal is to optimize existing waste infrastructure and implement policies and communication programs dedicated to reducing waste on-campus.

The Student Government Association (SGA) is working with Office of Procurement and higher administration to implement a plastic bottle ban policy, which would forbid the College from purchasing plastic water bottles for sale at on-campus eateries, flagship events, or athletic events. This would reduce plastic bottle waste.

LST100 is a course devoted to the study of Trash. Students in that class conducted a waste audit. Students in LST100 developed some signage for the Office of Sustainability as a project.

Students have been conducting surveys in their residence halls to improve recycling rates.

Student completed Civic Engagement course project reviewing recycling procedures of students on campus.

Student ran composting pilot in apartment style residence hall.

Students driving food service provider Sodexo to provide compostable serviceware at all locations and for all events.

Zero waste BBQ at the end of the year in partnership with Student Activities and Athletics.

Students in ENV 220 conducted a showerhead audit and evaluated water data.

Students (SGA) involved in expanding bottle filling stations and establishing a plan for expansion and best locations. Looking at reducing standalone water stations.

Reviewing irrigation use on campus and potential for water audits throughout campus.

The Office of Sustainability hires several student Sustainability Fellows, one of which serves as a Student Engagement Fellow. This student liaises with the Offices of Student Activities, Residence Life, and Student Affairs to co-sponsor events relating to environmental sustainability and justice, especially during programming pushes such as Earth Week, Sustainability Week, and Campus Race to Zero Waste.

Another student Sustainability Fellow, who serves as a Research/DEIB Fellow, works with other campus departments to incorporate DEIB principles into sustainability work. One of her major projects was the development and leadership of the College's first Environmental Justice Working Group, which incorporates perspectives from and engages with faculty, staff, students, and community members on EJ topics.

Students are also appointed to the Campus Sustainability Committee, which have been developing the College's first campus-wide Sustainability Plan.

The Endicott Environmental Society is a student-led organization that plans sustainability activities on and off campus and partners with Office of Sustainability, as well as other campus departments, clubs, and community organizations.

The Office of Sustainability hosts multiple events on campus throughout the year to engage the local community, students, staff and faculty in sustainability themed topics.

The Office of Sustainability hires several student Sustainability Fellows, one of which serves as a Research/DEIB Fellow. This Fellow works with other campus departments to incorporate DEIB principles into sustainability work. One of her major projects was the development and leadership of the College's first Environmental Justice Working Group, which incorporates perspectives from and engages with faculty, staff, students, and community members on EJ topics.

The College has just opened a new building on campus: The Center for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. This building was formerly the College's Interfaith Chapel, but now serves as a hub for DEIB events and student organizations.

In the new Center for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, there is a new Campus "Food Shelf," which aims to provide food to students who are food insecure or are otherwise unable to purchase food.

The Offices of Sustainability and Community Service, in collaboration with the Internship & Career Center, have launched a professional clothing closet to provide professional clothing for students who are unable to access interview-ready attire.

The Safe Zone Project is a resource that aims to build powerful and effective LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning +) educational opportunities through awareness and ally training workshops for students, faculty, and staff.

A student advisory club invests some of the college endowment. The faculty, Office of Sustainability, and environmental society held a seminar on the issue of intentional investment. Students and faculty have seats on the college strategic planning committee.

The Office of Sustainability and its Student Fellows participates in the Office of Human Resource's Annual Benefits Fair to promote environmental wellness, along with other campus and outside vendors.

The College's Health and Wellness Center puts on an annual Wellness Fair for students, faculty, and staff that highlights different areas of wellness, including physical wellness, environmental wellness, and more. Each area of wellness is sponsored by campus departments with activities for each. The Office of Sustainability and its Student Fellows also participates in this fair.

New construction has continued to focus on healthier materials and furniture purchasing to improve indoor air quality and health of building occupants. A student intern in Facilities Design has been researching healthier materials verification standards, such as HHI.

Wellness, meditation, and therapy dog activities are facilitated through Human Resources, Student Activities, the Library, and the College's Chaplain on a weekly basis for students, faculty, and staff.

Relaxation events planned for students during exam weeks.