Florida State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Four graduate students in the Spring 2022 EDH 5078: Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education I: Study Design course created measurement instruments for Sustainable Campus’ Engage 100 course. Every fall, Sustainable Campus offers an Engage 100 course, IDS1107 A Student’s Guide to Sustainability, which introduces incoming first year students to sustainability programs, services, and resources at FSU. The four graduate students were challenged to help Sustainable Campus determine what first year students were learning in the Engage 100 course and judge the overall effectiveness of the lessons. Sustainable Campus staff members provided the students with the course syllabus, lesson plans, and teaching materials. The students worked as a group to analyze the course content and create an evaluation framework and survey design that would meet the needs of Sustainable Campus. The students developed a survey series conducted in three parts: 1) A survey given to students on the first day of class to determine their base level understanding of the content; 2) A more detailed survey given to students on the last day of class to determine what they have learned throughout the course; and 3) A short survey given to students in the spring semester after the course to determine how the knowledge they gained has informed their view of sustainability and the world around them.

Two undergraduate students worked with the Miami Climate Alliance (MCA) to create community engagement and marketing tools for an energy burden campaign. The MCA works to achieve justice for all of Miami’s communities in the face of climate change and its effects. The students worked with members of the MCA team on the FPL (Florida Power & Light) Rate Case Campaign. The campaign was an effort to encourage community members to voice their opinions on a proposed FPL rate increase through hearings and public comment. One student worked to create a more cohesive look for MCA’s social media, create educational graphics informing residents about rate raises, and encourage people to enroll to speak at the Public Service Committee hearings in late July. The other student worked to make content more accessible through changes in color palette selection, fonts, and other design elements.

Fifteen undergraduate students in the IDS2227 Sustainable Society class investigated topics related to air and climate. Specifically, students examined the FSU community’s attitudes towards behavior change to reduce carbon emissions; the relationship between age and feelings towards climate change; and whether political affiliation influences belief in climate change. The class worked with local nonprofit group Sustainable Tallahassee to collect data through questionnaires, interviews, and surveys. Finally, students analyzed their data using quantitative analysis techniques and presented their findings to representatives from Sustainable Tallahassee.

In collaboration with Facilities Design & Construction, 38 undergraduate students in the IND 3627 Sustainable Design course applied principles and products of sustainable design to reimagine an existing space on campus. Students created proposals for Keen Room 503, Keen Room 504, the Askew Student Life Center Room 001, and the Fine Arts ticket window over the course of the semester. The students’ solutions adhered to FSU design guidelines and included an educational component that informs users about the sustainable methods or products used in the space. Furthermore, the solutions were contextually appropriate, considerate of the building in which they were located and the diverse types of people utilizing the space. The students’ final deliverables included a presentation board with images and key components of the space, a written explanation of the design, and a 15–20-minute presentation on the sustainable methods and products used in the design and why they were selected.

Seven undergraduate students in the IDS2227 Sustainable Society class investigated topics related to energy. Specifically, students examined the FSU community’s knowledge of renewable energy/solar panels and the FSU community’s perception of nuclear energy. The class worked with the Leon County Office of Sustainability to collect data through questionnaires, interviews, and surveys. Finally, students analyzed their data using quantitative analysis techniques and presented their findings to representatives from Leon County.

A graduate student conducted research on local food providers for the FSU Food for Thought Pantry, which supplements the basic needs of FSU students facing food insecurity. The student conducted research on local growing seasons and area farms. She specifically highlighted operations that were run by minorities, women, or other marginalized populations. At the end of the semester, the student provided a final recommendation based on her research, which laid the groundwork for a routinized plan for the 2021-2022 school year that integrates more fresh and local produce.

A graduate student worked with the FSU Facilities Department to locate and map green and open spaces on the FSU campus. The student also analyzed pedestrian accessibility to open spaces. Using ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Story Maps, the student defined open and green spaces, categorizing them as shrubs, flower beds, turf, and plazas. The student also converted and georeferenced AutoCAD DWG files to a GIS-compatible file geodatabase, generating an inventory geodatabase of the green spaces’ conditions and locations. Additionally, the student created and edited features using aerial imagery and the ArcGIS Pro Create Feature tool. Finally, the student conducted a Network Analysis utilizing the service area tool to measure pedestrian accessibility to open spaces from parking spaces. Overall, the student found that the majority of campus open spaces are pedestrian friendly.

An undergraduate student worked with the FSU Facilities Procurement team to examine how sustainable procurement policies are addressing social responsibility effectively and recommend best practices that can be implemented at Florida State. The student conducted informational interviews with innovative university procurement offices across the United States, spoke with product representatives, and completed a deep-dive examination of current FSU procurement practices. At the end of the semester, the student presented a series of recommendations, resource guides, and examples of sustainable procurement policies to the FSU Facilities Procurement team.

A graduate student worked with FSU Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) to create a social media marketing campaign for the upcoming Fall semester. The goal of the project was to reduce vehicle demand on campus and increase student usage of campus transportation alternatives, including buses, bicycles, Rideshare, and SAFE connection. The student was tasked with creating a marketing framework that the TAPS team could implement in the coming semester as students returned to campus. Over the course of the summer, the student created several marketing and communications products to address specific challenges, which included: Lack of awareness of campus transportation options; Negative image of public transportation options; and the Association of TAPS with parking rather than transportation. To address these challenges, the student created an email announcement for students, provided recommendations for social media engagement, and suggested improvements for TAPS branding and face-to-face interactions. The student also provided several ideas for future marketing campaigns and ways the department could assess their impact using analytics.

An undergraduate student worked with Sustainable Campus and FSU Waste Management to map recycling availability on campus and make data more accessible. The student utilized specialized equipment and mapping software to collect data on 927 waste bins dispersed across the FSU campus. The student also used the GNSS app and Trimble to accurately pin-point bin locations and record findings on ArcGIS Online. In addition to providing the location of bins, the student collected information related to bin type, waste stream, commodity, and service frequency. The student provided preliminary analysis using buffering and nearest neighbor tools in ArcGIS Online. The student’s data has been added to the online campus map, which is accessible to the public.

An undergraduate student worked with FSU Planning & Space Management to conduct an analysis of campus irrigation. The student imported existing data and georeferenced it using ArcGIS. Next, the student evaluated water infiltration rates, creating a two-foot buffer around paved areas to represent total land area that was likely to be compacted and prone to runoff. The student then determined the areas on campus that contained the highest concentration of irrigation systems and compared her findings to a map displaying the land areas in most and least need of irrigation. Overall, the student’s maps helped to illustrate which campus areas receive too much irrigation, which wastes water resources, and which areas receive too little.

Eight graduate students in the URP5342 Advanced Planning Problems studio course created a plan to protect the valuable assets of FSU’s Ringling campus in Sarasota. The waterfront campus is vulnerable to coastal hazards and natural disasters common to the region. The Ringling’s Board of Directors and executive director contracted the lab to explore the nature of all future natural hazards in light of climate change and to what extent they may impact the Ringling’s assets. The lab’s graduate student studio team conducted their work in fall 2019 and presented the project report in January 2020. In addition to a comprehensive assessment of the hazards currently threatening the Ringling, the report provided adaptation strategies to ensure the campus is resilient to natural hazards over the next 50 years.

20 graduate students in the EDH5078 Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education course collaborated with Second Harvest of the Big Bend to measure food insecurity on the FSU Campus. The goal of the project was to make student hunger visible by obtaining and leveraging data on campus food insecurity. To study this topic, students utilized FSU’s Question of the Week and previous research involving the FSU Food Pantry in addition to the results from their survey, allowing them to triangulate their data. The students were uniquely challenged working in a remote environment and collecting data through online sources. However, they overcame these barriers and ended the semester with a final report and a presentation to Second Harvest of the Big Bend stakeholders.

A graduate student in the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy completed a capstone project examining fundraising practices for the College of Social Sciences & Public Policy. Fundraising is increasingly important for public universities given the declining state appropriations for higher education. The project examined the sustainability of current fundraising techniques and provided suggestions for future fundraising campaigns

An undergraduate student worked with FSU Sustainable Campus to create a guide that helps students manage their eco-anxiety. The American Psychiatric Association describes eco-anxiety as an ongoing fear of environmental disaster. The Eco-Anxiety Guide makes it easier for those struggling with eco-anxiety to find empowering outlets meant to combat feelings of stress related to the deteriorating environment. The guide provides activities in three different categories: Individual Action; Grounding Techniques/Daily Activities; and Community Involvement. Individual action activities include adopting a more sustainable diet and shopping for secondhand items. Daily practices include breathing exercises and eco-art/poetry. Finally, community involvement recommendations include voting and attending community meetings.