| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.98 |
| Liaison | Kevin Miller |
| Submission Date | Feb. 3, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Goshen College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Glenn
Gilbert Retired - Utilities Manager/ Sustainability Coordinator Physical Plant |
Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | No |
| Buildings | No |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | No |
| Transportation | No |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | Yes |
| Public Engagement | --- |
| Other | Yes |
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Java Junction is a student-managed coffee bar on the campus of Goshen College. All employees are students and the managers are selected by the business department through an application process. Managers enroll in BUS 360, Java Junction Management, and receive academic credit for managing all aspects of the business; operations, human resources, marketing, purchasing, and accounting. Students are supervised by a business department faculty member and receive a grade for their work based on the the success of the business as well as their own individual contributions to the management team. Java Junction provides an atmosphere that allows students, faculty, staff, and the Goshen community to enjoy quality food and beverages, live music, and fellowship.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students in the chemistry department have built a biodiesel manufacturing facility that converts waste vegetable oil from the dining hall to biodiesel. The biodiesel that is manufactured is used to help power the campus stationary emergency electric generator.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students came up with a proposal several years ago to convert some land on the campus to restorative prairies, in an effort to both save money and increase the ecological benefits. This was proposed to the Ecological Stewardship Committee who approved the proposal and then implemented the plan. Current Environmental Economics students will now be looking into this again to check whether the original cost-benefit analysis was correct. These native landscapes are literally a laboratory for several environmental science courses.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
For three years members of EcoPax have been maintaining a food composting system that takes food waste from the dining hall and composts it on site. This project has provided opportunity to construct the composters, conduct research and make formal presentations to the US Composting Council.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
As a class project for the Sustainability Semester curriculum, a group of students did an inventory of the Goshen College storm water system and developed a strategy for retaining 100% of the storm water runoff on site. While this plan has not been implemented, this study will likely become the foundational work when stormwater projects are undertaken.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Student Senate on campus is very involved in bringing about change on campus through its direct line to the President's Council. The current vice-president of the Senate is also a co-leader of EcoPAX, the environmental peace club, and thus is able to bring up sustainability-related issues as needed.
Student involvement on the Ecological Stewardship Committee has also been a positive influence on coordination, planning and governance.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
We recently revised our general education curriculum to start with a focus on identity, culture and communication and built that thread all the way through our general education. We encourage faculty development of teaching for multiple learners through ongoing trainings. Maple Scholars projects have focused on diversity and we have faculty fellows around diversity topics through the CIIE. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is set aside as an academic study day each year, with a focus on learning about diversity, reconciliation, peace and justice. Our Study Service Term (SST) program is a required study-abroad semester that is mixed in with voluntary work, giving students the opportunity to experience diversity first-hand.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Trackside Community Garden was funded by in part by the class gift from the 2013 graduating class.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Several members of the student-led EcoPAX (environmental peace) club have recently been engaging with administration in discussions on fossil fuel divestment. This has included conversations with the Vice President of Finance as well as a coffee hour centered around divestment, open to all students and the public, with an attendance of around 70 students.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In 2012, students from the Physics Department along with assistance from the Physical Plant built a solar hot water collection system, to provide hot water for the showers in the Recreational Fitness Center. This system is tied to the campus energy management system and realtime data is available for research and analysis.
The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Using the campus as a living/learning laboratory is a highly desirable outcome and likely to become more prevalent in the years to come.
Using the campus as a living/learning laboratory is a highly desirable outcome and likely to become more prevalent in the years to come.
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.