Grand Valley State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Students in NRM 320 "Resource Systems" have modeled global climate change for their final projects. Additionally, we have a student representative on our Climate Action Committee and on our Campus Sustainability Advisory Council.

Students help maintain the composting programs in dining facilities and residence halls, and the Office of Sustainability Practices offers a "Green Campus Tour" which highlights sustainable efforts on campus.

A student developed and maintains an easy-to-use system that allows students to view what food is available at the different locations around campus as well as display the nutritional information in order to promote healthy choices. This system includes a website where each food service location (Connection, Fresh, etc.) can enter what food is available on a given day. This is tied to an Android app that students may use to filter foods by location, name, or nutritional information (fat, calories, carbohydrates, protein). The system is designed to show how apps can help students eat better.

The university recently partnered with Consumers Energy to host a 3MW solar garden on its property. As part of the partnership, Consumers Energy is providing funds to increase solar education on campus and in the community. Engineering students created a "Solar on Wheels" portable display unit, and environmental students provide interpretation of the information to their peers and community members.

Numerous classes use the ravines as a living laboratory. One student developed a field guide for the ravines on campus. As members of the Grand Valley State University community, we have a bountiful resource at our disposal in the ravines of the Allendale campus that is being under-utilized. This project was designed to cover many aspects of nature relating to the ravines, and result in a finished product consisting of an easy-to-use field guide that is readily accessible to GVSU students and staff. The book includes sections on the common deciduous trees of the ravines, edible plants, wildlife, bushcraft, and the trail system on campus. The edible plants section includes not only identifying information for some of the abundant wild edibles to be found, but also information for their preparation and consumption. Both the sections on trees and on wildlife include information for identification as well as fun facts, and the bushcraft section includes a wealth of information about how to survive in the wilderness. The trail map section consists of aerial photos displaying the GPS-mapped trails.

Procurement Services provided an internship to business students to help launch the university Surplus Store, and student workers assist with the store.

Students have created a viable business plan for a profit-driven bike shop that rents, sells and services bicycles for students. Additionally, we have students working to repair bikes that have been abandoned or damaged on campus. Students also participate on our Bike Advisory Board.

A student completed a project called Recycled Paper: More than Meets the Eye. Every year, 45 million tons of paper is recycled in the United States. This research provides an insight into the afterlife of that recycled paper, and the possibilities that abound when you treat that waste as a resource; a resource that is able to produce materials and compounds essential for life in the 21st century. Additionally, the Green Team student organization assists with Zero Waste events. They perform waste audits in dining halls and help to provide peer-to-peer education about waste reduction.

A student designed a rainwater harvesting system at GVSU's Sustainable Agriculture Project, and a new student is working to design a solar-powered pump to move the water to the crops more efficiently.

Many students on Student Senate are engaged in sustainability-related efforts. Additionally, students performed a statewide study of nonprofit professional development conducted in partnership between the Johnson Center for Philanthropy and the School of Public Nonprofit and Health Administration at Grand Valley State University. Undergraduate Mawby Fellows will present data about a survey that was administered to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations in the state of Michigan. The results of the survey will influence programming offered by the Johnson Center for Philanthropy and has the potential to further the work of many philanthropic organizations interested in building nonprofit capacity and supporting nonprofit sustainability.

A student did a research project focusing on the content of the It Gets Better Project and examines the limitations of social media for outreach and diversity. Through audio and visual content analysis, the study explores Oral Presentations 103 themes and messages of the It Gets Better Project to develop an empirical understanding of who is contributing and what messages and experience are shared. Preliminary research indicates that predominantly white, educated, 18-40 year olds contributed heavily to the It Gets Better Project. In addition, the study examines why such themes as bullying, coming out, and religion are relevant to the It Gets Better Project, and analyzes the limitations of social media activism. The methodology for this project is audio and visual content analysis of 250 It Gets Better Project on YouTube focusing on demographic and thematic elements of the videos. This project is significant because it highlights strengths of the It Gets Better Project as well as providing greater discourse for LGBTQ studies.

Students often present to and participate with the Health & Wellness Taskforce. Additionally, a student completed a project titled "School Policies Addressing Obesity Prevention Methods in Schools Across America." Her systematic review compared the results of wellness, nutrition, and physical education strategies and aimed to find the most successful method to decrease childhood obesity rates.

The Office of Sustainability Practices manages a "Sustainable Reinvestment Fund" which provides seed money to sustainable projects such as water bottle refill stations, bike repair stations, teleconferencing equipment, etc. There is always a student on the committee, and all students are welcome to apply.

The Office of Sustainability Practices oversees a student team from various disciplines that research and help develop applied sustainability practices for the City of Grand Rapids. Our program, Fair Housing 49507, is exemplary in that it has involved students from history, geography and planning, sociology, economics and public administration in multi-semester efforts to gather baseline data on multiple factors in a targeted neighborhood, as well as propose best practices for a $1.42 million investment.

The Sustainable Agriculture Project is a student-led space where faculty, staff, students, and community members can gather to learn about environmental and social impacts of sustainable agriculture.