Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.06
Liaison Michael Amadori
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Tarah Rowse
Former Sustainability Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
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Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:

A selected project follows.

Topic: Community Space at HWS Fribolin Farm (Fall 2014)
Course/Program: Environmental Studies Senior Integrative Experience
Description: This class investigated the feasibility of several different projects at the newly acquired HWS property. The students proposed that the Colleges transform a riding arena building located at the HWS Fribolin Farm into a multi-use space that could host campus and community events. In an effort to respect the history of the adjacent buildings, the property, and area, the group proposed that all renovations attempt to maintain the existing rustic character of the existing structures. The proposal included sustainability related upgrades, including envelope insulation, dust free flooring, and increased natural lighting.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:

Selected projects follow.

Topic: Reducing the Plug Load of Fitness Center Treadmills (Spring 2016)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team worked with the Facilities Department to calculate the potential energy savings related to turning the treadmills off at night and during the day when not in use. The group worked with the Athletic Director and proposed technology options (outlet timers) and behavioral options (e.g. laminated reminders to turn off the machine when done running/walking) for addressing the plug load of the treadmills.

Topic: Heat Recovery Ventilators and Air Source Heat Pump Options for Campus Buildings (Spring 2017)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: Students are examining the technology, cost, and installation considerations for thermal efficiency projects, such as HRVs and air source heat pumps. Research will be completed and an action plan for specific targeted buildings will be developed and proposed to the Facilities Department.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:

Selected projects follow.

Topic: Real Food Challenge Calculator (Summer 2015)
Course/Program: Real Food Challenge Internship
Description: The HWS Real Food Challenge (RFC) intern supported, managed, and administered the Real Food Challenge at HWS by conducting the RFC Calculator. The student, through calculation and analysis, determined the current status of procurement and sourcing of food on campus. This student also developed recommendations and strategies for increasing the percentage of local, healthy, fair, and sustainably sourced food by HWS and Sodexo Dining in the future.

Topic: Community Supported Agriculture (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team worked with Maplestone Farm to promote eating locally on campus and to support the local economy. The primary objective was to strengthen the bond between the students and the farm and to promote CSA sign-ups. The team reached out to Theme House managers and supported Maplestone Farms with advertising through social media.

Topic: Increasing Food Labeling at SAGA (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team was interested in whether increased knowledge about the environmental impacts of the food one consumes would result in behavioral changes within the HWS student body. The goal of this project was to select, identify, and research several ubiquitous food items in order to produce signage that could accompany these items in SAGA. Students focused primarily on the carbon footprint of bananas and conducted an informal survey of how informational signage might affect students’ decision whether to not to consume bananas.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:

Selected projects follow.

Topic: HWS Fribolin Farm Tree Inventory and Edible Forest Proposal (Fall 2014)
Course/Program: Internship
Description: For the past five consecutive years, the Colleges have been designated as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to campus urban forestry, forest management, and community forestry efforts. In an effort to document the nearly 2,000 existing trees on campus and their ecological services, the HWS Tree Campus Advisory Committee regularly hires interns and offers independent studies to HWS students. Students are responsible for conducting a tree inventory of a particular area of campus, recording such information as GPS location, identification, diameter, and condition. Having an inventory of trees on campus allows for various HWS campus leaders to be able to make recommendations for the plantings of trees based on a tree’s physical requirements, capability to sequester campus carbon from the atmosphere, and/or the historical value to the heritage of HWS. In fall 2014, one of the interns identified and located 102 trees in Zone 8: HWS Fribolin Farm. Recommendations were made for an edible forest garden at the HWS Fribolin Farm. With increased interest in food studies at the Colleges, the nation-wide movement to locally-produced foods, and the emphasis on using some of the farm space for agricultural purposes, an apple tree orchard was recommended. An edible forest garden is essentially a parcel of land that is used to plant fruit and/or nut trees of which the products can be harvested and used for human and/or animal consumption.

Topic: Road Salt Usage During Winter (Spring 2016)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team researched options for reducing salt use on campus roads and walkways. Specific product alternatives that would be less harmful to water and ecosystem health were researched, including the cost differences and effectiveness.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:

Selected projects follow.

Topic: Sustainable Event Planning Guide (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainability, Commodities, and Consumption (ENV 330)
Description: This student team conducted a research project to determine how HWS events were planned and hosted. Based on the assumption that offices around campus often do not plan ahead and there is not an event planning guidebook for HWS, offices oftentimes purchase the more affordable and less sustainable products, supplies, and services for their events. This group produced a “Sustainable Event Guidebook” to assist HWS offices in hosting more sustainable events, while outlining options for more sustainable products and services.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:

A selected project follows.

Topic: Bike Share Proposal for a Yellow Bike System 2.0 (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: A team of students evaluated the infrastructure needs, costs, and program elements for an advanced bike share program on campus. The team reached out to providers and collected package estimates for bike, dock, and installation costs.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:

Example projects follow.

Topic: Water Refill Stations (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team was focused on increasing access to water refill stations and promotion of reusable water bottles. The goal was to spread awareness through signage and communicating with peers through social media. Water you doing for sustainability?" posters were created and placed in Rees Hall.

Topic: Waste Sorting at HWS Dining Facilities (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team focused on waste sorting on campus. They conducted an observational study, focused on behavior change research and messaging, and designed napkin dispenser inserts to promote improved waste sorting through education.

Topic: Eliminating Plastic Bags at the HWS College Store (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team worked with the Bookstore Director to discuss the possibility of phasing out and eventually eliminating plastic bags from the campus bookstore. The primary objective was to decrease the amount of plastic waste being produced on campus. Students conducted a baseline survey to ascertain current students’ opinions on plastic bags as well as their waste management practices while simultaneously working to identify possible alternatives for plastic bags at the College Store. This project led to further discussion of possible bag options between the Office of Sustainability and the College Store in the summer of 2015.

Topic: An Investigation of Outdoor Waste Diversion on HWS Campus (Spring 2016)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This team examined the locations and use of outdoor recycling and trash bins around campus. Bin audits were conducted, a GIS-based map of bin locations was created, and recommendations were made for relocating and adding bins across the campus in order to increase waste diversion.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:

Selected projects follow.

Topic: Going Trayless at HWS Dining Services (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: Guided by a desire to reduce food waste on and the energy and water footprints of the campus community, this team focused on the feasibility of implementing a trayless conveyor belt system in SAGA. The primary objective was to gather student perspectives on Trayless Tuesday events, as well as the possibility of HWS Dining Services going trayless in the near-term future.

Topic: Implementation of Bioswales (Spring 2015)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: This group focused on tackling the water quality issues associated with storm events. The team researched native plants, bioswale architecture, and ecosystem service benefits, in an effort to provide research and recommendations for plant species and choices and bioswale structure in future campus projects.

Topic: High Efficiency (HE) Washers & Detergent Education (Spring 2016)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: With the switch to HE washing machines on campus there becomes a need for detergent switching and education. This team researched the utilization of HE detergent on campus and focused on developing a plan to only sell HE detergent at the school store and education of the incoming students at orientation about the importance and water consumption benefits of using HE detergents. The project focused on communicating the potential for annual water savings and decreased wear and tear on the machines from using HE detergent.


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:

A selected project follows.

Topic: Mosaic NY (Spring 2014 - present)
Course/Program: Department of Theatre
Description: Mosaic NY is Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ ongoing social justice theatre company. The group draws on the lives and experiences of the individuals in the company as source material for its productions. The collaborative theatre project, as written in its mission statement, “is devoted to creating and performing works of theatre that promote dialogue, develop community, celebrate diversity, and encourage the active pursuit of social justice. Mosaic NY believes that theatre provides an ideal forum for exploring diversity and social justice by engaging audiences and performers in an empathetic and imaginative exploration of shared narrative.”
Website URL: http://www.hws.edu/academics/theatre/mosaic.aspx


Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
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Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:

A selected project follows.

Topic: Sustainable Apparel Sourcing at the Campus Bookstore (Spring 2017)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
Description: A complete inventory and audit of the clothing sold at the campus store is being conducted, including research on vendors and clothing companies. The project will help identify alternative vendor choices to ensure fair labor practices and environmentally sound manufacturing of clothes that the store sells.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.