| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.10 |
| Liaison | Michael Amadori |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Rylee
Wernoch Sustainability Intern Office of Sustainability |
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
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.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
Topic: Geneva Foundry Zone StoryMap (Spring 2017)
Course/Program: Senior Integrative Experience (ENV 300)
Description: A team of students work with the local community about a contaminated area of land in Geneva, NY known as the Foundry Zone. The project helped educate local residents about the historical background for the contamination, possible arsenic and lead issues in their surrounding neighborhood, provided answers/updates to the remediation efforts, and suggestions for how to get healthy food. Their final report is available for public reference: http://arcg.is/0SLP99
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
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. The research was completed and an action plan for specifically targeted buildings will be developed and proposed to the Facilities Department.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
Topic: Real Food Inventory
Course/Program: Real Food Inventory Internship
Description: The HWS Real Food Inventory 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: Food Waste Reduction (2017)
Course/Program: Sustainability Living and Learning Community
The team looked at food waste behaviors in the dining hall and had conversations with the dining hall manager that resulted in posters as an attempt to help students eliminate food waste. These posters were almost statistically significant in showing a reduction in food waste. A longer testing period and increased data collection are necessary to fully evaluate the impact.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
Topic: Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve
Course/Program: Biology Courses
Description: The Colleges' 108-acre wildlife refuge close to nearby Cayuga Lake offers students an area for ecological studies. The area has been developed and preserved as a wildlife sanctuary. The preserve, located about 20 miles from campus, has over 40 ponds, a deciduous forest, cultivated fields, old fields, swamps, a stream, and numerous other habitats. It is inhabited by waterfowl, a deer herd, beaver, muskrats, coyotes, foxes, and many birds, reptiles and amphibians. The Richard Ryan Field Laboratory building was opened on the preserve in 1994 and provides a location for lecture and laboratory activities.
https://www2.hws.edu/establishing-the-dr-richard-a-ryan-endowed-fund/
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
Topic: Bike Share Yellow Bike Program (Spring 2015-present)
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 a bike, dock, and installation costs. This research has allowed for a Yellow Bike Program which allows students to rent a bike for a semester at a time
from the colleges for a deposit fee.
Topic: Electric Car Promotional Initiative (Spring 2017)
Course/Program: Sustainable Living and Learning Community
A team of students sought to reduce fossil fuel impacts as a result of faculty/staff transportation during daily commute by promoting the use of electric cars. This would be done through a multifaceted initiative that includes educating faculty and staff on the impact that electric cars has on the environment. By providing subsidies for purchasing these vehicles. And increasing accessibility to charging stations on campus.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
Topic: Waste Sorting at HWS Dining Facilities (Spring 2017)
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. Several waste audits were performed in public areas to raise awareness about what we were doing and why.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
Topic: Year of Water (2019-2020)
Department: Finger Lakes Institute
A year-long initiative to celebrate the work that has been done to protect the Seneca Lake watershed. A variety of interdisciplinary events, both on campus and in the community, promote the importance of water and Seneca Lake to the region. Website: https://www.hws.edu/year-of-water/
Topic: Opening of Baker Water Quality Lab
Department: Finger Lakes Institute
Description: Baker Lab marks an improvement in the chance for students to engage in research, education, community outreach, and economic development. The lab will provide hands-on experience for STEM students to work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and watershed associations to protect the region’s water resources, which supply drinking water to more than a million people and, support the critical agriculture and tourism industries.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Topic: Sustainable Community Development Capstone (Spring 2020)
Course/Program: ENV 402
Description: The capstone focused on the idea of the slow street as well as the complete street movement and how it could be applied to Geneva, New York. Throughout the semester students worked in groups to make design plans on how to enhance street layouts on multiple streets in Geneva to make them more environmentally friendly as well as more user-friendly.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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 infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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