Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.94
Liaison Robin Frederick
Submission Date July 21, 2022

STARS v2.2

Indiana University Southeast
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Robin Frederick
Coordinator of STARS Assessment
Administrative Affairs
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: Next Step in the Feeding Minds Project: Survey to Assess Food Insecurity on
Indiana University Regional Campuses
FACULTY SPONSOR: Melanie Hughes
DISCIPLINE: Psychology
ABSTRACT: The Feeding Minds Project aims to discover ways to counter student food insecurity on regional campuses and nearby communities. Initial methods have involved interviewing members of the community to explore existing resources and potential solutions to help combat student and community food insecurity through asset mapping. We will utilize Qualtrics to survey campus community members at all five IU regional campuses to obtain a baseline percentage of those challenged by food insecurity.
Survey responses will provide insight into the specific barriers of each campus, and a platform to investigate innovative ways of making food accessible to campus community members.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Health in College Students
FACULTY SPONSOR: Diane Wille
DISCIPLINE: Psychology
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of college on students' overall health. The participants interacted with a four-part 42 question questionnaire to get an overall understanding of their health. We expect to find men will be healthier than women, underclassmen will be healthier than upperclassmen, college will increase students overall stress level, along with making the students unhealthy overall.
Colleges can use the data from our study to develop plans to decrease the amount of stress along with developing a plan to change the diet of the school.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Physical Activity and Its Benefits for College Students
FACULTY SPONSOR: Rebekah Dement
DISCIPLINE: Education
ABSTRACT: College students have busy schedules full of academic and social demands with little time left for exercise. Studies show that this lack of physical activity has negative effects on students. If colleges emphasize the need for and benefits of physical activity, this would lead to better incorporation of exercise into the daily habits of students. This project will examine the positive effects that physical activity has on students and explain how it can be better integrated into college life. Included is an original survey distributed to college students in order to further examine the correlation between exercise and academic achievement.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Researching Nursing Student Mental Health and Seeking a Specialized Counselor
FACULTY SPONSOR: Julia Mattingly
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Nursing students are faced with a number of challenges while in school, including high levels of stress, anxiety and more specifically testing anxiety. An online survey of IU Southeast nursing students related to mental health, anxiety, and the student's access to mental health resources revealed 65% of IUS nursing students have testing anxiety and that 96% of the students were interested in counseling services.
This poster will present the data gathered by senior nursing students and the details of the multiple interventions, developed in partnership with Counseling Services, created to address the stress of nursing school.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Sustainable and Achievable Change
FACULTY SPONSOR: Janice McMahan
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States according to the CDC. An Indiana University Southeast RN-BSN student coordinated two health fairs for the residents at Riverview Towers focusing on cardiovascular disease. Resources were given to each participant to allow for sustainable change. Education on lifestyle modification empowered the residents to be able to make positive changes that will have a big impact on their cardiovascular health. This poster will present a multifaceted resource health fair that allowed for sustainable improvements in cardiovascular health for the underserved population.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: A Communities Fight Against Opioid Addiction
FACULTY SPONSOR: Janice McMahan
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Harrison County reported 19 deaths related to drugs in 2017. An Indiana University Southeast RN-BSN student, working with the Harrison County Health Department, wrote a grant to the Indiana State Department of Health, providing first responders with Opioid Rescue Kits containing Narcan Nasal Spray. A Safe Injection Practices educational pamphlet was developed for inclusion in the health department's harm reduction kits. This poster will detail the grant, the education, and training involved as well as additional harm reduction strategies that were employed to assist Harrison County in their fight against opioid addiction

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE), ages 55+
FACULTY SPONSOR: Janice McMahan
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Drug and alcohol abuse as well as abuse of prescription and over-the­ counter medications is a very real problem among older adults in America. Between 2004-2009 the number of admissions for substance abuse for people age 50 and up increased nearly 50%. The number of adults needing substance abuse treatment is expected to double by 2020. Older adults should receive services that are age specific. IUS RN-BSN students taught a six-week course of The WISE Program to residents of a 55+ living center. addressing high risk behaviors in older adults. This poster will present the details of this successful evidence-based program.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Prenatal Care Saves Lives
FACULTY SPONSOR: Janice McMahan
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities located in Floyd County, Indiana, is a non­ profit emergency shelter agency, serving all Southern Indiana and Louisville. Women
involved in domestic violence may seek shelter at the facility. Mothers lacking monthly prenatal care are at risk for increased health disparities. To educate pregnant residents living at the shelter, Indiana University Southeast RN-BSN students developed a prenatal and infant educational packet. Students counseled residents on monthly antenatal care specifics, possible complications, and the importance of postpartum care. An informational packet was given for future reference. The poster explains the information required to help decrease complications.

AUTHORS:Student-led
TITLE: Birthing With a Sentence: Community Clinical Experience at Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women
FACULTY SPONSOR:
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Approximately 6-10% of women who are incarcerated at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women are pregnant at the same time. To provide education and support to this vulnerable population, Indiana University Southeast senior nursing students held weekly education classes using the Centering Pregnancy Program. Most of these pregnant inmates had minimal knowledge of prenatal care, the delivery process, post-partum care, and recovery, education was focused on these topics during weekly sessions. This poster will present a brief overview of the education provided to these women and the positive impact the teachings had on them, as evidenced by a pre and post-test.

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education
FACULTY SPONSOR: Judith Myers
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: There are over 52 million people in the United States over the age of 65. As life expectancy continues to increase, interventions are needed to promote independence and healthy lifestyles in this population. The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) is a health promotion program that helps older adults increase their awareness of the aging process. IUS Senior nursing students visited Guerin Woods, a senior living community, and facilitated the WISE program with a group of twenty-two seniors. This poster will present the goals of the WISE initiative, activities performed, and the health outcomes of the individuals that participated.

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: The Hot Spot: Louisville, Kentucky
FACULTY SPONSOR: Ranida Harris
DISCIPLINE: Economics
ABSTRACT: Urban heat in Louisville, or the increase in temperature within a city center
due to human activity and development, is one of the fastest rising in the nation. This study examines the continued development of Louisville and the efforts taken to combat these rising temperatures as the city seeks to expand. We plan to explore cost-efficient green development opportunities offered to Louisville. We predict that these increased efforts of developers to include cooling pavement, the planting of more trees, and cooling roofs will help slow the rise in temperatures in the central city and suburban areas.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:

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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: Research Mitigation Techniques for Heat Retention on Indiana University Southeast’s Campus
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability and Regeneration
ABSTRACT: The urban heat island effect in our area contributes to intense heat. This heightened heat leads to lowered mental and physical health quality, higher HVAC costs, perils for biodiversity, and less social interaction. We determined the heat retaining properties/albedo/SRI of five categories of campus surfaces (grass, forest, buildings, parking lots, and walkways). We proposed 4 different mitigation measures which are tree placement analysis, studying of tree types, use of pavers, and implementation of green roofs. If implemented, these would improve the triple bottom line. Our goals are to educate the populous about the impact of the mitigation plans.

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: A proposal for a green roof at Indiana University Southeast
FACULTY SPONSOR: James Hollenbeck
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: This is a proposal for installing a green roof at IUS based on research
case study of previously built and assessed green roofs.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:

AUTHORS: Student-led
TITLE: Research Mitigation Techniques for Heat Retention on Indiana University Southeast’s Campus
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability and Regeneration
ABSTRACT: The urban heat island effect in our area contributes to intense heat. This heightened heat leads to lowered mental and physical health quality, higher HVAC costs, perils for biodiversity, and less social interaction. We determined the heat retaining properties/albedo/SRI of five categories of campus surfaces (grass, forest, buildings, parking lots, and walkways). We proposed 4 different mitigation measures which are tree placement analysis, studying of tree types, use of pavers, and implementation of green roofs. If implemented, these would improve the triple bottom line. Our goals are to educate the populous about the impact of the mitigation plans.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Next Step in the Feeding Minds Project: Survey to Assess Food Insecurity on
Indiana University Regional Campuses
FACULTY SPONSOR: Melanie Hughes
DISCIPLINE: Psychology
ABSTRACT: The Feeding Minds Project aims to discover ways to counter student food insecurity on regional campuses and nearby communities. Initial methods have involved interviewing members of the community to explore existing resources and potential solutions to help combat student and community food insecurity through asset mapping. We will utilize Qualtrics to survey campus community members at all five IU regional campuses to obtain a baseline percentage of those challenged by food insecurity.
Survey responses will provide insight into the specific barriers of each campus, and a platform to investigate innovative ways of making food accessible to campus community members.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Sustainable Landscaping: Higher Educational Institutions are Going Native
FACULTY SPONSOR: Randy Hunt
DISCIPLINE: General Studies
ABSTRACT: Sustainable landscaping gives students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to engage with and learn from their natural surroundings while allowing institutions to show commitment to sustainability. Native wildflower prairies that are introduced to faculty, staff, and students can assist with improvements in mental health, it can encourage visitation from native pollinators and other insects, and animals and provide learning and research opportunities.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: The Benefits, Maintenance, and Design of Building a Rain Garden at the Indiana University Southeast Campus
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this project is to educate the audience on the overall benefits of installing a rain garden at the Indiana University Southeast campus to enhance our sustainability and promote environmental, economic, and social development. Rain gardens utilize native plants to the region and help manage stormwater runoff that occurs due to parking lots and other facilities. A rain garden will improve the soil on campus, increase biodiversity, and provide a location for individuals to study ecosystem development. With very minimal annual maintenance, a rain garden can allow us to capitalize on natural processes and improve aesthetics.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: The Benefits of a Beehive on Indiana University Southeast Campus and the Management and Upkeep of the Hives and Surrounding Habitat.
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Biology
ABSTRACT: The research here is to show the benefit and environmental impact of having a beehive on campus. With the population of bees in trouble with climate change and loss of habitat having a controlled area for a population of bees would benefit them. The campus of Indiana University Southeast could also benefit from a campus. Bee areas is the only pollinator that we can measure the health of the surrounding environment. This creates a healthy ecosystem and opportunities for students to learn.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: A Scheduled Plan For an Indiana University Southeast Campus Garden
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: This is a research-based proposal for a campus garden at IUS focused on
providing a scheduled plan for a successful garden based on learning from previous garden successes and failures at other schools.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:

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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:

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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Effects of the Pandemic on the Environment at Indiana University Southeast
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: My project will be about the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the environment. While discussing many different things. I will primarily focus on the increase of single-use plastics across the globe and on Indiana University Southeast's campus. I will talk about how people have been using a higher amount of single-use plastics than they were before the pandemic and the effects these plastics have on our environment. I will also talk about how students can make sustainable changes post-pandemic.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Composting: A Small Adjustment to Indiana University Southeast That Can Lead to a Great Beneficial Change
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability and Regeneration
ABSTRACT: Disposal of waste is high in both financial and environmental costs. The solution to fixing this issue is composting. Composting on campus would not only improve the carbon footprint of the campus. It also offers learning experiences to students and staff, it brings them outside more, builds a closer community, and has beneficial financial benefits to the campus. The purpose of this project is to express the nature of composting, its benefits, where to implement this on campus, and how we can further educate students and staff about composting here at Indiana University Southeast.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: The Benefits, Maintenance, and Design of Building a Rain Garden at the Indiana University Southeast Campus
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this project is to educate the audience on the overall benefits of installing a rain garden at the Indiana University Southeast campus to enhance our sustainability and promote environmental, economic, and social development. Rain gardens utilize native plants to the region and help manage stormwater runoff that occurs due to parking lots and other facilities. A rain garden will improve the soil on campus, increase biodiversity, and provide a location for individuals to study ecosystem development. With very minimal annual maintenance, a rain garden can allow us to capitalize on natural processes and improve aesthetics.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:

AUTHOR: Student-led
TITLE: Sustainability Misconceptions in Higher Education: How AASHE STARS Reporting May Drive Innovation
FACULTY SPONSOR(S): Rebekah Dement and Melanie Hughes
ABSTRACT: Institutions of Higher Education have the capacity and capability to become leaders in sustainability, and potential agents of change. Sustainability conversations have been occurring at colleges and universities over the last half-century; however, the process of becoming a documented sustainable institution has not yet been extensively researched. Through a review of literature, this paper will first identify universal obstacles to implementing sustainability initiatives on campuses, and it will then explore how those same barriers are experienced at Indiana University Southeast. This case study is in conjunction with the current incorporation and data collection of the AASHE STARS (Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education, Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System), a reporting program at IU Southeast, a medium-sized, primarily non-residential, Midwestern regional state university campus, and both have revealed communication obstacles, as well as misconceptions of faculty, staff, and administration. The assessment also revealed how IU Southeast is addressing those barriers and challenges: the campus is making strides to transform ideas into actions.

AUTHOR: Student-led
TITLE: Addressing Misconceptions of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Case Study of Indiana University Southeast
FACULTY SPONSOR(S): Rebekah Dement and Melanie Hughes
ABSTRACT: Institutions of Higher Education have the capacity and capability to become leaders in sustainability, and potential agents of change. Sustainability conversations have been occurring at colleges and universities over the last half-century; however, the process of becoming a documented sustainable institution has not been yet been extensively researched. The purpose of this research is to identify and potentially remove obstacles to implementing sustainability initiatives on campuses. This case study examines the current incorporation and data collection of the AASHE STARS (Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education, Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) reporting program at a medium-sized, primarily non-residential, Midwestern regional state university campus. This accreditation process has revealed bureaucratic, systemic, and communication obstacles, as well as misconceptions of faculty, staff, and students that smaller colleges are faced with while implementing and documenting sustainable programs which may improve the quality of life for the campus and the local community.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Research Mitigation Techniques for Heat Retention on Indiana University Southeast’s Campus
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor
DISCIPLINE: Sustainability and Regeneration
ABSTRACT: The urban heat island effect in our area contributes to intense heat. This heightened heat leads to lowered mental and physical health quality, higher HVAC costs, perils for biodiversity, and less social interaction. We determined the heat retaining properties/albedo/SRI of five categories of campus surfaces (grass, forest, buildings, parking lots, and walkways). We proposed 4 different mitigation measures which are tree placement analysis, studying of tree types, use of pavers, and implementation of green roofs. If implemented, these would improve the triple bottom line. Our goals are to educate the populous about the impact of the mitigation plans.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: A Scheduled Plan For an Indiana University Southeast Campus Garden
FACULTY SPONSOR: David Taylor DISCIPLINE: Sustainability & Regeneration
ABSTRACT: This is a research-based proposal for a campus garden at IUS focused on
providing a scheduled plan for a successful garden based on learning from previous garden successes and failures at other schools.

INTERNSHIP: STARS Assessment
DEPARTMENT SPONSOR: Administrative Affairs
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION: Assisted with the coordination of the submission on behalf of Indiana University Southeast's Sustainability Tracking and Assessment System (STARS) application to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Interviewed campus personnel and gathers data and information that will be used for the campus submission to AASHE.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:

---


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Health in College Students
FACULTY SPONSOR: Diane Wille
DISCIPLINE: Psychology
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of college on students' overall health. The participants interacted with a four-part 42-question questionnaire to get an overall understanding of their health. We expect to find men will be healthier than women, underclassmen will be healthier than upperclassmen, the college will increase student's overall stress level, along with making the students unhealthy overall.
Colleges can use the data from our study to develop plans to decrease the amount of stress along with developing a plan to change the diet of the school.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Physical Activity and Its Benefits for College Students
FACULTY SPONSOR: Rebekah Dement
DISCIPLINE: Education
ABSTRACT: College students have busy schedules full of academic and social demands with little time left for exercise. Studies show that this lack of physical activity has negative effects on students. If colleges emphasize the need for and benefits of physical activity, this would lead to better incorporation of exercise into the daily habits of students. This project will examine the positive effects that physical activity has on students and explain how it can be better integrated into college life. Included is an original survey distributed to college students in order to further examine the correlation between exercise and academic achievement.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Researching Nursing Student Mental Health and Seeking a Specialized Counselor
FACULTY SPONSOR: Julia Mattingly
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: Nursing students are faced with a number of challenges while in school, including high levels of stress, anxiety and more specifically testing anxiety. An online survey of IU Southeast nursing students related to mental health, anxiety, and the student's access to mental health resources revealed 65% of IUS nursing students have testing anxiety and that 96% of the students were interested in counseling services.
This poster will present the data gathered by senior nursing students and the details of the multiple interventions, developed in partnership with Counseling Services, created to address the stress of nursing school.

AUTHOR(S): Student-led
TITLE: Role of the Indiana University Southeast School of Nursing during the COVID- 19 Pandemic
FACULTY SPONSOR: Laura Mcllvoy
DISCIPLINE: Nursing
ABSTRACT: To provide for a safe return, IU Southeast implemented mitigation testing
to monitor the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Senior nursing students were taught how to perform the COVID-19 mitigation test, symptomatic test, patient intake, and data collection. A campus-wide influenza clinic was offered were senior nursing students did patient intake and delivered flu shots. The nursing class of 2021 delivered vaccines to the citizens of Indiana. During the month of April, all 56 sophomore nursing students administered vaccines. This poster will showcase the over 4000 combined nursing student hours involved in Indiana University Southeast's response to COVID-19.


Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Information for this credit was received from the Office of Academic Affairs and from the 2019-2021 IU Southeast Student Conference Programs.


Information for this credit was received from the Office of Academic Affairs and from the 2019-2021 IU Southeast Student Conference Programs.

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.