Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 58.37
Liaison Martin Sanchez
Submission Date June 29, 2024

STARS v2.2

Tecnológico de Monterrey – Campus Santa Fe
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.80 / 4.00
"---" 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:

The project "Epistemicide" takes its name from a neologism coined by the Portuguese philosopher Boaventura de Sousa (1940), which describes the process of systematic annihilation of knowledge traditions under the cultural (and social, political, economic...) hegemony of the West, to the detriment of ancestral indigenous knowledge. To ground the project, we used as a case study the disappearance of indigenous knowledge about the cultivation of endemic maize species, which have been forgotten over the last century as a result of a capitalist rationality focused on agricultural exploitation. The project consisted of three parts.


a) In the first phase, research was conducted on the types of endemic maize breeds (species) in Mexico and the traditional conditions of milpa cultivation as a polyculture.
b) In the second phase, the soil was prepared (loosened and organic matter was added) to provide the necessary nutrients for the cultivation of the selected maize species, as well as beans and chili.
c) In the third phase, the selected maize breeds—red, green, rainbow, pinto, blue, and black—along with Peruvian and vaquita beans, as well as árbol and manzano chili, were planted. This ensured that the milpa would be a self-sufficient polyculture.
The project is ongoing (as of May 2024), with its development maintained through the campus-provided irrigation system and occasional compost contributions from the campus physical plant.


 


 


Also...


A small section of the campus green areas was allocated to plant a small garden that followed two fundamental guidelines within Epicurean philosophy: it would include only endemic flowers and these would serve as food for pollinator species. Thus, the planted garden would simultaneously serve as a space for ecological recovery, study, and analysis of the philosophical implications of Epicureanism in everyday life, for example, in the relationship people have with pollinating insects, which are a fundamental pillar of our food supply and the regulation of our ecosystems.


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

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

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

A small section of the campus green areas was allocated to plant a small garden that followed two fundamental guidelines within Epicurean philosophy: it would include only endemic flowers and these would serve as food for pollinator species. Thus, the planted garden would simultaneously serve as a space for ecological recovery, study, and analysis of the philosophical implications of Epicureanism in everyday life, for example, in the relationship people have with pollinating insects, which are a fundamental pillar of our food supply and the regulation of our ecosystems.


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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
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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 Energy?:
No

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

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:

The project "Epistemicide" takes its name from a neologism coined by the Portuguese philosopher Boaventura de Sousa (1940), which describes the process of systematic annihilation of knowledge traditions under the cultural (and social, political, economic...) hegemony of the West, to the detriment of ancestral indigenous knowledge. To ground the project, we used as a case study the disappearance of indigenous knowledge about the cultivation of endemic maize species, which have been forgotten over the last century as a result of a capitalist rationality focused on agricultural exploitation. The project consisted of three parts.


a) In the first phase, research was conducted on the types of endemic maize breeds (species) in Mexico and the traditional conditions of milpa cultivation as a polyculture.


b) In the second phase, the soil was prepared (loosened and organic matter was added) to provide the necessary nutrients for the cultivation of the selected maize species, as well as beans and chili.


c) In the third phase, the selected maize breeds—red, green, rainbow, pinto, blue, and black—along with Peruvian and vaquita beans, as well as árbol and manzano chili, were planted. This ensured that the milpa would be a self-sufficient polyculture.


The project is ongoing (as of May 2024), with its development maintained through the campus-provided irrigation system and occasional compost contributions from the campus physical plant.


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:

The project "Epistemicide" takes its name from a neologism coined by the Portuguese philosopher Boaventura de Sousa (1940), which describes the process of systematic annihilation of knowledge traditions under the cultural (and social, political, economic...) hegemony of the West, to the detriment of ancestral indigenous knowledge. To ground the project, we used as a case study the disappearance of indigenous knowledge about the cultivation of endemic maize species, which have been forgotten over the last century as a result of a capitalist rationality focused on agricultural exploitation. The project consisted of three parts.


a) In the first phase, research was conducted on the types of endemic maize breeds (species) in Mexico and the traditional conditions of milpa cultivation as a polyculture.


b) In the second phase, the soil was prepared (loosened and organic matter was added) to provide the necessary nutrients for the cultivation of the selected maize species, as well as beans and chili.


c) In the third phase, the selected maize breeds—red, green, rainbow, pinto, blue, and black—along with Peruvian and vaquita beans, as well as árbol and manzano chili, were planted. This ensured that the milpa would be a self-sufficient polyculture.


The project is ongoing (as of May 2024), with its development maintained through the campus-provided irrigation system and occasional compost contributions from the campus physical plant.


 


Also


A small section of the campus green areas was allocated to plant a small garden that followed two fundamental guidelines within Epicurean philosophy: it would include only endemic flowers and these would serve as food for pollinator species. Thus, the planted garden would simultaneously serve as a space for ecological recovery, study, and analysis of the philosophical implications of Epicureanism in everyday life, for example, in the relationship people have with pollinating insects, which are a fundamental pillar of our food supply and the regulation of our ecosystems.


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:
---

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:
---

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

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

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:

The project "Epistemicide" takes its name from a neologism coined by the Portuguese philosopher Boaventura de Sousa (1940), which describes the process of systematic annihilation of knowledge traditions under the cultural (and social, political, economic...) hegemony of the West, to the detriment of ancestral indigenous knowledge. To ground the project, we used as a case study the disappearance of indigenous knowledge about the cultivation of endemic maize species, which have been forgotten over the last century as a result of a capitalist rationality focused on agricultural exploitation. The project consisted of three parts.


a) In the first phase, research was conducted on the types of endemic maize breeds (species) in Mexico and the traditional conditions of milpa cultivation as a polyculture.


b) In the second phase, the soil was prepared (loosened and organic matter was added) to provide the necessary nutrients for the cultivation of the selected maize species, as well as beans and chili.


c) In the third phase, the selected maize breeds—red, green, rainbow, pinto, blue, and black—along with Peruvian and vaquita beans, as well as árbol and manzano chili, were planted. This ensured that the milpa would be a self-sufficient polyculture.


The project is ongoing (as of May 2024), with its development maintained through the campus-provided irrigation system and occasional compost contributions from the campus physical plant.


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:

A small section of the campus green areas was allocated to plant a small garden that followed two fundamental guidelines within Epicurean philosophy: it would include only endemic flowers and these would serve as food for pollinator species. Thus, the planted garden would simultaneously serve as a space for ecological recovery, study, and analysis of the philosophical implications of Epicureanism in everyday life, for example, in the relationship people have with pollinating insects, which are a fundamental pillar of our food supply and the regulation of our ecosystems.


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

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

The project "Epistemicide" takes its name from a neologism coined by the Portuguese philosopher Boaventura de Sousa (1940), which describes the process of systematic annihilation of knowledge traditions under the cultural (and social, political, economic...) hegemony of the West, to the detriment of ancestral indigenous knowledge. To ground the project, we used as a case study the disappearance of indigenous knowledge about the cultivation of endemic maize species, which have been forgotten over the last century as a result of a capitalist rationality focused on agricultural exploitation. The project consisted of three parts.


a) In the first phase, research was conducted on the types of endemic maize breeds (species) in Mexico and the traditional conditions of milpa cultivation as a polyculture.


b) In the second phase, the soil was prepared (loosened and organic matter was added) to provide the necessary nutrients for the cultivation of the selected maize species, as well as beans and chili.


c) In the third phase, the selected maize breeds—red, green, rainbow, pinto, blue, and black—along with Peruvian and vaquita beans, as well as árbol and manzano chili, were planted. This ensured that the milpa would be a self-sufficient polyculture.


The project is ongoing (as of May 2024), with its development maintained through the campus-provided irrigation system and occasional compost contributions from the campus physical plant.


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?:
No

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:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.