Ithaca College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Utilizing academic insights, student groups have developed advertising "installments" that are installed across campus in campus restrooms that calls attention to campus operation details for students, faculty, staff and visitors and encourages behavior changes to help improve campus sustainability.

The course "Civic Engagement Seminar" evaluated food pantries on other college campuses and developed a plan to open a food pantry on the IC campus. Once open, the students then experimented with different marketing methods.

ENVS courses monitor the campuses energy use and associated greenhouse gas inventory to study contribution and effects to climate change. Total natural gas usage for residence halls are used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gases that were emitted into the atmosphere.

ENVS classes monitor energy use from buildings are used to find greenhouse gas emissions. The Center for Natural Sciences is also used to study heating efficiency and insulation. Digital temperature sensors are used in different parts of the building to find where heat is lost and to observe how different materials conduct heat and how that effects the building's temperature and envelope.

An Environmental Science course has historically utilized energy sub-meters to educate students on phantom load, as well as general energy themes.
The Office of Energy Management & Sustainability also has historically provided the College's Circle Apartments with illustrative energy bills, inclusive of electricity and natural usage, in addition to the carbon emissions associated with monthly use in each apartment.

Faculty in the Environmental Studies and Sciences (ENVS) departments research sustainable food systems in on-campus dining halls. Both hydroponic and aquaponic systems have been used to grow herbs and other produce to supply the campus dining halls and student meals. Faculty also use the on-campus permaculture garden and four organic gardens to support their courses and provide experiential learning. Further, current ENVS program works to help coordinate dining food donation program to local homeless organization.

Faculty in the ENVS department offer courses and research focused on land management and invasive species monitoring and mitigation. Students learn sustainable land management practices, how to identify and properly remove invasive species, and appropriate ways to re-introduce native species, such as the American Chestnut. Other courses examine the campus's management of wetlands, natural lands and alternative land-use techniques.

It is an IC policy that the College recognizes that one of its primary opportunities to exercise environmental responsibility is through its purchasing choices. The College will strive to obtain maximum value for its expenditures and will work toward obtaining the "best value" by considering short and long-term costs, maintenance, life cycle, and environmental costs in purchasing goods and services.

The College acknowledges that environmentally responsible purchasing choices will help create and sustain markets for environmentally responsible products.
The College commits to the goal of balancing environmentally and fiscally responsible purchasing choices by considering life cycle costs, long-term implications, and environmental impact of its purchasing policies.
Purchasing policies will encourage acquisition of products that minimize waste, have high recycled content, use environmentally responsible production methods, and demonstrate maximum durability or biodegradability, reparability, energy efficiency, non-toxicity, and recyclability.
Departments shall specify and purchase ENERGY STAR-certified energy-efficient products in all product categories for which such ratings exist.
Departments shall be encouraged to specify and purchase environmentally preferable products that meet or exceed the standards of third-party certification programs for environmental and/or sustainable products where such ratings exist.

https://www.ithaca.edu/policy-manual/volume-ii-campus-community/238-comprehensive-environmental-policy

Many active transportation improvement projects on campus have helped to raise awareness to students of the multi-benefits of these projects. These have included bike and bus shelters and bike/pedestrian path improvements. A recently completed project between the Town of Ithaca and Ithaca College was a substantial sidewalk connection to Downtown Ithaca. This project was inspired in large part from student activism with the local planning process. Transportation improvements are continually explored by the students, faculty and staff.

ENVS classes do a survey of waste. Classes examine trash and recycling locations across campus to see what and how students are discarding their waste. Compost generation is also studied and students take trips to the local composting facility to learn about the breakdown and recycling of nutrients.

ENVS classes experiments with using water from storm drains to grow radishes. Conductivity was monitored for a year to find a baseline and average high and low levels. Plants were then grown with water with several conductivity levels to see effects on growth. Other classes also measure conductivity and pollutants in water from storm drains at several points from across campus.

Historically, the Sustainability in 3D Design art course surveys buildings on and off-campus to examine impacts on livability, accessibility, and movement, as well as general themes in architecture and design.

Introduction to Culture and Communications uses modern movies, videos, and readings to help students identify their own inherent biases. Students are unaware at the beginning of the course, but throughout the semester, learn that they are their own case-studies.

The Thomson One software, available in the School of Business Trading Room, gives students all the tools necessary to interpret, analyze, and monitor equities, options, futures, commodities, and other valuable market information. Such sophisticated software allows our faculty to teach courses that give you hands-on experience in securities trading and a deeper understanding of financial markets and trends. And with courses such as the Real Time Portfolio Management class, students gain investment experience by managing an actual stock portfolio using real dollars.

Ithaca College's Wellness Clinic is a significant campus community resource for faculty and staff which is staffed by student workers. Student workers, largely those in Exercise and Sports Sciences, help with every aspect of the operation including fitness assessment, facility monitoring, and member management.