Overall Rating	Silver - expired
Overall Score	50.74
Liaison	Catherine Lockhart
Submission Date	Sept. 23, 2019

STARS v2.2

Lawrence University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	4.00 / 4.00	Jeff Clark Professor Geology

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

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:

This past year we've hosted energy savings and carbon reduction competitions between residence halls. Student groups like the Food Recovery Network post data on food waste at the dining hall.

Public Engagement

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:

Environmental Studies major requirement includes 50 hours of public engagement outside of classwork. We also bring 3-4 speakers a year to share their perspective on sustainability topics as part of our annual Environmental Symposium.

Air & Climate

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:

Student independent study on carbon accounting helped us establish our baseline CO2 emissions. The university CO2 emissions are used to put into perspective larger emission figures from countries and smaller emitters like households. Students have also worked on a carbon sequestration project modeling and measuring the carbon sink potential of campus.

Buildings

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:

The Warch Campus center is a LEED Gold certified building. It has a green roof that is viewable as well as signage around paper reduction due to use of air dryers rather than paper towels. Other buildings with air dryers and water fill stations also feature signage indicating their environmental impact.

Energy

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:

The energy meters on each building are used during energy competitions to show students how much energy the building and its occupants are using. Student independent study projects brought one solar array to campus and also a wind turbine. Data from these renewables is used in Environmental Science and Physics courses.

Food & Dining

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:

Bon Appetit, the Lawrence University Dining Service Company, uses fresh produce directly from the Sustainable Lawrence University Garden that is all student run by a student organization. Bon Appetit also features low carbon meals, and farm to fork meals in support of local farmers.

Grounds

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:

There is a riverwalk on campus that was initiated by students along the Fox River with signs telling the history of the river and its people. This was designed and implemented by students in an offering of our Symposium on Environmental Topics class. That same topics class also explored and ultimately developed a 1/4 acre organic garden on campus that is now largely maintained by a student group. Fresh produce from the garden is included in dining services meals and we take all kitchen waste for composting.

Purchasing

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

Yes

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

The institution does make purchases based on student work, as an example: a student capstone study investigated contamination of recyclables with garbage (and vice-versa) and proposed a uniform method of waste collection across campus. The campus purchased ~50 new waste/recycling containers and this has reduce contamination substantially.

Transportation

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

Yes

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

Students in a GIS class created a map of bike-able routes to popular destinations around town. The enterprise car share encourages the sharing of rides as do the bikes in the front of our Warch Campus Center. Both programs grew out of independent studies and coursework.

Waste

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:

Pre-consumer food waste is composted by students in the garden and post-consumer food waste is donated to local food pantries by the student-run club called Lawrence University Food Recovery Network. We have also run course on solid waste management through which we explored what is in our waste (how much could be recycled or composted) and how to better manage it. A student capstone study investigated contamination of recyclables with garbage (and vice-versa) and proposed a uniform method of waste collection across campus. The campus purchased ~50 new waste/recycling containers and this has reduced contamination substantially.

Water

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:

There are no plastic water bottles sold on campus, so you see many people with reusable water bottles. This is part of a student government initiative which also grew out of an independent study project. Signage is provided to indicate the problem with plastic bottles. We also have installed a number of water bottle fill stations in high use areas to encourage reuse of water bottles.

Coordination & Planning

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:

The Sustainability Steering Committee is a presidential committee. The membership includes students, faculty, and staff. LUCC the student government organization assigns students to the committee. This committee is the clearing house for virtually all campus sustainability efforts.

Diversity & Affordability

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 Diversity Center aims to "ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, specifically students from diverse backgrounds, to be able to thrive at Lawrence University personally, socially, and academically. This will be achieved through education, conversation, and celebration that embrace culture and identity in oneself and others." A Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion was hired in 2016 and has provided a number of interactive fora for discussion of diversity issues.

Investment & Finance

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

Yes

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

Every student is required to pay a $5 sustainability that goes towards a fund that can only be invested into projects that are sustainability focused. The sustainability steering committee (SSC) administers the fund, vets proposals and decides how to invest the money. Students serve on the SSC along side faculty and staff.

Wellbeing & Work

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:

The Wellness Center at Lawrence "combines student Health and Counseling Services with recreational, leisure, fitness and wellness programs, making this a one-stop resource center."

Optional Fields

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:

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