| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 45.20 |
| Liaison | Scott Carlin |
| Submission Date | July 15, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
LIU Post
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
William
Achnitz Sustainability Coordinator Facilities |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | No |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | No |
| Investment | Yes |
| Public Engagement | Yes |
| Other | No |
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Using data provided by the Department of Facilities Services, students in the Environmental Sustainability program calculated Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from 2005-2013 as part of a project for their Sustainable Energy Systems class. A draft Climate Action Plan was also written as part of that project.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The students enrolled in the Sustainable Energy Systems class at LIU Post took a tour of the campus energy system with the Director of Facilities Services. The tour included a walk-through of the central heating plant, the ground-mounted solar panels, and the geothermal central air conditioning system located on campus. Information about energy efficient building features was also discussed as part of this tour.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In Fall 2013, undergraduate students from the Environmental Sociology class conducted a campus food survey. Respondents were asked about their attitudes towards organic and sustainable foods and whether or not Dining Services adequately met their expectations in regards to sustainability. The information gathered from this survey will serve as a building block for future sustainability initiatives in Dining Services.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In Fall 2013, graduate students from the Sustainable Energy Systems class took a tour of the campus energy system. This information included a tour of the central heating plant, its building management system, and renewable technologies such as the solar panels on campus. Undergraduate students from the Business of Clean Technology class also did projects exploring potential clean energy opportunities for LIU Post.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Community Arboretum at LIU Post and the Miracle-Gro® Greenhouse offers students an excellent environment to study plant anatomy, botany, ecology and photosynthesis. Classes and individual research are usually conducted by students and faculty in the Departments of Biology and Earth and Environmental Science. Future work will include the arboretum's role in carbon sequestration. Group tours, led by a trained horticulturist, are also available by appointment.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
For his Master's thesis project, Environmental Sustainability major Juan Carlos Gutierrez conducted a comprehensive student transportation survey. Questions related to travel distance, most used form of transportation, and attitudes towards alternative forms of transportation were measured in order to develop a sustainable transportation plan for the LIU Post campus.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
For his undergraduate honors thesis, Environmental Sustainability major William Achnitz III conducted a comprehensive waste audit for the LIU Post campus. For a two-month period, waste volumes were measured, converted using volume-to-weight conversion factors provided by the U.S. EPA, and statistics including a recycling rate were developed. The economic and environmental benefits were also examined in order to demonstrate that LIU Post was or could benefit from reducing waste and recycling.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In Spring 2011, undergraduate students enrolled in the American Urban Planning class conducted a class project examining the promotion of reusable water bottles, the use of reusable water bottles and ways to refill water bottles throughout the campus. This class project encouraged the Department of Facilities Services to invest in a number of water refill stations that were installed throughout the campus. A campus raingarden will also allow students to research stormwater diversion and the benefits associated with that project.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In Fall 2011, undergraduate students enrolled in a Conservation class conducted a campus-wide survey assessing attitudes towards the prospect of creating a Green Office Program. The results indicated an overwhelming amount of support from both academic and administrative offices and a pilot program was tested the following academic year. To date, 30 offices representing over 100 employees have signed up to partake in this program.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
None
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In the Business of Clean Energy class, students conduct projects related to investing in clean energy technologies. In the past, some of this research contributed to the decision to install solar panels on the LIU Post campus. Students calculated the average return on investment for a variety of solar projects and found that the payback rate was usually between 10-15 years.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In the class Material and Energy Flow, graduate students in the Environmental Sustainability program constructed a curriculum for a sustainability education program that LIU Post could potentially take to local high schools to educate students on circular economic principles. This curriculum was presented before the University President and other campus personnel at the end of the Fall 2013 semester.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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