Mills College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

The Introduction to Environmental Science course required each student to research and submit as a final paper an assessment of Mills' sustainability performance in a topic area of the student's choosing, compare Mills' performance to other institutions, and recommend improvements.

Undergraduate students can receive credit toward the Core Curriculum Community Engagement requirement through a class based at the campus farm that incorporates sustainability into campus food operations.

Graduate students in Public Policy completed class projects involving community stakeholders in shaping the direction of future campus development.

https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/business-public-policy/public-policy/masters-policy-report/index.php

Orientation activities and displays explain the operation of our LEED-certified Natural Science Building and Graduate School of Business. Students in environmental science and policy classes use data from building operations.

Every semester, the Farm Manager teaches a course at the Mills Community Farm. There are also other courses in which the farm is integrated, including environmental policy and plant ecology.

For many years, a Biology class called "Exploring the World of Plants" included a service learning requirement. Students in the class had to interact with plants and dirt on campus, creek restoration, and the development of the Mills Community Farm.

A Masters in Public Policy candidate chose to complete her Masters Policy Report on Mills College transportation policies and how they relate to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. An executive summary is as follows:

Mills College seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by encouraging sustainable practices on campus. While efforts have been made to reduce the footprint caused by utility usage, transportation practices have contributed to a considerable portion of the College’s environmental impact but have yet to be addressed. This policy report provides an analysis of current transportation practices by community members through surveys, parking conditions through spatial analysis using geographic information systems, and services provided by the institution, including the ridership and level of service of the Mills Shuttle and a car share program. Following these series of analyses, several constructed goals, based on research and data collection, are evaluated in the context of cost, feasibility and the approach’s ability to meet the environmental and fiscal sustainability goals and objectives of Mills College. Goals consist of immediate, short term, and long term approaches to be implemented chronologically and following satisfactory data collection and further analysis. This report lays the foundation for research, planning, and implementing long-term strategies that will address the number of private vehicles on campus. It is recommended that Mills College incrementally and chronologically implement each of these approaches in order to see the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

A positive outcome is that Mills College is poised to address transportation at large via policies to increase access to the campus and community, while decreasing cost for transportation. This report will inform any new parking programs that come into place.

Co-curricular activities around waste reduction are conducted throughout the year, with peaks at Orientation, February/March and Earth Month.

Natural science classes conduct water quality measurements on Leona Creek (above and through the campus). Displays indicate the use of creek water for campus landscaping.

The Dance department has had a semester-long residency with Oakland's Axis Dance Company. AXIS Dance Company is an acclaimed innovative ensemble of performers with and without disabilities, and has pioneered a modern dance form called physically integrated dance. Students investigate what constitutes dance and who can dance.

The Dance department also participated in the Cunningham Time Capsule by fostering research by faculty Holley Farmer and student Annabel Clarance, sponsoring on-campus and local presentations on Merce Cunningham's use of the computer to make dances--i.e. making distant linkages while staying at home.