Missouri State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

The Vegetable Production (AGP 441) class incorporates a hands on learning component by working in the Campus Garden several times throughout the course. Students assist with weeding and cleanup of crop debris, proper garden equipment management and adding soil and compost to the raised beds. Students helped plant seeds, transplants, and potatoes and also learned how to build cold frames, which are used to grow cool season crops. All of the tasks are accomplished according to the methods of sustainable food production taught in the course.

In fall 2014, a Senior Agriculture student began working with the Energy Management office on campus to conduct an energy audit at the Greenhouse in Karls Hall. The student was involved in identifying energy conservation and efficiency opportunities, vendor/product selection, researching funding sources and writing a proposal. The campus Energy Manager oversaw this process which provided education on energy management, sustainability and project management.

The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks organized an all-day event in September of 2014 on campus during which student volunteers from the GRY 108 class planted native species in the huge new detention basin on campus by Greenwood Laboratory School. This was done to reduce erosion, stabilize soil, provide habitat for wildlife (insects, too!), reduce flooding/runoff, and save water (since the native species did not require irrigation).

A graduate student in the I-O Psychology program worked with the Head of the Department of Psychology and the Sustainability Coordinator to assess commuting patterns of students, faculty and staff. A survey was developed and mounted into SONA, the electronic system used for students. A separate survey was created to assess faculty and staff attitudes and behaviors related to commuting. Results were used for our STARS submission, as well as to identify how different modes of transportation may have potential consequences for health, retention, and overall satisfaction at Missouri State University.

The Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) faculty and students have been monitoring the Greenwood Basin. This detention basin on MSU campus has been retrofitted by removing the concrete channel and constructing a rock check dam and swale that meanders through the basin to slow, spread, and soak in the runoff. Native grasses along the sides of the swale and the addition of trees to the basin help to soak up and filter the runoff.

Students in PBH 771 “Public Health Preparedness” evaluate campus buildings as potential emergency shelters. The criteria for the evaluation will be the Sphere Project’s minimum standards and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines (Environmental Health Assessment Form for Shelters). The Red Cross’s guidelines may be used in place of the CDC if desired. The evaluation will include a plan for the use of the building, including a drawing specific for the purpose, transportation, communication, healthcare, etc…The positive outcome for this project is primarily related to the university’s potential use as an emergency evacuation site in the event of a catastrophe such as a major earthquake at the New Madrid fault. The detailed plans for the use of campus buildings provide realistic assessments of how well buildings could serve as emergency shelters.