Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	68.89
Liaison	Natalie Sobrinski
Submission Date	Feb. 27, 2024

STARS v2.2

Muhlenberg College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	4.00 / 4.00	Richard Niesenbaum Professor, Biology, Director, Sustainability Studies Program Biology

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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:

There is a club, The Environmental Action Team, or enACT, which works to spread sustainability awareness and engage the campus in sustainability. Part of the way they do this is by holding educational events. Please see the attached article to read about enACT's involvement in the Issues Expo that was held at Muhlenberg in October of 2022. There is a building dedicated to student engagements focused on sustainable living - "The Tree Houses". All sustainable infrastructure in labeled with educational information in order to engage the entire campus.

(https://muhlenbergweekly.com/news/issues-expo-held-at-muhlenberg/)

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:

The sustainability department in coordination with enACT utilizes social media and our website to improve communication with the local community. Recently a middle school class used our website for researching recycling best practices. In addition, a student intern worked with the Allentown, PA Environmental Advisory Council (https://www.allentownpa.gov/Government/Authorities-Boards-Commissions/Environmental-Advisory-Committee). We offer tours of sustainable infrastructure (landscape & construction) to local groups and organizations.

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:

New building, Fahey Commons (LBC-Core, LEED) will have monitors indicating emissions and net-zero function.

LEED Silver Science building indicates energy sources with regard to carbon emissions with signage.

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:

Muhlenberg’s Tree House is considered a learning experiment. The Tree House is meant to educate students on how to live sustainably and is located in front of the Community and Permaculture gardens, currently has a rainwater capture system and a solar hot water heater. As of now, a group is organizing a compost system installed, complete with signage for multiple Muhlenberg Independent Living Experience (MILE) houses.

Leed Certified science building has signage through out indicating sustainable features of the building.

Fretted glass to avoid window bird collisions is labeled with educational sigangage and used as demonstrable elements in classes

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:

Solar panels on student union are used to power a phone charging station in union with educational signage. Students can access dashboard indicating electricity production by solar panels. Students metering for electricity in dorms for week long competition on reducing consumption in event called "Wattsyourbergtricity" .

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:

There are three sustainability dining services interns, and there are multiple classes involved with working with the Community Garden. Dining services interns projects include the folloing:
1. Maintain a hydroponic garden for greens to be used in the dining hall and run experiments to optimize production
2. Food waste management including data collection and educational outreach
3. Tracking of local purchasing

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:

Students are working on taking soil and water samples on campus as part of an Environmental Science course. Students also manage and maintain a community garden and permaculture forest garden.

Signage throughout campus educating about sustainable grounds efforts including pollinator and rain gardens, self-watering plant pots, green roof, and meadow plannings.

Students study the effectiveness of sustainable landscaping efforts such as rain gardens and green roof.

Purchasing

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

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

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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:

Electric charging auto stations with restricted parking for e-vehicles includes informational signage

Plant operations transition fleet to e-vehicles including solar powered riding mowers and lawn equipment has been publicized and is highly visible to campus community.

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:

Environmental Science class, SUS 365, looked into waste and recycling outcomes among various buildings and areas around campus. Numerous waste audits have been completed. Students researched suggestions for minimizing waste on campus.

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:

Signage for rain gardens, green roof, and other water saving landscape features focuses on water savings.

New Fahey Commons (LBC-Core; leed has a large scale rain-water capture system to be used for gray water. The mechanics of this system have been made highly visible in main lobby with educational signage

Flushless urinals on campus include educational signage regarding water savings.

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:

There is a STARS student intern who is collects data for STARS and analyzing solutions for improving future scores. The student fills out a weekly reflection about their work and presents a final presentation at the end of the semester.

Students in classes develop sustainability plans by consulting with relevant stakeholders including staff from plant operations, the director of capital projects, and senior administrators

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:

Various campus buildings are dedicated to accommodating diverse community including a separate building that facilitates and promotes a learning community of multicultural understanding and exchange through collaboration, dialogue and action while advocating explicitly for the concerns of historically underrepresented populations. Ongoing displays in student union feature alumni from underrepresented groups.

To support economically distressed students there is a "community cabinet that offers free non-perishable food items. This is a physical space that any student can access. This effort was just recognized by the "Hunger-Free Campus Task Force" designation of Muhlenberg College as a Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus!

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:

Student class project worked with The Green Revolving Fund and to determine their strategies funding projects that reduce the College’s greenhouse gas emissions. The energy savings are reinvested into the Fund until the project is paid back.

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:

Exercise spaces are highly visible. Added bicycle racks encourage cycling. Student run hydroponic garden producing healthy vegetables is highly visible with signage explaining health related information.

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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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.