Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.42
Liaison Dayna Cook
Submission Date March 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Northern Arizona University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Ellen Vaughan
Manager
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
Student interns pursue C tracking and assessment projects through the Office of Sustainability and the Green Fund. These class and student projects are used in assessing current Green Fund and campus energy projects and on planning future energy savings projects.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Student interns and resident assistants work on behavioral change programs in academic buildings and in dorms to reduce energy and water usage. A part time student worker evaluates opportunities to pursue LEED EB and is currently working to certify Cline Library as such.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
Student interns and resident assistants work on behavioral change programs in academic buildings and in dorms to reduce energy and water usage. Climate Science and Solutions graduate students are evaluating new technologies such as the solar hot air heaters on Property Surplus and phase change material in Blome

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
Student interns and employees worked with Dining Services to compost pre-consumer and post consumer food waste. This compost is distributed back to our lawns, into our gardens, and the students work with community organizations to provide left over compost to community gardens and leftover food to local food banks.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
Student interns worked with NAU staff to develop and test a sustainable landscaping program to eliminate herbicides and inorganic fertilzers from test plots. Results from these studies encourage operations managers to expand the scale of these test programs. Howard Coldwell, compost engineer give multiple tours and presentations of the composting program to diverse classes.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
A Climate Science and Solutions graduate student completed an internship to create the Procurement section of the Sustainability Action Plan.

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
Transportation and bicycle improvement programs including bike lockers, bike rentals, bike repair stations and a new transportation plan for part of campus to make it more bike friendly came from student interns and volunteers on the campus Transportation Action Team.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Student interns and employees worked with Dining Services to compost pre-consumer food waste. Dozens of students volunteer to improve recycling and composting at NAU's annual Green Football Game. The volunteers also assist with recycling education at tailgating events.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Student resident assistants implemented a strive for five, shorter shower program. The Action Group for Water Advocacy (AGWA) brings together first year seminar students, graduate students from the sustainable communities program, and community partners to address one of Flagstaff’s most pressing and often controversial concerns: water use.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Students organized and run a Green Fund to support student-oriented projects in campus sustainability. It has an annual budget of approximately $200,000.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Action Learning Teams associated with First Year seminars work off campus on weatherization and energy efficiency activities for low income housing. Total Liberation (TL) Action Learning Team is a collective of students, artists, and community members who have come together asking the questions: What can we do as activists to creatively address nonhuman oppression? What are the connections between nonhuman and human oppression? What can be done to help create alliances between animal liberation activists and other social justice activists? How is animal liberation inseparable from the cultivation of sustainable and just communities?

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
There are two student run investment accounts. One is specifically managed with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. http://franke.nau.edu/smif/

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
A partnership was formed between the Program in Community, Culture, and Environment’s Sustainable Environments and Engaged Democracy (SEED) Freshman Learning Community, the Master of Arts in Sustainable Communities (SUS), and the Northern Arizona Interfaith Council. Students on this team work with a dynamic and broad-based group to enhance understanding, respect, improved relationships, and collaborations that nurture a community of freedom, equality, and democratic community engagements between new immigrants and American citizens. The primary objective of the Northern Arizona Interfaith Council (NAIC) is to build civic leadership by teaching people the skills and practices of public life and the tools for building power for change. In Flagstaff, NAIC’s recent work has focused on: integration of new immigrants and immigration policy reform organizing parents and students for improvements at low income schools developing a strong coalition to fight state budget cuts and advocate for tax reform

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Graduate students in physical therapy provide free services to employees, their families, and even community members.

Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
In the Action Learning Teams, graduate students collaborate with undergraduate students in their first year of college. The teams collaborate with community partners on and off campus and focus on a wide variety of public issues and community needs. These teams include: Action Group for Water Advocacy (AGWA) Immigration Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening (SSLUG) Flagstaff Foodlink: Community Gardens Flagstaff Foodlink: School Gardens Health Education About Lifestyles and Therapies Holístico (H.E.A.L.T.H.) ***Art Through all Mediums (ATAM) New Economy Northern Arizona (NENAU) Students Nurturing Alternatives in Landscaping (SNAIL)

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://nau.edu/Environmental-Caucus/Initiatives/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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