Nova Scotia Community College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Many programs at NSCC incorporate air & climate in the curriculum, and use building infrastructure to support programming. NSCC's Centre for the Built Environment (CBE), was built with the overall goal that it would be a living laboratory for NSCC Students. The CBE is designed to balance the natural environment with the built environment - a unique concept for a trades and technology learning space. Included in this building is the Building Systems Monitoring Research Lab. What you see in this lab is data collected in ‘real time’ from about 3,400 points in the building. The data helps explain how the building is acting and living at any given moment. The data can be used by students to explore and study the building operation of the Waterfront Campus. This system is also used by our Facilities department to monitor and manage building operations. Data you can explore: -
Building energy use and savings -Energy produced by wind turbines, geothermal systems, solar energy -Operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems -
Stress and strains put on building components such as walls, "floors, and roof -Temperature of inside air, outside air, soil and well water -Temperature and use of domestic water -Classroom temperatures and lighting power use -Security and fire alarm systems Being able to observe real-time data from the building's operation gives NSCC students unique insight into how to control the a building's climate and air quality in order to provide building occupants with a comfortable indoor climate with high air quality. http://www.nscc.ca/docs/explorenscc/cbe/cbe_interpretivebrochure.pdf In addition, the CBE demonstrates various renewable technologies that students are able to experience through both programming, as well as the general experience of the campus. Waterfront campus has installed two small-scale wind turbines as well as an array of PV panels to generate electricity on campus. These renewables demonstrate NSCC's commitment to action on climate change and alternative energy production.

NSCC's Centre for the Built Environment (CBE), was built with the overall goal that it would be a living laboratory for NSCC Students. The CBE is designed to balance the natural environment with the built environment - a unique concept for a trades and technology learning space. In this 11,148 square meter (120,000 square foot) building, students learn how to change the built environments of the future, and to lead the way toward more sustainable building practices in Nova Scotia and beyond. This building is almost 50% more energy efficient than a conventional building. http://www.nscc.ca/docs/explorenscc/cbe/cbe_interpretivebrochure.pdf http://www.nscc.ca/explorenscc/campuses/waterfront/cbe.asp Various programs at NSCC use our buildings for learning purposes. For example our Occupational Health & Safety programs as well as the Environmental Engineering Technology Program use the buildings to teach how to conduct various inspections and environmental assessments, such as hazard assessments and hazardous materials assessments. Students are assessed on these assessments, and any valid recommendations are brought to the attention of facilities staff for addition to ongoing maintenance and operation plans.

As part of the Culinary Arts program at NSCC (Akerley, Kingstec, Lunenburg, Marconi, Strait Area Campuses), students often prepare food to be served in specialty restaurants located at their campuses. These restaurants are available for staff, student, and public consumers, and allow the students to grow their skills while using the campus to simulate a real fine-dining environment. Students are assessed on the quality of the dishes they prepare while the community is able to access food that is prepared locally. Depending on the campus, baking and pastry arts students also contribute, and students from tourism management programs help to manage the service. Graphic Design Students from the Waterfront Campus design some of the restaurants' logos. http://www.nscc.ca/explorenscc/campuses/akerley/fresh21.asp http://www.nscc.ca/explorenscc/campuses/strait/savour22six.asp http://unews.ca/a-fresh-dining-experience-at-nscc-akerley/ In addition, multiple NSCC campuses have greenhouses and gardens on site that are used for students and staff to help tend and the food is also used for dining on site. For example, our Akerley campus has a garden by the kitchen that the culinary program tends to, and they use the herbs grown there to cook within their program. Kingstec culinary students grow micro greens in the Horticulture program's greenhouses. Shelburne campus has a greenhouse, where they use their own compost to grow vegetables that are used in the cafeteria kitchen.

Our Waterfront campus was designed to be a living laboratory. It demonstrates various sustainable energy technologies. For example, NSCC's Centre for the Built Environment was designed to be a living laboratory. It demonstrates various renewable technologies that students are able to experience through both programming, as well as the general experience of the campus. Waterfront campus has installed two small-scale wind turbines as well as an array of PV panels to generate electricity on campus. The production levels of the renewables are tracked by the Energy branch of NSCC's Applied Research Department, headed by Dr. Alain Joseph. Students from Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics Engineering Technician and Mechanical Engineering Technology Programs are involved in this research. At our Annapolis Valley Campuses the Pilikan House was constructed to demonstrate various sustainable energy technologies used in a residential context. Students use this building for learning and to demonstrate these technologies. http://www.nscc.ca/explorenscc/campuses/annapolis/pilikan-house.asp Finally, every NSCC campus monitors energy use and makes it available in the Annual Sustainability Report. From this students are able to learn building energy trends and energy conservation.

At many of our campuses our Natural Resources Environmental Technology program utilize the grounds and forests surrounding the campus for learning in the program. For example, programs at NSCC's Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS), which focus on surveying, cartography, and geographic information systems (GIS), often use the campus grounds to demonstrate and practice surveying techniques. Kinsgtec Campus's grounds form the living lab for the Landscape students. http://www.nscc.ca/learning_programs/programs/plandescr.aspx?prg=SUTN&pln=SURVTECH The Kingstec Horticulture program has green houses and gardens throughout the campus, which are tended to by students. These exotic plants have different needs and therefore Horticulture students use knowledge gained in class to ensure the plants remain healthy. http://www.nscc.ca/learning_programs/programs/plandescr.aspx?prg=hltg&pln=hortlandsc

As part of the Culinary Arts program at NSCC (Akerley, Kingstec, Lunenburg, Marconi, Strait Area Campuses), students often prepare food to be served in specialty restaurants located at their campuses. These restaurants are available for staff, student, and public consumers, and allow the students to grow their skills while using the campus to simulate a real fine-dining environment. Students are assessed on the quality of the dishes they prepare while the community is able to access food that is prepared locally. The second year of this program gives students the advanced culinary and management skills required of the professional chef and kitchen manager. These include inventory and food costs, purchasing and planning menus. Depending on the campus, baking and pastry arts students also contribute, and students from tourism management programs help to manage the service. https://stars.aashe.org/tool/nova-scotia-community-college-ns/submission/2196/AC/curriculum/AC-8/ http://unews.ca/a-fresh-dining-experience-at-nscc-akerley/

NSCC sustainability staff conduct bi-annual waste audits at each campus to determine and track waste diversion rate, which is included in NSCC's annual sustainability report. During the audits, students from the Adult Learning Program (ALP), as well as Natural Resource Engineering Technology students, often assist with the audits when they are conducted at their campus of study. ALP students use the waste audits as a class project, and calculate the campus' waste diversion rate for program reports. This makes students more aware of how waste sorting can impact the environment. In addition, every campus follows the Pack it In, Pack it Out program, and have waste sorting stations located throughout their properties. This allows the students to learn from the campuses on proper sorting and waste management practices.

Our Environmental Engineering Technology Program conducts various studies at the Waterfront Campus: water conservation, testing and treatment. The program utilizes water sources (refill stations, taps) to collect samples, and also has a water resources laboratory where students conduct testing. The students are assessed on this work. The Horticulture Program at Kingstec Campus teaches the importance of water usage and conservation and utilizes greenhouses and gardens at the campus to demonstrate these teachings. http://www.nscc.ca/learning_programs/programs/plandescr.aspx?prg=hltg&pln=hortlandsc Campus water consumption data is available to all staff and students. It should be noted that since 2008, NSCC has reduced water consumption by 40% from baseline levels.

All programs at NSCC promote and discuss cultural awareness and diversity. NSCC also participates in the annual Halifax Pride parade, and students from all programs are invited to help construct a float alongside staff members. This involvement promotes diversity and inclusion at the college.

Many programs at the NSCC teach about Health, Wellbeing and Work. NSCC has many health programs including Practical Nursing, Disability Support, Therapeutic Recreation, and other programs within NSCC's School of Health and Human Services, which all include discussion about heath and wellness. In addition, students in Occupation Health and Safety Programs often visit auto-repair and other trades shops, as well as construction sites on campus to conduct safety audits to be evaluated as part of their training. Opportunities to utilize the campus to learn about health, wellbeing and work is not only done in the classroom, but is provided at the campus for the students to take advantage of outside of classes. Examples of NSCC's commitment to wellness include: yoga sessions, on-site gyms, pick-up/intramural sports and health and wellness fairs/expos at each campuses.

Many programs at NSCC use public engagement as learning tools on campus. For example our Applied Media & Communication Arts program, located at the Waterfront Campus uses the campus to conduct interviews and engage the public in various class projects. In addition, Waterfront TV is a weekly television show produced by Radio, Television Journalism students at NSCC's Waterfront Campus, airs on Eastlink TV and is a source for Arts, Culture, News, Sports, and Life in Halifax Regional Municipality. In addition, Radio Television Journalism students also host a campus radio station (88.9 FM, The Platypus), which broadcasts live to the web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Both platforms invite the public to submit stories, and students regularly interact with the community while conducting interviews or filming stories. http://www.waterfronttv.org/ http://www.waterfronttv.org/campus-radio/

Students in NSCC's Graphic Design Program often design logos and other artwork for various other programs and activities at the College. For example, students designed logos for use in culinary program kitchens. Students in the Esthetics programs at multiple campuses offer hair styling and other services to the general public for a reduced fee. These services take place in the classroom so that instructors can offer feedback to students as they occur. Similarly, NSCC's Dental Assisting Program offers teeth cleaning services, provided by students under supervision of an instructor, in a classroom setting.

See description fields for relevant URLs.