Quinnipiac University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

The Connecticut Forest & Park Association is in negotiations with QU because the Quinnipiac Trail crosses university property for a portion of the trail. In cooperation with CFPA, QU is discussing formalized protection agreements for the trail to help maintain it for the broader Hamden community.

As part of our Tree Campus designation (Arbor Day Foundation), we collaborate with our host town of Hamden (an Arbor Day Foundation recognized Tree City) around tree-planting projects in under-resourced neighborhoods.

In collaboration with student organizations and coursework, we have created designated pathways on our campuses for public use that educate on different environmental and sustainability themes.

In collaboration with QUSIC and the President's office, two fellows under the Presidential Community Service Fellowship worked with the co-chair of QUSIC, Sam Edwards, to research and build out an air emissions dashboard for scopes 1 and 2 for QU. The fellows worked alongside QU Facilities and the administration to understand the aspects of calculating the institution's emissions. Additionally, the group worked with the institution's marketing department to develop a narrative and communications plan for the emissions dashboard. The dashboard is expected to be operationalized in early 2025.

QU Facilities works with professors across campus to showcase the sustainability features of built infrastructure at QU. Two recent tours included taking students on a walking tour of the stormwater management infrastructure and a tour of the sustainability features of the new buildings on the South Quad, all of which are expected (if not already) LEED certified.

The Students for Environmental Action and Greek life at QU have hosted competitions to determine which dorm or sorority/fraternity can use the least amount of electricity for a part of the semester. The winners receive prizes to incentivize energy savings and teach good habits. SEA uses the results to educate students on energy use and promote methods to reduce energy.

The Students for Environmental Action have conducted "weigh your waste" days in the cafeteria to help students understand their contribution to food waste. Privately, QU's food catering service, Chartwells, also weighs the waste regularly. Quinnipiac also recently underwent an external food audit in which students participated, to identify opportunities to reduce food waste. Finally, QU regularly contributes excess food to a local food bank, educating students on the value of service to community and the importance of not wasting food.  Quinnipiac's Albert Schweitzer Institute sponsors a student working with our local food recovery organization to explore ways to exploit more opportunities for food recovery on campus.

The Albert Schweitzer Institute continues to work with students on cultivating a pollinator garden on campus. The plots have been built, a management plan was created and carried out, and the beds have been seeded each spring for the past three years. Before implementing the pollinator garden, students conducted a pollinator assessment of campus with a biology professor to establish which plants should be planted.

In collaboration with QUSIC and the Business School, a group of students worked with the co-chair of QUSIC, Sean Duffy, to develop a campus-wide transportation survey to understand better the modes of transportation students, staff, and faculty use to get to campus. The survey results and student group analysis are being used to develop strategies to increase sustainability at QU in the transportation sector.

There are several initiatives to teach students about reducing waste. Student interns and environmental students are working with a professor on championing a new recycling program, EyeRecycle, that can be used to generate funds for more environmental projects on campus. Additionally, projects include weighing food waste in the dining hall and holding electricity reduction competitions to reduce waste (see above sections). In addition, several students (including Students for Env. Action) are working with the Sustainability Committee to implement composting and improve recycling culture and access in the dining halls.

In collaboration with QUSIC and the President's office, two fellows under the Presidential Community Service Fellowship worked with the co-chair of QUSIC, Sam Edwards, to research and write a Stormwater Management Plan that will be adopted by the institution in 2025. The two fellows worked closely with QU Facilities to develop a management plan that the institution will look to for guidance as it constructs or renovates new buildings on campus.

In spring 2023, a group of students from across campus (environmental majors, students from the School of Business, and law students) wrote a proposal to QU's Pepsi Fund (an on-campus program that funds student projects and travel for environmental work) to create a sustainable investment fund managed by students. The student group researched various reporting metrics, strategies, and governance plans to create a fund at QU. The proposal was shifted from the Pepsi Fund to a stand-alone fund financed through donations (as an endowed fund in Development). The Sustainable Investment Fund started receiving donations in November 2024 and will become operationalized once an initial investment of $2,500 is reached.