| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.49 |
| Liaison | Richard Johnson |
| Submission Date | Nov. 11, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Rice University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | Yes |
| Public Engagement | Yes |
| Other | --- |
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A class known as CHBE 281 calculated the carbon footprint of Rice's campus and submitted the report to facilities engineering and planning (FE&P) department. The class also develops strategies for reducing the university's carbon footprint and energy usage.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A class known as ARCH 313 takes project ideas from FE&P and uses Rice's campus as a focus area for students to implement those projects. Each project focuses on a sustainable aspect of the building such as energy or water use. Further, CHBE 281 sometimes features building-oriented energy projects.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A class known as SOCI 304 / ENST 302 partners with the housing & dining department to have farmer's market meals, organic vs conventional food taste tests and meat-lite mondays (where meat alternatives are served in place of meat). The class also features a food panel, with representatives from Rice's housing and dining department (including chefs), the Rice University farmers' market, and vendors who sell at the market.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The CHBE 281 class has led a project to explore renewable energies on campus, including solar panels atop one of the residential colleges. A separate group known as the EcoReps were able to install LEDs in several residential colleges to measure the energy and money saved as a result. A building occupant survey conducted in ARCH 313 led directly to the university's building temperature policy.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The SOCI 304 / ENST 302 class was the pioneering force for Rice's Tree Campus USA certification. Students were also involved in a project to plant wildflowers on campus and to develop guidelines for development of a green roof. Outside of class, Rice students were trained by Rice University grounds personnel to conduct a tree inventory for the campus, which is included in Rice's online tree map. Students also create and maintain community gardens through a community gardening course. Students in ENGI 120 have developed efficient tree watering systems for times of drought.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students developed procurement guidelines for janitorial paper products, headed by the director of Housing and Dining. Students were also responsible for Rice returnables, a program to rent out alternative part supplies with low to zero waste.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Rice University Biofuel Initiative is working to create biodiesel from cooking oil collected from the university kitchens. An on-campus bike share program was founded by students as a project in the SOCI 304 / ENST 302 class.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Rice returnables program reduces waste at university parties by offering low to zero waste alternatives to the standard disposable cups and plates. Tray-less dining was a student project to reduce kitchen waste and was found to reduce food waste by roughly 1/3. Both of these projects were developed in SOCI 304 / ENST 302.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Rice Endowment for Sustainable and Environmental Technologies had many university toilets retrofitted with water conversing flush valves, a $20,000 project with a payback of less than two years. They also provided funding to a team from SOCI 302 / ENST 302 who had water bottle filling stations installed in several locations on campus. Another engineering team in a senior engineering design class created a smart irrigation system for one of the green roofs.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A team of students from ARCH 313 developed a report in consultation with FE&P staff on how to apply smart growth to Rice Blvd, a street around campus. Students also were the driving force in campus' sustainability policy- adopted by the Board of Trustees in March 2004 - as well as in the creation of the sustainability director's position, who directly interfaces with the university's senior administration.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The ARCH 313 class researched healthy working spaces including space temperature conditions that promoted comfort and productivity. This has subsequently led to the adoption of a space temperature conditions policy that regulates temperatures in working spaces.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students in CEVE 302 conducted a survey of Rice's investment portfolio and made recommendations to the faculty to create a review committee with two spots for students. The Rice Management Company, which oversees Rice's endowment and investments, regularly assists faculty and student research by providing access to Rice-owned timber properties. Students in CHBE 281 studied biomass samples taken from Rice's 50,000 acre timber plantation in SW Louisiana for a biochar and carbon sequestration project.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Rice is used in water and sustainability tours where members of the community can visit Rice to learn more about its sustainability or conservation efforts.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Rice's sustainability director co-authored a chapter in a book published on Stephen F. Austin State University Press called Teaching Sustainability. In this chapter, many of the student initiatives developed in the SOCI 304 / ENST 302 class that use the university as a living laboratory are discussed. This publication is now available and details the importance of student initiatives driving real sustainable change on campus.
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The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
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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.