Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 70.33
Liaison Enid Cardinal
Submission Date March 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Rochester Institute of Technology
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Neha Sood
Assistant Director for Campus Sustainability
RIT Sustainability
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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:

Campus Engagement: The RIT Sustainability Ambassadors program, which employs a team of 6 student ambassadors to plan and execute sustainability-based programs and learning opportunities for the general student population. These programs are offered periodically throughout the semester from orientation through the conclusion of in-person classes.


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:

RIT Community and University Partnerships engage students in neighborhood revitalization activities within the city of Rochester while broadening and deepening the educational experience for RIT students. Examples of current projects include partnering with an organization to develop an educational website designed to feature local environmental issues that impact the neighborhoods within Rochester and community data projects.


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:

The University's Climate commitment has been a constant source of educational and research opportunities for students and faculty. Environmental science capstone students have investigated the current carbon storage that natural areas on campus are providing to enable the university to more accurately account for emissions as the university grows and changes. An interdisciplinary immersion on climate change has been created. Students in that concentration work on a final project related to RIT's climate action plan.

project examples included:
* examining the impacts of salt on campus grounds and researching alternative strategies
* assisting in the development of a carbon calculator for a local climate fund that will be used to support energy projects for low income home owners.
* examining offset options on and off campus to provide a recommended strategy.
* developing a methodology and GHG inventory of RIT's food purchases


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:

Sustainability Institute Hall was designed to be a living laboratory for sustainable technologies. It serves as a research and educational tool for the campus population, businesses and the surrounding community. Students in the sustainability graduate programs have access to the data in the building's control systems, and use it in classes and research projects.
University Services Center: In 2010, University Services Center was the first building in Monroe County to earn a LEED Platinum rating. The building has a 12.2 KW solar array on the roof and shower and locker facilities for cyclists. A third of the materials used in the building contain recycled content, and a quarter of the materials were sourced within a 500 mile radius.
Institute Hall: A LEED Gold facility, Institute Hall is home to the university’s new green data center. The building envelop was designed to maximize energy efficiency, and a large rain garden runs along the east side of the building, featuring native and adapted plant species.
Engineering Technology Hall: Engineering Technology Hall was RIT’s first facility designed and built according to the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating. The building opened in 2008 and earned a LEED Gold rating. The building includes a green wall, a small solar array (2.2 KW), green roof section, and two 1500-gallon cisterns in the lower level that collect rainwater from the roof to flush toilets in the building.


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:

Faculty and graduate research based on RIT electrical circuit demand data led to the ddevelopment of an algorithm that is trained to RIT's electrical circuits to predict peak demand days. The algorithm has been integrated into an Energy Forecasting class that studies its performance and works to improve it.


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:

Dining Services at RIT works with faculty and students on a variety of food-related projects every year. In 2019 RIT dining services purchased an upcycled freight container farm that is used to grow herbs and vegetables. This has provided critical space for students to experience and learn about hydroponic farming, particularly in urban environments. Students can compare and contrast this new farming method with more traditional practices - such as by growing their own food in RIT’s community gardens which the “Science in the Garden” class utilizes. Additional experiential learning opportunities are available in the food packaging realm for students in the Packaging Science and Industrial Design programs, where students identify innovative ways to reduce packaging waste. Research students in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability conduct research on the potential to convert food waste generated by dining facilities into soil amendments through various composting strategies and energy via anaerobic digestion.


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:

RIT’s campus is situated on 1,159 acres of land. The campus has 179 acres of federally designated wetlands, which serve as a rich source of biodiversity for classes and research. The RIT Bee Keepers club also works with campus sustainability efforts to maintain beehives located near the campus community garden to pollinate plants. Some recent examples of class and capstone projects include:
* Examining the soil carbon sequestration potential of the different soil types on campus and ways to increase sequestration
* Inventorying the invasive plant species on campus and developing a management guide for the grounds department.
* Monitoring insect activity in pollinator gardens as compared to other managed areas on campus.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

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

RIT has also installed several charging stations for electric vehicles. Faculty and graduate students have been utilizing the consumption data and EV driver habits to develop policies that will improve the efficiency of station utilization.

Calculating scope 3 emissions associated with commuting has been the center of several student research projects - as they try to develop a reliable and consistent method of data collection that does not relay on surveys.


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:

Classes in multiple colleges conduct waste audits of various buildings on campus in an effort to better understand opportunities for diversion of materials from the landfill through education, building design, and bin design among others. Faculty members and Graduate students in RIT's Golisano Institute for Sustainability are analyzing the waste generated in campus dining units to assess the potential for energy generation through anaerobic digestion.


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:

The Golisano Institute for Sustainability building collects rainwater and uses that water to flush the toilets. Research is currently underway as to how energy can be harvested from rainwater as it flows downward into the cistern. The findings were integrated into the design of a rainwater collection system at a nearby college. In addition, storm and weather data are used to study and mitigate the risks associated with irrigation while RIT works to install green infrastructure and native plants to increase climate resilience.


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

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

RIT Diversity and Inclusion leads a program called Breaking Bread: Circles for RIT faculty and staff, as well as students. This program is offered each semester with the aim to facilitate dialogue as opposed to debate and build solidarity and trust within dialogue groups. Topics include:
Food: Appreciation or Appropriation?
Politics: Let’s Talk About It!
Social Justice: What Does It Mean?
Bridging the Hearing & Deaf Divide
Exploring Our Intersectional Identities
Re-Building a Sustainable World
Women of Color Healing


Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

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

RIT Sustainability programs, partnered with Health Promotion Services, offers several campus engagement and learning opportunities such as DIY projects, educational tours of the campus center for sustainability, and sustainability dialogues.

The Sustainability Wellness Committee in Student Affairs offered a "Sustainable Steps" program for RIT students and employees that focuses on highlighting the expertise and interests of students in the UN Global Goals, and sharing how the goals touch down on the RIT campus. Examples of events and engagement opportunities within this program include:
1) RIT Architecture students leading "green buildings" tours of RIT
2) The RIT Beekeeping Club and Community Garden volunteers leading a walk that focuses on pollinator habitat and food justice
This wellness committee also coordinates large scale annual events such as the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and the Sustainable Living Expo.

The RIT Outdoor Education department uses campus features such as nature trails and open fields for hiking, camping, and other recreation programs that help students learn about "leave no trace" principles.


Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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