Overall Rating Reporter
Overall Score
Liaison Michelle Rodriguez
Submission Date Jan. 25, 2023

STARS v2.2

San Diego Mesa College
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Michelle Rodriguez
Professor
Political Science
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

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

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

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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
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Air & Climate 

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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
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Buildings  

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

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

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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
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Food & Dining 

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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
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Grounds 

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:
Landscape elements are used in teaching biology classes. Plants are used to teach native species identification, demonstrate adaptations, convergent evolution, and ecological relationships. Demonstrating adaptations also ties in with teaching how and why certain species provide more sustainable use of water – a key concern in Southern California. Courses that use the learning gardens include BIOL100 (Natural History and Environmental Biology), BIOL 210B (Introduction to the Biological Sciences II), and BIOL250 (Introduction to Botany).

Purchasing 

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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Transportation 

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

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

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:
Mesa College offers a for-credit course, SUST 270 Sustainability Work Experience - that enables students to learn about Sustainability through work experience. During Spring 2022, two students completed a SUST 270 (sustainability work experience) course in the garden. They learned the fundamentals of organic urban agriculture, integrated pest management, and thermophilic composting.

Water 

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:
Demonstrating plant adaptations helps us teach how and why certain species provide more sustainable use of water – a key concern in Southern California. We discuss features of xerophytic plants and also value of native species as part of the local ecosystem. Courses that use the learning gardens include BIOL100 (Natural History and Environmental Biology), BIOL250 (Introduction to Botany). Students benefit from being able to observe living specimens and doing experiments on samples in the laboratory.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Mesa College offers a for-credit course, SUST 270 Sustainability Work Experience - that enables students to learn about Sustainability through work experience. Two students who enrolled in the course - one in Spring 2022 and one in Summer 2022 - worked with the Chair of the Climate Action Plan and Research Subcommittee of the Environmental Sustainability Committee to draft the campus Climate Action Plan. The student had specific assignments related to organizing and revising the draft, attending meetings, and developing outreach materials about the CAP. This work exposed the students to the complexity of climate action planning and the variety of elements that must be considered and the constituents who must be included in the planning process.

Diversity & Affordability 

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

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

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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Wellbeing & Work 

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

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.