Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 30.46
Liaison Jesse Carswell
Submission Date Oct. 11, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Southern New Hampshire University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.60 / 4.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
The Arboretum at SNHU was developed in 2014. The 200-acre outdoor classroom has provided over 2,000 hours of STEM-centric learning experience. The Arboretum invites middle school students, state foresters, and anyone in between to visit the space. Visitors and students get a chance to see and understand various types of wetlands, forested environments, and other ecosystems. SNHU was awarded the Level 1 accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Program as well as the Morton Arboretum. Also, the Arboretum received a $5,000 gift from TD Charitable Foundation as well as a $9,000 grant from the Davis Conservation Foundation to help make the outdoor learning space more valuable to SNHU and its community. SNHU mission is to "have the arboretum become a space that is recognized and treasured for creating innovative academic experiences, fostering community wellbeing and generating passionate and engaged leaders." Students installed a network of climate-sensing data loggers in the Arboretum; resultant data is databased and used in climate-related research. Additionally, students annually perform monitoring in plots to calculate carbon storage potential. A live weather monitoring station which is currently installed on the roof of WLLC is being relocated at some point within the next academic year (FY2019) to the Arboretum space to allow real-time monitoring for climate and air study purposes within the forest on campus.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Students were engaged in a STEM-design competition to design a sustainable new dormitory, with recommendations for sustainable strategies including a green roof and gray water recycling. Students needed to create an idea that would pose as a solution to campus sustainability challenges including the energy consumption of a building with this project.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
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Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
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Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
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Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
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Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Weekly student-led Campus Clean-Up events at various locations around campus. These events are held each week to educate participants about the importance of proper waste diversion practices and creating less waste. We evaluate the types of litter around campus to determine our biggest contributor either single-use plastic, cigarette's, or other waste.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Students have installed two EPA funded rain gardens around the campus commons which are used for water education. Additionally, water quality metrics (including temperature, stage, and chemistry) are measured and monitored by students both within the wetlands of the Arboretum and Messer Brook, the Merrimack River tributary that flows through the northern end of campus.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2017/08/arboretum

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://alumni.snhu.edu/get-involved/snhu-global-days-of-service/find-a-project/snhu-arboretum-manchester-nh https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2016/09/snhu-arboretum-and-accreditation https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2016/08/snhu-forestland-earns-national-accreditation-by-arbnet

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.