Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.27
Liaison Veronica Johnson
Submission Date Jan. 14, 2022

STARS v2.2

Southwestern University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Veronica Johnson
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
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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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Environmental Studies Capstone (Fall 2018) - Students in the Capstone group "Examining the Role of Activism & Action in American College Campuses" responded to the ongoing loss of institutional knowledge by chronicling a counter-history of student and faculty commitment to activism at Southwestern University. Using archival and quantitative research, including interviews with faculty, staff, students, and alumni, interactions between different activist movements on campus, and identifying specific barriers to student activism at SU.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
San Gabriel River Research (2018-2020) - Georgetown’s San Gabriel River has been involved in a controversy surrounding the Liberty Hill Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has documented several violations regarding the facility’s discharge of effluent into the river, and residents speculate that this contamination is to blame for concerning changes in the river’s overall appearance. In an effort to determine the extent of the contamination, a team of SU students collected water quality data from a total of five locations, for two consecutive years. The project raised public awareness of the wastewater controversy and provided Southwestern students with a unique opportunity to conduct field research outside of class.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Climate Change (Fall 2021) - Students in Dr. DeMarco's climate change class used SU's tree database to identify trees to estimate biomass in order to calculate the amount of carbon stored in trees on campus. Over the course of two class periods, students used the treemaps provided by SU to locate campus trees. They then measured the diameter at breast height (dbh) of the trees and applied allometric equations from the published scientific literature to use their dbh values to estimate tree biomass. Biomass estimates were then used to calculate a carbon storage value in kg of carbon per tree and then carbon values for all trees were summed up to provide a total carbon storage value for SU campus trees. As a class, they discussed how measurements like this could be used to assess potential carbon offsets from campus trees as a form of climate change mitigation.

Buildings  

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:
Environmental Studies Capstone (Fall 2019) - Students in the "Green Building Practices at Small Liberal Arts Universities: A Case Study of Southwestern University" Capstone group researched best green building practices and provided recommendations for implementing those practices at Southwestern.

Energy 

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:
Theatre Sustainability (every year) - Using the black-box space Heather Hall as a model, this course introduces students to a variety of strategies that seek to lessen the wasteful material nature often associated with traditional theatre production. Electrical energy consumption and renewable energy production are major facets of the study.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
From Farm to Table FYS (Fall 2020) - First-year students in this seminar helped maintain the campus garden and greenhouse while learning various organic growing practices and the importance of local food production.

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:
Environmental Studies Capstone (Fall 2019) - Students in the "#BeeSouthwestern: Bee Campus USA Certification & Pollinator Protection at Southwestern University" Capstone group completed the certification that the campus is committed to preserving local biodiversities, protecting native pollinator habitats, limiting the use of synthetic pesticides, and engaging in public awareness initiatives.

Ecology (Spring 2020) - Students in this class conducted a wildflower experiment within the triangular space between the Robertson center and the Chapel. Students seeded eight plots marked off by string and stakes to study how seeding amount and timing affected community diversity.

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:
Business Communication (Fall 2020) - Students in this course had to create a final presentation on recommendations for projects that promote the Sustainable Development Goals at Southwestern University. Several student groups presented recommendations to address campus waste. Two groups provided recommendations to eliminate plastic straws in the dining hall, and one group provided recommendations to increase campus recycling rates.

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:
Environmental Studies Capstone (Fall 2018) - Students in the Capstone group "Improving Water Sustainability Through Rainwater Catchment Systems" researched implementing a rainwater catchment irrigation system on campus with the six pre-existing rainwater catchment tanks in order to achieve water efficiency and conservation goals.

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?:
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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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?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Kinesiology Capstone (Fall 2019) - A Kinesiology student received a Sustainability Grant to pilot the BeWell Hub Initiative to encourage students to engage in physical activity while simultaneously studying or doing homework. For her capstone project, she researched the overall use of the active learning stations and the impact on health and wellbeing.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
https://www.southwestern.edu/environmental-studies/capstone/

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.