Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.44
Liaison Rachel Kornhauser
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

State University of New York at Oneonta
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Rachel Kornhauser
Sustainability Coordinator
Finance and Administration
"---" 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:
A Sustainability Office student intern completed the Greenhouse Gas Inventory survey in 2015.

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:
In Environmental Ethics course there is a unit that assigns students to chose a building on campus and research it's sustainable features. The class then goes on a "field trip" touring campus so the students may present their finding to the class while standing in front of or in the building being presented about.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
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 Energy:
A student completed a capstone project to assess the feasability of a small scale hydroelectric facility on campus. The project had an interdisciplinary focus of finance/project evaluation, social costs, and hydrology.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
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 Food & Dining:
Our food service provider hires student sustainability interns each semester to lead local and sustainable food choices for specific meals.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
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 Grounds:
Students worked with the Grounds Crew to create an Oneonta Tree Care Plan for use in an application for Tree Campus USA recognition.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
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 Purchasing:
The Environmental Economics course does a project that assigns students to make a plan for a specific feature of campus to be be made more sustainable within a realistic budget. Several of these projects fall under the category of purchasing such as researching the environmental and economic impact of building a parking garage on campus.

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
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 Transportation:
A student and faculty member have produced an ecological footprint assessment for students and staff. Respondents are prompted to answer questions based on their daily commute. Carbon dioxide associated with their daily commute is calculated and presented to respondents in the amount of time it would take a mature tree to sequester that carbon.

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:
There is a student led small scale composting project outside one of the dining halls that typically composts 1 ton of food waste every three months. Sodexo sustainability interns lead food waste audits in the dining halls each semester.

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:
A student and faculty member have been working together to develop an ecological footprint assessment with one component specific to resident students. The resident student survey includes questions about water usage via shower habits. The assessment calculates water usage, reports it back to them and gives them a comparison to others in their building and suggests ways to reduce their water consumption. Students are working with facilities to maintain a native plant bioswale for stormwater retention behind a Residence Hall.

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?:
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 Investment & Finance:
The Environmental Economics course does a project that assigns students to make a plan for a specific feature of campus to be be made more sustainable within a realistic budget. Some of these projects fall under the category of investment such as investing in solar energy.

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
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 Public Engagement:
A student intern, supervised by the Sustainability Coordinator, is hired each semester to focus on outreach and engagement. This student plans how to use the Office of Sustainability social media channels to share relevant information including events, initiatives and sustainability related metrics.

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)?:
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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:
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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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