| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.08 |
| Liaison | Katherine Straub |
| Submission Date | Aug. 21, 2020 |
Susquehanna University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.60 / 4.00 |
Katherine
Straub Professor Earth and Environmental Sciences |
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
COMM 314: Public Relations Writing and Campaigns conducted a semester long study of the Office of Sustainability's communications on campus. They broke into two different teams and studied recycling signage across campus and digital methods of communication of sustainability content. They searched campus, both physically and digitally, for data and then created a final project with their findings and recommendations to improve recycling signage on campus and to better get the word out about sustainability programming and information.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
ENST 505: Community Project is the Environmental Studies capstone course. This course is designed to apply the totality of the Environmental Studies major to addressing community needs. Students in this class focused on specific sustainability topics, flooding, waste, community culture, and economics. The students interviewed campus and community leaders, performed a survey, collected data about the community and came up with suggestions for improvements. They wrote a report summarizing their findings and presented it to community stakeholders as their final exam.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
EENV 242: Climate and Global Change is a course for Environmental Studies majors and minors, Earth and Environmental Sciences majors and minors, and Ecology majors. In spring 2020 students completed a greenhouse gas inventory for Susquehanna University using the SIMAP platform. Students learned about the components of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, the units of each emissions source, analyzed the drop in carbon emissions after 2014 when Susquehanna closed its coal-fired steam plant, and learned about renewable energy certificates through Susquehanna's solar array (RECs not retained by SU) vs. green electricity purchases (RECs retained). In their analysis, students provided recommendations for additional carbon reductions.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
EENV 242: Climate and Global Change is a course for Environmental Studies majors and minors, Earth and Environmental Sciences majors and minors, and Ecology majors. In spring 2020 students completed a greenhouse gas inventory for Susquehanna University using the SIMAP platform. Students learned about the components of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, the units of each emissions source, analyzed the drop in carbon emissions after 2014 when Susquehanna closed its coal-fired steam plant, and learned about renewable energy certificates through Susquehanna's solar array (RECs not retained by SU) vs. green electricity purchases (RECs retained). In their analysis, students provided recommendations for additional carbon reductions.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
Our Sustainability Dining Services Intern worked with the Office of Sustainability and SU Dining Services to calculate and complete OP 7 - Food and Beverage Purchasing and OP 8 - Sustainable Dining Options. They also created a web page on the Dining Services page to highlight the sustainable attributes of our dining services program. They also created and administered a vegan/vegetarian survey to students to get a better understanding about student's dietary needs on campus.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
ECOL 560: Restoration Ecology, studied a section of SU's property that had once been a wetland but is currently an open lawn. They analyzed the space to determine if it could be converted back into a wetland. Their analysis showed that it could and the university is in early stages of planning to convert this back to a wetland to manage storm water runoff and increase biological diversity on campus.
In addition, EENV 360: Geographic Info Systems students created a sustainability map of campus geo-locating and tagging all sustainable attributes of campus. They identified outdoor trash and recycling bins, fuel efficient vehicle parking, bike racks, the campus garden, beehives, solar panels, specific indoor recycling sites, water bottle filling stations and many others. This map was then converted into an map that is now on the Office of Sustainability's web page to help increase awareness of sustainability attributes of campus.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
The interactive sustainability map that was made by students in EENV 360: Geographic Info Systems incorporated the locations of bike racks across campus and fuel efficient vehicle parking, raising awareness about the ease in which biking is possible on campus and the benefits of purchasing a fuel efficient vehicle. This map is now located on the Office of Sustainability's web page for anyone to view.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
Two students participated in an independent study project to divert waste from the landfill due to the move out process at the end of each year. They created "Hawk Stuff," an on campus thrift store where students can donate gently used items they no longer want when they are moving out. Hawk Stuff then stores the items over the summer and offers them for free to students in the fall semester.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Our Sustainability Dining Services Intern worked with the Office of Sustainability and SU Dining Services to calculate and complete OP 7 - Food and Beverage Purchasing and OP 8 - Sustainable Dining Options.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.