Texas State University, San Marcos
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Sustainability Interns host an information session, "How to be a Sustainable Bobcat" during Bobcat Welcome, the freshmen orientation week of move-in that cover different sustainability topics; reducing individual waste, what materials belong in the recycling vs landfill containers, different alternative modes of transportation, how to reduce energy consumption in residential halls, and importance of environmental conservation of the San Marcos River and the Edwards Aquifer.

SUSTAINABLE CULTIVATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF LOCAL ENTERPRISES FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS
SCALEUP is focused on researching the unique challenges affecting minority-business growth & developing practical tools to help overcome these challenges.
In recent decades, the number of minority-owned businesses increased substantially with many minority populations doubling the number of new entrepreneurs. Despite this robust entrepreneurial culture, minority-owned businesses tend to remain small. They do not grow, or scale, at the same rate as non-minority-owned businesses.

Because Texas ranks second nationally in the number of minority-owned businesses, this failure to scale results in significant economic underperformance for the state. The raw numbers from the United States Department of Commerce indicate that if minority-owned businesses nationally grew at the same rate as non-minority-owned businesses, generating equal revenues and employment rates, the impact would equate to an injection of more than $5 trillion in additional revenue into the economy with more than 20 million additional jobs created.

Graduate student in the Sustainability Studies program completed a thesis, Quantifying potential savings from sustainable energy projects at a large public university: An energy efficiency assessment for texas state university.
The environmental impact is calculated in terms of CO2 emission based on Scope 2 methodology. We find that TSU could achieve annual electricity savings of 15,391,436 kWh (17% of its annual energy costs) from implementing selected projects and save more than $1,000,000 in annual costs. Overall, TSU could reduce CO2 emissions by 12,561.81 metric tons. The shortest payback period belongs to the pump replacement, and the most significant annual kWh saving is represented by the replacement of the lighting system. Solar panel installation has the highest upfront investment reaching more than $7 million, while its implementation will bring the highest environmental impact by avoiding 2926.81 metric tonnes of CO2 every year. However, the recommended minimum cost of energy at 14–16 (¢/kWh) for solar panel implementation cannot compete with the 8 cents per kWh paid for the electricity at San Marcos. The findings have immediate practical relevance for campus planning at TSU, and the methods are replicable and extendable for use by practitioners and researchers at other Universities or large institutions.

Part of the green fee, water refill stations were paid and installed across campus. These stations provides actual data relating how many plastic bottles were removed from landfill by refilling reusable bottles.

Utilities Operations gives tours of its physical plants to classes in the Engineering Department. Additionally, energy-used data is provided to students performing applied research projects.

The System Modeling And Renewable Technology (SMART) Lab studies solar and wind energy generation through the Department of Engineering.

The Bobcat Blend Composting program is a faculty managed, student operated program that assists with food waste diversion from the on campus dining halls by collecting pre and post consumer food waste. Once the food waste is collected, Bobcat Blend transports all materials to the compost site and produces organic compost. This program works with courses within the Agriculture department and serves as a living laboratory by educating all campus members on the importance of compost as an organic material that supports bio-diversity and soil quality. All compost produced by Bobcat Blend is used for campus grounds operations, graduate research, and used for the Sustainable Student Farm. Community members are allowed to purchase the compost.

A graduate student researched the impacts invasive tree species have on the local environment. Through this project the graduate student was in charge of cutting down and removing invasive tree species on campus such as China Berry and Ligustrum. During the removal process, volunteers assisted by helping cut down and removing the invasive trees in order to be composted. Before each volunteer session, the graduate student would administer a survey to the volunteer group that collects the perceptions of invasive plants and their impacts on the environment. After the volunteer session, the volunteers would then complete the second part of the survey where they recorded what they have learned and how their perceptions of invasive plants have changed after removing the species.

A student proposed idea, The Bike Cave, is now a fully functional shop that allows students to fix up their bikes, form a biking community, and also sells repurposed bikes that students have modified.
This center also educates the student community over the importance of biking as a transportation as well as public transport; buses.

An undergraduate Engineering student designed and produced a plastic shredder that breaks down hard plastics in order to be melt down and used to manufacture small pieces of furniture. The engineering team collects plastic bottles from the campus recycling department and then uses the mixed plastic collection in an injection mold in order to create furniture pieces. This project is used as a Senior Design project and is used in the engineering maker space in order to produce materials and products within the circular economy.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment is situated on the headwaters of the San Marcos River. They operate a tourist educational center as well as performing research on waterways throughout Texas. The San Marcos River Rangers is a water quality monitoring group that regularly takes water samples of Spring Lake and the San Marcos River and reports it to the Texas Stream Team, which is operated out of The Meadows Center.

The Office of Sustainability utilizes the Internship Team to assist with data collection for the AASHE STARS report. The Interns assist with specific areas that correlate with their role in the office. The Campus & Community Outreach Intern oversees the data collected for both Campus Engagement and Community Engagement, the Research Intern oversees the data collection of Sustainable Transportation

Texas State University prides itself on being a Hispanic Serving Institution and and provides several resources and avenues that enhance and support the diversity and inclusivity of the campus community.
The institution's Inclusive Excellence leads the university’s charge for justice, equity, and diversity by empowering students, faculty, and staff to exemplify just practices throughout  our classrooms, campuses, and communities. We strive to elevate and educate all members of the university to lead in a culturally diverse and global society.  

Equality U is a diversity and inclusion conference that brings individuals together to participate in a day of dialogue and features national speakers.
An opportunity for you to engage in authentic peer connections, explore and understand how identities impact individual relationships, groups and social dynamics, and prepare you for success in a global society.

Inclusive Excellence offers a variety of programs for students at Texas State University. Each are opportunities to expand their awareness and engage in meaningful dialogue centered on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). IE-SI’s programs are rooted in social justice, intersectionality, anti-oppression, and asset-minded to assist in the development of students’ skills and competencies. Our goal is to contribute to student’s equity-minded practices so that they may co-create a more equitable and just society and world. Academic support services, cultural celebrations, first-generation students, LGBTQIA+, students of color, veterans & military connected students, chartered & registered student organizations, unity graduation celebration and the empower hour.