Université de Sherbrooke
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

INSTITUTIONAL SURVEY

An undergrade student completing a bachelor’s degree in Environment developed an institutional survey on the culture, commitment, and knowledge of sustainable development of the university community, then she analyzed the results. The survey was conducted in the winter of 2022 as part of a credited internship at the Office of the Vice-President, Administration and Sustainable Development.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE OF PAINTING A MURAL INSPIRED BY THE ARTWORK OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

During the winter of 2022, as part of their rupestral art (rock art) course, students from the Department of History painted a mural inspired by the artwork of ancient civilizations. They used the university’s tunnels as a rock surface to replicate the rock art technique of the past as realistically as possible. The murals were made with substances used at the time, such as egg yolk and canola oil, and will serve as a subject of study to further research in the field.

The rock art course invites history students to put themselves in the shoes of citizens of ancient civilizations that existed millions of years ago. The immersive experience of painting the mural allows students to immerse themselves in the reality of that time, and thus better understand how the people who lived in those civilizations felt and perceived the world. These students are thus better equipped to understand and deal with the great diversity that characterizes today’s societies, with an attitude of respect and openness to difference. These are valuable skills for a sustainable development approach.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1860661/art-prehistorique-udes-cours-histoire

https://www.usherbrooke.ca/histoire/departement/personnel/personnel-enseignant/adelphine-bonneau

ESSAY: METHOD FOR ESTIMATING EMISSIONS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TRAVEL

A student at the Centre universitaire de formation en environnement et développement durable (CUFE) [EN: University Centre for Environmental and Sustainable Development Studies] published an essay in October 2021. In it, he attempts to develop a method for estimating emissions related to international student travel. The proposed method was tested on the student population of the Université de Sherbrooke. First, the student collected the international travel data of 63 CUFE students and applied his calculation method. Second, he estimated the emissions related to the international travel of all the international students at the University. A series of recommendations for higher education institutions, aimed at guiding the integration of these types of emissions into GHG inventories, resulted from this study.

https://savoirs.usherbrooke.ca/bitstream/handle/11143/18783/rousguisto-pouzenc_jean-philippe_MEnv_2021.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y

CREDITED INTERNSHIP: DESIGN OF A GREEN VISITOR’S LODGE FOR THE PARC ÉCOFORESTIER DE JOHNVILLE

During the winter of 2021, a student from the Department of Civil and Building Engineering completed her credited internship working on the design of a green visitor’s lodge for the Parc Écoforestier de Johnville [EN: Johnville Bog & Forest Park]. The innovative green building designed by this student will be powered by solar photovoltaic panels, heated and cooled with a heat pump and pellet fireplace, and pre-tempered by a heat sink and solar thermal wall. The building fits perfectly with the vocation of this magnificent place, dedicated to nature conservation, education, and scientific research. It will also be able to accommodate groups for an extended period of time.

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS ON THE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES OF PHOTOVOLTAICS

Several students enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering use the infrastructures of the Institut interdisciplinaire d’innovation technologique (3IT) [EN: Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation] (https://www.usherbrooke.ca/3it/fr — https://www.usherbrooke.ca/3it/en) at the Parc Innovation-ACELP [EN: ACELP Innovation Park] of the Université de Sherbrooke. There, students carry out their research on the multiple properties of photovoltaics. The theses and dissertations published on this subject help advance knowledge in the field of renewable energy. For example:

• Conception, fabrication and characterisation of back contact multijunction solar cells: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/18547

• Development of submillimeter multijunction cells for Concentrator Photovoltaics (micro-CPV) and assessment of their robustness: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/17869

• Antireflection coatings for improving optical properties of concentrated photovoltaics: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/17806

• Croissance du GaInAs par épitaxie hybride et investigation de l’effet mémoire du germanium dans un réacteur III-V CBE pour des applications optoélectroniques: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/17852 (For more information in English, please visit the article.)

• Cellules solaires multi-jonctions dupliquées pour le photovoltaïque à très haute concentration: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/17915 (For more information in English, please visit the article.)

• Fabrication de cellules solaires triple jonctions à contacts face arrière: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/17040 (For more information in English, please visit the article.)

• Développement et caractérisation d’un procédé de photo-placage auto-alimenté pour la fabrication de cellules solaires CPV III-V/Ge: http://hdl.handle.net/11143/16364 (For more information in English, please visit the article.)

HISTORICAL GARDEN

Since 2018, a professor specializing in cultural food history and his students from the Department of History have established a historical garden on the university grounds. The garden features a native garden with the vegetables once known as “The Three Sisters”: corn, beans, and squash. There is also a variety of medicinal plants.

The historical garden highlights the traditions of the Iroquoians and aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining cultivars and ancient agricultural know-how in order to limit our environmental footprint. The involvement of students from the Department of History ensures the sustainability of this project, which is now in its 5th edition. In 2022, the project was enriched by the presence of an Abenaki poetess, invited to celebrate the harvest, and by the inauguration of an electronic totem reciting native poetry on the theme of nature.

The theoretical foundations of the project are available online: https://jardin-historique.historiamati.ca.

ACADEMIC LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS CONDUCTED AT MONT BELLEVUE PARK

Many academic learning activities and projects in relation to grounds are conducted at Mont Bellevue Park. Undergraduate students from ecology, geomatics, and environmental departments visit the park as part of many of their courses (Faune et flore du Québec II (ECL117) [EN: Fauna and Flora of Quebec], Méthodes de terrain I et II (ECL215 and ECL216) [EN: Field Methods I and II], Évaluation environnementale (ECL315) [EN: Environmental Assessment], Travaux pratiques d’éthologie (ECL525) [EN: Practical Work in Ethology], etc.) More specifically, students in applied geomatics methodology courses such as Milieux polaires (GAE550) [EN: Polar Environments] and Principes de télédétection (GMQ250) [EN: Principles of Remote Sensing] respectively carry out measurements of snow characteristics and spectral measurements of the environment in the vicinity of the station SIRENE (Site interdisciplinaire de recherche en environnement extérieur) [EN: Interdisciplinary site for research in the outdoor environment] located at the park boundary. The park has also been the subject of numerous student productions and research reports, many of which are available at the Université de Sherbrooke Library.

https://perspectivesssf.espaceweb.usherbrooke.ca/2020/10/01/le-parc-du-mont-bellevue-lecosysteme-ecole-de-ludes/

https://www.usherbrooke.ca/actualites/nouvelles/details/45528


ESSAY: CONCERTED APPROACH TO THE SYSTEMIC INTEGRATION OF BIODIVERSITY ON THE CAMPUSES OF THE UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

A master's student in Environment completed an essay in May 2022 aiming to develop a concerted approach to the systemic integration of biodiversity on the campuses of the Université de Sherbrooke. The Office of the Vice-President, Administration and Sustainable Development, the Building Services, some specialists in the field, and the Green Spaces Management Committee were all involved in the project. The process resulted in several recommendations, including consideration of STARS' criteria, community integration, integration of education and research, characterization of the natural environment and effective change management. These recommendations led to the development of an institutional vision and action plan for biodiversity integration that addresses the University's needs and issues.

CREDITED INTERNSHIP IN SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

In the fall of 2021, a student completed a credited internship in sustainable mobility during which he developed several projects on the Université de Sherbrooke’s campuses, including the implementation of bus pass distribution stands as well as bicycle registration kiosks. He also deployed the “matinées réconforts” [EN: Comfort Mornings], an event that aims to reward users of sustainable transportation. Finally, this internship was an opportunity for him to participate in the launch of the Communauto car-sharing service and the development of communication tools.

CREDITED INTERNSHIP: SYSTEM TO COLLECT AND RECLAIM MASKS, GLOVES AND PLASTICS FROM LABS

In the summer of 2021, a student completed a credited internship during which she deployed a system to collect and reclaim all masks and gloves (PPE) used on university campuses, as well as plastics from the Faculty of Science’s biology, chemistry, and physics labs. Since the beginning of this project in July 2021, four containers totalling seven tons of material have been shipped to MGA Environnement, a company that specializes in waste management.

CREDITED INTERNSHIP: NEW PROJECT MANAGEMENT-STYLE WORK STRUCTURE

In the fall of 2020, a student trainee doing a master of Environment completed a credited internship at the Office of the Vice-President, Administration and Sustainable Development. He helped deploy the new project management-style work structure that was going to be used in the preparation of the Université de Sherbrooke STARS 2022 dossier. He also prepared the University’s 2020 GreenMetric application.

CREDITED INTERNSHIP: INSTITUTIONAL SURVEY

In the winter of 2022, a student completing a bachelor’s degree in Environment at Université de Sherbrooke also completed a credited internship at the Office of the Vice-President, Administration and Sustainable Development. Her internship included the development of an institutional survey on the culture, engagement, and knowledge of sustainability in the university community, as well as the research and writing of content for several criteria in the university’s STARS 2022 submission.

SURVEY ON THE TEACHING OF SEX AND GENDER CONCEPTS AT THE UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

Ève-Marie Pineault, a master’s student at the School of Social Work at the Université de Sherbrooke and coordinator of the Réseau d’étudiantes et étudiants en recherche sur la santé, le sexe et le genre (RERSSG) [EN: Network of students in health, sex and gender research], conducted a survey on the teaching of sex and gender concepts at the Université de Sherbrooke. Students and faculty members in social science and in health responded to this survey to identify successes and challenges in moving the field forward. As mentioned by Philippe Roy, professor at the School of Social Work, “Teaching these concepts is important because we are training the next generation of scientists; it’s interesting to take stock, to see what is already well addressed, what is not, and what the blind spots are. The analysis of the results will allow us to know what the needs are and what the next steps should be in order to better take into account the notions of sex and gender in teaching.”

https://www.usherbrooke.ca/actualites/nouvelles/details/45348

STUDENT INVESTMENT FUND OF THE UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

The Fonds d’investissement étudiant de l’Université de Sherbrooke (FIEUS) [EN: Student Investment Fund of the Université de Sherbrooke], a responsible fund for close to one million dollars for the benefit of the University, includes two Canadian equity portfolios, the one of the Fondation de l’Université [EN: University Foundation] and the one of the Bureau des Gouverneurs de l’École de gestion [EN: Board of Governors of the Business School]. It is managed by some 60 students from the Business School who have the opportunity to benefit from the mentorship of Professor Mario Lavallée.

At the beginning of each session, four teams, made up of a captain, two senior analysts and four junior analysts, work on eight securities and do in-depth work on each one: research, analysis, projections, and examination of the competition. At the end of the session, each security is the subject of a presentation that will allow the decision to be made as to whether it should be bought, held, or sold.

FIEUS already excludes fossil fuels and integrates ESG factors (environmental, social, and governance) to select its investments. A green shift that it intends to pursue in the future by integrating members from other disciplines than finance: “We want to invest in companies that are involved in the energy transition and companies that are well positioned to adapt to climate change (…)”, announced Professor Mario Lavallée.

FIEUS also devotes a lot of energy to promoting the presence of women within its group, and more broadly in the field of finance.

https://www.usherbrooke.ca/gnec-preview/nouvelle/46622/?utm_source=GNEC&utm_medium=courriel&utm_campaign=Partage

ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE PSYCHIATRY RESIDENCY PROGRAM IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY POSITIVE EXAMPLES FOR OTHER TYPES OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

A group of students from the Université de Sherbrooke analyzed certain features of their psychiatry residency program in order to identify elements that could constitute positive examples of adequate ethical training for other types of health professionals. More specifically, they looked at the establishment of a space to acknowledge the suffering of the care giver.

“After having examined some of the specificities of the ethics curriculum which we benefited from the psychiatry residency program at the Université de Sherbrooke, we analyze how its structure can be a good example for ethics training of other young professionals, that is, residents. More specifically, we highlight how creating a space to acknowledge the suffering of the care giver in-training can have an impact on their own sensitivity to the suffering of the patient who they are treating.”

(Lamothe, D., Bergeron, B., Hassoun, J. & Roy-Desruisseaux, J. (2020). Un lieu d’accueil pour l’élaboration de la souffrance du soignant : réflexion sur le cursus de formation en éthique au programme de psychiatrie de l’Université de Sherbrooke. Canadian Journal of Bioethics/Revue canadienne de bioéthique, 3(2), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.7202/1073549ar) (For more information in English, please visit the article.)

CLARIFICATION REGARDING CREDITED INTERNSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

Students enrolled in one of the Université de Sherbrooke’s co-op work programs have the opportunity to complete credited internships during their training. These internships are supervised by the Service des stages et du développement professionnel (SSDP) of the University [EN: Coop Work Term and Professional Development Services] (https://www.usherbrooke.ca/ssdp/fr – https://www.usherbrooke.ca/ssdp/en).

For each of their internships, students must develop a Path of Individual Development to identify their goals and assess their skills. They are also required to write a report to highlight their learning and provide an assessment of their achievements (https://www.usherbrooke.ca/ssdp/fr/etudiants/deroulement-du-stage). The SSDP accompanies the student interns throughout their experience.

The Université de Sherbrooke was the first institution in Quebec to introduce the coop work system in its programs in 1966. Since then, it has been a leader in this field. The Université de Sherbrooke’s coop work program is an invaluable training method for gradually integrating young university students into an increasingly demanding job market. Each year, close to 5,000 cooperative internships are carried out in a thousand organizations of all kinds in Quebec, Canada, and even elsewhere in the world.