University of Massachusetts Lowell
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Beginning back in the late 1970s with Pat Mogan’s vision of Lowell as “an educative city” and its embodiment in the actions that led to that led to the creation of the Lowell National Historical Park.

Learning and a sense of sustainability have been built into the core fabric of the City.

Given the unique landscape of the city and the numerous institutions that call it home, we are perfectly situated to work to make Lowell a City of Learning. A Learning City is a city which effectively mobilizes its resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning from basic to higher education; revitalize learning in families and communities; facilitate learning for and in the workplace; extend the use of modern learning technologies; enhance quality and excellence in learning; and foster a culture of learning throughout life.

In so doing it will create and reinforce individual empowerment and social cohesion, economic and cultural prosperity, and sustainable development. UMass Lowell Office of Sustainability and students from across the university have been heavily involved in this project. The first Lowell Learning City Festival was held in Lowell in 2020 with annual iterations since.

Public Engagement is a core feature of the student experience at UMass Lowell. Students work with city government, businesses and community organizations on the annual Lowell Earth Day Parade and Festival along with the Lowell City of Learning project.

UMass Lowell's Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy runs an annual Climate Mitigation Challenge for undergraduate students. Student teams are tasked with using the UMass Lowell campus and the City of Lowell as a living laboratory to find ways to reduce 10,000lbs or more of CO2 in ten weeks.

More info: https://www.uml.edu/News/stories/2020/RISE-Student-Innovation-Awards.aspx

Student interns work with the campus Energy Manager in the Facilities Department to assess a wide array of sustainable building attributes. Students work within the Office of Sustainability to support educational programs around our buildings’ sustainable features.
Interpretive signage is installed in campus buildings outlining specific sustainability features, while real time energy information is displayed on the Hawkeye monitors throughout the campus.

Energy Engineering students often work closely with the Facilities Department or Office of Sustainability to pull real-time building energy use data records at various points in the year. As part of a course, they use building plans and utility bill data to assess feasibility of siting a Solar PV array on campus buildings.

In 2021, UMass Lowell Energy Engineering students assisted UMass Lowell staff and consulting engineer BR+A on a comprehensive solar analysis for the campus as part of a larger Energy Master Planning effort.

UMass Lowell has a vibrant Urban Agriculture Program which involves students and faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and Mill City Grows, a local food justice organization. Faculty in Plastics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering utilize the campus greenhouse to develop research proposals and class projects. Examples include testing a novel biodegradable agricultural film and another for assessing greenhouse heat loads during the winter months.

Students work with the Grounds Manager in Facilities Management to plant trees and identify sustainable grounds approaches. Multiple Tree City and Tree Campus events have taken and continue to take place on campus.

Students engage with the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust and other external partners to plan joint community activities focused on grounds and sustainable urban greening techniques.

As a result of increasing interest and participation in the UML greenhouse and Urban Agriculture Program, many students engage on the issue of pollinators. UMass Lowell installed its first official pollinator garden on our south campus in 2018. Since then, an additional four locations have been added, each with assistance and support from students.

The campus chapter for the Society for Women Engineers (SWE) runs a Repair Cafe, based off the international Repair Cafe model, through startup funding from SEED grant from the Office of Sustainability. They use the campus Maker Space to perform a host of free repairs on things like jewelry, electronics, even vehicles, all in an effort to reduce waste going into landfills and most importantly, help the community.

Numerous students are engaged with ways to reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles on campus. These efforts range from analysis of our on campus transit system, the operation of an on-campus full-service bike shop, and data collection on commuting and transportation for the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning.

UMass Lowell's student Eco-reps lead numerous efforts on campus to advance their understanding of sustainability in relation to waste. Students assist in waste and recycling work orders with the Office of Sustainability. In addition, student teams lead the bi-annual Spring and Fall Move-in/Move-out programs.

UMass Lowell's Plastics Engineering program also focuses heavily on waste reduction and re-use through numerous classes, projects, and research projects.

Through a campus sustainability grant, a faculty member saved the university approximately $10,000 annually through the purchase and utilization of 31 super air condensers in organic chemistry undergraduate teaching labs, eliminating the use of 85,000 gallons of water each year.

The campus of UMass Lowell, rooted in a post-industrial city, is surrounded by historic canals and the Merrimack River runs through the campus. Students frequently intern or collaborate with the local Watershed Council, a nonprofit called the Canalwater Cleaners, and the city to protect and clean up around the place they call home during their time on campus.

Through our Outdoor Adventure Program, the university runs a student-run, full-service, boathouse and kayak program on the Merrimack River. It provides valuable public recreational opportunities and a home base for our local crew teams and well as invaluable training for students.

Students maintain seats in core planning committees related to UMass Lowell’s 2020 Strategic Plan and its implementation committees.

All campus sustainability fund S.E.E.D. Grants are awarded and administered through a student-majority committee.

The Student Government Association maintains an active role at the university and is responsible for the large number of free water bottle refill stations on campus and making the university smoke-free, supporting cleaner and healthier air.

Beyond this, members of the SGA and other student leaders serve major roles on committees or steering groups that support the implementation of UMass Lowell's Climate Action Plan, Energy Master Plan, and parking and transit initiatives on on campus and in the City of Lowell.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs runs a very successful Diversity Peer Educators program:https://www.uml.edu/student-services/multicultural/programs/diversity-peer-educators.aspx

The DPE program and training offers students of many academic disciples, cultures, backgrounds, and interests an increased leadership credential in multicultural education. Participants engage in an immersive process on the foundations of multiculturalism, cultural competency, and social justice work, as well as application of learned skills to daily life experiences.

DPE provides an opportunity for students to become active participants in ally-ship and to become part of a community of learners that support understanding, respect, and appreciation for all people. Students are invited to apply each semester.

UMass Lowell students play an active role on the Board of Trustees at the University System level. This experience gives them unique insight into the financial management of the university and each of the UMass campuses’ greater systemic impact. As a result of student activism and advocacy, the UMass system divested from fossil fuel holdings in May, 2016. For the UMass System, fiscal sustainability through collaboration across the five campuses is core to the System's business operations.

UMass Lowell created the Office of Student Life and Well-being in 2021. Under the direction of Ruben Sanca ’09, ’11, the office’s mission is to foster student success by integrating eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and vocational.

The off of Student Life and Well-Being collaborates with Student Activities and the Office of Sustainability to create community service and engagement programs that can help students feel more connected to their environment.