Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 60.64
Liaison Amanda Kohn
Submission Date Feb. 13, 2024

STARS v2.2

University of Minnesota, Crookston
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.80 / 4.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
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Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Two students enrolled in an independent research course analyzed greenhouse gas emissions from soils using poultry litter as a source for fertilizer on a campus research plot. Students were responsible for taking samples and the statistical analysis.

Learning Outcome: Learn sustainable practices for row crop agriculture while assessing which poultry litter application method results in lower greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining or improving the quality and yield of row crop agriculture.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
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Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
An Office of Sustainability intern created a dashboard to view real-time and historical building energy data for all of campus. The data was presented during SELFSustain, a student lead sustainability conference for UMN students.

Learning Outcome: Learn how to use technological tools to visualize energy usage for on-campus buildings, thus allowing us to visualize energy savings as a result of sustainable practices that have and will be implemented.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
An Office of Sustainability intern developed a plan for composting with dining services and has been working advance implementation.

Learning Outcome: Work in an interdisciplinary team to identify barriers to composting in dining and work with that interdisciplinary team to remove barriers and implement behind the scene composting in the dining facility.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
Biol 1000 and Biol 1009 students conduct a bee diversity assessment each semester; this started when University Grounds put in a bee lawn and thus our class has been able to document changes in bee activity in the grass area along the nature nook, by the campus greenhouses, and in the campus garden.

For Turf 3076, we assess a golf course and provide the course, including its membership, with sustainable management practices that they can implement that are environmentally friendly.

The Natural Resources Program uses wooded areas/arboreta around campus to teach woody plant materials. A lot of the work is conducted through volunteer/service projects. Our program clubs are involved with agencies such as the US Forest Service, various branches of the MN DNR, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, etc.

In Soils (SOIL 1293), we take soil samples around campus and let facilities know if there are any soil issues or fertility issues that need to be addressed.
In Soil Fertility (SOIL 3414), we analyze soil from the University's Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC) and provide fertilizer recommendations to improve crop production.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
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Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
As a part of a course, students conduct a waste audit of their own living environment.

Learning Outcome: Students conduct a waste audit of their personal living environment by conducting a waste analysis (including a visual representation of their waste streams) and then identify steps to bring their personal waste generation closer to a circulator economy in which waste becomes a resource and thus the items that are throw away are reduced.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
The Biology 1009, 1000 and 3420 (Biology and Society, General Biology, and Ecotoxicology) classes utilized the campus pond to collect macro and microinvertebrate samples to assess water quality based on the diversity and the kinds of organisms present in the campus pond.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
UMC 1202 used a group project to create possible solutions for better K-12 student success, using MDE school data and their chosen school website data. This project allowed practice in using public databases, exploring school policy and the possible relationships to student success.

Students in the Next Gen program participate in projects that address a Sustainable Development Goal that they face in their business or community. Student in this course utilized the design thinking module to approach the issue with a design-thinking mindset to the SDG opportunities within their organization or community. This was then utilized in other Next Gen courses and as part of their final project.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program 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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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.