University of Rochester
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

A student undertook a summer internship reviewing carbon offset programs at peer institutions. During the academic year, as part of an independent study, she researched further offset programs and how educational institutions assess and reduce their carbon footprint. This information was presented to the University Council on Sustainability.

In celebration of Earth Day 2015, University Facilities and Services offered a tour the week of April 20 for students to get an inside look towards sustainable achievements on campus. Students who attended were able to get an inside look at the sustainable achievements on campus, as well an renovations projects in multiple buildings. Students got an inside look as to what facilities is doing for them as well as being further educated in sustainability initiatives on campus. http://blogs.rochester.edu/thegreendandelion/2015/04/facilities-offering-an-earth-week-tour-for-students/

The biodiesel project is an ongoing collaboration between Dining Services, Facilities Services, academics and students. Used oil from Dining Services’ fryers is collected and turned into diesel fuel by students. This fuel powers a campus bus. Dining locations often serve as labs for groups of Ecoreps working on projects. These projects include things like waste reduction, limiting the use of plastic bags and other dining related topics. Team Green works on projects that tie education to our Dining Services program. They have measured plate waste at an evening meal while educating students on food waste issues in our country. They spent a year looking at the sale of bottled water. They did research, held educational programs, tabled and made recommendations on how to reduce the use of bottled water on campus.

Students in an undergraduate course used Kill-a-Watt power meters to assess the electricity consumption of residential appliances. They then developed surveys and educational materials which will be distributed to departments on campus for educational purposes, and they will "rent" out their services to perform energy audits in interested departments in the future.

Campus Planning, Design, and Construction Management teamed up with Grassroots to plan, design, build, and install the rain garden. The newly installed rain garden will help teach 130 elementary and middle school students about water pollution issues in the environment. These students, ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade, will play a vital role in addressing environmental issues impacting the Genesee River and Lake Ontario due to significant rainwater runoff.

Since the program was started in 2004 by two students, it has flourished and is one of the most popular services of the Students’ Association. City Cycles is the University of Rochester’s free bicycle lending program. Sponsored by the Students’ Association, City Cycles aims to promote bicycling as an attractive and sustainable mode of transportation for the University of Rochester community. The program accomplishes this goal by providing high-quality cycling equipment and services and by encouraging off-campus exploration and experiences.

GreenSpace hosts several events on campus throughout the year, including their most successful effort, a sustainable fashion show. Recycle the Runway was held in honor of America Recycles Day and called on different student groups to create an ensemble made from materials that are commonly disposed of, to be modeled in front of an audience. The event blended fun with education; the show’s two masters of ceremonies explained whether or not the materials modeled could be recycled and why.

GreenSpace is the University of Rochester’s first special interest housing opportunity dedicated for students who wish to live a sustainable lifestyle. The 2011-2012 academic year has been the pilot year for GreenSpace. In addition to raising awareness for environmental issues on campus, the group members’ mission is to learn from each other and to build a more sustainable community together. GreenSpace works in conjunction with University Facilities and Services to meet their mission for a more sustainable living space. Upon the group’s request, Facilities installed a water bottle refill-station right in the resident hall, to make reducing plastic bottle usage easier. The group also received permission to install shower timers that are set at five minutes in effort to conserve water usage.

The Sustainability Coordinator is a position through the Students Association who encourages collaboration between green groups on campus and coordinates with faculty and administrators to promote sustainability throughout campus. In the past the Sustainability Coordinator has been able to assist groups with event planning and promote sustainability across campus.

In 2008, the Office for Faculty Development and Diversity completed a significant new project to go beyond data and better understand the experience of our underrepresented faculty at the six schools of our University. Between October 2008 and May 2009, then Deputy to the President and Vice Provost Lynne Davidson, Intercessor Frederick Jefferson, and Senior Associate Provost Carol Shuherk conducted in-depth interviews with 94 faculty members in all schools to assess our progress in becoming a more diverse and inclusive campus and to make recommendations for improvement, particularly focusing on retention. A majority of the 94 faculty interviewed were considered underrepresented in terms of race or gender; the vast majority were tenured or tenure-track faculty. This listening tour was buttressed by three town hall meetings.

Well-U is an award-winning health and wellness department at the University of Rochester. Our mission is to improve the health and wellness of University employees by promoting a work environment that encourages healthy behaviors. In today's busy world, the worksite is a convenient place to engage in programs that promote positive health behaviors. Well-U provides the tools, resources, and education necessary to support healthful living, both at home and at work.

The public health program offers mentored field experiences at two different mountain sites. Mountain Health Field School—Ladakh, India This mentored field experience takes place over three to four weeks during the summer in a Himalayan region of north India. UR students team with a faculty mentor in working with the local Ladakh health department, hospital, and community-based organizations in support of tobacco control. Mountain Health Field School—Borca di Cadore, Italy This mentored field experience takes place over three to four weeks during the summer in a small village in the Italian Dolomites, 100 kilometers north of Venice. Working closely with local residents and leaders, we use traditional anthropological tools of participant-observation, in-depth interviewing, focus groups, mapping, and surveys to identify village assets and challenges in meeting the health and wellness needs of its residents. All findings are shared with the villagers before our departure.

Transition Opportunities at UR (TOUR): TOUR is an inclusive college experience at University of Rochester for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities age 18-21. While in TOUR, students have the opportunity to participate in College courses at University of Rochester (non-credit status), vocational training and internships (paid or unpaid), transition and independent living education, social activities on and off campus. Employment is an outcome that is expected for all students. This manifests through TOUR students participating in paid and/or unpaid internships. These placements are decided based on student interest and career goals with a great number of TOUR students who have currently and historical expressed interest in working in fields like landscaping, grounds keeping, and facilities & dining services (food recovery, recycling, etc). Through internships with these departments on campus, TOUR students have learned effective sustainability practices in the context of the aforementioned areas.