| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.33 |
| Liaison | Jessica Bilecki |
| Submission Date | March 14, 2024 |
University of the Pacific
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jessica
Bilecki Sustainability Director Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
A student in Organizational Change and Innovation chose to work with Sustainability for his "change project". For the project Sustainability's overall engagement efforts were assessed and recommendations for improvement were presented. Assessment covered everything from social media engagement to strategic planning. A number of recommendations were implemented and longer term recommendations are being addressed on an ongoing basis.
In Spring 2024, one of the CORE class's main writing assignment will be researching sustainability literacy assessments and writing about why one would or would not be needed at Pacific.
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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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:
Geological and Environmental Sciences Professor, Dr. Rademacher has a Purple air quality monitor installed on campus. Data is publicly accessible and is used to track the impact of air quality events (e.g., wildfires, etc) to see how persistent these impacts are at different times of the year and across different places. They are interested in the PM2.5 (the main pollutant measured by the purple air sensor) because it is easy to measure and has a large impact on human health (asthma and other breathing-related diseases). In addition, there are large spatial differences in air quality across the city of Stockton, so we use this site as an interesting comparison between the greener, cooler north and the warmer, less canopy coverage in the south. The campus is near the middle of town, yet differs a lot from the surrounding areas because of how it’s maintained.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Students in Engineering Synthesis (Spring '24), are proposing a structure for the Ted & Chris Robb garden. Main goals of the project are to design a structure fitting with sustainability principles of the garden and that will be welcoming, increasing engagement in the space.
There are a number of engineering courses with student projects that intersect buildings and sustainability. In the fall 2023 Building Information Modeling course students had to redesign and model a student lounge space. Design considerations included occupant satisfaction, flex furniture for waste reduction and reinvigorating existing space instead of looking to build new.
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:
A Computer Science, Electrical and Computer engineering professor installed solar resource monitoring equipment on one of the campus solar arrays. Solar energy data from the equipment is used in a graduate level Computational Intelligence course and in independent student research where students gain appreciation for complex real world energy solutions. Energy prediction models informed by the solar resource data are compared to the promised system energy production and actual production to inform improved design and modeling of future systems.
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:
Several capstone research projects supervised by Dr. Lynne LoPresto in the MS in Clinical Nutrition Program focused on campus food options on the Sacramento campus. Students created and implemented a campus food survey and analyzed the data drawing conclusions about food insecurity on campus, vending machine motivators, purchases and likelihood to purchase plant forward meals. The students and faculty are in active conversation with the dining services provider to apply research to inform food options offered by campus dining services.
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:
Classes regularly tour the Robb Garden and Bon Appetit native plant garden to learn about a variety of topics such as sustainable food system issues, native plant and rock identification, insect collection and adaptation. Classes are from a variety of departments including: Geological and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences (Ecology) and College of the Pacific CORE classes.
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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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
Yes
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
A student in GIS and Earth Surfaces researched best locations and options for secure bicycle storage on campus. Research was proposed to campus stakeholders for implementation consideration.
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:
There have been several student projects focusing on improving waste reduction. Students as part of a high school MESA program initially proposed an idea for weighing and communicating about post consumer food waste in the cafeteria in an effort to reduce waste. When some of the students continued on as Pacific undergrads in engineering, they helped design a structure that affixed to the dish collection system. Students in GESC 93 Intro to Sustainability identified opportunities for improvement in an area in athletic training room and proposed solutions that addressed waste collection and types of products purchased. A student in EDUC 293 Organizational Change focused her research on improving trash, recycling and compost collection bin placement and campus culture around sustainability. Project work was used to inform placement of new bins and design of campus communications.
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:
During the Spring 23 Semester, four students in the School of Engineering and Computer Science developed a Storm water Management Plan (SWMP) for Pacific's Stockton Campus as a part of their senior project. Students assessed existing University policies in order to improve and synthesize the institutional processes by which rainwater management is achieved. Students noted that the implementation of their SWMP would increase the use of green infrastructure in rainwater management on Pacific campus and also further formalize and promote sustainable practices.
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:
Summer Sustainability Interns have researched several initiatives that have informed and help move forward administrative processes. They completed peer assessment of institutions participating in Worker Rights Consortium and Fair Labor Association. Reports are being used to inform Pacific’s assessment of membership. They also researched waste management policies during construction and renovation projects. Work is being used to inform waste diversion language in contracts with vendors. A comparison of green building certifications was also conducted and is used in recurring discussions about the university's Green Building Policy to build to LEED silver standards.
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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Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
Yes
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
Students in student government researched divestment at other institutions, presented to the Board of Regents and were foundational in the University forming a Divestment Committee.
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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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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