Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 38.03
Liaison Bradley Flamm
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.60 / 4.00 Bradley Flamm
Director of Sustainability
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
West Chester University's Gordon Natural Area (the GNA is a 135-acre wooded area on South Campus; see https://wcupa.edu/gordonnaturalarea/) is regularly used by full-time and adjunct faculty for courses that address issues related to climate change, air quality, and the natural processes that cycle carbon and water into, through, and from the atmosphere. Attached to this submission is a document describing faculty use of the GNA.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
West Chester University has several LEED certified buildings (the Business and Public Management Center [BPMC], the Swope Music Building, and Mitchell Hall) and others built to LEED standards, but not certified (the Student Recreation Center and 25 University). The BPMC and the Student Recreation Center have information kiosks that provide information on the energy-efficiency features of the buildings which are used in some classes for educational purposes. In the Fall of 2017, for example, a campus tour initiated by two Earth and Space Sciences professors featured Mitchell Hall and BPMC (see https://youtu.be/7SxRxWwkH38).

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
West Chester University uses its LEED certified buildings and others built to LEED standards to teach students about energy use on campus and the impacts on our carbon emissions. In addition, WCU's geothermal system (composed of a district-level system connected to a dozen campus buildings and several single-building systems) is regularly included in campus sustainability tours that students in specific courses and the general campus community attend. In the Fall of 2017, for example, a campus sustainability tour featured the university's geothermal pump house, Mitchell Hall and BPMC (see https://youtu.be/7SxRxWwkH38).

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
West Chester University's Outdoor Classroom and three campus gardens are regularly used by full-time and adjunct faculty for courses that address issues related to food production, food processing, and the disposal (via landfill and composting) of food and other green wastes. Some of these courses have students working to harvest and deliver vegetables to the campus's Resource Pantry (https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.slv/pantry/default.aspx) where they are sometimes used for cooking demonstrations. Students have also been involved in two pilot programs to compost food wastes from WCU's main dining facility in Lawrence Hall (the most recent year-long pilot project ended in September 2017). Attached to this submission is a document describing faculty use of the Outdoor Classroom and the three campus gardens.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
West Chester University's Gordon Natural Area (the GNA is a 135-acre wooded area on South Campus; see https://wcupa.edu/gordonnaturalarea/), Outdoor Classroom, and three campus gardens are regularly used by full-time and adjunct faculty for courses that address issues related to climate change, air quality, water quality, storm water management, and the natural processes that cycle carbon and water into, through, and from the hydrosphere and atmosphere. Attached to this submission is a document describing faculty use of the GNA.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
Students in an English Department seminar on multimedia writing in the Fall of 2017 created an augmented-reality game that included a module on bikesharing and the environmental impacts of the university's transportation and commuting patterns (formerly hosted as the "Purple, Gold, and Green Quest" in Metaverse: https://mtvrs.io/MoldyAloofDonkey). Students in an undergraduate / graduate Transportation Planning course (GEO 331 / 531) in Spring 2018 are working in groups to consider four aspects of the university's transportation system -- shared modes of transportation, non-motorized modes, car parking, and ridesharing. In both courses the assignments required extensive experience with the physical features of the campus.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
West Chester University's Outdoor Classroom and three campus gardens feature composting systems for green and food wastes which are used to teach about waste disposal systems and the importance of diverting materials from the waste-stream to reuse, recycling, and rotting (i.e. composting). The solid waste and recycling system on campus was a focus of a Fall 2017 English Department multimedia writing seminar which produced an augmented-reality game module (formerly hosted as the "Purple, Gold, and Green Quest" in Metaverse: https://mtvrs.io/MoldyAloofDonkey). Attached to this submission is a document describing instructional use of the Outdoor Classroom and three campus gardens.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
West Chester University's storm water management features (pervious pavers, green roofs, and underground cisterns), Gordon Natural Area, Outdoor Classroom, and three campus gardens are regularly used by full-time and adjunct faculty for courses that address issues related to water quality, storm water management, and the natural processes that cycle water into, through, and from the hydrosphere and atmosphere. Attached to this submission is a document describing faculty use of the GNA.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
Faculty in West Chester University's English, Art + Design, Anthropology & Sociology, Political Science, and other Departments regularly use the Gordon Natural Area, the Outdoor Classroom, WCU's campus gardens, and other physical features of the campus for course assignments and class sessions. These assignments contribute to student learning in the humanities and social sciences and result in direct contributions to the university with published creative writing, murals, and organized student activities. See the attached document for more details.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://www.wcupa.edu/sustainability/initiatives.aspx#BiodiversityLandscape

Additional documentation to support the submission:
Campus_Living_Lab_Documentation_2017.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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