| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.31 |
| Liaison | Keaton Schrank |
| Submission Date | June 12, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Westminster University - Utah
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Ida
Kolodziejczyk Sustainability Fellow Environmental Center |
Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | No |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | No |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | Yes |
| Public Engagement | No |
| Other | No |
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students in an Economics 325 course completed a Cost Benefit Analysis of Westminster's Plan for Carbon Neutrality, and came to the conclusion that there was room for improvement in the college's purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), and suggested the purchase of wind turbines.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Several students have completed proposals as a requirement for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar. The first of these is a Green Roofs proposal, in which the potential benefits of constructing a green roof on campus was researched. Secondly, students completed a proposal for sustainable advancements in the expansion of campus.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Westminster for Real Food is a student group that advocates for organic, local, human, and fair-trade food on campus, and, in the past, has coordinated with the campus dining services to assess the sustainability of food provided on campus.
The Westminster Organic Garden is run by students under the guidance of the Environmental Center. There are numerous volunteers that help keep the garden running doing activities such as watering, planting and weeding. Weekly work parties are held during the growing season (from seed starting in the greenhouse to winter cover cropping). The crops from the garden are either given to volunteers or distributed at a campus farmstand. The garden effort also includes a campus chicken co-op where students care for the hens in exchange for eggs.
The Westminster Bee Hive is operated by a student group under the Environmental Center that focuses on sustainable bee keeping as well as bee pollination and foraging ecology.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Eco Team is a student group sponsored by the Environmental Center that implements that annual residence hall Energy Challenge. During the Energy Challenge, campus residents are encouraged to adopt sustainable habits and save energy, and many residence halls have saved energy in the past. The most recent Energy Challenge showed a 20% reduction in total electricity consumption for the 5 residence halls.
Students also worked on an energy analysis, and compiled several recommendations for how to decrease Westminster's carbon footprint and decrease energy usage.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Several demonstration gardens were created on campus by students to showcase sustainable landscaping practices. These spaces save water, provide urban habitat, and even grow healthy, organic food. These outdoor learning spaces feature plants native to the area, xeriscape principles, wildlife habitat, and/or plants mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.
The Sustainability Fellows, a group of student employees at the Environmental Center, also installed a small organic apple orchard on campus that will serve as a space to try out various growing and pruning techniques.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Westminster for Real Food, a student organized group, completed a food assessment for campus in the summer of 2011 specifically to determine how much food in our cafeteria is Fair, Local, Humane, and Ecologically Sound. Results were presented and the most recent food service contract requires 20% "real food" by total purchasing dollar by 2020.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Westminster Bicycle Collective operates under the Environmental Center and offers members access to tools and expertise needed to maintain and repair their bikes, as well as information on safe riding and routes. Westminster Wheels is a program initiated by the Bicycle Collective and allows students to rent bike for free.
Numerous class projects have focused on strategies for improving transit use on campus, increasing ride share participation, and other transportation related efforts.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Eco Team members have performed several waste audits of Westminster's Campus, which has produced valuable information about the breakdown of college waste.
Students also researched and proposed a print cap for Westminster students, which is currently in the trial stage this spring (2014).
Environmental Center student staff have worked with campus dining services to offer res-usable to go containers in the cafeteria.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students wrote a proposal for low-flow toilets, which have been placed in the Meldrum Science Center. Many of the demonstration gardens mentioned above also focus on water conservation.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Student staff at the Environmental Center present a monthly Cooking Class that is taught by a guest cook and is focused on health and sustainability.
The Bicycle Collective runs programs that encourage student and staff to bike or ride the bus to campus, and maintains the bike cage and other biker amenities.
The Westminster for Real Food student group advocates making healthy decisions about food, and buying local, human, fair-trade, and organic food.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students researched and wrote a proposal for a Revolving Loan Fund and outlined several environmental impacts that would be the result of implementing such a fund.
A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
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The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.