| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.90 |
| Liaison | Paul Mathisen |
| Submission Date | April 16, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
John
Orr Professor Liberal Arts & Computer Engineering |
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 | No |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | No |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | No |
| Public Engagement | No |
| Other | Yes |
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:
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:
WPI's Civil Engineering students often use campus building projects as an opportunity applied learning. In spring 2014, for example, two students developed a proposed renovation of and addition to WPI's Kaven Hall that could achieve LEED Gold certification. In 2013, another group of students compared different structural system options for a new dormitory on several criteria, including the impact on the building's LEED score.
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:
Two different groups of students have completed projects aimed at limiting the use of bottled water on campus in the last three years. These students raised awareness about the costs of bottled water and successfully advocated for structural changes to make drinking tap water more convenient.
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:
Students often use the campus as a site for applied research on renewable energy and energy efficiency. In spring 2014, for example, two different students analyzed the feasibility of implementing various co-generation technologies on campus. Other students have used campus building to study the design of roof-mounted vertical axis wind turbines and their potential use on campus. Another student conducted an energy audit of a campus building that proposed a series of potential energy conservation measures.
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:
In spring 2014, two students completed a research project focused on storm water management on WPI's campus. The students developed a proposed storm water management plan for WPI that included public education, detection of illicit discharges, construction and post construction site controls, and pollution prevention and best management practices. After mapping the area with GIS and completing runoff calculations, the students recommended a permeable pavement design to significantly reduce the storm water runoff discharge from the campus.
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:
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:
In spring 2014, four students completed a research project called "Promoting Alternative Transportation for the WPI Community," which focused on promoting and improving the use of sustainable, alternative transportation by the WPI community. The students conducted research of other universities with successful alternative transportation programs, surveyed the WPI community's transportation habits and preferences, created maps of where the WPI community comes to campus from, and interviewed key figures. Based on their findings, they produced a list of recommendations aimed at promoting and increasing the use of sustainable, alternative transportation by the WPI community.
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:
In fall 2012, a student completed a project called "Paper Reduction at WPI." This project initially investigated the primary drivers of paper use within the WPI community and the reasons why, in spite of modern information processing capabilities, the current practices still rely on paper. This project identified a practical and attractive alternative to paper that leverage the recent advances in tablet computing and cross platform data synchronization to deliver even better portability than paper. Tablets also enable hand written annotation, a desirable feature that, thus far, has only really been available with paper.
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:
In spring 2014, three students completed a project called "Water Sustainability at Worcester Polytechnic Institute." This project aimed to reduced the amount of water consumed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute through both behavioral and technological changes. To accomplish this goal the students analyzed the quantity of water used in order to identify likely water conserving opportunities. Through conducting a water audit, visual inspections of the current fixtures, and interviews with WPI's facilities, the project was able to identify areas in highest need of changes, and make suggestions to the institution based on project findings.
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:
In fall 2012, students analyzed the potential for using the One Planet Living (OPL) system as the framework for WPI's sustainability plan.
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:
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:
In spring 2014, a group of students completed a project focused on health and safety at WPI. Using accident reports, lab observations, and professor interviews, the students determined that people are not wearing appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) within many of WPI's labs. The students found that this problem was cause by numerous factors including negligence, unavailability of PPE, and inaccessibility of safety information. Departments were subsequently asked to stock the missing PPE and a myWPI organization was created to make safety information accessible.
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:
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:
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:
In spring 2013, a group of students used the campus as a site to test strategies to encourage behavior change for sustainability. Specifically, they investigated whether students who signed a "Sustainable Classroom Contract" behave more sustainability than students who did not sign the contract.
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.