| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.05 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Cornell University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Robert
Bland Sr. Director Energy & Sustainability |
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 | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | --- |
| Public Engagement | Yes |
| 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:
The blueprint for this goal is our award-winning Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP’s strategies bring together students, faculty, and staff on matters of research, education, stewardship and outreach.
The following initiatives are present on Cornell's campus:
-Climate Focus Team of the President's Sustainable Campus Committee which facilitates the implementation of initiatives to reduce Cornell's carbon footprint. These include faculty, staff, student working groups developing recommendations for a potential internal carbon charge and offsetting business travel.
-KyotoNow's student-run campaigns work to promote a sustainable, just future and advance policy on climate change on the university, local and national levels
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:
Faculty in the College of Human Ecology have been surveying occupants in various green buildings to understand occupant experiences of green features. These post-occupancy surveys have helped inform infrastructure improvements over time.
A class in the College of Human Ecology, DEA 6250 (Human Dimensions of Sustainable Buildings), conducted group projects focusing on Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) Policy & Stakeholder Engagement for Cornell’s Climate Action Plan. There were five groups that looked at different scopes and options for potential EBOM policies.
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:
Dining sustainability student staff in partnership with faculty and staff have been researching the food waste habits of students and designing interventions to reduce food waste. Applied Economics faculty and students as part of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab have been studying the food choices of students in the cafeterias to enhance our understanding of the psychology of food choices in cafeterias. More information is available here http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/content/smarter-lunchrooms
Undergraduate members of the Food Focus Team are examining the sustainability of Cornell's food purchases by inputting data into the Real Food Calculator.
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:
Our student-run Green Revolving Fund invests in energy conservation projects and captures energy cost savings for reinvestment. Its first sponsored project is the replacement of steam pipe insulation in Sage Hall.
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:
Cornell's Urban Horticulture Institute faculty and students study plant selection and site restoration/modification techniques to create resilient urban ecosystems. They have created more than 25 demonstration gardens on the Cornell campus over the last 15 years, including a roadside bioswale testing new breeds of plants hardy to road salt and snow cover.
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/index.html
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:
Procurement Services engaged MBA students from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management who worked with four diverse businesses to help them boost sales with Cornell and review their business plans.
https://www.dfa.cornell.edu/news/mba-students-offer-consulting-diverse-businesses-second-year
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:
From piloting carshare and bikeshare initiatives that were developed by students, to landscape architecture students designing car-free campus concepts, Cornell has a long history of student learning and faculty research embedded in sustainable transportation operations. In 2015, Cornell's Forest Home Garage was the first-ever university parking garage to receive Green Garage certification. More information is available here http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/transportation
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:
The Cornell Waste Management Institute partnered with Farm Services in the development of Cornell's composting facility, and ongoing research and teaching collaborations on agricultural waste management and composting continue. Students hosted a Waste Weekend event to discuss issues of plastic usage, biofuels, campus policy, compost, freshmen leadership, food recovery, a campus thrift store, and more over music, food, and art displays. More information is available at http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/waste
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:
Studying the local watershed where Cornell is located has been a long time pursuit of faculty, students, and staff. The campus is host to wetland management demonstration projects and faculty and staff are currently partnering to model complex nutrient systems of nearby Cayuga Lake. More information is available here http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/water
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:
Various students in the MBA, CIPA, and School for Industrial and Labor Relations have done academic projects in partnership with the Campus Sustainability Office and Planning Offices at Cornell relating to the use of metrics in performance management, carbon reduction planning, and campus master planning.
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:
Prof. Kelly Musick in her Research Methods class (SOC 2130/PAM 2150) in Sociology regularly has students engage with institutional data on first generation or low income students and the Cornell experience. Each term she works with real world community or campus partners.
Prof. Troy Richardson in his Intergroup Dialogue class (EDUC 2610) has small groups of students design and carry out interventions (intergroup collaboration projects) with campus or community partners based around the theme of their dialogue sections—race, sexuality, gender, religion, ability, or socio-economic class. This course is also taught by Prof. John Forester in the same way.
Prof Anthony Burrow in his course on Racial and Ethnic Identity Development (HD 3510) and his collaborative research with Dr. Janis Whitlock studies and encourages his students both in the classroom and in the lab to examine personal development and sense of purpose in relation to engagement with diversity and making meaning from diverse encounters.
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:
Research on the benefits of flex place and time are being conducted on campus in partnership with the Office of Workplace Diversity and Inclusion and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. This research has been used to improve Cornell's flex program.
https://www.hr.cornell.edu/life/support/flexible_arrangements.html
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:
not available.
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:
The Engaged Cornell initiative launched with the overarching goal to establish community engagement in teaching, learning, and research settings as a hallmark of the Cornell experience, thereby preparing our students to become citizens who will enrich not only our community but also the places throughout the world in which they choose to live and work. Engaged Cornell aims to support the work of faculty to directly integrate community engagement into the curriculum, as a strategy for learning and as a means of connecting academic exploration with those public arenas. Through its grants programs, Engaged Cornell supports the creation of new community-engaged courses, research, and internship opportunities, as well as the further development and curricular integration of current community-engaged teaching and research initiatives.
http://engaged.cornell.edu/about/
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:
Cornell's Leadership for Campus Sustainability class is a 3 credit service-learning course to develop leadership and peer education skills while improving campus sustainability in the residence halls. During the semester each student will serve as a Cornell EcoRep, a program leader and role model for a specific residence hall. EcoReps learn how to plan, coordinate, and implement sustainability education activities in collaboration with residence hall staff. They work with other students in and outside the class to develop competencies in persuasion, education and community based social marketing.
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.