Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.02
Liaison James Speer
Submission Date June 30, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Indiana State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 James Speer
Professor
Earth and Environmental Sciences
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 No
Public Engagement Yes
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:

Every Spring semester we have our ENVI 460: Conservation and Sustainability class with over 30 students study ISU and develop individual research projects on many different aspects of campus and community sustainability. We use ISU and the Wabash Valley as a living laboratory where our research projects work to improve the quality of life in the local community. We also have guest speakers from many facilities departments speak in the class and the class usually talks to them about sustainability on campus related to their projects which leads to real changes on campus. Other classes also take on sustainability aspects of campus to be studied each semester.

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Indoor air pollution


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
White board versus chalk board cost benefit
ISU Flight School carbon footprint analysis
LED Lighting Technologies for ISU
Volatile Organic Compound’s effects and the education of the community
Tiny houses
HVAC Sustainability: Solar-Assisted Air-Conditioning
Waste Building Materials


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Sustainability in restaurants
Going trayless
Garbology

Students from multiple years have conduct garbology studies (scientific analysis of trash). One student quantified the trashing coming out of the commons and wrote a report with recommendations to create a central trash/recycling facility in the commons. President Bradley created a task force to look into the feasibility of this project, but in the end they decided that it would not be economical, but at least it made our administration take action and study the issue. Also, through conversations with our lead Sodexo person who oversees our dining services, a conversation with our class (supported by the students data) made Sodexo move from stack of napkins in the commons to individual napkin dispensers. We saw this change happen within a week of our conversation so the students could see the effect of their efforts.


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Ryves Neighborhood energy audits
Ryves Hall solar panels
Oil spill location and causes
Energy cap to reduce energy use in residence halls
Residence hall energy savings and behavior
Solar powered campus
Fracking and the environment
ISU Geothermal
Electricity Use at ISU: A Correlation Between Electricity Use and Population Size
Methane Production at ISU by Anaerobic Digestion

Our students have examined the possibility of installing a solar array on campus over multiple years. Their work has helped to inform facilities and the administration about the possibility of bringing more alternative energy to campus.


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Sustainable Water Systems and Their Effect on Storm Water Drainage


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Planned obselescence
Incentivizing reusables
Grocery bags


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Bicycle Friendly Campus
Environmental impact of travel
Gas, Hybrid, Pure Electric, and Hydrogen Concept, Vehicles
Feasibility of Zip Car and ZimRide Programs at Indiana State University

A student project started the conversation that lead to our current Enterprise Car Share program on campus that is succeeding well.


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Recycling in a small town
Recycling in the residence halls
Garbology
Green chemistry and waste disposal


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Saving water every flush
Water conservation and aquariums
Drinking water in small towns


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
A Content Analysis of Sustainability Articles by the ISU Office of Communications and Marketing

We have had a number of students examine sustainability marketing at ISU which helps to inform the Institute for Community Sustainability about how well they are reaching the students and public with their message. Our students have provided input for sustainability planning at ISU, have developed an activism club on campus, and have also protested some actions by the administration that were not sustainable.


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Conservation and poverty
Gender differences in recycling in residence halls


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:

These are some of the example titles of projects from the ENVI460 class in this category:
Environmental effect on psychological wellbeing
Greening prisons
Fitness and sustainability
Alkaline hydolysis: A Green Alternative to Cremation
Meditation and Environmental Concern


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:

N/A


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 intersections between sustainability curriculum, horticulture, nutrition, and cultural competence are practiced each day at Indiana State University in the Community Garden. The leading problem of student-led gardens is that the vast majority of students leave through the summer months and cannot commit time or effort to the garden when it needs the most tending as crops come into fruition. The ISU garden does not have a substantial lull in numbers through the summer months as its primary constituents are community members. This scenario creates an added benefit that as the garden successfully functions throughout the year on its own but allows students to obtain experiential learning through working, volunteering, or through school projects that can be utilized in the spring and fall semesters when the student populace is back at the university. The ISU Community Garden concept has a third benefit in that students, faculty and staff who come to work, visit, or learn also get to connect with the larger community through conversation and interactions between diverse populations.

The ISU community garden currently has a graduate student assistant led project working to gain demographic information on community gardeners at a statewide scale. The state of Indiana serves as the study site, with the goal of obtaining demographic information from urban, suburban, and rural community gardens. Community gardens themselves will be self-identified as such, and our ICS Graduate Assistant (GA) have used internet searches, the American Community Gardens Association (ACGA) database of community gardens, and word-of-mouth to identify community gardens for the study.


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:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.