| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.34 |
| Liaison | Jennifer Andrews |
| Submission Date | July 29, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of New Hampshire
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Tom
Kelly Chief Sustainability Officer University Office of 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 | No |
| Purchasing | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | No |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | Yes |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | No |
| Investment | Yes |
| 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:
Students are involved in helping collecting data for UNH's greenhouse gas emissions inventory, writing and updating the university's climate action plan, and assessing building and transportation energy use, among other efforts.
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:
Students are involved in helping buildings apply for Energy Star labeling, assessing building energy use, and more.
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:
Students are involved in growing food for campus dining halls, running an on-campus farmer's market, helping to develop healthy and nutritious recipes served in dining establishments on campus, and providing food to the Waysmeet Community Center, among other food-related work.
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 are involved in helping collecting data for UNH's greenhouse gas emissions inventory, writing and updating the university's climate action plan, and assessing building and transportation energy use, among other efforts.
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:
One is with our grounds: Faculty and students routinely use the campus grounds as a "laboratory"; for example, see the (partial) list of courses that do research in College Woods, which adjoins the UNH core campus, on pages 14-16 of this report: https://colsa.unh.edu/woodlands/sites/colsa.unh.edu.woodlands/files/docs/cwmppdf2014.pdf
Date Revised: Oct. 22, 2014
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:
Students have been involved in developing an EcoCalculator to guide departmental vehicle purchasing decisions.
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:
Students have been involved in collecting and analyzing data for UNH's transportation survey, developing an EcoCalculator to guide departmental vehicle purchasing decisions, implementing ZipCar on campus, and more.
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:
A variety of UNH departments, from the Sustainability Institute to Dining to Facilities to Housing, involve students in auditing UNH's waste and recycling efforts and making recommendations for improvements. UNH students run Trash 2 Treasure, which handles student move in and move out 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:
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:
The Sustainability Institute involves students in the collect and reporting of data to STARS.
Sustainability Institute Student Ambassador Program, a competitive program suggested by UNH students and run by the Sustainability Institute, selects four students to serve as ambassadors during the academic year. SISAs play a unique role in helping to shape and promote sustainability on campus. SISAs receive training in sustainability principles and practices, networking opportunities with leaders on campus and in the field, and invaluable real world experience in implementing sustainability on campus and beyond.
SISAs:
- Serve on one of the Sustainability Institute’s four cross-college task forces: Energy Task Force, Ecosystem Task Force, Sustainable Food System Task Force, Culture and Sustainability Task Force
- Inform students about sustainability work on campus and beyond by writing articles and blog entries, updating campus organizations, and other activities.
- Design and implement a creative project in conjunction with other SISAs, SI staff, and task forces. Present this idea at the Undergraduate Research Conference.
See more at: http://sustainableunh.unh.edu/task-force-ambassadors
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:
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 have worked with the UNH Foundation, the Sustainability Institute, the Carsey Institute and the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics to research sustainability endowment best management practices, ROI's, and more. Students have presented this information to the UNH Foundation Board and at the Undergraduate Research Conference.
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:
Students are involved in the research and engagement of Climate Solutions New England, Food Solutions New England, and other sustainability engagement across campus.
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:
Doctoral students and faculty are working on measuring the nitrogen footprint of the UNH campus; this analysis is one of the first of its kind undertaken in the US and indeed in the globe, and we intend that it will not only serve as a foundation for enhanced campus sustainability, but also as a model for other organizations that own and operate significant buildings and grounds.
Date Revised: Oct. 22, 2014
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.