| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 37.09 |
| Liaison | Adam Strzemienski |
| Submission Date | Sept. 18, 2023 |
University of North Georgia
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.60 / 4.00 |
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
There are numerous projects on campus that allow the students to have practical application and living laboratory experience. These include real-time production info on our solar arrays, native and invasive plant species labs on our undeveloped properties, shoreline and vegetation restoration projects, Hemlock research, and American Chestnut grove.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
The university has a community garden called Hometown Harvest that is led by students. Through the community garden project, students get a chance to learn about how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in collaboration with STEM lab, a multidisciplinary research lab between biology, physics, and chemistry. Students have had a chance to do research projects on tomato plants and soil funded by the university as part of the STEM lab course. The community garden and research support creating more education and better vegetables to share with Lumpkin High School and other community members.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Some Physics and IESA courses have their students coordinate with UNG's Facilities Office on energy and building data to determine energy and utility usage and recommendations for how to reduce this cost.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
Some Physics and IESA courses have their students coordinate with UNG's Facilities Office on energy and building data to determine energy and utility usage and recommendations for how to reduce this cost. Real-time energy production dashboard with solar arrays.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
The food service contractor for UNG has shown a commitment towards advancing sustainability through its food purchases, locally sourced commitments, compostable and reusable to-go containers, food waste measurements, recycling, and creating its on compost to give to local farmers.
https://ung.campusdish.com/Sustainability/WhatWeAreDoing
The university also has a community garden called Hometown Harvest that is led by students. Through the community garden project, students get a chance to learn about how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in collaboration with STEM lab, a multidisciplinary research lab between biology, physics, and chemistry. Students have had a chance to do research projects on tomato plants funded by the university as part of the STEM lab course.
The university has a community garden called Hometown Harvest that is led by students. Through the community garden project, students get a chance to learn about how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in collaboration with STEM lab, a multidisciplinary research lab between biology, physics, and chemistry. Students have had a chance to do research projects on tomato plants funded by the university as part of the STEM lab course.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
The Biology department uses our undisturbed grounds, forests, and streams as a living laboratory for native and invasive plant species identification, sample studies, water quality studies, and erosion control, and stream bank restoration efforts.
The university has a community garden called Hometown Harvest that is led by students. Through the community garden project, students get a chance to learn about how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in collaboration with STEM lab, a multidisciplinary research lab between biology, physics, and chemistry. Students have had a chance to do research projects on tomato plants and soil funded by the university as part of the STEM lab course.
Through the Hurricane Creek research site at UNG, a student got a chance to do an independent research project as part of the STEM lab class, which focused on how insecticides, used to preserve Hemlock trees, affect amphibians that are endemic to southern Appalachia. The research was presented at the local and national level. A new American Chestnut grove was recently planted as well.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
The campus bus system expands to off-campus housing and offers a stop to the local Walmart to show students the value of mass transportation, even in smaller communities. The University partnered with developers to install pedestrian paths from adjacent student housing to make walking to campus easier.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
Several waste audits have been completed by biology students in various buildings on campus. Also, the Office of Facilities arranged a trip for interested faculty, staff, and students to visit the municipal sorting facility that receives our recyclables to see the impact recycling has on our environment and waste management system.
Students of the Sustainability Club noticed the use of paper that goes with hanging up flyers for different events. To minimize paper use students now collaborate with the Resident Association so that if more flyers are printed than necessary, they are given to the Sustainability Club and used to print flyers for the Sustainability Club on the backside. The student-led project is planning to expand to the library and honors hall, to increase the use of both sides of paper before putting it in the recycle-bin. The project has been shared with university staff and the goal for the club is to implement it as a part of university policy.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
Biology and IESA uses surrounding rivers, including streams on UNG's Hurricane Creek Research & Conservation property, to conduct water quality samples.
The Environmental Leadership Center has a Water lab that has run for 33 years consecutively in which students are responsible for collecting and analyzing data of Lake Lanier. This data is publicly available and has been used by both chemistry (as a thesis project) and statistics students (as part of an Elementary Statistics project) to perform statistical analyses and thereby learn more about the different essential attributes that are connected with clean water.
Last semester, students from the Sustainability Club and Women in Tech club in Dahlonega collaborated with a local non-for-profit organization, New Life Technology Group, and organized a 4-day long Electronic Recycling Drive at the Dahlonega campus library. It was such a success that the initiative is expanding this semester to both the Dahlonega and Gainesville campus co-hosted also by the Students for Environmental Awareness at Gainesville.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
The university has a Sustainability Faculty Committee, and in order for students to gain a chance to learn more about Sustainability planning behind the scenes, the President and Vice-President of the student-led Sustainability Club are part of the Sustainability Faculty Committee as Sustainability Student Reps. Students thereby get a chance to help plan and coordinate sustainability operations including influencing the University’s Strategic Planning to include more Sustainability and help create an overarching Sustainability-structure for the university.
To better assess sustainability at the university, the Sustainability Club (DAH) provides a group of students that together with faculty help fill out the STARS application. Students learn in practice about how sustainability can present itself in all aspects of a Higher Education institution. Students are specifically responsible for helping out with the AC-8, and EN section giving a unique perspective. Furthermore, at the end of the STARS application students provide a list of ideas for future projects from a student and institution perspective that the university can implement to better its STARS score.
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
The Ecological Protection Lab of the ELC is working to create a new on-campus trail where both students and different classes can go to either learn about nature or simply have nature more available if students need a break from classes. The same goes with Hurricane Creek, as having good availability for a nature walk is a healthy and sustainable way for students to engage in resting and relaxation.
Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.