| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 31.41 |
| Liaison | Hannes Gerhardt |
| Submission Date | April 20, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of West Georgia
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.80 / 4.00 |
Hannes
Gerhardt Sustainability Director Department of Geosciences |
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 | --- |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | No |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | --- |
| Transportation | --- |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | --- |
| Diversity & Affordability | --- |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | --- |
| 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:
A Student Research Assistant Program (SRAP) was used for two years to employ students to assist in the calculation and presentation of the campus' carbon footprint. The students helped collect the data as well as display the data in graphs and charts. They also were able to project future carbon usage given business as usual trajectories as well as trajectories that include sustainability investments. Their findings have been made public to the campus community.
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:
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:
In the course GEOG 2505 Human Impacts on the Environment, the campus garden is incorporated into the course. The students get to view and work on the garden as a way to see what sustainable, small scale agriculture looks like, and learn about land/labor requirements for a small scale farming operation.
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:
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 GEOG 4082, Special Topics, a student project was completed the made a GIS map of the campus tree canopy. This map was a key requirement to acquiring a "Tree Campus USA" designation from the Arbor Day Foundation.
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:
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 the PLAN 5785 class, Topics in Planning, students researched the University's recycling program, performing data collection, analysis, and writing a substantive sustainability recycling plan, which was offered to the Planning and Facilities division.
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:
The floodplain behind The Coliseum is an outdoor laboratory for Hydrogeology and Soils. Over the years Hydrogeology has installed more than twenty wells which have subsequently been used for teaching and research. We have also taken core samples using the Dept's vibracore setup. Hydrogeology techniques for well installation, flow testing, core sampling and water sampling are demonstrated through activities there. Numerous student presentations have been based on data from the field site covering topics such as groundwater chemistry, floodplain stratigraphy, and soil heavy-metals distribution. Most of these activities has a sustainability component as the testing of water and groundwater is done to detect human sources contaminants.
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:
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:
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:
In the mass communications course COMM 4444: Public Relations Campaigns two teams were assigned to the University's Center for Sustainability to help them with their PR campaign. These teams particularly emphasized how to increase the use of the Center's social media in order to reach a larger audience and consequently harness greater engagement on the part of students, faculty, and the community at large.
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:
The graduate level course Conservation Biology 5985 used the campus as a living laboratory to assess the amount and health of the animal wildlife on campus by setting up various wildlife cameras around campus and tracking and analyzing the data. Recommendations were offered, based on the results, for what can be done to protect the University's animal wildlife. Results were presented and published.
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.