| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.75 |
| Liaison | Keaton Schrank |
| Submission Date | April 26, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Westminster University - Utah
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jeri
Gravlin Sustainability Fellow Environmental Center |
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 | No |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | No |
| Diversity & Affordability | No |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | Yes |
| Public Engagement | No |
| 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 in an Economics 325 course completed a Cost Benefit Analysis of Westminster's Plan for Carbon Neutrality, and came to the conclusion that there was room for improvement in the college's purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), and suggested the purchase of wind turbines.
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:
Several students have completed proposals as a requirement for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar. The first of these is a Green Roofs proposal, in which the potential benefits of constructing a green roof on campus was researched. Secondly, students completed a proposal for sustainable advancements in the expansion of campus.
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:
The Westminster Organic Garden is run by students under the guidance of the Environmental Center. There are numerous volunteers that help keep the garden running doing activities such as watering, planting and weeding. Weekly work parties are held during the growing season (from seed starting in the greenhouse to winter cover cropping). The crops from the garden are either given to volunteers or distributed at a campus farm stand. The garden effort also includes a campus chicken co-op where student employees receive the opportunity to care for the chickens (from day one) and get to take their eggs home.
Westminster also employees a Greenhouse coordinator who works with Environmental 101 students to grow micro greens in the greenhouse, that will then be used in catering events on campus.
The Westminster Bee Hive is operated by a student group under the Environmental Center that focuses on sustainable bee keeping as well as bee pollination and foraging ecology.
Student staff at the Environmental Center offer cooking classes that are designed around healthy/organic foods, taught by the executive chef of the campus dining hall.
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:
Eco Team is a student group sponsored by the Environmental Center that implements that annual residence hall Energy Challenge. During the Energy Challenge, campus residents are encouraged to adopt sustainable habits and save energy, and many residence halls have saved energy in the past. Students who do not live on campus are encouraged to participate by taking pictures of how they are saving energy and posting it to social media with #WCenergy. The most recent Energy Challenge showed a 20% reduction in total electricity consumption for the five residence halls.
Students also worked on an energy analysis, and compiled several recommendations for how to decrease Westminster's carbon footprint and decrease energy usage.
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:
Several demonstration gardens were created on campus by students to showcase sustainable landscaping practices. These spaces save water, provide urban habitat, and even grow healthy, organic food. These outdoor learning spaces feature plants native to the area, xeriscape principles, a permaculture garden, wildlife habitat, and/or plants mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.
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:
The Westminster Bicycle Collective operates under the Environmental Center and offers members access to tools and expertise needed to maintain and repair their bikes, as well as information on safe riding and routes. Westminster Wheels is a program initiated by the Bicycle Collective and allows students to rent bike for free.
Numerous class projects and sustainability fellow projects have focused on strategies for improving transit use to campus (all students and staff are provided free bus/trax transit in SLC), increasing ride share participation, and other transportation related efforts. A great example of this is the Ride Share board that promotes carpooling during the breaks from school.
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:
Eco Team members have performed several waste audits of Westminster's Campus, which has produced valuable information about the breakdown of college waste.
Students have researched and proposed a print cap for Westminster students, which is currently in effect. There is an environmental impact report for each student based on how much they print each semester.
Environmental Center student staff work with campus dining services to offer and promote reusable to go containers in the cafeteria.
A recycling coordinator hired by the Environmental Center has implemented recycling bins in every on-campus residence hall and educational opportunities for those on campus to reduce our waste impact.
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:
Many of the demonstration gardens mentioned above also focus on water conservation. Also, sustainability fellows have built a rainwater harvesting system next to the chicken coop which will be up and running soon.
There have been several proposals and cost-benefit analyses for low flow toilets.
The campus has participated in the 4Liters Challenge, put on by the non-profit organization, Dig Deep. This challenge encourages students to use (drink, cook, bathe...etc.) only 4 liters for 24 hours in order to raise water usage awareness. The challenge was promoted through posters and social media and encouraged students to post pictures of how they were saving water and in turn they were entered into a drawing to win prizes from local companies (such as hats, ski passes...).
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:
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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:
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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:
Student staff at the Environmental Center present cooking classes that are taught by the executive chef of the campus dining service and are focused on health and sustainability.
The Bicycle Collective runs programs that encourage student and staff to bike or ride the bus to campus, and maintains the bike cage and other biker amenities.
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 researched and wrote a proposal for a student-used revolving loan fund and outlined several environmental impacts that would be the result of implementing such a fund.
Currently, Westminster has a revolving loan fund and it is just recently funded a project to implement LED lights in one of the parking garages - there have been e-mails and posters to inform the students of the change and why the parking garage will be closed temporarily.
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:
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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:
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.