Campus Sustainability Case Studies - Campus Ecology

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Taking Action for the Climate

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Since the early 1990s, colleges nationwide have conducted hundreds of environmental assessments. "Assessments" can help identify environmentally sound practices and policies, which will enable institutions to reduce their environmental footprint, and to save money.

Campus assessments are also useful for establishing baseline information about campus performance, setting goals and priorities, and tracking progress. Campus assessments cover a variety of practices and policies on campus, including waste management, energy and water use, transportation, purchasing, landscaping, and more.

An environmental assessment requires cooperation and participation from many groups and departments on the campus, including students, faculty, staff, operations departments, and academic programs.

Ball State University

2008 - Creating a survey Ball State hopes to better understand their students' attitudes toward sustainability.

2004 - More than 250 people attended the fifth offering in the Greening of the Campus international conference series. Campus Ecology Recognition 2003-2004

2004 - BSU recognizes the efforts of faculty, staff and students at the COTE Exemplar Awards program. Campus Ecology Recognition 2003-2004

Cornell University

1998 - This campus is starting a workplace eco-audit to improve the environmental efficiency of many on-campus processes.

Emory University

2002 - Emory students set out to find the area’s main sources of CO₂, and discovered the main culprits are electricity use, natural gas, and commuting. Armed with this information, they can now work toward solutions!

Franklin Pierce College

2006 - Franklin Pierce College conducts an environmental assessment and produces campus report card.

Harford Community College

2003 - Students, faculty and staff joined forces to perform an energy audit to identify greening opportunities. Green Campus Recognition, 2002-2003

Humboldt State University

2002 - Humboldt students are getting out their calculators to measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions on campus, and coming up with ideas on how to reduce those emissions in the future.

2000 - Students took over a dilapidated house on campus and remodeled it with many alternative technologies. Now it houses student projects. Two students are writing a book about the successes of the center.

Merrimack College

2008 - Merrimack tackles environmental sustainability by gathering interested parties and working together.

Michigan State University

2006 - Michigan State University conducts a survey to assess local herpetofauna.

2003 - MSU is identifying barriers to harvesting and distributing agricultural research by-products (edible food) to community groups in the region.

2002 - With its farms and agricultural research, MSU grows a lot of food... much of which is left in the fields. These students are looking for better management ideas to help farm managers prevent waste and better distribute this precious resource.

Minnesota State University at Moorhead

2005 - Students at MSU are willing to pay a fee to support sustainability initiatives on campus.

Pomona College

2009 - Pomona College has conducted an assessment, starting with an audit and working toward a sustainability action plan.

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

2003 - SUNY President supported the "Green Campus Initiative-Practicing What We Teach" project started in fall 2003. Green Campus Recognition, 2002-2003

Sterling College

2002 - Sterling College is doing a lot of green things; but it could be doing more! So Sterling students are working to assess the campus’ environmental footprint, and to teach first-year students about green living practices.

Tulane University

2000 - When proposing environmental projects to a university's administration, it helps to have your ducks in a row. At Tulane, a student prepared a document to help Tulane, as well as other universities, to comply with federal environmental regulations.

University of British Columbia

2006 - UBC continues Inspirations and Aspirations: The Sustainability Strategy.

2005 - UBC publishes major sustainability goals in Inspirations and Aspirations: The Campus Strategy.

University of California at Berkeley

2004 - Student at University of California gives presentation to Chancellor at the Earth Day Sustainability Summit.

University of California: San Diego

2009 - UCSD’s assessment includes an examination of 11 areas of concern and a total of 35 indicators.

University of Colorado at Boulder

2000 - A professional phone survey of University of Colorado: Boulder students showed a significant number of students wanted a greener campus.

University of La Verne

2003 - The University of La Verne Sustainable Campus Task Force conducted an audit to plan for future projects such as energy efficiency, water efficiency and landscaping.

University of Michigan

1998 - This student did a green evaluation of all campus housing facilities.

University of Vermont

2002 - What kind of ecological footprint are UVM students leaving with their energy use, transportation choices and waste disposal? These students are out to measure their footprint, and to teach the community how to make it lighter.

1998 - Students and faculty got together to document the many environmental efforts taking place at the university, and to encourage the campus community to identify the next steps.

University of Wisconsin - OshKosh

2004 - UWO, the biggest green power purchaser in Wisconsin. Campus Ecology Recognition 2003-2004

Vassar College

1998 - A student prepared an environmental audit of the campus, accompanied by events such as the Trash Olympics and working with the environmental committee to implement some of the recommendations.

Wake Forest University

2000 - Students organized an audit of campus operations, starting with a survey of the university's 1,380 vendors of various products and services.

Washington and Jefferson College

2004 - Drought-tolerant plants have replaced nearly all the water-loving and high-maintenance plants on campus.

2003 - Students are mapping their ecological footprint as part of class and learn about the college in the process. Green Campus Recognition, 2002-2003

2002 - How much waste and recycling does the average Washington and Jefferson student generate? Environmental Studies 101 students set out to answer that question, and got a solid introduction to their own impact on the campus environment.

Wellesley College

2003 - Students measured green house gases and suggested solutions for reductions. Anyone in favor of faculty parking fees?

Western Michigan University

2000 - Campuses across the nation are doing environmental assessments. But what can be learned by looking at the picture nationally? This school prepared a library and database of campus environmental assessments.