Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 47.04
Liaison Debbie Liddick
Submission Date April 21, 2023

STARS v2.2

Black Hills State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.60 / 4.00 Maggie Torness
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Two BHSU biology and geology classes have identified, mapped, and measured all campus trees. The biology classes use this inventory in coursework, identifying patterns in planting choices and species health.The information is available for use in GIS, online map, Excel and the following URL: https://www.bhsu.edu/President/Sustainability/Tree-Campus-USA

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
Students engage with the public in an applied form of learning through hosting a summer educational workshop series for students, staff, and community members. Students from the outdoor education program developed social media outreach templates in Canva for the campus garden for future posts and outreach. Students are also involved in public engagement through the sustainability office by means of advertising, press releases, videos, social media, graphic design, and event planning.

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Students aid with the data collection and calculations for the greenhouse gas report. Participation in the carbon footprint report allows for students to be more conscious of their impact as individuals.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
The Student Union is a LEED certified building which has a sustainability tour, which are hosted occasionally on campus which students can attend. Tours and signage show various points that make up the building certification.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
Students are hired to complete our Greenhouse Gas Report that we conduct yearly. This entails gathering the data needed from our energy usage on campus and inputting it into SIMAP, to help the school know how it is doing in our transition to more renewable energy sources. Through this, students get experience with skills in energy auditing, as well as gain a broader sense of energy usage across campus.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
BHSU has a campus educational vegetable and fruit garden. Students both work and volunteer in the garden to learn and educate about food production and food systems. Students have created videos about particular growing techniques and shared them with campus and community via Youtube for practice educating. Several workshops on organic gardening and growing food take place throughout the summer. Produce was given to students, campus dining and a local food donation resource. Students are growing the seeds for starts and learning in the process how to do this.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
BHSU science professors worked with their students to develop a native plant ethnobotanical garden, in the shape of and symbolizing a medicine wheel, on campus located on the southwest corner of the Life Sciences Laboratory. The plants grown there are native to the region and use less water and require less care than the green grass elsewhere on campus. This garden is used in some coursework and students continue to maintain the garden. A student developed new signage for the ethnobotanical medicine wheel.
Also, BHSU is registered as a Bee Campus USA and is in the works of developing methods to support pollinators more on campus and integrate students into that work. BHSU also has a Sustainability and Biodiversity Committee on which students, along with staff, faculty, and community members, sit on. This committee serves to make healthy improvements in the ways that the grounds are managed to support biodiversity on campus. For instance, the Biodiversity portion of the committee has been instrumental in planting a diversity of trees on campus in the past few years, and continue to do so.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
---

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
---

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
A student is working with the Sustainability Department to advance our goals towards zero-waste by 2030. This student is analyzing our current waste streams and working to find and implement solutions to creatively solves our waste "problems."

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
---

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
The Eco-rep program gives students the opportunity to build skills in event coordination and planning by hosting events and workshops centered around sustainability in the dorms. Through this program students are paid a monthly stipend to create sustainability-related educational events for their dorms. To do this, these students must practice coordination and planning skills to create effective educational opportunities. In the past, these have been sustainability film watch parties, cooking demonstrations, game nights that are sustainability themed, and educational workshops to teach about recycling, decreasing water use and decreasing energy usage.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
---

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
---

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
https://www.bhsu.edu/Faculty-Staff/Campus-Services/Facilities-Services/Sustainability/

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.